On 17 February, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko held a meeting with Secretary-General of the European External Action Service Belén Martínez Carbonell.
«First of all, I am grateful for this visit and our dialogue, which is a sign of solidarity with the Ukrainian people,» said Oleksandr Korniienko.
During the meeting, the First Deputy Speaker emphasised that Ukraine is currently working closely with the EU not only in the context of European integration, but also in the areas of military and defence support, financial assistance and the implementation of reforms.
In particular, he informed Belén Martínez Carbonell about the preparation of legislative proposals for holding elections in special or post-war periods, noting the creation of a corresponding working group in Parliament and seven subgroups dealing with specific aspects of this process, in particular the expression of will by military personnel and internally displaced persons in Europe. Oleksandr Korniienko emphasised that the preparation is based on the experience of the Council of Europe and covers both technical and practical issues of election security.
In addition, the First Deputy Speaker noted the importance of international support for ensuring cybersecurity and other key aspects of the electoral process. He expressed Ukraine's readiness to facilitate observation missions, including short-term and long-term ones, in close coordination with government and state security agencies, and to provide all necessary support to ensure their work.
The parties also discussed Ukraine's implementation of reforms on the path to full EU membership. Oleksandr Korniienko thanked Europe for supporting Ukraine on its path to full EU membership. Ukraine has set ambitious goals to complete preparations for EU accession by the end of 2027 and is ready to implement the necessary reforms. At the same time, he stressed that decisive steps on the part of the EU are important to achieve these ambitious goals.
«I reported on the implementation of the Ukraine Facility Plan, in particular on the decisions recently adopted by Parliament. We are committed to the chosen path — to be part of the European Union,» Oleksandr Korniienko emphasised.
The First Deputy Speaker expressed his gratitude to international partners for their support, noting that Europe is a leader in providing assistance to Ukraine — both financially and militarily. According to him, maintaining the unity of allies is critically important.
Overall, the current peace efforts of the world are the most intensive since the start of the russian federation's full-scale aggression. Ukraine is fully committed to restoring comprehensive, just and lasting peace, which must be based on international law, the UN Charter and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.