Were going to start. Good morning, and welcome to the German Marshall Fund of the United States. , am thus in your fellow at gmf frontlineect gmfs for Democracy Initiative here in washington. I want to welcome our guest, Ukraines DeputyPrime Minister for european and euro atlantic integration. It is great to have you here. I know you have had a busy schedule the last couple of days, very successful meetings both in capitol hill but also with the Trump Administration. Its a busy time for you. Of course it is fairly busy in washington all the way across town, with Certain Committee hearings taking place. I want to welcome you here. Needless to say, this is an incredibly important time for you to be here. In some sense, the zelenskiy government, he took office last ring, has been in office now for rada inhs, and a new place since the beginning of september. It has been an incredibly busy time. You laws passed, a focus on anticorruption, and also just this week, it is hard to believe it was only four days ago, but the normandy meeting took place with president zelenskiy, president putin, i think the first meeting facetoface since 2016. As well. I think people were very interested to get a better understanding of the outcome of that meeting. There was a sense of different obligations, responsibilities that came out of that meeting, including the rada passing an extension of special status of the donbass or parts of the donbass, which you will explain. What we are hoping today to speak to you on a couple of issues in conversation. We will start and that often it up to those who are participating. This is obviously an on the record conversation. We very much appreciate that you could be here and spend some time. But really to speak both about normandy, about whats taking place in terms of reforms in ukraine. You are the minister for euro atlantic integration. Just yesterday, the e. U. Came out with a very positive report on anticorruption reforms. If you havent read it i have a a copy here, i will not share with with you because i dont have enough for everybody, but it is really important to show this progress that has been taking place at a time in washington when there is a bit of a swirl about ukraine. You mightve heard about it. Its important to set the record straight about what is actually taking place in ukraine. The challenges you face across your border, internal, external. The track n. A. T. O. Summit just happened just little over a week ago. Within the n. A. T. O. Summit statement, it mentions the the opendoor policy remaining open and i know this is a priority of yours in the government. We will go deeper into some of these challenging issues that face ukraine, but also u. S. Ukraine relations, which are incredibly important and have an for the United States. As someone who has worked on it both in and outside of government who want to see ukraine be successful, ukrainian people building on the desires of the maidan, and when aesident zelenskiy won in landslide election, he made promises to try to resolve the conflict in the east, but also really to tackle corruption. I have heard you talk here in the last couple of days about trajectory of where ukraine is going. You served in several different governments over the past in your storied career as a diplomat. I didnt read a full bio for you, just based on timing, but you have worked with a number of governments, and one of the things that struck me in hearing from you yesterday is how different this government is both in terms of generation and focus. So i am hoping you will touch on that. Generation and focus. So hopefully he will touch on that were excited to have you here. And we look forward to the conversation we will have. Even on a rainy friday its great to have you here today participating as well. I will turn it over to you for an Opening Statement we are appreciative you are here its a juncture in time where we benefit from having your wisdom and your thoughts but also collectively those that are working on us trade relations on issues of the region getting a better understanding the way the government is going since 2020 how best the allies and partners work. I will turn it over to you. Thank you. Before i monopolize. Happy birthday clap. [applause] good morning the first member of the Ukrainian Government here in washington i clean line came at an interesting time. But im absolutely confident we have to advance together because whatever happens the potential of our relationship with the United States is strategic. I was offered the job after meeting for breakfast and i said do you want me to you great ukrainian into nato with integration cracks and he said integrate. I said fine. Accepted. It was a very short conversation. Ever since i joined the government i have not heard or observed or sensed any hint that we are innovating ac colleagues in the government and parliament in the president ial office. We are moving the country west to membership of the eu and nato we do that in a discouraging environment because the eu doesnt even give us a promise of membership in the eu so to say the doors are open one day we will become members but they have not specified or marked anywhere on the calendar but we are still doing it but were doing it for our country not eu or nato but the strategy of integration is very simple. We integrate ukraine of the markets with that population so that one day so those in brussels the ukrainians said this so thats it we have been doing for three months we intensified political dialogue we engaged in very ambitious negotiations with nato and hosted coming to the ukraine under the leadership of the secretarygeneral. We want our country to change and what i referred to just last night the report was published and they say they appreciate the pace of reforms and the decisions. So now in that capacity i must confess that people are a little cautious they are passing a very high speed and are in that type of mode. When i lived in brussels midnovember i received very warm comments on the government so one of the successes we already have no less suspicion and more openness. So what kind of laws are we adopting the government is very simple to integrate markets in ukraine were they do not exist yet and to introduce rules to the market which already exist and suffer from the rest of the interests and not from what you can imagine with our commitment a lot of stamina and effort very difficult to find the bad guys i must tell you but since we are all young the youngest government in the world and also the youngest Prime Minister and the youngest Prime Minister in the world and the average youngest government by the way im not the youngest. So to make decision which exposes us to attacks for the country but there was some loss of the parliament simply because there were too many vested interest with the economy and integration and the reestablishment of the premier responsibility for the illicit enrichment so to set up the Anticorruption Court it is operational now to receive the longawaited right of surveillance because the previous government imposed the National Anticorruption bureau so we are absolutely serious not only about fighting corruption by bringing those that were guilty to justice. My favorite part is to clean the lies from opportunity of corruption there was a law in ukraine to regulate Real Estate Operations specifically mentioned for companies to be used for real estate for certain Real Estate Operations. Both companies are owed by one person with the Online Platforms and then to formalize. And with that opportunity from the war and to have equal condition for the market. This is the parliament clean up legislation for opportunities. And to state now spending too much time but that anticorruption philosophy to remove those corrupt officials from the system to receive those Services Online and bumping into a guy in return for those Services Provided its also about low level corruption. Is a difficult to inform the country when soldiers are still dying. And was social benefits and moving forward not only on the reform threat but on the piece threat. And the philosophy of president zelensky was to solve problems not create them that was his major approach we are here to solve problems not to create new problems for the country. And honestly committed to ending the wars and numbers he promised it to the people of ukraine and he moves forward and with the sovereignty over those territories and to reach out for ukrainians and in that sense that which took place on monday was excessive itself. And then in 2016. In russia it is simple. Cannot solve big problems. Do not sit with him at the table to solve problems. And then to change behavior that the spirit of the conversation was different and what we can achieve together is to start slowly Building Trust and if we see that russia is willing to resolve we will be ready. We have a number of constructive efforts to show how eager we are to reach compromises. And with integrity and sovereignty and european democracy. So it isnt the result but a step and counter sept it will not be easy it is an exchange of prisoners and disengagement of three more spots well be working sure we make progress and in the United States and then if russia changes but we cannot do it on our own thats why we need the effort to convince russia to change behavior and under those current conditions. Thank you. And i appreciate you going through a number of different areas on the anticorruption reform and the naacp and seen previously in terms of reforms and the implication there is a much more difficult effort after that so to encourage with the eu says yesterday in the report that the recognize the passage but as you implement these laws that are critical going forward. And then this downward on the standardbearer. With the imf partners those positive steps taking on the government to fulfill the criteria and conditionality this will come up but i want to ask you have this question before but its important what you are looking for to see the eu making pronouncements yesterday and recognizing it is making these reforms so how difficult that is its hard to do it when you are not in conflict so that recognition was important and also highlighted very important things of democracy and rule of law but if youre in washington is obviously Different Actors talking to the Trump Administration one of the things ukraine is asking for to help move forward on these key steps and economic with Economic Engagement and trade and congress as well this past weekend to have legislation and interested to hear your thoughts on what would be most helpful to go forward both with the administration and what is the most helpful. And it is a softball question but with that understanding what you are asking for. And always at the country that helped us with the russian attack and you say to ukraine and hundreds of thousands of civilians in the United States. And during the conflict of the United States. My sincere voice. And in my official capacity. And his fair treatment we dont want to be shamed or blamed for what ukraine has accomplished and the way it is moving and on all three points we have no fundamental differences with the United States ukraine is a natural ally of the United States and the world and in a global struggle for power ukraine is in this part of the world to share the same principles and values and we never compromise the United States and imagine when the compromise on United States will compromise us back i had meetings in washington over the last two days. And my overall sense and understanding in dc that ukraine has to be treated fairly. And that agenda. We want to build relationship. With american rockets and then with those built in ukraine in the last 18 years in the ukrainian factories. Now they are moving in those to work on their projects we can be mutually beneficial so one of the most important things in life was to be in the right place at the right time thats what happens with me and washington at the house passed and also for 300 million for support both are important and take that message but as an active support. Is not about ukraine its much bigger issue and Energy Security and the balance in Central Europe and in a broader sense of Energy Security. Ukraine is only one part of the puzzle so i expect the sanctions to support the president ampersand and most importantly that now as we speak should realize it should seize the operations immediately. This is the task that those in washington have to do because they realize the risk they are doing their best for as soon as possible before sanctions come. But with nato and we want nato to be ambitious towards ukraine we do not only want to receive nato but to security to make operations to step up our efforts we are in a dialogue with nato. Im sorry thats another part. We are discussing with them how we can contribute. Houck we can help to be part of your efforts and there is my cliche what we want to hear we can help you with the reforms so you will have the same standards in your life thats it we are doing and the support of the United States is absolutely ends on essential as are the most important countries of the alliance. Thank you. I would agree one of the challenges that has come up is the era to do it. With your 2020 priorities you mention economics as critical to ukraine and thats true but with the Ukraine Economy there are couple of areas that you are focused on in to look at the governments priorities in 2020. You can mention a few of them. The list is so long it was exhausting. You may not know that ukraine that you cannot buy and sell land freely. There is no market. Privatization ukrainian state owns 3000 enterprises with those of strategic importance from National Security. And then has taken the necessary steps to launch the process of privatization and to develop those as commercial enterprises. And not sucking money from the state budget. Energy security. Energy efficiency. For us, security and efficiency is a matter of National Survival because a neighbor who wants to create problems for us and i can be pretty effective. One of the most energy consuming economies. We can save a lot of money if we systemically introduce those measures throughout 2020 and the financials. The National Currency is appreciating and becoming stronger and stronger and it makes our exporters mad because they can buy more National Bank is consistently decreasing add a National Basic rate is still high at 13. Five but thats what it was a few days ago. So we have to introduce the reforms while keeping the National Balance thats why we need imf coming from the European Union and the investments to make sure we provide reforms necessary strategically we need to provide small and medium businesses with cheap money. How we provide them which they can take and invest in our economy. This is a priority for next yea year. But also if you can just identify yourself and who you are with and then we will start right here. And with parliament and the subcommittee in the parliament. And with your Success Story your minister actually they ukraine phenomenon you have had less hatred than neighboring countries and elections from all nationalities with your government so for them to go against your country and encourages people to vote for everyone. But then to brainwash on zombie tv for the citizens of the Eastern Ukraine with russian tv. Year after year with the indoctrination for millions of citizens on the eastern front. If this is successful if you take over in ukraine would it be possible to integrate those citizens and to have them together it is still an essential number and you have the results of congress with the resolution with the American Power and then you have the commission of poland from the European Union with that important field of integration and looking to the chairmanships i want to say to all people that they are protesting against the official statement those that will criticize american Congress Resolution and the members of the European Union of the commissioner and other members of the European Union so it is about those congressional steps and how you see that. Thank you. There is no other way but then talking to the people to explain and make sure they understand what is going on. Those in the territories with a slightly different perception but in a democracy in such a liberal democracy you cannot impose anything or cut them off from that information stored that we are all living in. But we can explain to them that what we can do is to limit opportunities to distort reality. Wont say that usually russia doesnt distort that we have to understand we experience it we had experienced it before you dead. So we know what theyre talking about. And we will talk to them. And for president zelensky to send a message to