Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, states that consolidation of liaison between the Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine will support the foreign policy of Ukraine.
"It is high time we combined our efforts to form a synergy of The Verkhovna Rada and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to follow the foreign political course determined by the President of Ukraine," V.Lytvyn stated, addressing the participants of the Tenth Council of the Leaders of the Foreign Diplomatic Institutions of Ukraine.
The Head of the Parliament believes that the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the law-making can be strengthened. "The diplomats and lawyers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can provide an expert review of the laws on foreign policy, the authors of the bill can hold regular consultations and elucidative work in the parliamentary committees," he declared. Working out the mechanism of target groups and permanent consultations, The Verkhovna Rada and the foreign policy department could enhance law-making on all the stages: from drafting to adoption of the bill.
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supposes that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs "can and should influence drafting and adjustment of the domestic law, supporting its harmonization with the European standards." V.Lytvyn believes that the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should not be restricted to the traditional inter-departmental harmonization of the bills. "The Ministry has the biggest institutional potential in the country to analyze and project the international response to the adoption of the laws in Ukraine that can influence political and economic relations between Ukraine and its foreign partners," he stressed.
The Head of the Parliament called on the diplomats to boost their cooperation with the parliaments in the respective countries. "One can achieve more with assistance of the parliaments, authoritative parties and their representatives in the legislative authorities, than by means of a traditional diplomatic red tape," he stated.
"These connections should not be reduced to the campaigning and random lobbying of particular bills.
A clearly planned, strategy-oriented complex of inter-parliamentary relations
in all forms and on all levels between the leaders, committees, friendship
groups, inter-parliamentary associations could be a driving force of such
relations," V.Lytvyn declared.
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deems necessary "to restore the practice of a reciprocal prompt information sharing." For the past years, The Verkhovna Rada has not received systematic and systemic ministerial reports on the parliamentary policy and activity in other states, and the staff changes. The Parliament no longer receives the bulletin on the most important events of interest to Ukraine.
V.Lytvyn deems necessary "to restore this information flow for the deputy corps." He assured that the Parliament was ready to present the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with detailed reports on law-making, the committee and parliamentary hearings on the foreign political matters, state and issues of inter-parliamentary liaison.