Remarks by President Jean-Claude Juncker at the joint press point with Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman
Brussels, 10 February 2017
Prime Minister, Ladies
and Gentlemen,
We had a very constructive meeting. I know that diplomats
are always saying that they
had a constructive meeting when they
were strongly disagreeing, but this time we
had an exchange
of views which was a very consensual
one.
We were discussing
of course – because this is a matter
of highest concern to me – the
situation in Eastern Ukraine, and the Prime Minister
explained to me what is
happening on the ground.
But the other part of our conversation
was dealing with the disbursement
of the second tranche to Ukraine. And as I have
to say that
Ukraine is realising in the last
two or three
years reforms of a greater magnitude than those which
were realised during the 20 years
before, and as the Ukrainian
government is introducing the draft bill on
the wood ban to Parliament,
this in my
eyes is a sufficient condition to disburse the
EUR 600 million Ukrainians are waiting for.
This will be done in the
next coming weeks, because I do think that
after having watched the reform
effort of Ukraine, Ukrainians
have the right to see
something in return. And the
first decision we have taken
this morning together – but I had taken it
yesterday evening – is that we
have to disburse
the second tranche in the
next coming weeks.
We are supporting
Ukraine, not only in its conflict
with Russia, but more generally.
We are in
favour of having everyone – not only the neighbours,
but mainly the neighbours – respecting the Ukrainian sovereignty. We have a strategic
partnership with Ukraine and our future
relations will develop along these
lines.
I was very pleased for having
had the second
meeting, I have to say, with
the Ukrainian Prime Minister, who is reminding
me of myself – because when I was young, I organised
the first summit between the European Union
and Ukraine. That was on 5 September
1997. I had exactly his age, so
this is the
age where young men can
develop very ambitious expectations.
And I forgot to tell you that,
of course, we were discussing the issue of visa
liberalisation: this will happen before
summer.
Thank you.
European Commission: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-17-263_en.htm