The Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU, Mykola Tochytskyi, pleaded on Thursday 4 July, in an exclusive interview with EUROPE, for the strengthening of cooperation between his country and the EU.
On 8 July, both sides will meet in Ukraine for the 21st EU-Ukraine Summit, the first for the new Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“The summit is a demonstration to the Ukrainian people that we are moving in the direction necessary to bring stability to the EU and Ukraine, it shows that we would need to have this deeper cooperation to preserve Ukraine's sovereignty. On the other hand, we must continue with democratic economic reforms and reforms of our armed forces, not only to use this prosperity and the security of EU and NATO countries, but also to bring this security to Europe”, he summarised.
“We are not looking for something from the EU. We want to be a reliable partner, the one who will create the conditions for a stable and prosperous Union”, added the Ambassador, echoing the words of the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, who believed that there could not be a stable Union without a stable Ukraine, and vice versa.
Developing digital cooperation.
But beyond the main concepts, Mr Tochytskyi expects concrete progress at the summit, including the start of cooperation in the digital field.
“We have proposed to our European colleagues that the possibility of expanding cooperation and our digital trade be considered and that our two economies be brought closer together. During the summit, we hope that the Commission will confirm that it has studied our proposal and that it makes sense to do so”, the ambassador said.
He specified that, in order to implement this cooperation, Ukraine should adopt new legislation and implement it. According to Mr Tochytskyi, members of the Commission will come to Ukraine in July to analyse what Ukraine needs to do in this regard.
Kiev and the EU are already working together on disinformation and cybersecurity. “We work in the different institutions [...] We exchange our experiences”, explained the Ukrainian ambassador, hoping that the EU and his country will also cooperate in data exchange and contribute to the prosecution of criminals in this field.
Economic and energy cooperation.
The Summit will also provide an opportunity to confirm economic cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. The country benefits from an association agreement and a comprehensive and deep free trade area with the EU. Since the entry into force of the Association Agreement in 2016, Ukraine has traded 42% of its trade with EU countries. According to Mr Tochytskyi, the summit will remind Europeans that Ukraine is a market where Europeans can trade.
Ukraine also hopes that the meeting will broaden cooperation in the field of energy security. “The European Commission has confirmed that it is ready to integrate the EU and Ukraine's energy markets”, the ambassador stressed, adding that his country wanted its gas transport system to be subject to European regulations.
Ambassador Tochytskyi also expects European leaders to reaffirm the non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea. Sanctions related to the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in eastern Ukraine have recently been extended (see EUROPE 12279/21 and 12284/33).
Kiev also hopes that the EU will announce a package of concrete proposals to help the Mariupol region, whose economy is suffering from Russian actions in the Sea of Azov (see EUROPE 12270/21).
The concrete projects concern the modernisation of the Mariupol-Zaporozhye railway line in order to electrify it and the Mariupol-Mykolayiv road, which would allow metal to be transported to Europe from the port of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov to the port of Mykolayiv.
The EU could also finance business schools in Berdyansk, where, according to the ambassador, the tourist opportunities are enormous. “It is not only the money that interests us, but the presence of the European flag”, Mr Tochytskyi acknowledged, saying that 90% of the region's population has never left the region.
Finally, the summit will allow Ukrainians and Europeans to welcome the benefits of visa liberalisation. Last year, 3 million Ukrainians visited the EU without a visa.
Beyond the aspect of ‘freedom to travel’, according to the ambassador, the reforms requested for the EU to benefit from visa liberalisation have enabled the country to introduce electronic declaration, which allows better control and reduces the risk of corruption, and to reform the legal system. “From September, the new anti-corruption tribunal will start working”, Mr Tochytskyi said, adding that judges had been elected on the basis of a transparent system and with the participation of international experts. The EU has long called for the implementation of this tribunal (see EUROPE 12236/30). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)