European integration, economic and defence cooperation, as well as reconstruction were the main areas of focus during a joint meeting of the Government of Ukraine and the European Commission on 24 February. This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The Head of Government stressed that Ukraine expected to speed up all procedures for joining the European Union and was prepared to start negotiations on all clusters.

An important topic of discussion was sectoral integration into the EU. According to Denys Shmyhal, there are several tasks in this area. Among them, in particular, are the extension of the ‘economic visa-free regime’, acceleration of the so-called ‘industrial visa-free regime’, acceleration of the ‘roaming visa-free regime’, etc.

"In the energy sector, the EU will help Ukraine with the purchase of gas, which is critical in the context of preparations for the next winter. We also count on European investments in the development of renewable generation," he said.

In addition, Denys Shmyhal told, it was planned to increase funding for the Ukrainian defence industry, create new joint ventures, and integrate the Ukrainian defence industry into European production chains.

The Prime Minister believes that Europe will play a key role in Ukraine's recovery.

“Therefore, we seek to ensure that this is reflected in the EU's long-term budget planning. This will create new, long-term financial support mechanisms, ensure investments in critical infrastructure and the manufacturing sector, and integrate Ukraine into the European budget process,” Denys Shmyhal commented.