The Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture of Ukraine Ihor Petrashko met with the Ambassador of the European Union, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Matti Maasikas. The parties tackled issues of mutually beneficial trade, economic cooperation and exchange of experience on adaptive quarantine exit.

"Ukraine has introduced an adaptive quarantine recovery plan, which consists of 5 stages. It is crucial to ensure a constant exchange of experiences with other countries regarding curbing coronavirus, economic recovery after COVID-19, business support, preserving and creating new jobs. Meanwhile, despite focusing on measures to contain the spread of the pandemics, we exert every effort to ensure the smooth export of agricultural products to foreign markets and provide food security," stressed Ihor Petrashko.

According to him, the European Union remains Ukraine's main trading partner. In 2019, as compared to 2018, the trade turnover between Ukraine and the EU increased by 5.5% and amounted to USD 45.7 billion, of which exports amounted to USD 20.8 billion. In particular, the largest importers of Ukrainian products were Poland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands and Hungary.

"We hope to start updating the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. This issue is especially relevant due to the difficult situation in international trade. Another priority issue for us is the removal of technical barriers to trade with the EU, we are ready to conclude an Agreement on Conformity Assessment and Acceptance of Industrial Products," said Ihor Petrashko.

Apart from that, the interlocutors discussed issues of public procurement, which could significantly affect the growth of Ukrainian production. The Minister noted that the Ministry of Economic Development is currently working on a draft regulation with the rules not contradicting international obligations in the field of procurement, and aimed to support localized production amid the global economic crisis.