On October 12, the 23rd Summit between Ukraine and the European Union took place in Kyiv. The Summit gathered together President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of the European Council Charles Michel and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

On the outcomes of the Summit, the parties approved a Joint Statement, reaffirming their commitment to further strengthening Ukraine's political association and economic integration with the European Union on the basis of the Association Agreement.

Ukraine and the EU noted the progress made in the digital sector as follows:

- compatibility of the European digital COVID certificate and the Ukrainian digital certificate in order to mutually facilitate the movement of people amid COVID-19 restrictions;

- completion of negotiations on the update of Annex XVII, in particular, Annex XVII-3 ("Rules applicable to telecommunications services") to the Association Agreement;

- implementation of a joint working plan on electronic trust services, leading to a possible agreement which will be based on approximation to the EU legislation and standards.

Meanwhile, the joint statement following the Summit reads: "The EU welcomed Ukraine's ongoing engagement in implementing its commitments in the telecommunication services sector, which, if fully met, can lead to internal market treatment for this sector. In this context, the important role of an effective and independent telecommunications regulator was highlighted. The EU welcomed Ukraine's readiness to participate in EU programs under the new Multiannual Financial Perspective. The EU also welcomed Ukraine's presidency as the first country outside the EU in the EU Strategy for the Danube Region from 1 November 2021."

In a statement, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen commended the significant development of Ukraine in the digital sphere and highlighted important aspects of joint activities in the future, including the introduction of 5G, which will help move closer to the EU internal market.

The joint statement has strong signals to support Ukraine's independence and European integration. The statement also shows that the development of the digital sector plays an important role in building the Ukrainian-European digital ecosystem in the face of today's global challenges.