Minister for Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt will visit the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on 4-5 June. The purpose of the visit is to participate in two conferences that are being organised,
on Sweden's initiative, on the future of Ukraine and the region.The conference "DCFTAs and Beyond - How can the EU contribute to development and welfare in Eastern Partnership countries" focuses on the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreements that Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine are shortly to sign with the EU. The conference will bring together leading politicians, researchers, officials, civil society and business sector representatives from the EU and the countries in the region. The primary intention is to contribute to a more informed debate about the potential and challenges of EU integration.
In addition to Mr Bildt, a number of prominent speakers will participate, including the Ukrainian minister for Economic Development and Trade, Pavlo Sheremeta. The conference is organized by the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) at the Stockholm School of Economics and the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), with support from the Governments of Sweden and Ukraine. ”SITE is part of a unique network of economics research institutes in the region. It gives us the opportunity to contribute to knowledge formation and take part in important policy discussions, both in Stockholm and in countries in the region. This is, of course, especially important when many important decisions on economic reforms have to be taken and implemented” says Torbjörn Becker, Director of SITE.
The visit will also be an opportunity for an on-the-spot update on the situation in the country following the recent presidential election. "The Eastern Partnership and these agreements offer countries in the region unique opportunities for closer relations with the EU. They provide substantially better conditions for investment and trade with the EU, which - with its more than 500 million inhabitants – is the most important market for a country like Ukraine. The countries in the Baltic and Central Europe have shown the positive effects such integration can have, says Mr Bildt. Contact Torbjörn Becker for more information torbjorn.becker@hhs.se or phone +46 704 60 52 52.
The conference will be streamed live at the following addresses:
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