From 9 to 12 December, First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko is on a working visit to France.
He led the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation at events organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and held a series of working meetings, including at the French Senate and the French National Assembly.
«In recent years, the French Parliament has become one of the most active in supporting Ukraine. The friendship group is a platform for discussing key initiatives. We are interested in regular exchanges of delegations, dialogue between committees and the practical implementation of the Memorandum signed between our parliaments,» emphasised the First Deputy Speaker, separately thanking France for its defence and financial assistance.
The First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine met with Nadia Sologub, Chair of the Friendship Group in the French Senate, and Roland Lescure, Minister of Economy, Finance, Industrial and Digital Sovereignty of France. The parties discussed key issues of cooperation, as well as the possibility of using frozen russian assets for the benefit of Ukraine. A meeting was also held with Carmine Di Noia, Director of the Financial Markets and Entrepreneurship Directorate (DAF), and Julia Fromholz, Head of the Anti-Corruption Department, with whom, according to the First Deputy Speaker, a substantive conversation had recently taken place in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. He thanked his French colleagues for their attention and work on Ukrainian issues.
During the visit, the Ukrainian side joined the OECD Working Group on Bribery in International Business Transactions (WGB). During the meeting, participants discussed countries' compliance with the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and exchanged experiences and best practices in combating such crimes. Particular attention was paid to strengthening international cooperation between law enforcement agencies of OECD member states in investigating corruption offences.
«We discussed with Carmine Di Noia, Director of the Financial Markets and Entrepreneurship Directorate, possible tools and steps that would promote even more active integration of Ukraine into the OECD, in particular the creation of a favourable environment for investors in the context of rebuilding our country after full-scale russian aggression,» said the First Deputy Speaker.
Representatives of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also took part in a seminar on the consequences of Ukraine's accession to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and participation in the WGB. During the seminar, the Ukrainian delegation familiarised itself with the results of the assessment of the implementation of the OECD Convention and received practical recommendations for preparing Ukrainian state bodies and law enforcement agencies to effectively combat bribery of foreign public officials after accession to the Convention and the WGB.
It should be noted that by becoming a party to the OECD and WGB Conventions, Ukraine will be obliged to introduce effective mechanisms to combat bribery of foreign officials in international business, as well as to cooperate with other participating countries — exchange information, participate in joint investigations, and provide assistance in detecting and prosecuting such offences.
Oleksandr Korniienko thanked the Working Group on Bribery and member countries for their decision to invite Ukraine to become a party to the OECD Convention and the WGB. «This is the result of many years of reforms and persistent cooperation between our institutions. We are aware of the full scope of obligations associated with accession to the Convention,» Oleksandr Korniienko emphasised, noting that the Ukrainian side is ready to take all necessary procedural steps to ensure the proper and timely progress of the accession process.
«Our political goal is clear: to accede to the Convention in early 2026 and, next year, to obtain candidate status and a roadmap for accession to the OECD. For us, the fight against corruption is the foundation of state renewal and modernisation, and the Verkhovna Rada remains an active partner in implementing the recommendations of the Working Group,» said First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko.