Joint Statement by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Eduard Heger

Unofficial Translation

The Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal and the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Eduard Heger have met today in Uzhhorod during the working visit of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic to Ukraine.

The Prime Ministers acknowledged the significant potential for further development of the Ukrainian-Slovak partnership, based on strong good neighborly relations, mutual respect and common European values.

The Prime Ministers noted that the obvious result of the joint work of both parties is the restoration of the full functioning of Uzhhorod International Airport.

The Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic confirmed that the Slovak side respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders and does not recognize the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation. In this regard, the Prime Ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation within the Crimean platform framework.

The Prime Ministers agreed to intensify cooperation in the context of implementing Ukraine’s course towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration, aimed at further deepening Ukraine’s political association and economic integration with the EU, in particular with regard to the implementation of the Association Agreement. In this view, the Prime Ministers upheld the importance of signing the Joint Declaration on the recognition of European perspective for Ukraine on November 2, 2021.

The Prime Ministers commended the growth of trade and economic indicators between Ukraine and Slovakia in recent years, despite the negative impact of the pandemic crisis caused by the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, and agreed there are all prerequisites to boost bilateral trade and participation of Slovak business in Ukrainian investment projects. Moreover, the parties agreed that the governments of the two countries will work together to support and mutually protect investments.

The Prime Ministers stressed the strategic nature of bilateral cooperation in the field of energy and energy security, reaffirmed the common interest in further deepening cooperation in the field of transportation and transit of oil and natural gas, Ukraine's integration into the European electricity and gas market, including synchronization of Ukraine's power grid with ENTSO-E as well as the gas system of Ukraine with ENTSO-G.

The Prime Ministers emphasized the need to introduce a transparent system of capacity trading by national electricity operators through joint auctions in accordance with the rules of ENTSO-E.

The Prime Ministers exchanged views on the possibility of increasing natural gas supplies to Ukraine through the territory of the Slovak Republic and took into account that this can only prove possible in line with the agreements of the gas transmission system operators of the two countries.

The Prime Ministers commended the positive development of cooperation at the level of the ministries of defense and the Armed Forces, and agreed that military-technical cooperation is a promising area for further development.

The Prime Ministers expressed support for intensifying the development of cross-border cooperation between border regions, including in the field of coordination of regional development planning and cooperation in preparing and submitting applications for financing joint projects under the horizontal programs of the European Structural and Investment Funds.

The Prime Ministers agreed on the need to continue cooperation on promising transport projects, as well as to develop and expand cross-border transport infrastructure.

The Prime Ministers acknowledged the positive development of cooperation between the Bureau of Border and Alien Police of the Presidium of the Police Force of the Slovak Republic, the Financial Directorate of the Slovak Republic, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the State Customs Service of Ukraine to coordinate activities in the field of joint border management.

The Prime Ministers noted the importance of effect of the existing bilateral mechanisms, including the meetings of the Joint Commission on Economic, Industrial and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, the Intergovernmental Commission on Cross-Border Cooperation, and the Commission on National Minorities, Education and Culture. The Heads of Government agreed on implementing the institutional reform of intergovernmental commissions in order to increase their efficiency to ensure future development of bilateral relations.

The Prime Ministers commended the cooperation in ensuring the rights and interests of national minorities - Ukrainian minorities in Slovakia and Slovak minorities in Ukraine.

The Prime Ministers expressed the shared position that the Ukrainian-Slovak partnership is an important asset for the two countries, as well as for the Central European Region and Europe as a whole.

The Prime Ministers of Ukraine and the Slovak Republic will further work in synergy to strengthen, develop and give new impetus to it.

Signed at Uzhhorod on November 12, 2021, in two copies in Ukrainian and Slovak.