Today´s Europe and the European Union as its integral part is a single civilizational and value space that has been formed and strengthened owing to the synthesis of historical, political, socio-economic, cultural and spiritual experience of all European nations and small and large states.
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, made this statement at the 4th Sitting of the Trilateral Parliamentary Assembly of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine held in Kyiv on Tuesday.
According to V.Lytvyn, it is notable that an important issue of a humanitarian component of complex European integration processes was selected as a topic of the meeting of the Trilateral Parliamentary Assembly of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine in Kyiv.
The Head of the Parliament declared that Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Polish nations had placed themselves on record of the European history in different millennia and epochs. "European integration started not from Maastricht Treaty of 1993 or the European Coal and Steel Community of 1953," he stated. "I suppose that today´s Europe and the European Union as its integral part is a single civilizational and value space that has been formed and strengthened owing to the synthesis of historical, political, socio-economic, cultural and spiritual experience of all European nations and small and large states."
According to V.Lytvyn, in different historical periods our people have gathered under one state roof or within one supranational geopolitical system, which facilitated mutual understanding, as well as common creation of the European history. "We continue to create this history, but Poland and Lithuania do this within the European Union, whereas Ukraine in its policy of European integration and pursuit of a full-fledged EU membership," he stated, adding that European choice is seminal for Ukraine, as it relies on deep historical roots and rich traditions of the Ukrainian people.
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considers the idea of European good-neighborly relations to be a fundamental value that has facilitated development of contacts between the independent and sovereign states for the past twenty years. Stating that good-neighborly relations have set an example for other countries in the region, V.Lytvyn laid emphasis on the development of the previously determined areas of collaboration.
According to V.Lytvyn, strategic inter-state partnership provides sufficient value and new dimension to the formation of architecture of European relations. He thanked the Lithuanian and Polish colleagues for sincerity and openness in the exchange of their experience of European integration. "Development of interpersonal contacts between our nations meets the desire to build a common European home on the principles of trust and mutual respect. I believe that common efforts of the Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Polish elites, including people´s diplomacy, aimed at the support of European integration of Ukraine should be backed," he stated.
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine reminded that acquisition of a full-fledged membership in the European Union remains a strategic aim of Ukraine. "Practical actions of both Ukraine and the European Union could facilitate this process," declared V.Lytvyn. "We expect and sincerely hope for the progress in this respect during Poland´s EU chairmanship in the second half of 2011."
The Head of the Parliament expects the forthcoming conclusion of the Association Agreement and implementation of the Action Plan on Ukraine-EU Visa-Free Regime to strengthen interpersonal contacts and mutual understanding.
V.Lytvyn believes that holding of EURO-2012 will become a significant chance for fostering interpersonal communication and proper representation of Ukraine and Poland in Europe and the world. "It is not merely a sports event for Ukraine. It is not only about football, infrastructure and image. It is an essential move towards Europe and practical integration," he stressed.