23 May 2017, 20:45
‘We ought to apply more efforts to informing people of the occupied lands about Ukraine’s current affairs and fight Russian propaganda selflessly for being it one of the grave threats to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,’ emphasized Iryna Herashchenko, the First Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada at the time of the International Conference ‘Donbas Reintegration in Hybrid War’.
Russia’s advocacy has been developing in Ukraine since the early 2000s, having boosted dramatically after Revolution of Dignity and annexation of Crimea.
‘Nowadays, the Russian propaganda has been exercising a 160-state wide run in forty languages at least, to constitute a profound challenge not only to Ukraine, but also for the EU and G7 states,’ stressed I.Herashchenko.
The policy maker drew the audience’s attention that the West has been observing multiple endeavours of interfering by Russia into democratic processes, and the elections in particular.
I.Herashchenko noted that the EU countries have at present mobilized the efforts of opposing the Russian propaganda.
The First Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament highlighted the importance of the timely solutions made by the Ukrainian authorities regarding strengthening of Ukraine’s informational security with respect to banning of the e-sources Kremlin used to tap for defamation.
I.Herashchenko informed those present of the endeavours the Ukrainian authorities had been undertaking for improvement in the humanitarian situation in Donbas, admittance of international humanitarian missions and opening of the checkpoint ‘Zolote’ deadlocked by the militants.
‘Our Parliament has adopted a series of vital laws that, in particular, allow children from the occupied territories to get access to some high education establishments on the Ukraine-controlled lands without passing the external independent examination. I do think, we must communicate this information to Ukrainians in Donbas, and through the checkpoints particularly,’ said Iryna Herashchenko.
She also stressed that Ukrainian authorities have persistently been insisting upon involving the International Committee of the Red Cross in searching for the missing persons, monitoring of the detention conditions of Ukrainians and restoring of the pedestrian passage in Luhansk region. However, all these efforts were blocked by Russia and DPR/LPR.
Iryna Herashchenko emphasized that ‘Donbas reintegration must be subject to a complex interactions of Ukrainian state authorities, the civil society and the international partners of our country’.
The International Conference ‘Donbas Reintegration in Hybrid War’ was attended by Ukrainian members of the Parliament, the government representatives, civic activists and leading overseas and national experts.