On 21 October 2013 in Luxembourg the meeting of the foreign ministers in the format “Ukraine + Group of Friends of Ukraine in the EU” was held. It was organized upon initiative of the Vice-Prime-Minister – Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic Miroslav Lajčák. The EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle took part in the meeting.

The participants discussed the state of preparation to the Vilnius Summit of the Eastern Partnership, including the readiness for the signing of Ukraine-EU Association Agreement. In this regard the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Leonid Kozhara confirmed steady readiness of the Ukrainian Side to sign the Association Agreement at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on 28-29 November 2013 and informed the EU Foreign Ministers about the progress made by Ukraine in fulfilling the criteria for the signing of the Association Agreement defined by the Foreign Affairs Council Conclusions on Ukraine of the 10 December 2012. He stressed that with its signature the reforms in the country would continue as the Agreement by its substance was a long-term program of comprehensive social and political, socio-economic, sectoral and legal reforms.

In his turn, Commissioner Füle and foreign ministers of the EU Member States noted the recent progress made by Ukraine in implementation of reforms in accordance with the Council Conclusions which became an evidence of commitment of Ukrainian authorities, opposition, and civil society to the course of approximation with the EU and implementation of profound transformations in the state. The foreign ministers of the EU Member States expressed hope that Ukraine would keep the fast pace of the reforms, which would create a good environment for positive decision of the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 18 November. 

The participants also discussed the perspectives of liberalization of visa regime between Ukraine and the EU.

The ministers looked forward to the successful results of the Vilnius Summit of the Eastern Partnership, where the key indicator would be the signing of Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.