Oleksandr Korniyenko, the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, participated in the Paths to Progress: Germany-Ukraine Dialogues on the Rule of Law for EU Accession Conference.

The event occurred on January 17 in Berlin (Federal Republic of Germany) as part of the Strengthening Ukraine's Adaptation to the EU in the Area of the Rule of Law Project.

The conference brought together key stakeholders to discuss how Ukraine promotes the rule of law and protects fundamental values ​​under martial law. They paid special attention to the support from Germany and other partners from the European Union. Among the key topics were the protection of democratic processes in Ukraine and ways of more effective support on the path to European integration.

"We are now living through an important stage on the path of European integration. When most of the processes are no longer taking place at the external diplomatic level, but at the internal one — the restructuring of the country, the approximation of national legislation to European law," said First Vice-Speaker Oleksandr Korniyenko.

Commenting on the role of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the negotiations on Ukraine's full membership in the European Union, the First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament noted the following: for the first time in the recent waves of EU enlargement, the Verkhovna Rada is demonstrating a high level of involvement. "I have the honour to be part of the delegation to participate in the negotiations with the EU on the conclusion of the Agreement on our accession. At the same time, more than 150 deputies are in the working negotiating groups. It will allow us to respond to challenges more effectively, adapt solutions much faster, and communicate with society about what EU membership will mean for every citizen — what changes, opportunities, rights, and obligations there will be," said Oleksandr Korniyenko, adding that he conducts explanatory work, in particular during meetings with youth, students, and community representatives.

At the same time, the two-way process of Ukraine's movement towards the EU involves changes and transformations affecting Ukraine and the European Union. The First Vice-Speaker underlined the importance of finding solutions that will benefit all EU residents from enlargement, regardless of their country of residence. According to Oleksandr Korniyenko, Ukraine has a unique experience and is ready to share it, particularly achievements in logistics, digitalization and fintech.

During one of the panel discussions within the framework of the conference, the participants focused on implementing democratic principles of elections in Ukraine. "There are many issues, in particular, regarding ensuring the participation of the entire population — military personnel, internally displaced persons and citizens abroad. When the time comes to hold elections after the cancellation of martial law, they must be honest and fair. "Therefore, now it is necessary to discuss and seek the right solutions to be ready to organize the electoral process with all the developments," the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine emphasized, thanking his colleagues for the fruitful discussions.

It is worth noting that during his visit to Berlin, Oleksandr Korniyenko met with Robin Wagener, a deputy from the Union 90/Greens party and head of the German-Ukrainian group on interparliamentary cooperation in the Bundestag. The First Vice-Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament expressed his gratitude to his colleague for his visit to Ukraine and the constructive dialogue during previous meetings.

"We discussed the current state of affairs — he informed us about the security situation and the enemy's continuous missile attacks. He stressed the importance of increasing military assistance to fight the aggressor. I received assurances of the unwavering support of our state and people from Union 90/Greens," Oleksandr Korniyenko noted.

The First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine highlighted that interparliamentary dialogue and cooperation are actively developing at various levels, and Ukraine intends to continue strengthening these relations. "We are grateful for all the support from Germany over the years!" — summed up Oleksandr Korniyenko.

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