At a meeting with President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko discussed important aspects of political, economic and military cooperation between the two countries, achieving a just peace and restoring Ukraine.
Yulia Svyrydenko expressed gratitude to Portugal for its steadfast support, emphasizing the importance of the diplomatic, defense, humanitarian and financial assistance that the country has been providing to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
“Today, almost 60 thousand Ukrainians have found temporary shelter in Portugal. We urge our partners to support programs that create conditions for the safe return of Ukrainians home. We are grateful to Portugal for its active participation in the Peace Formula conferences and for representing the country at the highest level at the first Global Peace Summit,” said Yulia Svyrydenko.
She also noted the growth of economic cooperation between Ukraine and Portugal: in 2023, bilateral trade reached $293.7 million, which is 49.4% more than in the previous year. Ukrainian exports to Portugal also increased by 64.6%, reaching $223.5 million. The upward trend continued in 2024, with trade turnover increasing by another 15.1%, or USD 29.2 million, in January-August compared to the same period of the previous year.