30 August 2011, 14:11
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Lytvyn hopes for an effective work of EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly.
Meeting the heads of the national parliamentary delegations in EURONEST PA, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine V.Lytvyn expressed his hopes that the parliamentary dimension of the Eastern Partnership would not become "another short-term project to be forgotten after the start of a new political campaign."
Along these lines, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appreciated the fact that partner states met on the eve of EURONEST PA session to be held on September 14-15, 2011 to coordinate their stand on the key issues of the agenda. He believes that the meeting will support the work of heads of Eastern Partnership participating states at the summit in Warsaw on September 30, 2011. He also called for making such meetings traditional.
According to V.Lytvyn, outcome documents of EURONEST PA should contain a powerful signal for our expectations from the Eastern Partnership. "Every country has the right for a European choice," he stated.
The Head of the Parliament expects Ukraine to complete negotiations on the agreement on association and a free trade zone with the European Union by the end of the year. He stated that consolidation of the European perspective of Ukraine is a key element of the agreement.
He informed the participants of the meeting that Ukraine is actively implementing the Action Plan on Liberalization of Visa Regime with the EU. "Our short-term goal is completion of the first, ‘legislative´ stage of this plan by the end of 2011," he stated. V.Lytvyn stressed, "We will insist that introduction of a visa-free regime between Ukraine and the European Union should be considered an immediate aim, rather than a long-term goal." He stressed that the European factor consolidates Ukrainian society and politicians, and the latter should adopt a common attitude to the realization of this foreign political goal.
The Head of the Parliament deems necessary to maintain the dialogue with Russia, especially in the energy sector. "There will be no ‘gas war´ with Russia," he stressed.
Commenting upon the format of Belarus´ participation in EURONEST PA, V.Lytvyn stated that Ukraine shares the concern of the international community about the internal situation in this country. However, ‘the policy of isolation´ of Belarus is ineffective and does not meet the strategic interest of the EU.
Head of the Standing Delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in EURONEST PA Borys Tarasiuk informed that the drafts, including the draft declaration on Belarus, to be considered by the Assembly in September, are being scrutinized.
Elkhan Suleymanov, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Delegation to the EURONEST PA, Vahan Hovhannesyan, member of the Armenian Delegation to the EURONEST PA, David Darchiashvili, Chairman of the Georgian Delegation to the EURONEST PA, and Igor Corman, Chairman of the Moldovan Delegation to the EURONEST PA, attended the meeting.