The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Check Republic to Ukraine Ivan Pocukh.
The issues of intensification of inter-parliamentary relations, particularly at the level of parliament leaders, as well as trade-economic cooperation and cultural-humanitarian interaction were discussed during the meeting.
Volodymyr Rybak sent his greetings to the President of Check Republic Milos Zeman in connection with his election to this post during the first direct presidential elections that recently took place in the country.
The Chairman of the Parliament noted that the Ukrainian Party is interested in the visit of the President Milos Zeman to Ukraine, especially given “a good tradition in Ukraine to maintain political dialogue at the highest level”. “This visit could be a new impetus not only for the development of political relations, but also for intensification of cooperation of both countries in the sphere of social life,” he said. Volodymyr Rybak believes that the meeting arranged between the Prime Ministers of both countries this year is another important factor for intensification of economic relations between Ukraine and the Check Republic.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada underlined that activation of inter-parliamentary relations, particularly at the level of parliaments, is an important component in developing relations between the countries. He is convinced that constant exchange of delegations of parliamentary committees is an effective mechanism of inter-parliamentary cooperation. “We believe that one of the possible results of such exchange could be the use of Check experience in bringing national legislation in line with general European standards,” he stressed, and in this context welcomed the intention of the delegation of the Committee for European Affairs and the Budget Committee of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic to visit Ukraine this year.
Volodymyr Rybak expressed confidence that contacts at the level of groups on inter-parliamentary relations between the parliaments of Ukraine and the Check Republic should be the main tool of cooperation. He informed that as of today, 46 claims of the people’s deputies of Ukraine have been submitted to become members of the deputy group on inter-parliamentary relations with the Check Republic.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada highly appreciated support of the European aspirations of our country, which are the priority of the foreign policy of the state, by the Check Republic. He reminded that directions and specific tasks on the way to signing the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, part of which is the Agreement on comprehensive and deepened free trade zone, were established during the EU-Ukraine Summit on February 25 this year. “We believe that the Agreement will be signed during the EU-Eastern Partnership Countries Summit in Vilnius in November 2013,” he stressed and added that conviction in timely fulfillment of all the required tasks is based on the support of Euro-integrational course of our country by different political forces.
Speaking on trade and economic cooperation, Volodymyr Rybak named Check Republic an important economic partner of Ukraine in the Europe and expressed hope for further development of bilateral cooperation in different branches of industry, as well as scientific and technical spheres. He expressed confidence that another, 7th meeting of the Ukrainian-Czech Intergovernmental Joint Commission on Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, which is to be held in Ukraine this year, shall promote extension of directions of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
In his turn, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Check Republic assured the Ukrainian Party in support of the Euro-integrational aspirations of our state on the part of Check people “not only rhetorically, but also by specific actions and measures”. “Check Republic wants to see the success of Ukraine in Vilnius this year, which is also important for relations between Ukraine and the EU,” stressed Mr. Ambassador.
Focusing attention on importance of activating inter-parliamentary dialogue, Ivan Pocukh extended an invitation to the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to pay an official visit to Check Republic. He suggested that the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Science and Education “support parliamentary diplomacy” and meet with their Check colleagues in May this year. “The process of European integration of Ukraine shall become an important constituent, uniting our countries and determining the future for years to come,” stressed Mr. Ambassador.