"Scotland has recognized the Holodomor to be genocide against the people of Ukraine," -- Andriy Parubiy
Within the framework of his official visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Andriy Parubiy met with Kenneth D.Macintosh, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament.
With gratitude for the rightful result of the parliamentary debate on the Holodomor, he stated that “This year we are to observe the 85th anniversary of this great tragedy, and it is very important for us to know that the world comprehends the significance of this national calamity for Ukraine. It is especially essential for us that all the parties of the Scottish Parliament have in one voice supported a generalized resolution that the Holodomor is genocide against Ukrainians".
A.Parubiy also thanked for the cooperation at the parliamentary level, "which is utterly effective and has already given fruits as of today, while we are preparing comprehensive reforms of the Parliament, within which a wide range of communication and IT strategies are being developed".
He also advocated fostering the bilateral friendship groups contacts in order “to deliver reliable information about the situation in Ukraine and to ensure a closer cooperation”.
The parties also talked at length over Brexit and eastern Ukraine. The Chair of the Ukrainian Parliament stressed the Donetsk-Luhansk clash seemed far from being one between Ukraine and Russia, the true nature of the conflict lays much deeper: “Putin has challenged the entire global security system constructed after WWII”.
A.Parubiy reminded of cyberattacks in different countries, meddlings in a range of elections, a chemical attack in the United Kingdom: "A global nature of this threat is well shown by the said developments. The countries of our region do understand this, Georgia and Moldova particularly, who have suffered from the Russian aggression".
“It is of high importance that we stand together against the common threat which is capable of reaching any distant part of the world. Solidarity among everyone is thus of utter significance for us,” underscored A.Parubiy.
Kenneth D.Macintosh, in his turn, remarked on that the problems associated with Brexit put no obstacles in the path of developing closer relations with both EU countries and non-EU countries. He then expressed his support to Ukraine.
A.Parubiy left a note in the Guests of Honour Book and took part in a laying flowers ceremony at the 1932-1933 Holodomor Victims’ Memorial.