• Українською
  • Olha Stefanishyna met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Caspar Veldkamp
    Service of the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, posted 17 January 2025 09:29

    The search for mechanisms to bring russia to justice for its crimes, intergovernmental dialogue on European integration and expectations from the NATO Summit in The Hague were the topics of discussion during a meeting between Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine, and Caspar Veldkamp, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingrom of the Netherlands, who had arrived in Kyiv on a visit.

    The Deputy Prime Minister thanked the Netherlands for continuing to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine against the backdrop of ongoing russian aggression and for its continued military, financial and humanitarian assistance to our country, aimed in particular at strengthening the resilience of the energy infrastructure in the winter.

    "We are also grateful to the Netherlands, one of the key countries that has consistently supported projects under NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package. Your contributions to the CAP programmes serve as a good example for other Allies," stressed Olha Stefanishyna.

    She called on the Netherlands to work together with Ukraine to prioritise the issue of russia's accountability and justice on international platforms.

    "Today, russia has caused an incalculable amount of destruction and damage throughout Ukraine, and the losses from its aggression both at the level of the entire state and at the local level, for public and private companies, households, etc. are increasing every day. In this case, the logic of the Ministry of Justice is to support Ukrainian legal entities in their claims against russia for damages. Such entities have the sovereign right to determine the jurisdiction for filing a claim. In this area, the assistance of the Netherlands would be key for us," the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, in turn, said that his country was fully prepared to cooperate with Ukraine in this regard.

    Another important issue raised during the meeting was the use of frozen russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine.

    The interlocutors also addressed the dynamics of the negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the European Union and preparations for the first meeting of the Ukraine-Netherlands Intergovernmental Dialogue on European Integration to be held in April this year.

    The Deputy Prime Minister noted that Ukraine continues to demonstrate its commitment to the EU accession process, which currently involves more than 100 state institutions and almost a thousand people.

    "I strongly believe that our capacity is beyond doubt. Therefore, it is crucial that we move quickly and fulfil all our commitments on time. Our ambition to open the Negotiating Clusters as soon as possible is driven not only by our desire and capacity, but also by the understanding that EU membership is an integral part of the post-war reality. Both Ukraine and the European Union should be ready to use any political momentum that will be at our disposal when it comes to enlargement," she stressed.

    Caspar Veldkamp stressed the importance of ongoing dialogue and exchange to keep the Dutch public and parliament properly informed about Ukraine's progress on the path of transformation. According to him, the Netherlands remains a reliable partner of Ukraine on its track to the EU, stands ready to provide comprehensive support and hopes that the speed of this process will be based on achievements.