The Council of the European Union (EU) approved a police mission to Ukraine to assist Ukraine's reform of security services, according to a statement released by the EU on Monday.

After the meeting of 28 EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday, EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton said: "Ukraine has requested the EU's support as it is embarking on the critical path of civilian security sector reform. Our mission would offer European expertise to assist Ukrainian authorities in improving the management of efficient and fair law enforcement under democratic control."

The mission would provide "strategic advice" for the development of the Ukrainian security services. It will initially start from supporting the relevant Ukrainian bodies in the elaboration of revised security strategies, the statement said.

The operational planning and other preparations of the mission starts immediately after the Council's decision and an advance team for the mission is due to deploy in a few weeks.

According to the statement, the mission will last for two years, and the headquarters is to be in Kiev, but regional outreach is also planned as soon as feasible.

"Today's decision demonstrates the solidity of the EU's commitment to stability and the rule of law in Ukraine, with the aim to help create a modern security sector that lives up to the expectations of all Ukrainian citizens," Ashton said.