Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk is disappointed with the positions of Moldova and Georgia on neutrality in the issue of imposing sanctions against the Russian Federation. “I once thought that what unites Ukraine most of all with Georgia and Moldova is that our countries are territorially “bitten” by the Russian Federation. But today’s position of official Tbilisi and Chisinau regarding their neutrality in imposing sanctions against Russia has disappointed me,” Stefanchuk wrote. He stressed that friends are known in trouble, “but it’s good that our peoples have a different opinion.”
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that he signed decrees on the recall of Ukrainian ambassadors due to the fact that “they are losing time on the diplomatic front” in the countries of their diplomatic mission against the backdrop of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
“There are those who work together with everyone for the defense of the state. In order for Ukraine to win its future. We appreciate the work of each such person. And there are those who waste time just to remain in office. Today I signed decree on the recall of such a person, on the recall of such an ambassador from Morocco. They also returned the ambassador from Georgia. With all due respect – there will be no weapons, there will be no sanctions, there will be no obstacles for Russian business – please look for another job,” Zelensky said in a statement. video message on Wednesday evening.
He also added that he expects concrete results in the coming days from the work of Ukrainian diplomats in Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa.
“I expect the same results from military attachés every day. The diplomatic front is one of the key fronts. And everyone there must work as efficiently as possible to win and help the Ukrainian army. Just like every one of our defenders on the battlefield. So does everyone on the diplomatic front,” summed up the president.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, during his visit to Georgia and Ukraine next week, will urge these countries to carry out the transformations necessary to qualify for NATO membership, the Pentagon has said.
“Austin will stress in both Georgia and Ukraine that there is an open door to NATO and encourage the nations to make the changes necessary for them to qualify for membership in the defensive alliance,” the U.S. Department of Defense has reported.
As reported, Austin will visit Romania and Belgium after Ukraine and Georgia. In Brussels, the head of the Pentagon will hold a meeting with the defense ministers of the NATO countries. According to the Pentagon, this meeting is expected to discuss Russia, as well as problems from China.
Earlier, the Pentagon said Austin was going on a trip to Europe that weekend. In Georgia, he will meet with Prime Minister of this country Irakli Garibashvili and Defense Minister Juansher Burchuladze, and in Ukraine with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Defense Minister Andriy Taran.
In Romania he will meet with President Klaus Iohannis and Defense Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciuca.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili arrived in Ukraine.
“A rich program is ahead in Lviv and Kyiv, discussion of security issues, trade, economic, energy, tourism and many other issues,” Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal wrote in his Telegram channel.
It is reported that the Georgian delegation will take part in the constituent summit of the Crimean platform.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine and Georgia plan to step up trade and economic cooperation and boost trade between the countries in 2021 by 25%.
“Georgia is an important trade partner for us. I am sure that despite the coronavirus pandemic, we will step up trade and economic cooperation this year. A positive trend will be an increase in trade turnover by 25%. This will be one of the main tasks of the joint Ukrainian-Georgian Commission on Economic Cooperation,” Zelensky said during a joint briefing with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday in Kyiv.
According to Zelensky, “the next meeting devoted to trade and economic cooperation is scheduled for September this year.”
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.
