President of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid and President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko met today in Tallinn during an official visit by the President of Ukraine to Estonia.

The two Presidents emphasized that bilateral relations between Estonia and Ukraine remain close and substantive. They noted that cooperation between the two countries is successful in many areas of mutual interest and that there is potential for further developing economic cooperation given the opportunities provided by the provisional application of the AA/DCFTA.

The two Presidents underlined the value of cooperating closely in international fora including the UN, the Council of Europe and the OSCE. They emphasized the prospects for supporting each other’s candidatures and for implementing common priorities, such as supporting security and human rights in Europe. President Kaljulaid underlined Estonia’s support to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission, tasked with monitoring the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, to the UN’s Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine and to the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for Ukraine.

The two Presidents stressed that Estonia and Ukraine continue to condemn Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and to support the continued implementation of an effective non-recognition policy on the illegal temporary occupation and annexation of part of the territory of Ukraine — the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. President Kaljulaid expressed Estonia’s continued support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and commitment to a common EU policy in response to Russian aggression. The two Presidents agreed that restrictive measures towards Russia can be lifted only when Russia adheres to fundamental principles of international law and implements the Minsk agreements.

President Kaljulaid stressed that Estonia is a firm supporter of Ukraine’s further European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Estonia remains committed to advancing the Eastern Partnership, which will be a priority of Estonia’s upcoming Presidency to the Council of the EU in the second half of 2017. The Presidents called for a swift decision on granting visa-free travel to Ukrainian citizens, for which Ukraine has fulfilled all conditions. The AA/DCFTA remains the cornerstone of EU-Ukraine relations. The two Presidents welcomed its provisional application since 2016 and called for the swift completion of its ratification.

The two Presidents stressed the importance of continuing Ukraine’s domestic reform process, while acknowledging the important progress made so far. President Kaljulaid stressed that supporting Ukraine remains one of Estonia’s foreign policy priorities. Development cooperation will continue to focus on promoting good governance and democracy, business climate, as well as education, with an emphasis on information and communication technologies. Humanitarian aid will continue to focus on alleviating the humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine. President Poroshenko thanked Estonia for providing medical rehabilitation services to Ukrainian soldiers wounded during the conflict in Donbas.

The two Presidents noted the intense cooperation between NATO and Ukraine in the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Commission. President Poroshenko thanked Estonia for its solid contribution in support for the Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) for Ukraine.