Taras Kachka attends meeting of heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions

On 22 July, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine Taras Kachka participated in a meeting of heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions.

The agenda included speeches and panel discussions on key topics: European and Euro-Atlantic integration, security, economic development, achieving justice, defence capabilities, resilience, protection of citizens’ rights, and Ukraine’s innovative development.

In his speech, the Deputy Prime Minister outlined key priorities and plans on the path to EU and NATO membership.

“Despite extremely challenging circumstances, we remain committed to our choice: European integration is Ukraine’s strategic priority and irreversible course,” Taras Kachka stressed. “The full-scale war has not halted our European integration path – on the contrary, we are moving forward with even greater determination and speed.”

He highlighted that Ukraine is in the final stage of the formal screening process to align its legislation with EU law. The final bilateral meetings within the screening process are expected in October. All necessary steps have been taken to open three negotiating clusters: “Fundamentals,” “Internal Market,” and “External Relations.”

“We must seize the current political window of opportunity, which requires opening all negotiating clusters in 2025 and completing alignment with EU law by 2027,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised. “We have a clear vision of the tools to achieve these goals. This year, the National Programme for the Adaptation of Ukrainian Legislation to EU Law will be adopted – a strategic document that will set the pace and priorities for aligning with European standards by the end of 2027.”

He also stressed the need to unite efforts within strategic initiatives and build partnerships to mobilise support for Ukraine: “European integration should also be seen as a source of economic resources needed to ensure Ukraine’s resilience during the war by boosting exports, attracting investments, accessing the EU single market, and modernising production.”

Among the Deputy Prime Minister’s priorities are maintaining EU consensus on continued macroeconomic assistance, ensuring the implementation of the Ukraine Plan under the Ukraine Facility, further liberalising trade with the EU, including signing the ACAA Agreement (“industrial visa-free regime”), and integrating Ukraine into the Single Euro Payments Area.

A separate focus was placed on Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Taras Kachka noted that Ukraine is steadily strengthening its position as NATO’s closest partner.

“Thanks to the systematic work of state institutions and the diplomatic service, our country has progressed from formal cooperation to a qualitatively new level of strategic partnership,” he said. “My goal is to enhance cooperation with allies to fully and timely meet Ukraine’s needs, including through implementing projects under NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine and supporting further reforms in the security and defence sector in line with NATO standards.”

In concluding his speech, Taras Kachka thanked the diplomats for their dedicated daily work and called for even closer cooperation to achieve the set goals.