Together with representatives of relevant ministries of Ukraine and members of the European Commission, I participated in the seventh meeting of Cluster 2 of the Subcommittee on Economy and Other Sectoral Cooperation of the Association Committee between Ukraine and the EU. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss current issues of cooperation, in particular in the mining industry and raw materials, as well as review the operational conclusions of the 6th meeting of cluster 2 for 2024.

«We are grateful to European partners for productive cooperation in the framework of the implementation of the Roadmap for 2023-2024 to the Memorandum on strategic partnership in the raw materials sector. We are currently working on the development of a new document for the next two years. Its signing is planned during Raw Materials Week 2024, which will take place in December in Brussels», – said Roman Opimakh, Director General of Ukrainian Geological Survey.

Within the strategic partnership with the EU, Ukraine actively participates in European initiatives for the development of sustainable projects for the development of critical minerals. Thus, two Ukrainian mining companies submitted applications for the status of strategic projects for the extraction and processing of lithium and graphite resources in Ukraine. Emphasizing that their approval by the European Commission will allow enterprises to secure off-takers, ensure financial and technical support and a number of other incentives. Decisions on applications are expected at the end of February next year.

According to the results of the meeting, the parties agreed on the next steps of Ukraine-EU cooperation in the conditions of Russia’s armed aggression, as well as the rapid recovery of Ukraine in the post-war period. European colleagues assured of further financial and expert support for reforms, in particular in the sector of the extractive industry and critical minerals. After all, partnership with the EU in the field of extraction and processing of critical minerals will not only strengthen our economies, but also contribute to global stability and security.