The Members of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-Government, members of the presidium and chairpersons of subcommittees of the Commission for territorial self-governance and regional policy and experts of the Bureau of Research of the Chancellery of the Polish Sejm [Parliament] had a meeting during their visit to Republic of Poland
Head of the Territorial Self-Government and Regional Policy Sejm Committee Andrzej Maciejewski and Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on State Building, Regional Policy and Local Self-Government Serhii Vlasenko pointed to the importance of adjustment of relations between the bodies of the Ukrainian and Polish parliaments responsible for local self-government and issues of administrative-territorial status. The said is important not only from the point of view of deepening of the relations between the two friendly and neighboring countries, but also from the point of view of considerable Poland's experience in decentralization of power.
In particular, Andrzej Maciejewski noted that at present Poland has an opportunity to sum up the results achieved over the last two years, and elaborate further ways to develop territorial organization of power. The Head of the Polish Committee noted that the Polish society is now facing the challenge of shifting the accents on further steps touching legislative regulation of the decentralization of power reform to the building of responsible civil society. According to Mr. Maciejewski, using the Polish experience, Ukraine also has to focus on the intensification of activity of members of territorial communities and persuasion of the citizens of their responsibility for the development and prosperity of their state.
Committee Chairperson Vlasenko noted that Ukraine appreciates the role of the Republic of Poland as an advocate of Ukraine in the international arena. He noted that Ukraine is now making the very first steps in the decentralization of power and local self-government, thus, the experience of Poland is very important for our country. Asked by his Polish colleagues about the adoption of the final wording of the amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine touching the decentralization of power, the Chairperson of the Committee stressed that "the adoption of this draft law is quite complicated as a number of the parliamentarians are skeptical about the chapter touching the decentralization of power and other deputies — about special status of Donbas. Therefore, final vote demands constitutional majority of deputies [300 votes]." Besides, Vlasenko said that the position of the President of Ukraine on the special status of Donbas deserves certain support as the President considers that at first Ukraine must restore control over the temporarily occupied territories and only then get to consideration of the political proposals.
The Committee members discussed the course of the decentralization refinery in the Republic of Poland, mistakes in the process of the reform, and the ways to tackle such mistakes.