Having opened morning plenary session, Oleksandr Turchynov noted that a historical event takes place in the Verkhovna Rada today: consideration of the issue of ratification of the EU-Ukraine Agreement will begin today at 12.30 p.m. which is “a strategic one for Ukraine”. According to him, the people’s deputies will work on air of the main TV channels of Ukraine.
Oleksandr Turchynov informed that there will be a live broadcast at 1 p.m. from the European Parliament, jointly with which the Verkhovna Rada will simultaneously ratify the Agreement.
Further on the meeting was held behind the closed doors.
During the meeting behind the closed doors the people’s deputies adopted in entirety the bills on the special order of local self-government in separate regions of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (Reg. No. 5081) and on preventing persecution and punishment of participants of events on the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts (Reg. No. 5082).
Starting from 12.30 plenary meeting was opened.
Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov informed that the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk and members of the Cabinet of Ministers are in attendance on the meeting.
Oleksandr Turchynov noted that now they will consider the issue “that will literally change the history of Ukraine”. “Shedding their blood on the Maidan barricades during the Revolution of Dignity, Ukraine and her people have deserved a peaceful life in our common European home. For the first time in the history of our continent, millions of people rose to fight, ready to sacrifice their lives for a dream of European unity, for the right to live in a European family that upholds the fundamental values of identity, the rule of law, democracy, peace and stability. Ratification of the Agreement is the first important step towards comprehensive reforming of the country in line with the European standards and values,” he stressed.
Oleksandr Turchynov expressed confidence that the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, as the only body of legislative authority that embodies the will of its electorate, will ratify this historical agreement by the majority of votes. “In this way Ukraine, as a European state that shares common values of democracy and the rule of law, emphasizes its sovereign choice for the benefit of the future membership in the European Union,” he noted.
Oleksandr Turchynov suggested voting on the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine regarding the intention to join the European Union immediately after the Association Agreement is ratified.
The Chairperson granted the floor to the Foreign Affairs Minister Pavlo Klimkin who reported on the draft law on ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine on the one part, and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States on the other (Reg. No. 0098).
Foreign Affairs Minister addressed the people’s deputies with a request to uphold the Agreement.
Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration Hryhorii Nemyria informed that the Committee considered the bill on ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement today in the morning and has unanimously adopted the decision to recommend the Verkhovna Rada ratify it.
Chairperson of the Parliament granted the floor to the representatives of deputy factions and groups.
The Prime Minister of Ukraine Arsenii Yatseniuk also took the floor during the plenary meeting. He noted that voting for ratification is Ukraine’s civilizational choice.
According to him, “signing of the Agreement is the first step. This is only the beginning of a great European way.”
A.Yatseniuk stressed responsibility of the current Verkhovna Rada, the new Verkhovna Rada, the government, the President and political elite that should be elected by the Ukrainian people for implementation of aspirations and will of a multi-million European Ukrainian state.
Oleksandr Turchynov informed that there will be a live broadcast of the plenary meeting of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
During a live broadcast President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz noted that “this is a historical moment when the European Parliament is here in Strasbourg and our partners – the Ukrainian Parliament in Kyiv, will ratify the Association Agreement. We will do it simultaneously on agreement.”
European MPs applauded.
Martin Schulz noted that ratification of this agreement – the agreement that remained unchanged since the period of peaceful demonstrations on Maidan in Kyiv – was not changed and it is important.
“The war was brought about in Ukraine, in Europe. And the things that take place in Ukraine kill all of us,” he said and stressed that “the European Parliament has always protected Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and we will continue doing it.”
Martin Schulz granted the floor to the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko.
Petro Poroshenko addressed the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz, European MPs and the people’s deputies. He said that the atmosphere in the Verkhovna Rada is similar to that of 1991 when Ukraine gained independence.
According to him, “it is considered completely natural to be ready to sacrifice life and die for your Motherland. 872 brave Ukrainian warriors died not only for Ukraine. They died for us to have a decent place in the family of European nations. Not a single nation has paid such a high price for the right to be Europeans since the II World War.”
Petro Poroshenko asked: “who will now dare close the doors of Europe in front of Ukraine? Who will be against giving us the prospect of membership in the EU towards which we are making the first yet very decisive step today?”
The President of Ukraine reminded that we’ve been elaborating this Agreement for 7 years, since Ukraine-EU Summit in Paris in 2007.
Further on he reminded that last autumn it seemed that everything was ready for signing, because the entire country said “yes” and arguments of those who said “no” were pretty weak. But notwithstanding the fact that the entire country waited for that, it didn’t happen in Vilnius, on November 29.
Head of the State noted that the necessity of the Agreement was and is absolutely apparent for the whole Ukrainian society. According to him, the today’s voting will demonstrate that “our express from west to east. European integration became our national idea.”
Petro Poroshenko expressed confidence that “today’s simultaneous ratification will be a holiday not only for Ukraine, but also for the whole united Europe, because it doesn’t exist without Ukraine.” “We withstood this powerful pressure and blackmail. No paragraph, no word and even no comma have been changed in the text of the agreement. I will sign the Law on ratification today in this hall,” he said.
The President of Ukraine said that he entrusts the Government to approve the plan on the implementation of the agreement tomorrow and start implementing it from the first minute.
Head of the State expressed confidence that in the nearest time, the National plan of reforms “Strategy-2020” will be jointly presented.
According to him, these reforms also stipulate that Ukraine should become an area of powerful anti-corruption operation. Today, I expect that the Parliament will adopt the law on National anti-corruption bureau.
He noted that he expects the Parliament to adopt the law on National anti-corruption bureau.
Petro Poroshenko said that “it is our obligation in the framework of the implementation of the given Agreement.”
Finishing his speech, President of Ukraine stressed that “today we have confidently entered this European path. I’d like to remind – the start was difficult. But the finish will be victorious.”
After the speech of the President of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov put to vote the bill on ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine on the one part, and the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States on the other (Reg. No. 0098).
The Verkhovna Rada ratified the Agreement by 355 votes.
The European Parliament in Strasbourg simultaneously ratified the Agreement by 535 votes.
The people’s deputies and all those present in the session hall sang the National Anthem of Ukraine.
Deputies of the European Parliament in Strasbourg applauded to the joint decision of Ukrainian and European parliamentarians.
Meanwhile, the President signed the law of ratification and showed the signed law to all present.
President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz signed the agreement ratified by the European Parliament on air.
Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada read out the text of the resolution on the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine “On the European Choice of Ukraine” (Reg. No. 5076). The Statement read that “An outstanding event took place in the history of modern Ukraine – the Ukrainian Parliament has made a crucial step in the direction towards the European integration. Having overcome 23 years of hesitation, uncertainty, and hardship, as well as counteraction to dreadful aggression, Ukrainian people have won their right to live in a free and democratic state. Such status can be acquired only in the union of equal, prosperous, democratic and legal European states.”
It was mentioned that the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement provides us with such a unique opportunity. Its ratification allows beginning a comprehensive reforming of the state on the basis of European standards and values.
“The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considers ratification of the Agreement not only as an impetus for implementing further reforms in Ukraine but also as another step on the way to accomplishing its main objective – the European integration – becoming a full member of the European Union.
Ukraine’s decision regarding the European future is decisive and final,” text of the Statement reads
The Verkhovna Rada upheld the draft resolution as a basis and in entirety by 289 votes.
The people’s deputies observed a minute’s science in the memory of those who gave their life so that Ukraine could be a free country among other equal European countries.
Parliamentarians considered in the first reading the draft law on the fundamentals of state anti-corruption policy in Ukraine (Anti-Corruption Strategy), registered under No. 4284a that was reported by the Minister of Justice Pavlo Petrenko. He named the document to be an important and strategic one.
Chairperson of the Organized Crime Control and Anti-Corruption Committee Viktor Chumak informed that the Committee has scrutinized this bill. Committee members failed to agree on a common stand regarding the bill. Thus, the decision should be taken by the session hall.
After discussion of the bill, Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada suggested postponing consideration of the bill to the evening plenary meeting.
Oleksandr Turchynov attached attention to the facts that there are still two more anti-corruption bills on the agenda – on National anti-corruption bureau (Reg. No. 4780 and 4780-1).
The Presiding put the bills registered under No. 4780 and 4780-1 to voting. The bills were rejected.
Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada entrusted Chairman of the Organized Crime Control and Anti-Corruption Committee to hold the Committee’s meeting during the break and refer a new bill on the National anti-corruption bureau for the evening session.
Chairperson adjourned morning plenary session.
During the evening plenary session Oleksandr Turchynov reminded that the bill on the fundamentals of state anti-corruption policy in Ukraine (Anti-Corruption Strategy), registered under No. 4284a, was considered during the morning session.
Due to the insufficient number of the people’s deputies in the session hall, the Chairperson suggested voting on this bill later.
The people’s deputies went down to consideration of the issues that were not upheld previously.
The people’s deputies did not uphold the bills registered under No. 4531а and No. 4464а.
Parliamentarians considered several bills that were suggested to be included into the agenda.
Following the results of voting, none of the suggested bills (Reg. No. 5078, 5079, 5080 and 5043) was included.
Representative of the President in the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Kniazevych reported on the draft law on the system of specially authorized subjects in the sphere of combating corruption (Reg. No. 5085), submitted by the President of Ukraine.
The draft suggests establishing a new state authority – National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine. Following the results of the voting, the bill was not included to the agenda (201 in favour).
The Chairperson put the bill to a repeated voting.
People's deputies included the draft into the agenda with 226 votes.
Oleksandr Turchynov suggested adopting the bill as a basis.
MPs did not uphold his proposal (207 in favour). A repeated voting was unsuccessful as well (203 in favour).
People's deputies did not uphold a proposal to recommit the bill.
A member of the working group on elaboration of the bill on lustration Leonid Yemets reported on this bill (Reg. No. 4359a). L.Yemets called people's deputies to vote for this draft.
People's deputy Yurii Derevianko informed about proposals elaborated for the second reading.
The bill was put to voting with consideration of these proposals.
Following the results of the voting, MPs did not uphold the bill.
Oleksandr Turchynov promised to make public the surnames of those deputies who did not vote for this bill.
After the speeches of people's deputies calling to vote in favour of this bill, the bill was adopted in the second reading and in entirety with 231 votes.
The Chairperson suggested returning to the bill on the system of specially authorized subjects in the sphere of combating corruption (Reg. No. 5085).
People's deputies did not uphold the proposal.
Chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights, National Minorities and International Relations Valerii Patskan suggested considering two bills on internally displaced persons (Reg. No. 4490а, 4490а-1) and adopting them as a basis.
Oleksandr Turchynov said that the session hall lacks necessary votes for adopting these bills and adjourned the evening meeting.