The reform agenda set out in the European Commission’s 2023 enlargement report will be the top priority for European integration in 2024. This was stated by Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, during an online conversation organised by the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Ukraine) on Thursday, 11 January.

The event was moderated by Reiner Perau, Chairman of the German-Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

During the discussion, the Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the plans and expectations for 2024.

“We have a good starting position. We remain fully functional and capable as a Government, which has been repeatedly confirmed by our resilience during the war and our commitment to transformation, and our administrative institutions, Parliament and all regulatory bodies are fully operational. So, there is no reason why the reform agenda should not continue and expand. We have already prepared a roadmap for transformation based on the European Commission’s enlargement report published in November 2023. This reform agenda will be the main priority of the current year,” said Olha Stefanishyna.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, transformations related to Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration should also be a priority, as well as the expansion of security guarantees for Ukraine. In particular, it is about strengthening air defence, which is a key element in ensuring the security of people and the economy of Ukraine. Significant investments in the form of military support aimed at strengthening air defence enable the country to continue to function in the face of constant missile threats.

“An important step has already been taken to secure the future reform agenda in Ukraine. Firstly, we have taken the necessary measures to create a competitive environment in Ukraine, and have taken a number of steps to de-oligarchise and demonopolise the market. The structure related to the rule of law has been fully developed. It was on this basis that the decision was made to start negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the EU,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

Speaking about the future of Ukraine and the EU, she noted that the existential threat of russia’s full-scale aggression also required existential actions in response, aimed at immediate support for Ukraine.

“This war has led to a number of very strategic decisions. For example, the next European Commission will focus on the development of the defence industry, strengthening the strategic autonomy of Europe and Ukraine as part of this process. And security guarantees for Ukraine, defence industrial cooperation is a key element of this process. So, this will be our priority for the next year, and, of course, survival, which, in my opinion, can only be ensured by stable financial support for Ukraine,” she added.

The participants also discussed the development of bilateral cooperation and Germany’s role in Ukraine’s European integration. The Deputy Prime Minister thanked Germany for its strong support of Ukraine’s European aspirations.

“We feel much more confident knowing that Germany is focused on issues related to the transformation of the European Union into a more capable and competitive Union, but also on the advancement of the entire enlargement process. This is a very important element for us. But there is another important element: Germany has not always been very public in communicating its military support for Ukraine and other things. But in fact, it is not only one of the few countries that has provided multi-year planning for this support within its own budget, but also supports the development of cooperation between defence companies. Now, in a very turbulent geopolitical period, it is clear that Europe must work to ensure its own security, which is the main guarantee of security for Ukraine and security on the continent. And here the position of Germany is extremely important,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.