KIEV, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine is keen to expand cooperation with the European Union (EU) in five priority areas in 2019, a Ukrainian vice prime minister said on Thursday.
According to the government press service, Ukraine's Vice Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze said that these five areas are digital economy, energy, customs, justice and internal affairs.
Besides, this year, Kiev will pay particular attention to developing cooperation with the EU in the Eastern Partnership Plus format, which, among other things, envisages investment cooperation between the parties, Klympush-Tsintsadze said.
Currently, Ukraine and the EU cooperate under the Association Agreement, which came into full force in September 2017. The pact includes a free trade deal and a broad range of legislation and regulation topics.
Last week, the Ukrainian parliament passed a constitutional amendment stating its commitment to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the EU.
Since 2014, when pro-West authorities came into power in Ukraine, the country has strengthened cooperation with the EU and increased interactions with NATO, but neither organization has promised Kiev immediate membership.
