President's Office, PACE delegation discuss course of reforms in Ukraine

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08.07.2021 10:18

Ukrinform

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha discussed the course of reforms in Ukraine with Alfred Heer (Switzerland, ALDE) and Birgir Thórarinsson, (Iceland, EPP/CD), PACE co-rapporteurs for the monitoring of Ukraine.

“The PACE representatives shared their vision of further steps in reform in accordance with the Council of Europe standards and also noted the progress made in recent years in Ukraine's fulfillment of obligations within the membership in this organization,” the President’s Office informs.

For Ukraine, the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly are important partners in promoting high standards of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. In this regard, Sybiha pointed out the readiness of the Ukrainian side to implement a wide range of domestic reforms, including the creation of an effective system for preventing and combating corruption and reforming the justice system. This is a key priority and an extremely important condition for the prosperity of the Ukrainian state, as well as strengthening its resilience against hybrid methods of Russian aggression, he stressed.

The meeting participants also discussed the expert assistance provided by the Council of Europe to Ukraine. Close cooperation with the Venice Commission on the implementation of constitutional justice reform and judicial reform according to the best European standards was praised.

Sybiha thanked the PACE for its consistent position in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. An important result of such support was the adoption of a resolution on human rights violations committed against Crimean Tatars in the occupied Crimea during the PACE session in June.

Separately, the interlocutors discussed Ukraine's planned launch of the international coordination mechanism of the Crimean Platform in August, in particular, the promotion of its parliamentary dimension.

As reported, on June 23, the PACE adopted a comprehensive resolution "The situation of Crimean Tatars" which calls on the occupying power – the Russian Federation – to ensure respect for the rights of the Crimean Tatar people, comply with international law and restore Ukraine's territorial integrity against the background of fundamental non-recognition by the world democratic community of the attempt to annex the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.