On Wednesday, 15 March, the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation headed by the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko continued its work on the sidelines of the 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. In particular, it held a number of meetings with representatives of France, Poland, Spain and Uganda.

“We highly appreciate France’s strong support for Ukraine and understanding of the threats posed by russia’s aggression to all of us and our values,” said the First Vice Speaker, noting that it is extremely important to strengthen russia’s international isolation and bring it to justice for its crimes in Ukraine.

In addition, Ukrainian delegates discussed with the representatives of the French Republic joint actions to establish a special tribunal, increase military assistance to Ukraine and sanctions pressure.

“Poland is our strategic partner. We are grateful for the support of the Ukrainian people and for the fact that Poland has become a refuge for many families who were forced to flee the war,” Oleksandr Korniienko said during the meeting.

At the same time, the parliamentary delegation informed its Polish colleagues about the current situation in Ukraine, the consequences in the energy sector after the shelling and the training of the Ukrainian army: “I am grateful for the always productive dialogue, we have checked our watches and are working on.”

The Ukrainian delegates also noted that they had discussed with the representatives of the Republic of Poland the future format of cooperation within the framework of the Interparliamentary Union and shared options for possible new formats of such cooperation.

“Our bilateral dialogue has excellent dynamics. Ukraine is grateful to Spain for its military assistance and decision to join the tank coalition. It is important to repel the aggression and return our occupied territories, which are now suffering from brutal actions,” the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed: “We must work to punish the perpetrators and bring all those involved in the crimes to justice.”

During the fifth working day at the 146th IPU Assembly, the members of the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation also took part in a number of meetings and events. In particular, they participated in a meeting of the Bureau of the Women’s Forum.

On the sidelines of the 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Ukrainian delegation met with representatives of the Republic of Uganda. During the meeting, the parties discussed the deepening of relations between the two countries, as well as the issue of support for Ukraine, as assured by the Ugandan colleagues of the Ukrainian delegates. “We are fighting for the whole world, for international laws and recognised borders,” said Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian delegation, adding that many countries support Ukraine as it continues to fight evil. At the same time, Oleksii Zhmerenetsky noted that russia is engaged in propaganda and spreads myths about Ukraine because it “understands that Ukraine can be successful without it.” Oleksandr Sanchenko, for his part, stressed the need to exchange contacts and strengthen relations between Uganda and Ukraine. At the same time, the Ugandan delegation noted that initially the country took a neutral position, voting in the same way at the UN General Assembly, but “looking at the horrors taking place in Ukraine, it is gradually changing its position and realising that it is time to speak up, to express its position, which is why the President of Uganda initiated a conversation with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi a few weeks ago”.

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, the 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 for promoting inclusion and supporting peaceful coexistence as a precondition for sustainable, cohesive and democratic societies.