“We are not a gray area…we are the shield for Europe to now safeguard not only our own countries but also the free world in its entirety,” – Andriy Parubiy, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

In his appearance at the High Level Inter-parliamentary Conference: “Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine: Eastern  Partnership and Current Security Challenges”, Andriy Parubiy, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Speaker, thanked to the Moldovan side for the conference organization making it possible “to talk over the pressing problems and challenges which are features both for the region and Europe on the whole”. “Standing here, at the very fault line, we feel more sensitive to the problems which are topical for the European countries and the USA at the same time,” he said, having reminded to those in attendance that that very day did exactly mark the fourth anniversary since the Russian aggression against Ukraine had broken out.

He also then stressed that “these four years have step by step brought to the mind of the world a complete picture of the global security problem, and specifically of the modern hybrid warfare Putin and the Russian Federation are waging on, including its information war segment which is seemingly to be of core importance and utilization”.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy underscored there was a vital necessity in elaborating the common resistance strategy and tactics not only by Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia but also by the whole free world to oppose the information warfare which had already been well sensed by Ukrainians, the USA as well as in many European countries. “We must create potent institutions and facilities capable of working out operative means of impeding the Putin’s information warfare against the free world,” he stressed. It was also mentioned that “there is an acute need to reach a common stand about energy security since Ukraine together with other European countries do feel that energy blackmailing and pressure Putin resorts to against other states”.

According to the Parliament’s Chair, discussion platforms like here, at the conference, are good footings for yielding a common stand as to the topical issues. He then underlined that, inter alia, “the real nature of the project named Nord Stream 2 is per se far from being economic one; this is a Putin’s political initiative aimed at destabilizing Europe, depressing European countries”. “The Europe’s united position over ‘flagging down’ this project is also a sort of our activities towards our common economic security,” highlighted Andriy Parubiy, having added that “everyone who tends to say it is still economic, is either far from the real understanding the things, or used to resort to guile as saying about those Putin’s ends”.

Turning to the military element of the security sphere, A.Parubiy thanked the United States for their recent decision to finally render  FGM-148 Javelins to Ukraine, and then the politician also made a special mention that “Ukraine is by all means eager for a peaceful settlement of any disputes or clashes”.

“We would like to settle the conflict peacefully, through diplomatic means solely. None of our countries has triggered off this war -- none of them seeks to take others’ lands. What we did – we just protected the sovereignty and inviolability of our proper territories. Yet, we are forced to boost our military forces in order to be able to deliver a proper rebuff  to raids like that at present as well as in the future -- to let any foe be in the know that the price for its would-be aggression will be adequate,” he said.

In response to some hazy hints about the “gray area” for the said countries, the Chairman A.Parubiy commented it that “we would sooner call it ‘a shield for Europe’ as it now does practically protect not only its proper states but the whole free world as well”. The Chairperson of the Ukrainian Parliament also stressed that “a host of challenges has faced before our countries, and we are now united by the Eastern Partnership programme as well as by the common path towards the European Union and NATO”.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine then informed that the Parliament had approved this week - in the first reading - an extremely important decision to create the long-awaited anti-corruption court.

“This decision would allow us to complete the construction of anti-corruption infrastructure that was created for four years,” concluded the politician.

It has been stressed, as Ukraine is carrying out many reforms in practically all spheres of its life, the exchange of transformation experience is very important for the state, and the support of European forces is also needed. “We must demonstrate in Georgia as well as in Ukraine that through reforms we do need not only fulfill the contracts but really make our societies, our countries stronger, more modernized, advanced and developed. From this point of view, for us, for Ukraine, the fight against corruption is a priority on this path,” underscored the high official.

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The High Level Inter-parliamentary Conference: “Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine: Eastern Partnership and Current Security Challenges” is taking place on March 2, 2018 in Chisinau, R.Moldova. The Conference is hosted by Moldovan Parliament, organized in partnership with Atlantic Council, following an initiative by the Speakers of the Parliaments of Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia.

The conference participants are:

Mr. Damon Wilson, Executive Vice President, Atlantic Council
H.E. Andrian Candu, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, Parliament of the Republic of Moldova
H.E. Irakli Kobakhidze, Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Parliament of Georgia
H.E. Andriy Parubiy, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Ms. Hanna Hopko, Chairperson of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Ms. Nataliia Katser-Buchkovska, Chairperson of the Sub-committee, Committee on Fuel and Energy Complex, Nuclear Power and Nuclear Safety, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

Ms. Iryna Friz, Chairperson of the Subcommittee, Committee on National Security and Defence, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine,

and a range of representatives from Ministry of Defense of Georgia, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council, Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, Strategic Research Partnerships, Royal United Services Institute, US House of Representatives, Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Riigikogu of the Republic of Estonia, Senate of the Republic of Poland, Saeima of the Republic of Latvia, etc.

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