Ukraine’s prime minister Denys Shmyhal took office on 4 March 2020, just as the coronavirus pandemic was hitting Europe. This was one of the topics discussed between the delegates, according to an official press release.

Bettel (DP) reiterated his support for the implementation of the Minsk Protocol, an agreement to halt conflict in the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine, signed between Ukraine, Russia and separatist leaders in the wage of the 2014 Crimean crisis.

A family of four living in Luxembourg--British national Andrew Hoare, his Dutch wife Estella and their two children--was killed when pro-Russia separatists shot down passenger plane MH17 over east Ukraine in July 2014.

The agreement--and a 2015 follow-up, Minsk II--have so far failed to stop the fighting.

Parallel meetings took place between foreign minister Jean Asselborn (LSAP) and Ukraine’s European integration minister Olha Stefanyshyna as well as foreign minister Emine Dzhaparova, who discussed rule of law reforms and humanitarian aid for victims of unrest in the Donbass.

With Luxembourg businesses ArcelorMittal, Paul Wurth and SES active in Ukraine, the country’s economy minister Taras Kachka met with Franz Fayot (LSAP) to discuss cooperation, for example in the field of space and startup support. Digitalisation minister Marc Hansen (DP) discussed Luxembourg’s efforts to digitalise its public administration with Ukraine’s digital transformation office Mykhailo Fedorov. 

Meanwhile, the country’s agriculture minister met with Romain Schneider (LSAP) to discuss farming challenges related to climate change and the covid-19 pandemic. And transport ministers François Bausch (déi Gréng) and Vladyslav Kryklii met to discuss infrastructure investment programmes and the possibility of an air link between Ukraine and Luxembourg.