The current elections in Ukraine are a kind of test for democracy and transparency on the entire European continent, Czech Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček has said, according to the press service of Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers.
“For the Czech Republic, Ukraine is an integral part of a large European family. The decisive electoral year in your country will have a great influence on the development of relations both in a bilateral and multilateral format,” Petříček said in Kyiv during a meeting with Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.
“The Czech Republic is a very important partner for Ukraine in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. We highly appreciate the support and assistance provided by the Czech government to Ukraine in our efforts to implement European and Euro-Atlantic integration plans,” she said.
“Ukraine is counting on further support from the Czech Republic for new initiatives, which are recorded by the results of the twentieth Ukraine-EU summit and the fifth meeting of the EU-Ukraine Association Council,” she said.
During the meeting, the sides discussed cooperation between NATO and the EU, progress in implementing reforms in Ukraine, intensifying bilateral military-technical cooperation, prospects for reviving trade and economic cooperation, as well as humanitarian assistance to children in eastern Ukraine.
Klympush-Tsintsadze noted the positive dynamics of trade and economic cooperation.
“In 2018, trade between Ukraine and the Czech Republic grew by 24 percent. This is a good sign for deepening our economic cooperation,” she said.
