22 March 2011, 11:12
Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, believes that parliament members of Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland should express their opinion about the fundamentals of the new cultural and humanitarian policy of Europe.
V.Lytvyn made this statement at the 4th Sitting of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Sejm and Senate of the Republic of Poland in Kyiv on Tuesday. V.Lytvyn stated, "Today´s meeting gives an opportunity to pinpoint the coming challenges and search for the ways of their settlement." In particular, he drew attention to such a humanitarian aspect of European integration as the policy of cultural pluralism and multiculturalism.
V.Lytvyn drew attention to "the total failure of policy of state multiculturalism in Europe, which was acknowledged by Britain, Germany, France and other European Union member states." "Although the reasons for rejecting the policy of state multiculturalism in the West are not directly associated with the content and character of the national-ethnical policy of Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania, we should not stand aside from the formation of a new policy in this sensitive and complex humanitarian sphere of European integration," he stressed.
"As the heads of three leading states of the European Union took part in the public ‘burial´ of the policy of multiculturalism, there is no doubt that we will soon witness formation of the principles of a new cultural and humanitarian policy of Europe. How will it look like? Will it be based on the concept of elusive "muscular liberalism" as defined by the British prime minister or new forms of national cultural tolerance, or rather turn into "a melting pot" envisioned by the French president?" stated the Head of the Parliament. "I am strongly convinced that this topic should not be overlooked during the exchange of opinions concerning the humanitarian aspect of European integration processes."