Belgium is removing entry restrictions previously imposed on Ukrainian citizens as part of countering the spread of COVID-19, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said.
“Belgium has opened up to all types of travel for Ukrainians according to the recommendation of the EU Council. The Foreign Ministry is working to increase travel opportunities this summer,” Kuleba wrote on his Twitter on Sunday.
On Thursday, June 24, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba, together with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Davide Zalkaliani and acting Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova Aureliu Ciocoi will visit the EU institutions in Brussels for the first time with a joint visit in the format of the Associated Trio, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported.
According to the press service of the Foreign Ministry, in the information released Wednesday morning, the heads of the Ukrainian, Georgian and Moldovan diplomacy will present to the European Union a joint strategic vision of the further development of the trilateral format of the Associated Trio.
The key topics of the talks will be the European integration of the three countries, the possibility of further liberalization of trade relations, new promising areas of sectoral cooperation with the EU, in particular in the context of the implementation of the European Green Deal and the digital transition.
The parties will also coordinate their positions on security threats in the region and exchange views on preparations for the Eastern Partnership summit in December 2021.
Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova signed a memorandum on the establishment of the Associated Trio in Kyiv on May 17, 2021. The document underlines the European aspirations of the three associated partners of the EU and their ambitions to become members of the European Union. The Associated Trio is a trilateral format in which Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova coordinate their efforts towards European integration.
Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will pay a working visit to the Republic of Turkey on June 18 to June 20, where he will take part in Antalya diplomatic forum, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
“The head of Ukrainian diplomacy will speak at the plenary session of the forum on the subject ‘Energy: What future awaits us?’ And will hold a number of bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers of Central Europe, the South Caucasus, the Middle East, Africa and Asia,” the Foreign Ministry said.
It also said that Antalya diplomatic forum is being held by Turkey for the first time.
“This forum is intended to become an annual international platform for exchanging views on topical international issues, discussing effective steps of modern diplomacy to respond to global challenges. This forum is attended by more than 40 heads of state, government, foreign ministries, as well as representatives of academia, experts and the media,” Ukrainian diplomats said.
Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, Dmytro Kuleba, David Zalkaliani and Aureliu Ciocoi, have signed a trilateral memorandum on the start of enhanced cooperation on European integration “Associated Trio.”
“The associated trio is our message that there is no alternative to European integration for our three partner countries, and there is no alternative also for Europe, because they must perceive our three countries as a serious project to ensure peace and prosperity in Europe,” Kuleba said in his statement for the media following the signing of the memorandum in Kyiv on Monday.
Foreign Ministers of Ukraine and Romania, Dmytro Kuleba and Bogdan Aurescu, noted the readiness of the two states to start a strategic partnership, “taking into account the current level of relations between Kyiv and Bucharest and proceeding from the centuries of friendly coexistence of our peoples in Central Europe and the Black Sea region.”
This was discussed during Kuleba’s working trip to Romania, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.
“Ukraine seeks to officially start a strategic partnership with Romania. This means a special relationship between our states. Aurescu and I agreed to make this a reality,” Kuleba said.
The parties agreed to hold consultations as soon as possible between the involved ministries of Ukraine and Romania to remove obstacles to the opening of additional checkpoints on the Ukrainian-Romanian border and the implementation of joint infrastructure projects.
The parties agreed to intensify the activities of the working group on cooperation in the energy sector.
The interlocutors discussed preparations for the Crimean Platform summit as part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s independence.
“Aurescu announced the readiness of the Romanian side to send a military unit of the armed forces of Romania to participate in a military parade in the capital of Ukraine,” the message says.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine is preparing changes to the diplomatic buses use rules, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.
“On my behalf, changes are already being made to the diplomatic buses use rules. We are considering various options. This is the possibility of sealing buses, tracking their movement, fixing a clear description of what is on board of such a bus,” Kuleba said at an online briefing on Friday.
He said that now the new rules are being developed by lawyers.
“We will do everything to ensure that our diplomatic transport is used exclusively for its intended purpose. I cannot guarantee the integrity of each of 2,000 employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but I assure that everyone who behaves like a dishonest person will be responsible for this,” the minister said.
The head of the ministry also said that the anti-corruption risk of using the vehicles of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be increased from medium to high. “In the new anti-corruption strategy, this problem will receive the most careful attention. Within the framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we will increase the responsibility not only of those people who can be “caught hot,” but also of their superiors for such cases,” he said.
Kuleba also said that the employees of the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland, involved in the attempt to smuggle goods across the border, were fired from the embassy. “I have already informed that both employees who were on this bus have been dismissed from the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland. Their work at the embassy has ended. Now, in accordance with the current legislation, disciplinary investigation into their actions is ongoing, and based on the results of this investigation, I will be ready make the toughest decisions,” he said.
The minister also said that the Foreign Ministry will be absolutely open to interaction with law enforcement agencies and will help them find out all the circumstances of this case and conduct an investigation as much as possible.
“No one has the right to cast a shadow on thousands of Ukrainian diplomats who honestly and diligently work to protect Ukrainian interests, the interests of Ukrainian business, Ukrainian citizens in the world,” Kuleba said, pointing out that everyone who tries to cast such a shadow will be announced persona non grata in Ukrainian diplomacy.
As reported, in the morning on March 1, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine recalled two current employees of the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland, who were involved in an attempt to smuggle goods across the border.
