The Cabinet of Ministers has approved a draft law on the termination of an intergovernmental agreement between Ukraine and Syria on trade, economic and technical cooperation. The Government also issued a decree to submit the draft law to the Verkhovna Rada.

The relevant decision was made at a Government meeting on March 28, 2023.

"Ukraine is terminating cooperation not only with the aggressor state, but also with russia's satellite states. We will respond firmly to any hostile actions against our country. I would like to remind you that the Assad regime's response to russia's support for its aggression and its recognition of the so-called "independence" of the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine was to break off diplomatic relations with the Syrian Arab Republic. Recently, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against Bashar al-Assad and other Syrian officials. Obviously, we have to review and terminate intergovernmental documents related, in particular, to economic relations with Syria," said Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

The Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation was signed in April 2002 and ratified by the Verkhovna Rada in February 2003. The agreement provided, among other things, for such forms and means of cooperation as the transfer of technology and know-how, the establishment of joint ventures, and the provision of technical assistance for investment projects. The parties also agreed to grant each other most-favored-nation treatment with respect to, inter alia, duties, taxes and other charges applicable to imports and exports.

The agreement will be terminated if the draft law submitted by the Government is approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and enters into force.