Signing a new road map of Ukrainian-French relations for 2007-2008 will be the main topic of France’s President Jacques Chirac’s visit to Ukraine in January or February 2007, Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasiuk announced at a meeting with his French counterpart Philippe Douste-Blazy in Paris.
The two ministers analyzed the implementation of the 2005 road map of Ukrainian-French relations, paying special attention to the drafting of a new document for 2007-2008, which is supposed to promote a higher level of mutual understanding and political trust.
Tarasiuk informed the French minister about the preparations for the Ukraine-EU Summit to be held on Oct. 27 in Helsinki. Douste-Blazy emphasized that France is pleased to hear the Ukrainian government’s confirmation of the course towards European integration and expressed readiness to continue supporting Ukrainian efforts to carry out specific programs.
France’s foreign minister positively assessed the performance of several French advisors, who began working in Ukraine in 2006: the advisor to the reform of the civil service at the Main Directorate of Ukraine’s Civil Service, the legal advisor to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the agricultural advisor, and the advisor to the Chief Command of Ukraine’s Interior Troops.
In the economy, the two ministers noted progress in the dialogue between representatives of small and medium business, which is contributing to the further growth of bilateral economic and commercial exchanges. They also pointed out that direct French investments in Ukraine considerably increased during the first six months of 2006, reaching $361.6 million.
