17 January 2008, 17:33
The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatseniuk, insists that the Letter from the Senior Leaders of The State, forwarded to The Secretary General of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, was signed with strict adherence to current Legislation.
Opening the Conciliatory Council Meeting on Thursday 17 January, A. Yatseniuk said that pursuant to Article 88 of The Constitution of Ukraine, The Chairman The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine represents The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in relations with other State Authorities in Ukraine, and with the Authorities of other States..
A. Yatseniuk stressed that The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine can only sign, on behalf of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 'those documents with an appropriate legal substantiation and judicial grounds, based on the Acts of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and adopted in the appropriate manner'.
In view of the above, continued A.Yatseniuk, The Chairman The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has signed this Letter based on The Resolution of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine No.233-IV, adopted on 21 November 2004, which, according to him ‘clearly sets out all priorities in operation with the Alliance', and Clauses 6 and 8 of the Law of Ukraine on the Essentials of The National Security of Ukraine, adopted in 2003 and, 'envisaging accession of Ukraine to the Alliance', which was passed by 319 votes, including those of the Deputies of ‘Our Ukraine´, ‘Regions of Ukraine´, SDPU(u), Party of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, ‘Working Ukraine´, ‘European Choice´, and others. .
'The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has always acted, and will continue to act in the future, in strict adherence to and under a procedure laid down in Ukrainian Legislation', stated A. Yatseniuk,
Furthermore, The Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine stressed, not least due to his insistence on certain requirements, and, ‘exclusively aiming at the exclusion of any inappropriate discussion within our society´, additional wording was inserted into the text of the document on the holding of a Referendum on Accession to NATO. ‘Paragraph 2 of this Letter clearly states that we shall seek the advice of the Ukrainian people before making a decision.´