Ukraine: ALDE delegation meets president Poroshenko and political partners to discuss visa liberalisation process - Main contents
An ALDE Delegation is today in Kiev and Lviv, Ukraine, to hold high-level meetings with president Poroshenko, Ukrainian leaders, and political partners, as well as representatives from civil society. ALDE members will also meet officials from the Interior Ministry and visit border stations. Led by ALDE MEP and ALDE Party President Hans Van Baalen, the three-day delegation is composed by ALDE members Petras Austervicius, Petr Ježek and Urmas Paet. Among other topics, MEPs will address the practical preparations to lift visa requirements for the citizens of Ukraine travelling to the Schengen area, as proposed by the European Commission in April.
MEP Hans van Baalen (VVD, The Netherlands), ALDE Party President and ALDE Group' spokesperson on Russia and Ukraine, said: “We should continue to support Ukraine, especially with the visa liberalisation process and the Association agreement. We should also continue the sanctions towards Russia until Putin accepts the rule of Law. This means that Russia has to return Crimea to Ukraine and withdraw from Eastern Ukraine so that Kyiv has full control over its internationally recognized territory. Today Russia is consolidating its grip on Eastern Ukraine instead of implementing what was agreed during the Minsk-II summit"
ALDE Group Vice-President, Petras Auštrevičius (Liberal Movement of Lithuania), added: "The EU needs to keep Ukraine on the top of its agenda. We should remain persistent and raise the issue of Russia`s armed aggression against Ukraine more proactively. Russia must take responsibility and conduct an immediate withdrawal of its troops".
Petr Ježek (ANO, Czech Republic), ALDE shadow rapporteur for the EU-Ukraine visa-free agreement in the civil liberties committee, said : “Ukraine needs some encouragement, and this encouragement needs to come from real deeds and symbols. The EU-Ukraine visa free agreement will bring both. Ukraine has been working very hard in order to meet all the criteria. It is time for the EU to deliver now”.
Urmas Paet (Estonian Reform Party), added: “The situation in Ukraine requires constant and visible attention until Ukraine has full control over its whole territory. Because of the continuing conflict, it is extremely difficult for the Ukrainian government to carry out crucial reforms. The EU needs to show its strong support in order for the reforms and the fight against corruption to succeed”.