Ukraine signs bilateral agreements on cooperation with the Netherlands

The official ceremony of signing bilateral agreementson cooperation between Ukraine and the Netherlands took place in the Binnenhof Palace in The Hague following a bilateral meeting between Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende on June 7. The following documents were signed: the 2007 - 2009 Action Programs Between the Governmentof Ukraine and the Givernment of the Netherlands (signed by Ukraine's Economy Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk and his Dutch counterpart Bernard Bot); the Intergovernmental Agreement on Customs Assistance and Cooperation (signed by Customs Service Head Oleksandr Yehorov and Minister bot). The parties also signed the Memorandum on Energy Cooperation Between the Energy ministry of Ukraine and the Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands (signed by Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov and Dutch Deputy Prime-MinisterLaurens Jan Brinkhorst); the Memorandum on Mutual Understanding and Technical Cooperation in 2006 - 2009 between the State Tax Administration and the Finance Ministry - Tax and Customs Administration of the Netherlands (signed by Ukraine's Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk and Minister Bot), the Intergovernmental Memorandum on Cooperation to Enforce the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and Reduce Greenhouse Gas in Accordance with Article 6 of the Kyoto Protocol (signed by Tarasiuk and Brinkhorst).

Requiring no additional budget funds for its implementation, the Action Program is designed to promote cooperation between the two countries in agriculture, transport, energy, energy efficiency, environmental protection, banking, education, medicine and culture. It should also help Ukraine and the Netherlands more effectively fight terrorism and prevent money laundry. The document will boost the development of the bilateral relations and help Ukraine fulfil tasks in the context of its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.

During their meeting, President Yushchenko and Premier Jan Peter Balkenende discussed Ukraine's plans to join the European Union and Nato as well as economic and humanitarian cooperation. At a press conference following the meeting, the Ukrainian President said the liberalization of visa requirements were the most important issues in negotiations between Ukraine and the European Union. He also outlined our country's major short-term priorities.

The Ukrainian President said relations between the Netherlands and Ukraine were "excellent". In his turn, the Dutch premier said he was also pleased with the productive dialogue. According to him, the EU and Ukraine are interested in forging "closer economic and political ties.Yushchenko and Balkenende said they were both pleased with the rise in trade between the two states - in 2005; trade turnover grew by 20%. President Yushchenko said the Netherlands was the fourth biggest foreign investor in the Ukrainian market. In the Hague Ukrainian President Yushchenko also met with Dutch business-men, who were particularly interested to hear about Ukraine's progress in adapting laws to European standards, developing competition, improving copyright protection, promoting freedom of speech, introducing energy efficiency and reforming medicine. The Ukrainian president admitted that there were certain economic problems but assured those present the government would introduce reforms.

Commerce

July / August 2006

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