The EU puts forth two requirements for Ukraine to receive 600 million euro aid tranche
The European Union expects Ukraine to fulfill a number of conditions before granting a regular financial aid tranche of EUR 600 million, stated Hugues Mingarelli, head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, in Kyiv on October 10.
The key conditions are a lifting of the 10-year moratorium on the export of timber imposed by Ukraine in 2015 and the organization of social security for internally displaced persons. Other conditions, according to a European official, have already been fulfilled by Kyiv.
Earlier, the EU agreed to provide assistance to Ukraine, dividing it into three tranches. “As you remember, the EU approved a program of micro-financial assistance for Ukraine in the amount of EUR 1.8 billion. We have already approved the first EUR 600 million tranche, and now [we are considering an additional] tranche in the amount of EUR 600 million,” a representative stated, cited by the Unian news agency. According to Mingarelli, negotiations are now being held on Ukraine’s implementation of the remaining conditions.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman stressed that Ukraine is ready to discuss the issue of lifting the ban of timber export with the EU, but will take into account its own interests..