The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ruslan Stefanchuk, held a series of meetings in Vienna during his working visit to the winter session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.
"The OSCE PA has been and remains with Ukraine. We must do more to stop russia, which shows blatant disregard for international law and commits crimes against humanity. Ukraine shares the principles of the OSCE, as our peoples have common values and a shared vision of security," Ruslan Stefanchuk emphasised during a meeting with the President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Pere Joan Pons Sampietro.
The parties discussed further cooperation with a view to better coordinating steps towards a just peace.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada presented Pere Joan Pons Sampietro with the Order of Merit, Second Class, in accordance with the Decree of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as a token of gratitude for his consistent support of Ukraine.
During a meeting with Feridun Sinirlioğlu, Secretary General of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, Ruslan Stefanchuk confirmed Ukraine's commitment to the principles of the OSCE and to a peaceful settlement based on international law.
The parties discussed overcoming the consequences of the war — reconstruction, demining, rehabilitation of citizens and the return of abducted Ukrainian children. The Ukrainian side is counting on strong decisions from the OSCE on the eve of the anniversary of russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Separately, they discussed efforts to secure the release of three Ukrainian OSCE SMM staff members who are being illegally detained by russian occupation forces.
During the meeting with Maria Telalian, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the parties focused on the systematic human rights violations that russia commits against Ukraine on a daily basis, as well as on mechanisms for documenting them and restoring justice.
Maria Telalian stressed that Ukraine remains a priority for the Office. She emphasised the importance of recording victims' testimonies and continuing to work to ensure that those responsible are held accountable as a key condition for achieving peace and stability.
During his visit to Vienna, Ruslan Stefanchuk also met with Walter Rosenkranz, President of the National Council of the Republic of Austria.
The parties discussed the security situation and the consequences of russian attacks. The Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada confirmed Ukraine's openness to effective negotiations.
‘Our “red lines” remain unchanged — territorial integrity, sovereignty, independence and the right to determine our own path,’ he stressed.
The issue of returning abducted Ukrainian children was raised separately, and it was agreed to strengthen joint efforts in this area. The implementation of humanitarian projects was also discussed, in particular the reconstruction of Ukrainian schools and kindergartens as a concrete manifestation of the Austrian people's solidarity with Ukraine.