The 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) continues its work in Bahrain. The parliamentary delegation headed by the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine held a number of meetings with African countries and met with the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Duarte Pacheco.
“The Ukrainian delegation met with the President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Duarte Pacheco. The main topic of discussion was the support of Ukraine by the Global South. We are grateful for the productive dialogue. We are working in this vector,” said Oleksandr Korniienko.
In addition, Ukrainian delegates met with the Speaker of the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania. “This is the first meeting at the delegation level. Ukraine intends to open an embassy in Tanzania, and I am sure this will strengthen our cooperation,” said the First Vice Speaker, expressing hope for further dialogue.
The delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine expressed gratitude to the Gambia for the valuable support of Ukraine in the arena of international organisations. The First Vice-Speaker informed about the current situation, in particular, about the radiation and food threats. At the same time, he stressed that Ukraine is a reliable guarantor of global food security and seeks to strengthen this important status: “We heard a signal of support for the principles of sovereignty and integrity of international borders.”
He also met with a delegation from Senegal, which clearly supports Ukraine's territorial integrity. “We highly appreciate the convergence of views on the need to strengthen our parliamentary dialogue against the backdrop of the current intensification of political dialogue between our countries,” said Oleksandr Korniienko, adding that the process of establishing the Ukrainian part of the Ukraine-Senegal interparliamentary friendship group has already begun.
“Ukraine is grateful to Zambia for its support in the international
space, in particular, in the UN General Assembly. Today was the second meeting between Ukrainian and Zambian parliamentarians,” said the First Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine, expressing hope that the countries will have regular contacts that will positively affect the dynamics of bilateral relations. “Our side informed us about Ukraine’s plans to open new embassies. Also, our country has something to offer Zambia, such as food and economic cooperation, exchange of experience in the digitalisation of public administration. I had a productive conversation with the Zambian delegation and the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Zambia,” he said.
Oleksandr Sanchenko, the Chairman of the Ukraine-Tanzania Interparliamentary Friendship Group, the Member of Parliament of Ukraine, informed that during the meeting with the delegation of parliamentarians from the United Republic of Tanzania, the Ukrainian delegates discussed establishing closer relations at the inter-parliamentary level, in particular, the establishment of a friendship group with Ukraine in the Tanzanian Parliament. “This idea was supported by the Speaker of the Tanzanian Parliament,” added the Ukrainian MP.
Oleksandr Sanchenko said that the delegates of the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania accepted the invitation to visit Ukraine and expressed their belief that mutual visits would significantly strengthen long-term cooperation between our countries. “This is the first such meeting at the level of the Speaker and the First Deputy Speaker of our parliaments,” said a member of the Ukrainian delegation.
In addition, Ukrainian delegates – Lesia Vasylenko, Artur Gerasymov and Oleksandr Merezhko – met with representatives of Canada and Rwanda.
During the meeting with their Canadian counterparts, the Ukrainian MPs raised a number of vital issues in which Ukraine counts on the support of Canada and the Canadian Parliament.
Among them, in particular, there is the issue of supplying Ukraine with long-range missiles, including F-16 aircraft. The meeting also discussed the establishment of a special tribunal to investigate russian war crimes in Ukraine. In this context, Ukrainian parliamentarians stressed the need to recognise the russian pmc wagner as a terrorist organisation. Ukrainian delegates drew attention to russia’s systematic violations of the UN Charter and asked for the support of Canadian parliamentarians in terminating russia’s membership in international organisations.
Among other things, the Ukrainian delegation asked the Canadian delegation for assistance in facilitating the grain deal and the supply of Ukrainian grain to the countries of the Global South and East.
A separate topic of discussion between the Ukrainian and Canadian delegates was the confiscation of russian assets to be used in the restoration of the Ukrainian economy and infrastructure. In this context, they also discussed the issue of a quota regime to increase Ukrainian exports and facilitate Canadian private sector investment in Ukraine. The parties also touched upon cooperation between Ukraine and Canada in cybersecurity, countering russian propaganda and ecocide by russia.
During the meeting with the colleagues of the Rwandan Parliament, the Ukrainian delegates discussed the establishment of a special tribunal, the russian genocide against the Ukrainian people and called on their Rwandan colleagues to recognise the Holodomor in Ukraine in 1932-33 as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.
A separate topic of conversation was the problem of demining the territories of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian colleagues thanked the Rwandan delegates for opening the Ukrainian Embassy in Rwanda and informed them that a Ukraine-Rwanda friendship group would be established in the Ukrainian Parliament. The Ukrainian MPs expressed their hope to build further friendly relations and economic cooperation with Rwanda. In this context, the members of the Ukrainian and Rwandan parliaments discussed the holding of the Expo-2030 international exhibition in Ukraine.
Among other events of the 146th IPU Assembly in Bahrain, members of the Ukrainian delegation Oleksii Zhmerenetskyi and Aliona Shkrum took part in a meeting of the Cyber Security Committee. During his report, Oleksii Zhmerenetskyi spoke about russian cyberattacks on the civilian population of Ukraine.
In particular, the MP said that, according to the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT), two thousand cyberattacks on Ukraine were registered over the year: 500 attacks on government resources; 400 attacks against the commercial, energy, financial, telecommunications and software sectors; 300 attacks (i.e. less than a sixth of them) were aimed at military targets.
A meeting of the Committee on Sustainable Development was also held, attended by members of the Ukrainian delegation: Artur Gerasymov and Oleksandr Merezhko. The meeting resulted in the adoption of an important amendment to the resolution on forest protection, initiated by members of the Ukrainian delegation, regarding the harmful impact on the global environment of russian aggression in Ukraine.
The delegation includes members of the Ukrainian Parliament: the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation Oleksandr Merezhko, the member of the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management Lesia Vasylenko, the member of the Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy Aliona Shkrum, the member of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation Olha Rudenko, member of the Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy Artur Herasymov, the Head of the Subcommittee on Anti-Corruption Policy in the Field of Digital Innovations and Public Data of the Committee on Anti-Corruption Policy Oleksii Zhmerenetskyi and the Member of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Oleksandr Sanchenko.
For reference. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is a global organisation of national parliaments. It was founded more than 133 years ago as the world’s first multilateral political organisation to promote cooperation and dialogue among all nations.
Today, the IPU is made up of 178 national parliaments and 14 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes democracy and helps parliaments become stronger, younger, more gender-balanced and more representative.
During the 146th IPU Assembly in Bahrain, hundreds of parliamentarians from around the world are expected to take part in the discussion on the theme “Promoting peaceful coexistence and inclusive societies: combating intolerance”.
During the Assembly, the IPU will offer opportunities to share best practices to promote inclusion and support peaceful coexistence as a precondition for sustainable, cohesive and democratic societies.