Speech: Ukraine Reform Conference: Foreign Secretary’s press conference remarks
Good afternoon everybody and thank you very much for coming along this afternoon.
Prime Minister Groysman and I have just been at the London Ukraine Reform Conference and I think it would be fair to say it was the most fascinating and moving event in the sense that we heard from 30 countries, all the major global financial institutions, the European financial institutions, all supporting Ukraine in the process of reform in Ukraine.
Clearly there was a certain amount of anxiety about keeping that process of reform on track, there was defiance in the face of Russian aggression and everybody was very committed the support and defence of Ukraine. There was an insistence on sticking up for the rule of law, the rules based system in which we believe, and countries saying what they were doing to help Ukraine in all sorts of ways, from supplying medical equipment to helping with the banking system to providing holidays for kids from the Donbass region who have been affected by the conflict.
But there was also a wide measure of agreement about the vital importance of Ukraine to us all and about the importance of the success of Ukraine and I have to say there was also a great deal of admiration for Ukraine’s leadership, for Ukrainian politicians for what they are trying to do in spite of all the difficulties and all the challenges that Ukraine faces. And certainly from the international financial institutions a great deal of optimism about what has been accomplished over the last 3 years in spite of the challenges that Ukraine has faced and optimism about the future.
So thank you very much all of you for coming and I think it would be right to say Prime Minister that you have from the London Ukraine Reform Conference a very, very wide measure of support from the international community for your reform programme and you can certainly count on the United Kingdom to be with you shoulder to shoulder for the long term. Thank you very much.
Watch the full press conference:
Source: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
