On December 18, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa held a meeting with Director of the Mission of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Ukraine Julie Koenen.

The Deputy Minister expressed sincere gratitude to the American side for the comprehensive support provided to our state in overcoming the consequences of the aggressive war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Mariana Betsa highly appreciated the fact that after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, the Agency's cooperation programs with our state take into account the most urgent needs of Ukraine in view of the challenges provoked by the war.

"In conditions of ongoing armed aggression, it is extremely important to continue close cooperation within the framework of projects in such areas as providing direct budget support, providing humanitarian aid, supporting agricultural activities, as well as assisting in the restoration of the energy infrastructure of our state, which is suffering from Russian missile strikes," the Deputy Minister noted.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the status of the implementation of current USAID projects in Ukraine and outlined initiatives to expand interaction between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the USAID mission.