EU and Ukraine: we build bridges rather than walls

The 9-th meeting of the Committee of parliamentary collaboration (CPC) between Ukraine and the European Union was to co-ordinate to position on the eve of negotiations concerning signing of a new base agreement instead of the Agreements about partnership and collaboration, the term of action of which was completed in February. And the term of implementation of Plan of the actions UKRAINE – EU came to the end at that time too.
Opening a meeting, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Moroz marked: the Ukrainian side always executes the undertaken agreements and holds the weighed position, which corresponds the principles of the European Union.

Revolution and overthrow of monarchy in Russia loosened imperialistic vices. Already on March, 17 leaders of “the Society of Ukrainian postupovtsi” Yevhen Chykalenko, Serhiy Yefremov and Dmytro Doroshenko together with social democrats headed by Volodymyr Vynnychenko and Symon Petlyura founded the Central Board which was to become the expressing of national liberation movement.
Mykhaylo Hrushevskyi was chosen to be the chairman of the CB without seeing. He then was in Moscow, returning from the banishment to Symbirsk, where he was interned as citizen of Dual Monarchy and “mazepyntsya”.
The newspaper “News” reported: “The Ukrainian Central Board was organized in Kyiv, uniting Ukrainian organizations on common solicitations of territorial autonomy of Ukraine with the official Ukrainian language, with providing of rights of national minorities – Russians and other”.
On March, 19 in Kyiv hundred-thousand column under national yellow-dark blue flags and transparencies “May live free Ukraine!” passed the central streets of the city. In the Sophia Square the clergy made funeral service “for the martyrs of Ukraine, who put their souls for the freedom of their country”.
That day on initiative of the founder of the Ukrainian national party Mykola Mikhnovskyi the first Ukrainian “Preparatory Viche” was convened, where the requirement of creation of defense army was proclaimed. It is said in resolution: “Begin immediately the organization of own national army as the mighty military force without which it is impossible even to think about the gaining of complete freedom for Ukraine”. 30 thousand copies of appeal were spread among the army.
On March, 23 the Central Board decreed to raise a yellow-dark blue flag on the house of pedagogical museum, in the conference hall of which it held session.

O. S.

The acceptance of the final statement by the heads of the CPC became the concluding of the work of the 9-th session of the Committee concerning parliamentary collaboration between Ukraine and the European Union.

 Its basic theses:

progress on the way of closer integration with the EU depends on carrying out of necessary internal reforms both in Ukraine and in the EU. The assistance and support to carrying out these reforms need the appropriate management by expectations of people;

that the substantial agreement between Ukraine and the EU exceeded the limits of the currently in force Agreement about partnership and collaboration (APC). And not only in the field of strengthening of economic integration with the purpose of creation of free trade area, but also in  substantial strengthening of political collaboration;

ratification of agreements about simplification of the visa procedure and about remission with the purpose of introduction of the without visa regime;

the CPC expects that Ukraine will join the WTO in the nearest future;

the CPC greets the permanent obligation of Ukraine concerning inevitability of democratic process and European integration and appeals to the political leaders of Ukraine, regardless of their different political views, in future to defend the general purpose of carrying out political, social, economic and legal reforms, to assist openness, clarity and accountability in government bodies and local self-government authorities, and also development of the institutional system of moderations and counterbalances, strengthening of fight against corruption and association around general European values – such as human rights, freedom of speech and leadership of right.

Oleksiy Syshchuk