Ukrainian lawmakers, MEPs hd inaugural joint meeting

Ukrainian legislators on April 12 held a first joint intercommittee meeting of woth members of the Eurean Parliament.

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk, broke the news on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

"It's a historic day for the Ukrainian and Eurean Parliaments. Today (April 12 – ed.), the first joint intercommittee meeting invving Ukrainian lawmakers and MEPs was held," he noted.

Stefanchuk expressed his gratitude to Eurean Parliament’s President Roberta Metsa, for the initiative to hd such meeting and for supporting Ukraine’s aspiration to become a full member of the Eurean Union.

Read also: MEPs visit Rada, discuss Russia's accountability for war crimes

"The process of accession to the EU is painstaking work on adapting national legislation to EU law, and I am grateful that the Eurean Parliament is ready to stand side by side with Ukraine. So today we started structural coeration between our parliaments’ committees," said parliament speaker.

He explained that from now on, every committee in the Ukrainian parliament will actually become a Eurean integration committee, and every legislative initiative will be considered through the prism of its compliance with Eurean norms. "And this should become the new architecture of Ukrainian parliamentarism," Stefanchuk emphasized.

The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada noted that there will be regular meetings, joint events, and working contacts between parliamentarians.

"The basis and agenda for the intercommittee dialogue should be the road maps of steps to be taken toward our Eurean integration. And this, in the end, will contribute to Ukraine advancing to full membership in the Eurean Union," added Stefanchuk.

He thanked the Eurean Parliament for its support to Ukraine.

Stefanchuk expressed confidence that today's joint meeting ens a new page in relations between the Verkhovna Rada and Eurean Parliament.

Read also: Stefanchuk discusses creation of special tribunal to prosecute Russia with Lord Speaker of UK’s House

As reported earlier, on February 28, 2022, President Vodymyr Zelensky signed off Ukraine's application for membership in the Eurean Union.

On June 23, 2022, the heads of state and government of the Eurean Union adted a decision to grant Ukraine the status of a candidate country for EU membership.