Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov is sure that within five years Ukraine will be able to implement all reforms needed to accede to the European Union and will be completely ready to accede to this institution.
"Ukraine shall become a member of the European Union and North Atlantic Alliance. It will be a reliable guarantee against Russia's aggressive intentions", he said in an interview to the Baltic news service NBS on Monday, adding that Ukrainian government understands "it is impossible to realize this aspiration in one day". "We have set a five-year plan on the European integration", claimed the Chairperson of the Parliament.
Oleksandr Turchynov stressed that majority of Ukrainians understand the necessity of joining NATO since the accession to the North Atlantic Alliance is a "way to protect Ukraine from Russia's aggressive policy". Oleksandr Turchynov emphasized that it is the aggressive policy that has changed attitudes of people towards joining NATO, and added that "it concerns the East of Ukraine as well".
"One of the tasks of the Russian Federation is to prevent Ukraine from acceding to the European Union – they strove to achieve this with the help of Yanukovych", claimed the Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada. "However, we have proven that we can implement our European choice".
As it was informed earlier, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov will participate in the Conference of Parliamentary Speakers of the Nordic and Baltic Countries on August 17-19 (Palanga, the Republic of Lithuania).
The Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada will make a speech within the framework of discussion "Eastern Partnership of the European Union after Vilnius, before Riga".
The Leader of Ukrainian Parliament will meet with President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaite, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania Loreta Grauziniene, Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia Solvita Aboltina, and with the Chairperson of the Riksdag of the Kingdom of Sweden Per Westerberg.
Oleksandr Turchynov will participate in a joint press conference of Speakers of NB-8 member-states for Lithuanian mass media, and will lay flowers to Taras Shevchenko monument in Vilnius.