Course towards EU, NATO: President hopes for adoption of amendments to Constitution in February

President Petro Poroshenko has called on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to vote in the second reading in February 2019 for a bill on amending the Constitution regarding the strategic course of the Ukrainian state on joining the EU and NATO.

He stated this during a press conference held at the Mystetskyi Arsenal in Kyiv on Sunday, December 16, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

"The amendments to the Constitution adopted a few weeks ago focus on our accession to the European Union and NATO membership. I will insist that in February the Verkhovna Rada supports them in the second reading. I hope that this will be done," the president said.

He expressed hope that these changes would come into force in February.

Poroshenko recalled that the constitutional majority of the Verkhovna Rada supported these changes to the Basic Law twice - when sent for the conclusion of the Constitutional Court and in the first reading.

As reported, on November 22, the Verkhovna Rada supported in the first reading the president's bill No.9037 on amendments to the Constitution regarding Ukraine’s strategic course to obtain a full membership in the European Union and NATO. A total of 311 MPs voted for the corresponding decision.

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