Delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee
JOINT COMMUNIQUE
by Witold Jan WASZCZYKOWSKI and Vadym HALAICHUK,
Co-Chairs of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee,
following the informal bureau meeting held on 15 May 2020.
“In order to maintain and further develop our cooperation even in times of Covid-19 pandemic, the bureau of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee - the inter-parliamentary body established by our Association Agreement - held an online informal meeting on 15 May.
We expressed our full solidarity with all nations who fight Covid-19 pandemic and to all people who suffer from it. We discussed the measures adopted in the EU and in Ukraine in this unprecedented situation, and welcomed the comprehensive support package adopted by the EU to help Ukraine face the sanitary, social and economic consequences of the pandemic, including the endorsement by the Council and the EP of a large programme of macro-financial assistance that foresees EUR 1.2 billion for Ukraine. The special attention paid by the EU to vulnerable groups of population in the east of Ukraine and the humanitarian support provided for this purpose are highly appreciated. We agreed on the significance of raising awareness about EU solidarity amongst the Ukrainian population, via different means of information. We also agreed on the importance for EU Member states to clarify what are the short-term prospects for the opening of EU borders for travel of Ukrainian citizens.
We welcomed the fact that our two parliaments have continued working since the start of the pandemic, even if in a business continuity mode, as it is fundamental to maintain the role of parliaments, including in initiating and overseeing measures to fight the spread and impact of Covid-19. We discussed different crucial reforms and agreed to continue our close cooperation on and monitoring of these reforms, including through such virtual meetings and regular exchanges on specific topics. This is essential to support the implementation of our joint Association Agreement and to achieve further deepening of ties between Ukraine and the EU.
We look forward to the day when the conditions will allow our citizens to resume safely their travels, people-to-people and business-to-business contacts. We are convinced that international solidarity and support for each other are the most efficient way to overcome the current crisis”.
For further information:
Secretariat of the Delegation to the EU-Ukraine PAC: + 32 2 284 43 219,
D-UA@europarl.europa.eu