The Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Kemi Badenoch)
Today the UK has signed a digital trade agreement (DTA) with Ukraine to support Ukraine’s economy and post-conflict reconstruction and cement the UK’s position as a global leader in digital trade.
Ukraine’s recovery from Putin’s illegal and barbaric war will be a symbol of the power of freedom and democracy over autocracy. The UK-Ukraine comprehensive digital trade agreement is one way in which this Government are doing everything in our power to support Ukraine’s brave fight. Trading digitally is particularly important in the current conflict, where damage to Ukrainian infrastructure makes it harder to trade physically. Digital tools and technologies can ensure that Ukraine can continue to access vital goods and services.
Ukraine identified greater digitalisation of the economy as one of its main areas of focus for recovery and modernisation. This is why we have worked tirelessly together to deliver a modern digital treaty that is the deepest and most comprehensive ever negotiated. Following signature, it will be laid before Parliament and published online. The agreement should come into force later this year once both the UK and Ukraine have completed our respective domestic procedures.
This agreement will enhance UK-Ukraine co-operation on cyber-security, make it easier to provide digitally delivered goods and services, guarantee the free flow of financial and other trusted data, and enhance collaboration on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. The UK’s services exports to Ukraine are increasingly digitised, with UK exports of digitally delivered services amounting to £132 million in 2020—73% of all UK services exports to Ukraine. This DTA will enable UK and Ukrainian businesses to trade in each other’s markets more easily, and help Ukrainian businesses grow and recover from the impact of this cruel war.
The dream of a new Ukraine is not only one of freedom and democracy, but also one of prosperity driven by a modern digital economy, and the UK is proud to play its role in making this dream a reality.
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