EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström was in Kyiv on Tuesday 21 May, for a second informal ministerial meeting with her counterparts from Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine to take stock of the implementation of the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Areas (DCFTAs) between the European Union and these countries.
Parties highlighted progress made on issues related to customs, sanitary and phytosanitary measures and public procurement. Actions to eliminate technical barriers to trade and protect intellectual property were also reviewed for each country, notes the joint statement issued by the parties at the end of the meeting.
Ms Malmström recalled the EU's commitment to assist the three countries in implementing the reforms provided for in their agreements, while stressing the importance of sustained efforts in the field of good governance and strengthening the rule of law.
The parties also discussed the importance of establishing Business Platforms and B2B fora (business to business forums) to share 'best practices' between economic operators and thus improve their access to the EU market.
Trade between the two regions has been growing strongly since 2015: 7.2% for Georgia, 40.9% for Moldova and 49.3% for Ukraine, according to Commission figures.
A third informal ministerial meeting will be held in Tbilisi in 2020. (Original version in French by Hermine Donceel)