During her working visit to Brussels, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU, held bilateral meetings with representatives of European institutions. She spoke with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and Director of the Ukrainian Service at the Directorate-General for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Anna Yarosh-Fries.
According to the Committee Chair, this is a very important stage for Ukraine, as the European Commission is preparing to publish its annual Enlargement Report, which will assess Ukraine's progress towards European integration. «Brussels is well aware of the challenges facing our country: ensuring effective governance, strengthening anti-corruption institutions, establishing the rule of law, and restoring democratic processes even during wartime,» said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze. That is why, according to her, the EU is now looking for the right tone: how to honestly convey to the Ukrainian authorities the need for real change, while maintaining maximum and effective support in countering russian aggression. «It is important that partners engage in sincere dialogue with government officials, parliamentarians and representatives of Ukrainian civil society. Such joint work allows us to form a broader vision of both the real challenges facing our country and the priority needs that must be heard and supported,» emphasised the Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze noted that European partners are currently focusing on several key areas of assistance to Ukraine. These include, first and foremost, military aid, the creation of stable, systematic financial support, in particular through the mechanism of using frozen russian assets under the guarantees of EU member states. It also includes support for Ukraine on its path to European Union membership. «Because we are not just a candidate for EU membership. Ukraine defends the very foundations of European security and the values of the continent,» said the Committee Chair.
With the support of European and Ukrainian businesses, the Ukrainian House was opened in Brussels as a space for joint work and interaction. «As European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos noted at the opening, the russians will never succeed in killing the Ukrainian soul. I believe that with the help of our partners, we will be able to defend our soul, our country and our future,» said Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze.