Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

The Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU stated that during a meeting with Michael Siebert, Managing Director for Russia, Eastern partnership, Central Asia, Regional cooperation and OSCE of the European external action service. The meeting of Ukrainian MPs with Mr. Siebert and representatives of the European Commission was organized by the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU.

The parties discussed issues of bilateral cooperation between Ukraine and the European Union, cooperation in the Eastern Partnership format, foreign policy challenges and threats, in particular, the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline, as well as the reforms in Ukraine.
The Chair of the Committee called on the European Union to intensify its position on forbidding completion of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is convinced that its commissioning is an existential threat to Ukraine's security: “We hope that the EU as our partners will not allow this situation to escalate to such a level that it will be impossible to solve”.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze is convinced that it is extremely dangerous to procrastinate on this issue: “Russian troops are located at our border, a few kilometers from Ukraine. If we lose gas transit, we all understand what Russia can do to Ukraine. We will be exposed to the military threat from the Russian Federation and we are trying to do everything to prevent it”.

The Chair of the Committee also noted that the Eastern Partnership had to include a security component of cooperation, because of Russia's aggression and influence on the participants in this format. Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze welcomed the decision of the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova to launch the Associated Trio, a tripartite format of enhanced cooperation on European integration. The parties signed a memorandum emphasizing the European aspirations of the three EU associate partners and their ambitions to become members of the European Union. “We will have a common voice in front of our counterpart, the European Union, but the EU shall be ready to hear that voice”, — she said.

The parties also talked about the reforms in Ukraine, in particular, the draft laws that need to be passed in order to reform the judiciary. Michael Siebert and Katarina Maternova, Deputy Director General of the European Commission's Directorate for neighbourhood and enlargement negotiations, noted that Kyiv is already taking important steps towards reforms.

The meeting was also attended by: Vadym Halaychuk, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU, Maria Ionova, Chair of the Subcommittee on Legislative Support of the Strategic Course for EU and NATO Membership of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Ukraine Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation, Oleksandra Ustinova, Member of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Law Enforcement, Ivan Krulko, Head of the Permanent Delegation of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to the EU Parliamentary Assembly - Eastern Neighbors (EURONEST PA) and Mykyta Poturayev, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Information Policy.