Kostyantyn Gryshchenko emphasized that 2011 is a year of strategic possibilities for EU-Ukraine relations. The President of Ukraine formulates tasks for the Ukrainian diplomacy precisely through this prism, the Minister stressed. It is about concluding negotiations on Association agreement including a deep and comprehensive free trade area, achieving progress in implementation of visa liberalization Action Plan. Successful fulfillment of these tasks will lay the foundation of the development of Ukraine for next years, the head of Ukrainian diplomatic service noted.

In this context it is particularly important to foster coordination of the efforts of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Mission of Ukraine to the EU, and Embassies of Ukraine to EU member-states in order to boost the potential and trust that exist so far in the relations of Ukraine with its European partners.

It becomes especially important in the context of the coming Polish presidency in the EU, which should create additional favourable conditions for promoting the priorities of Ukraine-EU agenda.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on the heads of diplomatic missions to use a proactive approach in creating favourable conditions for granting a European prospective to Ukraine and for reflecting Ukraine’s interests in the light of ENP strategic review and strengthening of the Eastern Partnership.

Priorities of Ukraine’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe and their implementation were also discussed at the meeting.

A special attention was paid to the issues of due commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Chornobyl disaster and of 20th anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine.