“We do apprehend our responsibility for keeping reforms alive and in force, and we really reckon upon further all-out support of Ukraine by the European Commission”, – Iryna Herashchenko

Information Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat
21 May 2019, 16:00

 
On May 20, there was held a meeting of the First Deputy Chairperson of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Herashchenko and a delegation led by the EC Commissioner for Trade Cecilia Malmstrom.

Iryna Herashchenko expressed gratitude for the efforts and support the European Commission has been rendering Ukraine on its path of reforming, for the utterly important 2014-2015 marathon of trilateral UA-EC-RF negotiations and for the trade preferences in 2017 granted to Ukraine’s exports which let then significantly dampen the impact of the Russian trade embargo.

The first vice-speaker clued up that one of the acutest priorities for today’s Ukraine is accession to the Convention on a common transit procedure. The appropriate bill No.9532 is to be re-seen in late May. There were many other trade-related points touched during the meeting.

Special heed was paid to the ongoing armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The need of having an OSCE SMM strong point in the city of Kerch was stressed alongside a heavier presence of NATO in the Black Sea region. I.Herashchenko opened for the guest the full legal picture concerning humanitarian and security issues over the Donbas, having made a special stress on mine action-related activities.

The Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom singled out holding the honest and democratic election in Ukraine and assured in further supporting Ukraine by the European Commission.