Taras Kachka meets with ambassadors of EU member states

On 24 July, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Taras Kachka, held his first meeting in his new role with ambassadors of European Union member states.

The meeting was attended by, among others, Oleksandr Ilkov, Director General of the Government Office for Coordination of European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine’s Representative to the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community.

During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister reaffirmed his commitment to Ukraine’s path towards EU membership and the planned reforms along this journey.

“I am convinced that the work done in the field of European integration over the past five years has been truly remarkable. We have completed all necessary steps and are ready to open the first negotiating Clusters. Together with civil society experts, we have prepared comprehensive Roadmaps that clearly outline the structure of further reforms, and we are fully prepared to continue these transformations. Our key priority now is to redouble our efforts to align Ukrainian legislation with European standards and to continue fulfilling our commitments to our European partners,” assured Taras Kachka.

A separate discussion focused on anti-corruption policy, particularly the current situation regarding the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO).

In this context, the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that ensuring the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies remains a priority. He informed the European diplomats about a meeting with representatives of civil society organisations involved in working groups preparing Ukraine’s negotiating positions for Chapter 23, “Judiciary and Fundamental Rights” (Cluster 1). The official also stressed the need and readiness for a joint search for solutions that satisfy all parties.

Taras Kachka further informed the ambassadors that the President of Ukraine intends to submit a new draft law aimed at strengthening the independence of the anti-corruption infrastructure.

“We aim to ensure that law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies operate for the benefit of society, are effective, and ensure that the guilty cannot evade justice, while remaining free from any russian influence. All these steps are aimed at strengthening the system, and I am confident that we are on the right path towards meaningful new transformations,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister.

The EU member states’ ambassadors assured their support for Ukraine’s movement towards the European Union. The parties agreed to continue coordinating efforts on this path.