On February 1, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President of Austria Alexander Van der Bellen met in Kyiv to discuss prospects for further cooperation between our countries.

In the framework of the meeting between the two Presidents of Ukraine and Austria, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets and Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology of the Republic of Austria Leonore Gewessler signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the field of environment. This is a document on deepening cooperation between the two ministries in the environmental sphere, taking into account the challenges of today, in particular amidst russia's armed aggression in Ukraine. 

The main areas of cooperation are as follows:

• implementation of effective financial mechanisms for enterprises willing to work according to BAT;
• implementation of pilot projects to create a system for monitoring the state of atmospheric air;
• creation of regional centers for rescue and rehabilitation of wild animals affected by the war;
• development of the regulatory framework for the maintenance and breeding of wild animals in captivity or in semi-free conditions;
• general exchange of experience in implementing European environmental directives.

"Ukraine's accession to the European Union is impossible without the implementation of our legislation in line with European standards. It is important not only to approve certain initiatives, but also to make them viable in the Ukrainian reality. The memorandum means that Austria is ready to share with us its experience in implementing EU directives on the path of Ukraine's European integration. I am grateful to Austria and personally to Ms. Leonore Gewessler for supporting Ukraine and for continuing our dialogue in Kyiv on joint initiatives raised during the Montreal COP15. I hope that our cooperation will be fruitful for both countries," said Ruslan Strilets.

According to Ruslan Strilets, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources, together with its partners, is currently reforming the waste management system, preventing industrial pollution, modernizing the environmental monitoring system, etc. The implementation of the Association Agreement with the EU in the field of environmental protection is already 70%, and Ukraine is interested in taking into account the best European practices during the post-war reconstruction. This requires close communication with our European partners.