Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oksana Syroyid took part in the III international conference entitled "Governance and reformation of national security and intelligence services: best international experience".
In her opening speech, the Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine thanked the Oleksandr Razumkov's center for economic and political researches, office of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Ukraine, delegation of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for the organization of the event dedicated to the discussion of problems related to reformation of security and intelligence services. She said that now the most important is to ensure "civil control, and reformation of the security and defense sectors."
Syroyid noted that the people's deputies are currently facing "the clash of civilizations" when some part of the people wants to live within the old paradigm and another part of them wants certain changes. She believes that the establishment of the Euro-Atlantic Space for Ukraine interfactional deputy association at the initiative of people's deputy Iryna Friz (Petro Poroshenko Bloc faction) is an attempt to resist to the system.
The Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine noted that the situation with the reformation of the security services has no progress in Ukraine. "We have to understand that any solution is a formula of two elements: firstly [the issue] requires quality documents [legislation] and secondly — political will to implement it," she noted.
Oksana Syroyid also said: "To turn our communication with ourselves into a conversation with the society we have to establish such a force, such conditions that would not allow anyone to avoid them. Our communication has to become another step on the way to form such a force."
Supporting Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oksana Syroyid, Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Lytvynenko said that the society and political forces have to acknowledge the fact that the security services in Ukraine are integral part of the national security. "Without clear, comprehensive shift to terms and values of democratic countries, our defense will be instable, we will not be able to fulfill our tasks and meet our priorities. Less effective democratic civil control no effective structures are possible," Lytvynenko said.
The conference was organized with the participation of the Oleksandr Razumkov's center for economic and political researches and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) under the aegis of Euro-Atlantic Space for Ukraine interfactional deputy association.
Its participants were Oleksii Melnyk, co-director of the programs on foreign policy and international security of the Oleksandr Razumkov's center for economic and political researches; Dr. Philipp Fluri, Deputy Director of the DCAF and Executive Director of DCAF Brussels.