Olha Stefanishyna: The pandemic has demonstrated in full the benefits of European integration

Service of the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, posted 08 February 2021 13:28

The coronavirus-inflicted crisis proved the importance of Ukraine's partnership with the EU and NATO. Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna announced within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses", which began today in Kyiv. She added that if Ukraine were a member of the EU, it would become a participant in global initiatives and would have access to vaccines together with other EU countries.

"This is another reason why we need to accelerate European integration processes - to become a full-fledged part of the civilized world. In order not only to fight for this right every day, but to enjoy its advantages," stressed Olha Stefanishyna.

Besides, the Deputy Prime Minister added that vaccination is a matter of national security for Ukraine in 2021.

"We appreciate not only the support of the EU, which has been and remains significant from the first day, we also commend the honesty and openness of our partnership with other countries. The pandemic has shown that no country can confront such threats on their own and that not only member states but also partners benefit from the coordinated efforts of the EU and NATO. Interaction with international partners clearly reveals how deeply we are all integrated, how valuable the common market, free movement of goods, freedom of movement, contacts between people are for us," said Olha Stefanishyna.

Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister stressed that currently, healthcare system is becoming part of the critical infrastructure. The very system and security of every citizen depends on the level of stability that states build. Today, the EU, the U.S. and NATO pay great attention to issues of sustainability, public administration and public systems. Those are also top priorities for Ukraine.

Background

All-Ukrainian Forum "Ukraine 30. Coronavirus: Challenges and Responses" is an open dialogue between the authorities and society on the fight against the pandemic, the state of the economy and the education system, vaccination and combating misinformation. The event will take place on February 8-10.