US, Ukraine to resume work of Strategic Partnership Commission

The United States and Ukraine will resume the activity of the Strategic Partnership Commission, the U.S. Department of State said in a statement released on Wednesday following Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk's visit to Washington.

"Reaffirming our partnership, we intend to resume activities of the Strategic Partnership Commission at the ministerial level with the goal of deepening the U.S.-Ukrainian strategic partnership in the areas of nuclear security and nonproliferation, political dialogue and rule of law, energy security, security cooperation, and science and technology," reads the statement.

According to the Department of State, during Yatseniuk's visit to Washington on Wednesday the sides discussed specific steps the United States is taking to support Ukraine "at this critical time, including the $1 billion loan guarantee we are working with Congress to provide, and the package of technical and other assistance we are preparing, to meet Ukraine's priority needs."

"Ukraine is facing a moment of historic challenge and historic opportunity. In the coming months, the government of Ukraine will need to take steps to restore economic stability and to conduct free, fair, and inclusive presidential elections to allow the Ukrainian people to choose their own future," reads the statement.

In addition, the Department of State noted that the Department of Defense would hold U.S.-Ukraine bilateral defense consultations with Ukrainian counterparts in Kyiv within the next month.