On 26 April, State Secretary Dr Rolf Schmachtenberg participated (via video conference) in the ministerial summit on social policy held in Kyiv.
The summit meeting focused on social policy reforms in Ukraine and Moldova. The high-ranking participants from a number of EU countries deepened their discussions on social protection, especially for older persons, and on the inclusion of persons with disabilities. Moreover, access to social services and Ukraine’s major progress on the digitalisation of social services were high on the agenda.
State Secretary Dr Schmachtenberg offered both countries the support of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs for their further reforms on their path to EU membership:
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has been available and will continue to stand ready for exchanges of experience between experts from ministries and subordinate public authorities, especially regarding support for the establishment and reform of social protection systems with a focus on pensions and persons with disabilities.