KYIV, Ukraine — Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva urged European unity in Ukraine’s accession talks during a meeting Tuesday with Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria and a member of the ruling Austrian People’s Party.
Mikl-Leitner visited Ukraine alongside representatives of 40 Austrian companies, with discussions focusing on Ukraine’s security situation and international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace.
Zhovkva thanked Austria, particularly the federal state of Lower Austria, for its support, which has surpassed €800 million, and called for increased assistance in priority areas.
He emphasized the necessity of strong security guarantees for Ukraine, encompassing financial and humanitarian aid, and reaffirmed the country’s irreversible commitment to EU membership, as enshrined in its constitution.
“We are grateful to Austria for its firm support of Ukraine’s EU membership,” Zhovkva said. “Ukraine has fulfilled all conditions for opening the first negotiation cluster, ‘Fundamentals.’ We count on the unity of EU member states around Ukraine’s negotiation process, which should be based on Ukraine’s progress and an objective assessment of it by the EU.”
