On 29 May, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna met with European Commission Secretary-General Ilze Juhansone in Brussels.

During the meeting, the parties discussed expectations for the approval of the negotiation framework and the First Intergovernmental Conference in June under the Belgian EU Presidency, the progress of the European Commission's explanatory sessions within the framework of the official screening, the involvement of Ukrainian civil servants in the framework of the secondment programme in the EU institutions, as well as the possibility of Ukraine joining the European Public Administration Network (EUPAN) and the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) as an observer.

"Ukraine is fully prepared to start membership negotiations with the EU. We are now finalising the remaining preparations, including the approval of the Ukrainian negotiating team. We count on the political will of the EU member states to adopt the negotiation framework in June and hold the First Intergovernmental Conference. We look forward to your support in this matter," Olha Stefanishyna emphasised.

The parties also paid attention to the elimination of restrictions on the capacity of Ukraine's borders with the EU.

"Ukraine highly appreciates the support of the European Commission in promoting cooperation between Ukraine and the EU to improve communication and remove border capacity constraints, in particular within the framework of the Solidarity Lanes," stressed Olha Stefanishyna. "However, challenges remain on Ukraine's borders with neighbouring countries. The introduction of joint control at checkpoints can significantly improve coordination on both sides of the border, eliminate limited capacity, and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of control."

The Deputy Prime Minister also stressed the need to activate the EU Civil Protection mechanism to meet the current needs of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in dealing with the consequences of russian missile attacks and shelling.

For her part, the Secretary-General of the European Commission, Ilze Juhansone, assured of full support for Ukraine on its path to EU membership and solidarity with the people of Ukraine in the fight against russian aggression. In this context, she noted the importance of the Peace Summit in Switzerland and the Recovery Conference in Berlin.