On the Occasion of Ukraine's National Day
Press Statement
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
August 22, 2013
On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the people of Ukraine on the 22nd anniversary of
your country’s independence.
The American and Ukrainian people share a proud history as partners and friends. Every day, we work together on mutually
important issues, from promoting economic growth and energy diversification to cooperating on nuclear security and
non-proliferation.
We remain committed to helping our Ukrainian partners as you work to become a prosperous European democracy with a free
and open economy. We strongly support Ukraine’s fulfillment of the European Union’s conditions for signature of the
Association Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement at the Vilnius Summit in November.
We appreciate Ukraine’s leadership as chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. We also applaud
Ukraine’s efforts to advance global peace and security in the European neighborhood and across the globe.
The United States look forward to continued cooperation on these and other issues as we strengthen the ties of
friendship between our governments and our people.
ENDS