MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 04th March, 2023) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv to discuss support provided by the European Union to Kiev and the country's accession to the bloc, Zelenskyy's press service said on Saturday.
The head of the European Parliament arrived in Ukraine on Friday. The event marked Metsola's first trip to the country since last April.
"As part of a working trip to Lviv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola visiting our country for the second time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation," the press service said in a statement.
During the talks, the Ukrainian leader thanked Metsola for her leadership in supporting Ukraine and for various important decisions taken by the European Parliament in relation to Kiev.
"In particular, as it was on March 1 last year, when on the second day after submitting our EU membership application, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on support and the need to grant the EU candidate status to Ukraine," the Ukrainian president added, as quoted by his press service.
Zelenskyy and Metsola also discussed the promotion of the 10-point Ukrainian Peace Formula and the prospects for attracting more states, primarily the countries of the Global South, to the upcoming summit in support of peace, the statement read.
In addition, the Ukrainian leader told Metsola that Kiev was seeking to complete the implementation of the recommendations of the European Commission as soon as possible to start negotiations on joining the EU this year.
Zelenskyy signed an application for Ukraine's accession to the EU on February 28, 2022, four days after Russia launched its special military operation. On June 23, EU heads of state approved candidate status for Ukraine and Moldova. To start accession talks, the countries need to fulfill a number of conditions, including wide-ranging reforms.
