Kyiv, 13 Septembr 2024
Yesterday, Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson visited Kyiv to strengthen EU-Ukraine cooperation on migration and security matters.
During her visit, the Commissioner met with the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration, and Minister for Justice of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, to discuss the next steps on Ukraine’s road to EU accession. This was also one of the main subjects for discussion with the new Minister for Foreign Affairs, Andriy Sybiha, alongside the temporary protection for Ukrainians fleeing the war and the country’s plans for reconstruction.
During the exchange with the new Deputy Head of the President’s Office, Ihor Vereshchuk, with whom she discussed the safety of children returning to Ukraine, and with the Minister of Interior, Ihor Klymenko, she spoke about increased cooperation on internal security – notably firearms control, border protection and law enforcement – building on Ukraine’s remarkable progress so far. The Commissioner discussed the ongoing reform in the justice sector and the fight against corruption with Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin.
The Commissioner also gave a speech at the Summit of the First Ladies and Gentlemen on child security, hosted by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska.
On behalf of the President of Ukraine, Commissioner Johansson was presented with the Order of Merit, second class ‘for outstanding personal contributions for strengthening inter-state cooperation, supporting state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine’.
This visit underlines the EU’s unwavering commitment to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes. The EU has welcomed and supported all those fleeing from the Russian invasion through the Temporary Protection Directive, adopted in March 2022 and recently extended until March 2026. So far, more than four million people displaced from Ukraine are hosted in the EU Member States and Schengen Associated countries.
Source – EU Commission