European Parliament to open office in Kyiv
President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola (Photo: Getty Images)
European Parliament decided to open an office in Kyiv, which will strengthen support for Ukraine, according to Euractiv.
"The European Parliament has agreed to open an office in Ukraine to boost its support for the Ukrainian Parliament, following requests by top Ukrainian government officials, according to a document from the European Parliament bureau," the material reads.
The decision, approved on Monday evening, is aimed at facilitating relations with the Ukrainian parliament, specifically its connection with relevant committees of the European Parliament, as well as streamlining administrative work.
The European Parliament has liaison offices for each member state, which assist in parliamentary work with member states, such as communication with stakeholders, organizing events, and supporting relations with local media.
Zelenskyy requested the office's opening in March
According to the document, only a few European Parliament offices have been established in non-European cities, including New York, Addis Ababa, and Jakarta, where parliament staff are seconded to EU delegations.
The EU delegation in each non-EU country serves as the EU's diplomatic representation in that territory under the European External Action Service.
Euractive reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy requested European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to open a representation in Ukraine during his visit to Lviv on March 4. At the end of April, this issue was raised again by the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk.
"According to the document seen by Euractiv, the Parliament presence in Kyiv will ensure that European Parliament committees are 'regularly informed about ongoing issues and processes', not only in Ukraine but also about 'Eastern Partnership countries'" the material added.
The European Parliament supports Ukraine
Recently, the European Parliament called for enhanced monitoring and more effective measures to limit Russia's ability to bypass EU sanctions.
Additionally, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola proposed that lawmakers from Ukraine and Moldova join as observers while both countries await EU accession.
