June 9,  Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleg Uruskyi held an online meeting with NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment Division Davis JR. Gordon B to discuss some aspects of Ukraine’s defense industry reform.

The Minister for Strategic Industries briefed the Alliance representative on the Strategy for the Development of Ukraine's Defense Industry, which is to be submitted to the National Security and Defense Council in June. Oleg Uruskyi informed about changes in the defense procurement system and the beginning of corporate transformations of defense industry enterprises.

"The government is taking steps to fully implement the Law" On Defense Procurement", and the draft law "On the peculiarities of reforming the state-owned defense industry" has already passed the first reading in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and will soon be submitted to the session hall for a second reading," the Minister stressed.

Apart from that, the concept of creating state-owned holding companies in Ukraine, which, according to the official, will become full-fledged players in the competitive business environment in the country, has been worked out.

Oleg Uruskyi dwelled on the intensification of military-technical cooperation between Ukraine and NATO.

"The experts of the Ministry for Strategic Industries of Ukraine are interested in participating in the work of relevant groups and subgroups of the Alliance in order to deepen cooperation and increase the pace of integration processes," he said.

Oleg Uruskyi reminded that the National Security Strategy of Ukraine, which was approved in 2020, defines European and Euro-Atlantic integration as one of the fundamental national interests of Ukraine.

For his part, Mr. Davis welcomed the beginning of transformations in the defense industry of Ukraine, agreed on the advisability of involving representatives of the Ministry for Strategic Industries in joint working groups / subgroups of the Alliance and expressed hope that everything planned in the context of reforms will be successfully implemented. NATO’s Deputy Assistant Secretary General also expressed support for Ukraine on its Euro-Atlantic path.