A.Deshchytsia: Council of Europe to assist Ukraine in carrying out real reforms in compliance with European standards
The Acting
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Deshchytsia has participated in a meeting of the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which is the principal statutory institution
of this organization and comprises foreign ministers of 47 European member
countries. The situation in Ukraine was discussed in the framework of the meeting,
in particular, in the context of the military aggression of the Russian Federation.
|
A. Deshchytsia thanked the members of the Committee of
Ministers for the solidarity and support of Ukraine at this hard period in
history of our country. The Council of Europe has become the first international
organization which by the resolution of its ruling body had condemned the
so-called referendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea before it was held.
The Minister noted that powerful voice of the Venice Commission,
Parliamentary Assembly and the Congress of the Council of Europe was heard in
Ukraine and all around the world. The head of Ukrainian foreign political department stressed Ukraine would never recognize Crimea as a part of Russia, as the illegal annexation of it contradicts not only the legislation of Ukraine but violates the fundamental basis of the international law. “A huge
political mistake of the Russian diplomacy,” as was characterized the
position of Russia with regards to the use of a national minority issue to
justify the military aggression on the territory of Ukraine. “The progress in
realization of the Framework Convention for the protection of national
minorities has been unilaterally confirmed with the resolution of the
Committee of Ministers in December of 2013. The Russian Federation didn’t
have any reservations concerning violations of rights of Russian speaking
population of Ukraine”. An important
part of the speech and further discussion has become engagement of the
Council of Europe in the process of the democratic reforms in Ukraine. A. Deshchytsia welcomed the elaborated package of urgent
measures as the part of the Action Plan of the Council of Europe for Ukraine.
Among the principal directions of cooperation for the nearest time is
carrying out of the Constitutional reform in compliance with the European standards
in tight collaboration between the experts of Ukraine and the Venice
Commission. The cooperation program also envisages rendering assistance in upgrading
the local self-government, prosecution and judiciary, and bringing the electoral
legislation to compliance with the standards of the Council of Europe and OSCE/ODIHR.
In conclusion
A.Deshchytsia noted: “I am returning to Kyiv with a
very concrete result – a real assistance of the Council of Europe in
realization of real reforms”. |