October 21, 2024 Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna met with the ambassadors of the Group of Seven (G7) countries and the representative of the European Union in Ukraine. The meeting took place in Kyiv and was devoted to issues of European integration and future transformations of Ukraine on the way to the EU.
Among the participants of the meeting were the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy Carlo Formosa, the head of the EU Delegation Katarina Maternova, the ambassadors of Great Britain and France Martin Harris and Gael Vaissier, respectively, as well as representatives of the USA, Canada, Germany and Japan.
The main focus of the meeting was on the steps Ukraine is taking to advance towards EU membership, including public administration reforms, strengthening democratic institutions and the rule of law. Olga Stefanishyna emphasized that Ukraine has already officially started negotiations on joining the EU and will intensify efforts to implement key reforms by the end of the year.
“Ukraine has officially started negotiations on joining the EU and actively participates in bilateral meetings within the framework of screening. By the end of the year, we must present a road map of transformations in the sphere of the rule of law, public administration reform and the functioning of democratic institutions. For us, this is much more than just part of the EU accession process. This is a set of strategic steps that we must formulate as a country and present to our key partners who invest in our stability and security“, Stefanishyna emphasized.
The meeting also discussed future steps within the negotiation process with the EU, in particular the opening of negotiation chapters, and challenges that may arise along the way. Stefanishyna emphasized that Ukraine intends to move quickly in this direction and hopes to speed up the process already in 2025.
In addition to European integration issues, the participants of the meeting paid attention to the “Victory Plan” recently presented by President Zelensky. Stefanyshyn noted that the document is an important strategic step, which includes both military aspects and the invitation of Ukraine to NATO, which should be supported by concrete steps to strengthen the country’s defense capabilities.
The participants also discussed reforming the judicial system and supporting anti-corruption bodies. Stefanishyna emphasized the importance of these reforms in the context of European integration and emphasized the close cooperation of the government with the parliament to speed up the adoption of the necessary decisions.
The G7 ambassadors expressed their support for Ukraine in its desire to become a member of the EU and NATO, and also assured of further support in resisting Russian aggression.
