The Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU held the online conference

The Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU held the online conference "Associated Countries of the Eastern Partnership: Parliamentary Cooperation and Security Cooperation"

Information Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
Published on 15 March 2021, at 10:38

The Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU held the online conference "Associated Countries of the Eastern Partnership: Parliamentary Cooperation and Security Cooperation". According to Chairperson of the Committee Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, the Eastern Partnership has played an important role for the participating countries over the 11 years of its activity. Today, according to the Chairperson of the Committee, it is time to determine how this format will develop and its future: "We have to decide what the Eastern Partnership will be like in the coming years. Whether it will be a platform where everyone will share their problems, whether it will be a mechanism for countering Russian aggression, or whether it will be a tool for those seeking EU membership".

First Deputy Chairperson of the Committee Vadym Galaychuk expressed hope that the goals discussed by the parties during the conference today will become topics for discussion in the European Union institutions, parliaments and governments, and the EU will create a basis for this for the next 5 years. At the same time, according to him, during the formation of future goals, the participants of the format should take into account the rapid development of events today.

Regarding the areas of future cooperation, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is convinced that the priorities that Ukraine has set for itself in the field of security could become a cornerstone of cooperation with the European Union and in the framework of the Eastern Partnership. This includes countering cyberattacks, combating misinformation and hybrid threats. However, in the opinion of the Chairperson of the Committee, it is important that all members of the Eastern Partnership give an honest answer - where do these threats come from and what is the role of the Russian Federation in the Eastern Partnership area. Based on this, a clear division of security cooperation policy should be made between the EU and the associated countries (Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova) and countries that do not have ambitions for EU membership or do not share concerns about the threats posed by Russian Federation. According to the Chairperson of the Committee, now is the time to restart cooperation within the Eastern Partnership and try to pay more attention to security cooperation, exchanging information on developments in the region and threats from the Russian Federation. The associated countries should look forward to further strengthening the EU's support for their reform programs, as they face not only an external threat but also internal political crises. And these crises can also be tackled together.

Another common challenge, which is already a security issue, according to the Chairperson of the Committee, is the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Ukraine lags behind here, as it ranks 11th in the world in the number of infected and 9th in the world in terms of covid mortality. According to her, Ukraine, due to the inaction of the authorities, needs additional participation of EU partners to overcome the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summing up the conference, Vadym Halaichuk noted that if the associated countries joined forces and formed a common position, they could achieve their goals much faster. "I hope that we will create a basis for cooperation between parliaments, civil society and governments, so that such a position is formed as soon as possible. The exchange of ideas should be framed in very specific proposals on what we want and when we want to achieve it," said Vadym Halaychuk.

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