Iryna Herashchenko: First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ukrainian President’s envoy for peaceful settlement of the Donetsk-Luhansk upheaval

The 6^th plenary session outcome report. 

Fifteen legislative initiatives have been launched and registered as a co-author: thirteen draft bills (the four adopted) and two resolutions (both approved). Resolution No.6045 on national homage to Ukraine’s heroes and informing Ukrainians of the heroes’ deeds; 1857-VIII (dated 21.02.2017). Resolution No.6517 on appeal to the European Parliament to introduce some extra EU trade preferences for Ukrainian origin goods; 2106-VIII (dated 26.05.2017).

Draft bill No.6068 amending the law on urban development in order to pay honour to a history-making feat of the Dignity revolutionists and perpetuate the memory of the Heavenly Hundred; 1854-VIII (dated 09.02.2017).

Draft bill No.5491 on the Ukrainian Cultural Fund; 1976-VIII dated 23.03.2017.

Draft bill No.6470 amending the foreign policy of Ukraine; 2091-VIII (dated 08.06.2017).

Draft bill No.6548 that alters the law on higher education granting some entrance privileges to institutes of higher education located in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

The full list of the envoy’s bills may be seen at the Parliament’s web-site.

Fifteen requests have been sent out to different governing institutions, most of which dealing with the Donbas issue, protection of the servicemen’s rights, internally displaced persons, defence of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

There have been three hundred thirty-four appeals received and considered since the last February.

The City of Cherkasy has for five years been and is still hosting the envoy’s public constituency office at the address of Blahovisna Street, 170. Four hundred fifty-nine appeals from the local community have been processed since the beginning of the year.

This year has also brought over eighty international meetings and events with foreign governmental officials and parliamentarians, international organizations and diplomatic missions so far.

The First Deputy Chairman has been quite active at Ukraine’s delegation to PACE, pushing on any occasion ahead with liberation of the prisoners, Russia’s responsibility for the Donbas war and occupation of the Crimea, security, humanitarian and environmental predicament in Donbas.

As a Co-chair of the Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council she participated in the recent council’s session in Kyiv and other events aimed to enhance the Ukraine-Alliance dialogue.

As a representative of the Trilateral Contact Group’s humanitarian subgroup in Minsk, she has taken part in fourteen subgroup sessions since the last February.

“To put it frank, the Minsk process has been in a complete deadlock within the past six months. The vain endeavours to succeed have just been killing and overstraining the nerves. We, however, are not at liberty to wilfully derail the Minsk peace talks which Moscow is eagerly craving for. The sanctions against Russia go together with the Minsk accords implementation by the aggressor. With this in view, rightly or wrongly, we must go on bargaining in order to stop Russia and the war, howsoever hard and unavailing may it come at times.

A regular delivery of correspondence to our hostages in SRDLO and some Red Cross’s parcels to prisons of those places were the rare thing we have managed to exact. The main thing is that SRDLO’s “officials” confirmed seizure of seventy-one Ukrainians and delivered the lists of those held captive. We are struggling for next release of the imprisoned by SRDLO and the Russian Federation,” she gave a comment.

“The Minsk platform”, an informal parliamentary group, is working at the Parliament. It has become a high-level floor to exchange information and find ways to a peaceful settlement of the Donbas arms.

The environmental plight of Donbas has been the highlight of talks during this year. The envoy initiated a range of field inspections throughout Donbas and some interagency sittings at the Cabinet. Ecological monitoring in Donbas has thus been significantly improved, and problems with some environmentally unsound enterprises, neighbouring the front line, have been solved as well.

A bridge construction will hopefully be soon developed nearby Stanytsia Luhanska under the envoy’s patronage, and with the support of the Red Cross.

Together with two more parliamentarians Iryna Herashchenko has been keeping in touch with some military units, rendering the necessary aid in person.

Within the reporting period, there were plenty of infrared imagers, staple foods, books, personal hygiene (care) items, field glasses, television sets, computers, and checkpoint equipment, well-equipped medical ambulances, military-purposed cars sent to the ATO zone. Some medical equipment and medication were handed over to military hospitals during the working visits there thanks to the aid of partial patrons and sponsors. Moreover, in support of locals and servicemen a special delivery of liaison-purposed testers, metallized adhesive tapes for sappers, punchers, pin-hole plotters, accumulators for diesel generators, printers, headphones etc. was organized. The outside aid in tote delivered to ATO zone under support of the patrons has come to hundreds of thousands hryvnias.

A series of very important visits of European partners to Donbas was arranged by the envoy and some other parliamentarians jointly.

There have been nine missions to Donbas since February so far. Just the past June gave four trips to ATO zone, Avdiivka, Mariupol, Shyrokine.

As a member of the ‘Equal Opportunities’ Caucus the envoy has been working on gender equality and women’s rights protection issues.

I.Herashchenko is in charge of the released prisoners and families of those UA citizens which have been seized by SRDLO and Russia, rendering them all feasible social assistance.