Spain to provide 55 mln euros for Ukraine, Kiev expects Madrid's support on EU membership

MOSCOW. July 3 (Interfax) - Spain has decided to provide 55 million euros for Ukraine as a new assistance package, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said.

"Spain has decided to allocate an additional 55 million euros, particularly 51 million euros through the World Bank Group to finance small and medium-sized businesses in Ukraine and 4 million euros through the UN Development Program to provide schools in Ukraine with environmentally friendly and robust power systems," Ukrainian media quoted Sanchez as saying at a Verkhovna Rada plenary session on Saturday.

Spain is also seeking to uphold Ukraine's recovery, which "will take time and investments in multiple sectors," he said.

"There are some sectors, like railway infrastructure, in which our companies have some know how that can change the situation for the better. The Spanish government supports the financing of the necessary investments for adapting and modernizing Ukraine's infrastructure and manufacturing sectors," he said.

Just before welcoming the Spanish prime minister in Kiev, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said on social media, "Before the important visit of Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez to Kiev, I spoke with Spanish journalists. It is with the visit to Ukraine that Madrid begins its six-month EU presidency."

"For us, it would be decisive six months regarding the start of accession negotiations. We count on Spain's support in this. We have a common task - to work with the countries of Latin America and involve as many of them as possible in the implementation of our Peace Formula," Zelensky said.