The European Commission today proposed to the European Union member states to approve the start of negotiations with Ukraine on its accession to the EU system for the exchange of government satellite communications (GOVSATCOM), BTA reports.
This system is a key element of the EU Space Program and the Secure Communications Initiative.
According to the Commission, GOVSATCOM provides an opportunity to pool and share existing satellite resources between European countries and private operators. In April, the EU and Ukraine already signed an agreement on Kiev's participation in the “Copernicus“, “Space Weather Events“ and “Near-Earth Objects“, which are also part of the EU Space Programme.
The upcoming new agreement with Ukraine will contribute to increasing the resilience of the connectivity infrastructure within the Union, providing additional opportunities in a strategically important region, the European Commission said. According to it, the upcoming negotiations represent another step towards deepening cooperation between the EU and Ukraine in areas essential for the security and stability of Europe.