The European Commission has made a first disbursement of EUR 250 million to Ukraine to support institutions and reforms in the country. This payment is part of the "State Building Contract" program signed on May 13 after a joint meeting between the European Commission and the Ukrainian government in Brussels, the press service of the European Commission has reported.

"Today's disbursement is one of many steps we are currently taking to help the government of Ukraine address short-term needs as well as prepare for the implementation of the Association Agreement. We stand by Ukraine and we are proving it with concrete actions. There is still more to come in terms of financial and other assistance," Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle said.

As reported, the State Building Contract is designed to help Ukraine in the process of transformation and with related reforms. It includes concrete steps to promote more transparency, better governance, support the fight against corruption and help the government to respond to citizens’ needs. It is complemented by a EUR 10 million program aimed to support the civil society. The overall budget of the "State Building Contract" program amounts to EUR 355 million.

The second disbursement will follow in the next months and will be linked to progress in reforms in the areas of anti-corruption, public finance management, civil service, constitutional reform, electoral legislation and justice.