PACE President Mevlüt Çavusoglu declared that the Assembly supports priorities of Ukraine´s chairmanship over the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Ukraine, and will render assistance to Ukraine.   

According to the PACE President, Ukraine has efficiently worked in PACE for 16 years, and its work "meets the values of the Assembly."

Opening the sitting of the Standing Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Kyiv on Friday, V.Lytvyn declared, "Ukraine has always been fruitfully cooperating with the Council of Europe." High level of cooperation with the Council of Ukraine was largely due to the relations within the PACE. "We attach great importance to our work in the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, and will further work in this direction," he stated.

Stressing that forty seven parliaments truly represent Europe, the Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stated that growing importance of the Council of Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly will support integrity of Europe and realization of developmental priorities.

V.Lytvyn stated that Ukraine called for strengthening of cooperation between the inter-parliamentary and inter-governmental sectors of the Council of Europe to raise authority of the Council of Europe.

Setting the priorities of its chairmanship over the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Ukraine has worked in close cooperation of the parliamentary and governmental components. "Our common goal was to make the priorities meet European aims and needs of the Ukrainian society," he stressed.

The Head of the Parliament stated that Ukraine focused on drastic changes in all spheres of social life. V.Lytvyn laid emphasis on economic, political and social transformations on the basis of democratic standards and social principles.

The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine singled out the following priorities of the activity of the Council of Ukraine during Ukraine´s chairmanship over this authoritative organization: protection of children´s rights and human rights; supremacy of law in the context of strengthening of democracy and stability in Ukraine, and development of local democracy.

"We understand that the issues of human rights, supremacy of law, democracy and stability on the continent are topical for the Council of Europe. The organization has already developed an effective system for human rights protection, which should lie in the basis of further enhancement and systematization of European standards in this sphere," V.Lytvyn stated. "Therefore, Ukraine plans to pay special attention to its domestic policy, and prevention of human rights violation as a key aspect of activity of the Council of Europe."

Dwelling upon the development of local democracy through cooperation between the civil society and public authorities, V.Lytvyn stated that local self-government should become a decisive link of the public authorities in the modern civilization.

The Head of the Parliament also attaches great importance to the improvement of the electoral system. Considering the importance of democratic achievements, a new up-to-date, harmonized and balanced bill on elections to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine should be adopted, as the coming parliamentary elections will be crucial for Ukraine.

Adoption of the law on access to the public information was essential to support transparent and responsible actions of the power, as it disciplines the authorities and strengthens their responsibility and accountability. Another law on the role of non-governmental organizations and civil society institutes in Ukraine will be adopted shortly.  "This law will complement the law on access to the public information. I believe that simultaneous implementation of these two laws will make Ukrainian authorities responsible and accountable to the society and civil society institutes," V.Lytvyn declared.  

The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stated that consolidation of Ukraine as a state and its ability to pass independent resolutions on the key issues in the globalized world should become a national idea. "Secondly, it is democracy and freedom. Thirdly, it is improvement of life standards and overcoming of poverty," he stated.

Summing up, V.Lytvyn stated that sitting of the Standing Committee will help better understand implementation of domestic policy.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Head of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe Kostiantyn Hryshchenko stressed that Ukraine prioritizes support of children´s rights, protection of human rights, boosting democratic processes and local self-government.   

As to the support of children´s rights, he stated that Ukraine would support the ongoing and future programs of international cooperation in this sphere.

He characterized the situation in Georgia, expressing his hopes that the Government of this country will not aggravate the situation. "In its turn, the Council of Europe will assist the peaceful processes in the country," K. Hryshchenko stressed.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed that challenges in the human rights domain are too demanding to be ignored.

He also stated that the strategy of decentralization together with the international cooperation will foster international stability and connections between the Council of Europe member states.

The participants of the sitting discussed the role of the local self-government and the experience of the Council of Europe for further development of the local self-government.  

Attention was drawn to the protection of rights of the children residing in rural areas.

The participants of the sitting also talked about the third PACE session (June 20-24, 2011), and results of monitoring over the presidential elections in Kazakhstan on April 3, 2011.

Agenda of the Standing Committee covers the following issues: nuclear program in Iran in the light of the necessary effective international response; influence of the Eastern Partnership of the European Union on the government and economic development of the Eastern Europe; support of microlending aimed at the social economy; reforms of the equal rights for fishing in the common waters and common agrarian policy; potential risks of radio fields and their influence on the environment; health hazards of heavy metals.