Third non-EU country, Ukraine, joins the European Blockchain Partnership

cointelegraph.com:

After Norway and Liechtenstein, Ukraine became the third country outside the European Union (EU) to join the European Blockchain Partnership (EBP), an initiative derived by 27 member states to deliver cross-border public services.

The Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine announced the country’s move to join the EBP as an observer on June 17. With the ultimate goal of integrating its digital economic space with the EU, Ukraine plans to expand its interstate blockchain network partnership with other countries.

Ukraine’s intent to join the EBP dates back to July 2021, when Oleksii Zhmerenetskyi, the head of the Parliamentary group, Blockchain4Ukraine, and Konstantin Yarmolenko, the founder and CEO of Virtual Assets of Ukraine, wrote a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission. The letter declared Ukraine’s interest in joining the EBP and the European Blockchain Services Infrastructure (EBSI). von der Leyen later confirmed the prospect of Ukraine’s accession to the EBP as an observer.

Speaking to Cointelegraph, Yarmolenko stated Ukraine’s interest in running test-node of the EBSI and pilot use cases of the cross-border public services based on the blockchain technology. He highlighted that the cryptocurrency donations during the Russia-Ukraine war “proved as important support,” stating:

After working with the EBP on blockchain pilot use cases as an observer, Ukraine aims to gain full membership. Yarmolenko further revealed that Ukraine is targeting additional blockchain partnerships to provide the citizens of Ukraine with cross-border public services including verification of educational credentials/diplomas and identity credentials and refugee/asylum registration and support.

While