Danish foreign minister says progress in reforming Ukraine's judicial system not fast enough

Kofod stated this in his speech at the opening of the 4th Ukraine Reform Conference in Vilnius on Wednesday, July 7, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

Kofod said that Denmark would continue to firmly support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity and expressed confidence that the international community would not allow Russia to push aside fundamental principles and prevent Ukraine from realizing its potential.

He paid attention to the transformation that has taken place in Ukraine compared to the situation at the time of the Ukraine Reform Conference held in Copenhagen three years ago. At the same time, Kofod said that the approaches needed to reform Ukraine must be politically balanced.

In this context, Kofod welcomed the fight against oligarchs, which is necessary primarily for the development of reforms. He also emphasized the importance of following the recommendations of the Venice Commission in the selection of members of the judiciary.

"As has already been said, judicial reform is the mother of all reforms. Much has been achieved since the Maidan, but progress in reforms is not really fast enough, and challenges remain, and we cannot afford to think about the past as there is a risk that the oligarchs will continue to hamper reforms. In particular, as we see, the situation with the election of one of the heads of anti-corruption bodies two weeks ago is a manifestation of these challenges," Kofod said.

He expressed hope that in the future, the leaders of Ukraine wound move in the direction that meets the expectations of Ukrainians in terms of transparency and integrity, adding that "realizing the work of anti-corruption bodies is extremely important in this context."

The two-day Ukraine Reform Conference started at the Presidential Palace in Vilnius (Lithuania) on Wednesday, July 7.

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