On 13-14 May 2019, in the framework of a working visit to Brussels Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Pavlo Klimkin took part in a series of events dedicated to the tenth anniversary of the Eastern Partnership initiative (EaP).

On May 13, at the Eastern Partnership Foreign Affairs Ministerial Meeting with the EU Member States and EaP partners, Pavlo Klimkin called on the EU and its Member States to develop an ambitious agenda for the EaP after 2020 based on the differentiation principle, to take into account the ambitions and needs of all partners, as well as to open a European perspective for the partner states.

Ukraine’s priorities within the framework of the Eastern Partnership are: development of enhanced cooperation with the associated partners “Eastern Partnership +”, legislative approximation, reduction of roaming tariffs between the EU and EaP countries, setting up a European School of EaP in Ukraine and also the development of cooperation in the security sphere.

During the visit to Brussels Pavlo Klimkin also met with ministers of foreign affairs of Germany, Croatia, Estonia, Bulgaria and Cyprus, inter alia, at the meeting with the representatives of the European People's Party.

The Minister underscored the importance of a coordinated rigorous response to Russia's further aggression against Ukraine as regards Russia's decision to simplify the procedure of granting Russian citizenship to Ukrainian citizens living in the temporarily Russia-occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, namely to strengthen economic sanctions against Russia and not to recognize Russian passports issued to Ukrainian citizens in violation of Ukrainian legislation.

With the reference to the Ministerial meeting of the Council of Europe to be held in Helsinki on May 16-17, the Minister urged not to allow Russia to return to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as it systematically violates international law and undermines the Minsk agreements.