Ukraine and France approach finalization of security guarantees agreement
Andriy Yermak and Emmanuel Bonne (photo: president.gov.ua)
Ukraine and France held another meeting regarding the security guarantees agreement, moving closer to finalizing the document, according to the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Negotiations on security guarantees took place during the visit of the French delegation to Ukraine. Today in Kyiv, diplomatic advisor to the President of France, Emmanuel Bonne, Chief of the General Staff Fabien Mandon, and advisors to the French President, Xavier Chatel, and Bertrand Buchwalter, arrived.
The parties discussed the revised draft agreement and aligned their positions on specific elements of the document.
"Our negotiating teams demonstrated significant progress today and moved closer to finalizing the bilateral agreement," the Office of the President reported.
Participants in the talks, as stated by the President's Office, expressed hope for the possibility of signing the agreement very shortly.
Security guarantees agreement between France and Ukraine
In early July 2023, the Group of Seven (G7) countries approved a declaration pledging security guarantees to Ukraine. Over 30 nations, including France, have since joined this commitment.
The UK became the first country to sign a similar agreement with Ukraine. Furthermore, on January 17, French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Paris plans to sign a security agreement with Ukraine, following London's lead.
During the same announcement, President Macron expressed his intention to officially visit Ukraine in February. The visit is anticipated to include the signing of a bilateral security agreement between the two countries.
