The European Union used to support and will continue to support Ukraine, said Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commission Executive Vice President.

He told reporters in Brussels on Thursday after a meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal that the EU continues to support Ukraine politically, supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country, financially, and through sectoral cooperation. He said the EU will continue fruitful cooperation with Ukraine.

Dombrovskis emphasized that the first foreign visit of the Ukrainian Prime Minister was to Brussels, adding that this demonstrates very strong ties and cooperation between Ukraine and the EU.

The Executive Vice President noted that during the meeting, the parties discussed in detail the financial support which the EU has already provided, urgent assistance related to the COVID-19 crisis, and also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the provision of macro-financial assistance of EUR 1.2 billion, which is, in his opinion, a strong signal of continuing close cooperation between Ukraine and the EU.

According to Dombrovskis, the issue of the agenda of reforms of the Ukrainian government was also discussed. He said the EU welcomes its (government's) commitment (to carry out reforms). From the EU side, the issue of the independence of the Central Bank of Ukraine, which is important not only for the financial stability of Ukraine, but also for further joint successful cooperation, was noted.

Speaking about the conditions that Ukraine must fulfill in order to receive the second tranche of macro-financial assistance, the Executive Vice President expressed confidence that they can be fulfilled by the end of this year, and said that they are related to the continuation of the reforms that Ukraine has undergone in previous years. As an example, Dombrovskis named reforms in the field of governance and the rule of law, public funding, and entrepreneurship.