“Mine-sweeping seems to be a key humanitarian challenge for the Donbas at present. That is why the new bill on humanitarian demining must be passed during the ongoing plenary session of the Parliament,” – Iryna Herashchenko while visiting the Donbas
On 8th September, together with Artur Herasimov, the head of the Ukrainian Permanent Parliamentary Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and Iryna Friz, the head of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA), Iryna Herashchenko, the First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Presidential envoy on a peaceful settlement of the Donetsk-Luhansk clash paid a working visit to the Donbas.
During the visit, the parliamentarians met with the command and complement of the 92nd and 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, discussed the security and humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine and got acquainted with proceedings on the search and exhumation of those slain in the Donbas.
Particular attention was given to the problem of clearing the territory of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions from mines and unexploded ordnance, given that a number of important sites can only be restored once demined.
In the course of the visit, the parliamentarians inspected the front-line and second-line demining works conducted by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine nearby Novoluhanske (Bakhmut district, Donetsk oblast (region)).
"The demining
problem is a key humanitarian challenge for the Donbas. The level of pollution of the territory is
very high - more than seven thousand square kilometers of the Luhansk and
Donetsk oblasts need to be checked up against explosives," said I. Herashchenko.
The high-ranking officials discussed with the mine pickers the peculiarities of the new bill on humanitarian demining, which will be registered in the Parliament in the coming days. Iryna Herashchenko also expressed her conviction that the adoption of the said bill would facilitate the intensification of cooperation with international partners of Ukraine in obtaining new equipment for demining.
During the working visit, the parliamentarians also found out more about the system of blocking the hostile television and radio broadcasting in the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.
The members of parliament took part in the celebrations on the occasion of the 240th anniversary of Avdiivka, and congratulated the residents on the jubilee date. During the visit, Iryna Herashchenko also awarded the honorary decorations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and handed gifts from Ukrainian book publishers over to the social workers of Avdiivka.
Likewise, within the framework of the “Library to the Donbas” charity action she transferred sets of books of Ukrainian and foreign literature to the military and educational institutions of Avdiivka.