Ukraine announces European Parliament representation, mentions Poland
Photo: Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk (Getty Images)
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine plans to open its own representation in the European Parliament in the near future, following the example of the European Parliament's representation in Ukraine. This step is intended to strengthen Kyiv's parliamentary interaction with European institutions and support Ukraine's EU accession process, reports Ukrinform.
Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk stated that the Ukrainian parliament will soon open its representation in the European Parliament. According to him, this will be done following the example of the European Parliament's representation in Ukraine.
Stefanchuk thanked the members of the European Parliament for their support of Ukraine and noted that many important decisions for Kyiv began precisely with initiatives in the European Parliament — votes on resolutions and relevant amendments.
He specifically noted cooperation with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, with whose participation, according to him, important decisions in support of Ukraine are being prepared.
Ukraine will strengthen parliamentary diplomacy
Stefanchuk also emphasized the importance of developing cooperation with the Nordic and Baltic states, which remain among Ukraine's most consistent partners.
According to him, visits to Reykjavik and Helsinki are planned in the near future to deepen interaction with the countries of Northern Europe and the Baltics.
He also named the parliamentary dimension of the G7 as another important direction.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada reported that Ukraine will participate for the fifth time in the G7 Speakers' Summit, which will take place this year on September 10–12 in Paris.
"We will continue to mobilize the parliamentary forces of the world's most powerful countries to strengthen support for Ukraine," Stefanchuk stated.
Rada will work on EU accession negotiations
The chairman of parliament named the advancement of the negotiation process on Ukraine's accession to the EU and the opening of new negotiation clusters as a separate priority.
According to him, it is important to strengthen interaction with the parliaments of EU member states, as it is they who will have to ratify the decision on Ukraine's accession to the EU in the future.
Stefanchuk called on diplomats to work on removing obstacles on the path to European integration and developing contacts with countries on which Ukraine's further movement toward EU membership depends.
In particular, he stated the need for the first official visits of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada to Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia in many years.
Separate direction – relations with Poland
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada also focused on cooperation with Poland.
According to him, the Ukrainian parliament maintains constant dialogue with the Polish Sejm and Senate and should play a stabilizing role in overcoming temporary difficulties in bilateral relations.
Stefanchuk emphasized the need to protect the rights of Ukrainian citizens staying in Poland.
"No one has the right to abuse Ukrainian citizens, and this is our task," he stated.
Context of the statement regarding Ukrainians in Poland
Recently, attacks on Ukrainian citizens by residents have become more frequent in Poland. A few days ago, in the Polish town of Kożuchów, unknown assailants attacked three Ukrainians who were relaxing near their car in the evening. The Consulate of Ukraine has already responded to this incident.
Also, on July 27, in Wrocław, unknown young men brutally beat a Ukrainian woman and her boyfriend. The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrii Sybiha, instructed the consulate to immediately take response measures, and diplomats sent an official request to the Polish police.
Polish government spokesman Adam Szłapka publicly stated that the rise in violence against Ukrainians is linked to the rhetoric and actions of right-wing politicians.
