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.