Date of release : 29-03-2005

Policy area : General Affairs and External Relations

Event : EU-Ukraine (Troika)

Jean Asselborn, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration and current President of the Council of the European Union, will meet Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasyuk as part of Ministerial Meeting of the EU Troika with Ukraine on 30 March 2005 in Kiev.

Alongside Minister Asselborn, the European Union delegation will include Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Denis MacShane, British Minister for Europe, and a representative of the Secretariat of the Council.

During their visit to Kiev, the European Troika will also meet with President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

Talks will focus on relations between the European Union and Ukraine, particularly with regards to cooperation in the Common Foreign and Security Policy field and implementation of the EU-Ukraine Action Plan adopted on 21 February 2005 within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy.

The European Troika and the Ukrainian authorities will also discuss the priorities of the new government in Kiev and the EU's priorities over the coming months.

Furthermore, the two parties will address a number of topical international and regional subjects: relations of the European Union and of Ukraine with Russia, Moldova and Georgia, and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.