06 October 2009, 13:32
Ukrainian participants of the meeting included Oleh Bilorus, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Andriy Shkil, Chairman of the Sub-Committee on European Integration and Euro-Atlantic Cooperation, and Serhiy Shevchuk, Head of the Ukrainian-Finnish Inter-Parliamentary Group of Friendship, Vice-Chairman of the Committee on European Integration. The Finnish delegation was headed by Pertti Salolainen, Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Finland.
The Parties discussed the current state of Ukrainian-Finnish relations and commented upon the dynamic character of the inter-parliamentary cooperation. The participants dwelled upon the political situation in the country on the eve of the upcoming presidential elections, prospects of Ukraine´s accession to the European Union, problems concerning Ukraine´s obtainment of the NATO Membership Action Plan and possibilities of Ukraine´s accession to the said organization. The interlocutors also discussed the matters concerning integration policy, economic development, and energy problems of Ukraine.
The Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Finland stressed the importance of the visit to Ukraine. Pertti Salolainen stated that it was the first time the representatives of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of Finland visited Ukraine on the eve of the presidential elections. Pertti Salolainen also briefed on the political and economic situation in Finland. He expressed his hopes that the visit would boost the bilateral cooperation, especially at the inter-parliamentary level.
The Parties also discussed further development of the bilateral cultural relations.