BRUSSELS. June 27 (Interfax) - While steps to support Ukraine and facilitate its integration with the European Union should be welcomed, the EU should also attach importance to bolstering its own security, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola said.
"Our support for Ukraine must continue. It means doing more to increase Europe's ability to respond to any type of crisis, and it means real strategic autonomy," Metsola said at a press conference following her conventional meeting with the leaders of the EU member states at the outset of an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday.
"It also means to ramp up our capabilities, decrease duplications, and reduce fragmentation of our defense industries," Metsola said.
Metsola said her exchange of opinions with the European leaders showed that the majority of people living in their countries "have called for the defense of our values and for security to remain a top priority."
She welcomed the signing of an agreement with Ukraine on security commitments, an agreement on using extraordinary revenues from Russian frozen assets, the adoption of the 14th sanction package on Russia, and the launch of accession negotiations with Kiev just before the summit.
"We are sending the clearest of messages of our unwavering support for Ukraine, our common security and the geopolitical importance of enlargement," she said.
Taking questions, Metsola referred to a victory of pro-European parties in the election to the European Parliament to say that she was confident that its new composition would continue supporting Ukraine.