The EU-Ukraine bilateral meeting on strengthening democratic institutions has started in Brussels. The meeting is attended by First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko, State Secretary of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine Oleksandr Yarema, representatives of the Verkhovna Rada, the Central Election Commission, the National Council of Television and Radio Broadcasting, the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption, the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications, and other ministries and agencies. The Ukrainian delegation at the talks is headed by Olha Stefanishyna, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine.
The Ministry of Justice is represented by Deputy Minister of Justice for European Integration Liudmyla Suhak and Deputy Minister Oleksandr Banchuk.
Olha Stefanishyna delivered the opening remarks, focusing on the critical importance of democratic reforms in the process of Ukraine’s integration into the European Union.
She thanked her colleagues and partners for their effective cooperation, support and assistance in strengthening the rights and principles of democracy.
“Democracy is the foundation of the EU, and it is based on a number of principles. The EU is not only a geopolitical union, but also a union of democratic values: freedom, the rule of law, and democracy, which are at the heart of any democratic state,” Olha Stefanishyna said.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that today’s meeting was important for Ukraine not only as a candidate country for EU membership, but also as a country fighting for freedom.
She also drew attention to the importance of democratic institutions, including a strong, transparent and effective judiciary. “We are doing everything possible to ensure that our legal institutions and democratic framework meet EU criteria and protect the rights and freedoms of citizens,” she said.
Olha Stefanishyna noted that after the Revolution of Dignity in 2014, Ukraine stepped up its efforts to implement reforms aimed at strengthening democratic institutions and processes. “We are aware that democratic institutions are the cornerstone of a strong country. And we realised this even before the full-scale russian invasion. Today we have a unique opportunity to discuss these issues, understand our achievements and identify what needs to be improved to strengthen them,” she concluded.
As a reminder, the 3rd round of bilateral meetings to assess the compliance of Ukrainian legislation with EU law started on 8 October. The Ukrainian delegation, headed by the chief negotiator, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and Minister of Justice of Ukraine Olha Stefanishyna, consists of more than 100 people participating offline and online.
Today, Ukraine and the EU will hold a bilateral session on the topic of “The functioning of democratic institutions”. The agenda includes the principles of democracy, the electoral process, the functioning of the Parliament in a democratic system, and the role and development of civil society.