During 2023, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, based on its terms of reference, continued its work to delegitimise the russian federation as an influential player in the international arena, introduce new and expand existing international sanctions against the aggressor state, maximise the isolation of the kremlin regime, and promote the initiative to bring the russian federation and its political and military leadership to international criminal responsibility.
Thus, during this period, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted 32 laws of Ukraine aimed at countering russian armed aggression, on which the Committee was designated as the lead. In particular, international agreements with russia, belarus and within the CIS were denounced, and the Parliament gave its consent to Ukraine's accession to the Extended Partial Agreement on the Register of Damages, which creates the conditions for the formation of a register of damages caused to individuals and legal entities of Ukraine as a result of the armed aggression of the russian federation, which is an integral part of the special compensation mechanism and the first practical step in its creation and receipt of compensation.
During the reporting period, the Committee held 46 meetings. Members of the Committee initiated or contributed to the drafting of 20 resolutions of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, which systematically call on the international community to
- support the establishment of a special international tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine, which will have jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the highest political and military leadership of the russian federation for the crime of aggression against Ukraine,
- support Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations,
- recognise russian private military companies as terrorist organisations,
- condemn the crimes of forced deportation of Ukrainian children committed by the russian federation and the republic of belarus,
- on the need to ensure accountability of those responsible for the most serious crimes under international law on the territory of Ukraine,
- appeal to the UN, parliaments and governments of its member states, international organisations and its parliamentary assemblies in connection with another act of terrorism by the russian federation – the blowing up of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station named after P. Neporozhnyi,
- take measures to counteract the nuclear blackmail of the russian federation,
- ensure the exchange and return to Ukraine of all Ukrainian prisoners of war and all illegally detained persons.
Thus, in 2023, the Chairman and members of the Committee held more than 47 meetings with representatives of foreign parliaments and governments, as well as international organisations. During these events, foreign partners were provided with up-to-date information on the situation in Ukraine, European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and urgent needs of our country. The above-mentioned meetings and events resulted in the establishment of partnership and working contacts with the relevant foreign affairs committees of Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Germany, Sweden and the European Parliament, as well as the creation of a format for periodic consultations on urgent issues of international relations with the above committees twice a year, and the publication of statements in support of Ukraine and its European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations. This year, for the first time, the Committee held a joint meeting with the Foreign Policy Council of the Folketing (Parliament) of Denmark in Mykolaiv, which resulted in, among other things, an increase in Danish assistance to our country.
For the first time in 2023, much attention was paid to the issue of religious diplomacy, with two meetings held with representatives of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and a draft Resolution of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on the Appeal to the Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its establishment, which was approved by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. This work resulted in the dismissal of the President of the Assembly, a representative of the russian federation, and the start of work on revising the statutory documents of the Organisation, which granted privileged status to the aggressor state.
This year, the Chairperson and members of the Committee have significantly intensified their work within the framework of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. Thus, on the occasion of the International Day of Parliamentarism, the Chairman of the Committee joined the Inter-Parliamentary Union's "Parliaments for the Planet" campaign by participating in the planting of an alley of 27 thuja "Emerald" seedlings.
In order to intensify the inter-parliamentary relations of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and to provide up-to-date information on the security and humanitarian situation in Ukraine, during the reporting period, the Committee established 15 parliamentary groups on interparliamentary relations with foreign countries, namely, Angola, the Vatican, Cambodia, Ecuador, Ghana, Iceland, Kyrgyzstan, Colombia, Costa Rica, Libya, Liechtenstein, Malawi, Malta, Senegal, Malta, Senegal, and the Sultanate of Oman.