President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir signed a joint declaration during her working visit to Kyiv, the presidential press service has said.
According to the document, the leaders reaffirm their support for the principles of international law, the inviolability of borders, and their demand for Russia immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of Iceland remain fully committed to the policy of non-recognition of Russia’s illegal annexation of the territories of Ukraine, and also call for the immediate release of all abducted civilians, including children, and all those who were forcibly transferred to the territory of Russia.
The declaration notes the importance of Ukraine’s consistent efforts of continuing the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the Grain from Ukraine humanitarian program, Ukraine’s sovereign decision to guide the peace process and convene a global peace summit when conditions permit, and commitment to NATO’s Open Door Policy.
Condemning in the strongest possible terms Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, Zelenskyy and Jakobsdóttir declare that Iceland fully subscribes to the European Union sanctions imposed against Russia in response to military aggression against Ukraine.
In turn, Ukraine highly appreciates all the help from Iceland.
It is noted that Iceland will continue to provide effective political, economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine and its defense capability. Iceland will assist in the recovery and rapid recovery of Ukraine, especially in the energy sector. Iceland will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Iceland and Ukraine will continue to work together, and with others within multilateral organizations, to ensure accountability, including through the establishment of special tribunal for the crime of aggression and a register of damages to record and document evidence and claims for damage, loss or injury as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, as a first step in setting up a comprehensive reparation mechanism.
The Ukrainian delegation during the WTO ministerial conference held about two dozen bilateral talks on possible trade liberalization and removal of existing barriers, in particular, in trade in agricultural products, Deputy Economy Minister – Trade Representative of Ukraine Taras Kachka said.
“The main conclusion is that the world believes in Ukraine and is ready to open markets for Ukrainian products. This means that the world believes in our victory over the aggressor,” he wrote on Facebook after the conference.
Kachka also said that Ukraine has sent a request to the European Free Trade Association (Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) to update the free trade agreement, and it will be considered next week within the framework of the EFTA institute.
According to the trade representative, he discussed further steps to liberalize trade, having carried out preparatory work right at the conference, with Canadian Minister of International Trade Mary Ng.
Kachka added that he agreed with the Minister of Trade of Australia in a few days after the conference to discuss in detail the possibilities of liberalizing bilateral trade (GSP and FTA).
The Ukrainian trade representative also said that he had discussed the conclusion of an agreement on digital trade with UK Secretary for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
“The same issue – trade liberalization and digital trade – were relevant in a conversation with the Minister of Trade of Singapore. Singapore is ready to become a hub for trade in Ukrainian products in Asia,” Kachka added.
According to him, at a meeting with the Minister of Trade of Senegal, he emphasized that Ukraine is doing everything to increase exports and feed Africa.
“Senegal is chairing the African Union this year and their understanding of the true causes of food problems is very important,” the Ukrainian trade representative said.
AUSTRALIA, CANADA, ICELAND, LIECHTENSTEIN, NORWAY, SWITZERLAND, TRADE LIBERALIZATION
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has approved a draft intergovernmental agreement with the Republic of Singapore and Iceland on air traffic.
According to the relevant government decrees, the Cabinet of Ministers authorized Chairman of the State Aviation Administration of Ukraine Oleksandr Bilchuk to sign the relevant agreement.
According to the explanatory documents, this decree is provided by the need to conclude intergovernmental agreements on air services with these countries, which makes it possible to create a contractual legal framework necessary for the implementation of regular air traffic between these countries and Ukraine. This will intensify bilateral cultural ties, as well as economic relations between the countries, the government authorities said in the documents.
The agreement will determine the procedure for regulating international flights, the procedure for appointing airlines on the routes, provides for the mutual recognition of crew member certificates and others.
