The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) welcomes the Final Statement and Recommendations from the meeting of the EU‑Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee (Parliamentary Committee), under the co‑chairmanship of Andrej Plenković on behalf of the European Parliament and Irina Gerashchenko on behalf of the Parliament of Ukraine, held in Brussels, Belgium, on 25‑26 April, 2016.
The Parliamentary Committee reiterated its strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine; condemned Russia’s aggressive and expansionist policy in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine; underlined “the serious implications of this conflict to the overall security in Europe”; and stressed that the restrictive measures imposed by the EU on the Russian Federation “should remain in force until the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.”
The Parliamentary Committee underlined that the negative outcome of the advisory referendum in the Netherlands “should not be used to harm the implementation of the ambitious EU-Ukraine agenda and Ukraine’s European aspirations” and stressed the need to continue with the provisional application of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.
The Parliamentary Committee also encouraged the lifting of visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens for short-term stays within the institutionally “shortest possible period” and stressed that “Ukraine does not pose any migration threat to the EU, while being a reliable partner of the EU in the field of migration.”
“The Ukrainian World Congress welcomes the Final Statement and Recommendations of the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee as a strong endorsement of Ukraine’s Euro-integration and a recognition that the imperialist agenda of the Russian Federation constitutes a threat to the overall security of Europe and that sanctions need to be maintained against the Russian Federation until it fully complies with the Minsk agreements,” commented Ukrainian World Congress President Eugene Czolij.
