Ostap Semerak presents in Brussels a project of Ukraine's implementation of EU-Ukraine Association Agreement

Today, on 8 July, Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Ostap Semerak presented the Model of national coordination as to the Ukraine’s implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement in Brussels at a high-level meeting on Ukraine: coordinating and implementing the international support.

In his presentation speech, Ostap Semerak noted that in order to implement in the most efficient way Ukraine's commitments assumed during the signing of the Association Agreement, the Ukraine’s Government in close cooperation with civil society is building an updated system of interaction of executive authorities.

The Minister said that in the framework of the implementation of the Agreement will be established Ukrainian part of the Association Council headed by the Prime Minister of Ukraine. "Ukrainian part of the Association Council will approve all strategic decisions in the field of European integration", said the Ukrainian official.

However, according to the Minister, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine is to introduce Ukrainian part of the Association Committee, which includes deputy ministers of the European integration. As noted Ostap Semerak, these deputy ministers will bear personal responsibility for the implementation of political decisions of bilateral Ukraine-EU bodies on a sectoral basis.

Ostap Semerak reminded that for the first time in its history the Government of Ukraine initiated a transparent selection process to fill these political posts.

The official noted that the overall coordination of the executive bodies’ activity will be carried out by the Government Office for European Integration. In addition, the Office will act as a contact-point for interaction with the Support Group for Ukraine, headed by Peter Balas.

"In our opinion, the presented mechanism is optimal, since it is the most adapted to the current system of decision-making by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine", emphasized Ostap Semerak.

Minister Ostap Semerak expressed the hope that the proposed model would become an efficient tool of Ukraine’s implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU. "The Ukrainian Government expects the EU without undue delay to ensure Ukraine appropriate technical and expert assistance," added the official.