European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, March 12, 2018. (REUTERS PHOTO)
KIEV, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine and the European Union (EU) will strengthen their cooperation in the industrial sector, the Ukrainian state press service said on Tuesday.
The agreement was reached at a meeting here between Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman and visiting European Commissioner in charge of Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Elzbieta Bienkowska.
Groysman said Ukraine is gradually improving its infrastructure and creating a favorable business environment to produce more high value-added products, which could be exported to the EU.
"The potential of our industrial sector offers ample prospects. We are working to remove the barriers to development and gain new impulses for moving forward in all sectors," Groysman said.
Bienkowska said the EU is ready to assist Ukraine to tap its potential in industrial development.
"We are talking about making Ukraine part of our common industrial strategy. We are not just talking about support, but also about details and specific features of our industrial dialogue," Bienkowska said.
In 2017, the industrial sector was the largest contributor to Ukraine's economy, accounting for 21.4 percent of the gross domestic product.
Industrial output rose 0.4 percent last year after a 2.8-percent increase in 2016.