Ukraine and the EU stand ready to deepen cooperation under a joint reform program in order to obtain third tranche of the EU macro-financial assistance, says PM

Ukraine and the European Union (EU) pledge readiness to strengthen cooperation within the framework of a joint reform program, launched in 2015, in order to obtain the third tranche of the EU macro-financial assistance worth EUR 600 million by the end of the year. The respective agreement was reached in the course of the meeting between Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman and Vice-President of the European Commission, European Commissioner for the Euro and Social Dialogue Valdis Dombrovskis. The meeting was held as part of the Ukraine-EU summit, which began in Kyiv.

The Head of Government thanked the European Union's delegation for the staunchest political, economic and social support. «Now we need to intensify the implementation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. We also understand the conditions for granting the macro-financial assistance, hence we engage in a constant dialogue with the Parliament on these issues in order to find a solution», the Prime Minister asserted.

Volodymyr Groysman stressed that a pension reform and transformations in privatization, land, education and medicine sectors are on the agenda. «Tomorrow (13 July) the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine will consider (pension reform), hopefully we will be able to receive support from the majority (Parliament). We have an action plan to be implemented», he emphasized

The Prime Minister briefed interlocutors on the situation in Donbass. «I have already said - it's not about two countries, but about two worlds», Volodymyr Groysman said and expressed gratitude to Valdis Dombrovskis for his desire to visit Donbass and assess the situation with his own eyes.

In turn, the Vice-President of the European Commission outlined that the EU will continue to provide the overwhelming support for Ukraine and added that the progress in relations between the EU and Ukraine is obvious. «Today we really need to spare no efforts to meet the conditions for receiving the third tranche of the macro-financial assistance», emphasized Valdis Dombrovskis, noting that the requirements for obtaining the funds are not new. They related to the fight against corruption, the extension of energy efficiency programs, the deepening of cooperation in the area of problems of internally displaced persons and specific economic issues.

«We don't have so much time - it's of paramount importance to complete this process by mid-November, because there are internal EU procedures so that it would be possible to disburse the tranche in December», Valdis Dombrovskis stressed.

The sides agreed to kick off the process of setting up new projects and programs of cooperation in the economical and the social spheres.