Javier SOLANA, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), met Viktor YUSHCHENKO, the President of Ukraine, and Yulia TYMOSHENKO, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, on Wednesday, 18 and Thursday, 19 March 2009 respectively.

The meetings provided an opportunity to discuss the situation in Ukraine and EU-Ukraine relations.

Mr Solana expressed his serious concern at the situation in Ukraine, resulting from the severe impact of the global financial crisis, and the on-going difficulties on the domestic political scene. The country’s current financial crisis was not a matter for Ukraine alone, but also had wider implications, including for the EU.

The High Representative called on both the President and the Prime Minister to act decisively and rapidly to meet the conditionality of the IMF Stand-by Arrangement agreed in 2008, and work together to bring the country out of the financial crisis.

Mr Solana reiterated that the EU remained committed to Ukraine. He stressed that meeting IMF conditionality was essential for the EU to be able to continue helping Ukraine move in the right direction.

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