On 5 September the First Deputy Minister Ms. Nataliia Galibarenko participated in the Deputy Foreign Ministers’ Informal Meeting of the Eastern Partnership states, Germany, Poland and Sweden. The event took place in Stockholm.
Participants have discussed the issues of further development of the Eastern Partnership in the run-up to the 2015 Riga Summit. They have namely talked about the ways to increase the role of the initiative in strengthening the energy security, enhancing people-to-people contacts, education programs and other projects for youth. Special consideration was given to the acknowledgment of the EU membership perspective as an ultimate goal of the Eastern Partnership, primarily for those states, which signed the Association Agreements with the EU.
The situation in the Eastern parts of Ukraine was an issue of particular focus. Participants expressed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and recognized Ukraine’s inherent right of self-defence.
While being in Stockholm Nataliia Galibarenko held bilateral meetings with the Deputy Foreign Minister of Georgia Ms. Tamar Beruchashvili and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova Mr. Iulian Groza. Nataliia Galibarenko also gave interview to the leading Swedish newspaper «Svenska Dagbladet».