President Juncker meets Ukrainian Prime Minister

On 19 July in Brussels, European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker i, met the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Volodymyr Groysman, to discuss the country's reform efforts and the European Union's ongoing support.

President Juncker first underlined the EU's commitment to the security and stability of the country: "Our Ukrainian friends have to know that they are not alone, because the European Union stands ready to support Ukraine - as far as the territorial integrity of the country is concerned, the sovereignty of Ukraine, the independence of Ukraine." The President reaffirmed the EU's position that all parties must respect and implement the Minsk agreements.

Regarding the EU's Association Agreement with Ukraine, which 27 EU Member States have already approved, President Juncker explained that the Commission was now waiting for proposals from the Dutch government on how best to proceed, following the Dutch referendum earlier this year.

President Juncker welcomed the latest progress on reforms, in particular to the judiciary and public administration, but urged the Ukrainian government to accelerate its work on all remaining reforms. Regarding visa liberalisation, the President called on the European Parliament and the Council to give top priority to the Commission proposal that was adopted in April this year.