Danish FM Samuelsen: It is strategically important for Denmark and whole Europe that Ukraine succeeds in reforms, and it needs international support for that
“It is strategically important for Denmark and
whole Europe that Ukraine succeeds
in reforms, and to this
end it needs
necessary international support”, Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Denmark Anders Samuelsen said on 21 February
in Kyiv after
negotiations with Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin.
Support for Ukraine
by Denmark in conducting internal
reforms was one of the
main topics of the negotiations.
Pavlo Klimkin expressed his gratitude
to the Danish
Colleague for the decision of
the Government of Denmark to
hold the second International Ukraine Reform Conference in Copenhagen
on 27 June (first such conference
was held in summer of
2017 in London). In this regard
Ministers Pavlo Klimkin and Anders
Samuelsen made symbolic signing of the joint
invitation, addressed to colleagues from
other countries and leaders of
international organisations
to participate in the mentioned
event.
Pavlo Klimkin highly
praised the efforts of Denmark
regarding Ukraine in solving actual
security challenges in the context
of countering the Russian aggression
and significant practical assistance in conducting reforms.
In his turn
Anders Samuelsen officially announced the launch of
the realisation of the new
five year “Danish Neighbourhood Programme” (DANEP), in the framework of
which a number of assistance projects
in the spheres
of human rights, democracy and sustainable economic development in total amount
of 65 million USD will be implemented.
Both Ministers positively
characterized the dynamics of the
trade and economic relations, in particular increase
of the bilateral
trade in 2017 up to 14%, as
well as expressed
hope for further increase of the Danish
investment in view of the
ascending indicators in 2017.
Ministers also paid
great attention to discussion of
the situation in the contest
of the Russian
aggression against Ukraine. Anders Samuelsen stressed that Denmark will
further consider occupation of Crimea
and areas of the Donetsk
and Luhansk regions by Russia
as brutal violation of the
international law and will insist
that international sanctions against Russia should remain
until Moscow returns in the
international legal framework.
Ministers Pavlo Klimkin
and Anders Samuelsen also exchanged thoughts regarding the steps
of the European
commission on counteraction to construction of the gas pipeline
Nord Stream-2 by Russia.