First Vice-Speaker held a series of bilateral meetings during a working visit to Germany
During his working visit to the Federal Republic of Germany, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniienko held a series of bilateral meetings with German colleagues with the participation of Ukrainian MPs and representatives of the Civil Network OPORA and the Institute for European Policy (Institut für Europäische Politik).
The Ukrainian delegation discussed the situation in Ukraine in key areas: security, the situation at the frontline, energy, European integration and needs on the battlefield with Niklas Wagner, Commissioner for Eastern Europe at the German Foreign Office. The meeting identified priority tasks and needs, the implementation of which will not only strengthen Ukraine's security, but also protect common European values and the continent from russian aggression.
The First Deputy Speaker also met with Ambassador of Ukraine to Germany Oleksiy Makeev. Oleksandr Korniienko stressed the importance of maintaining support for Ukrainian refugees and assistance programmes for them in Germany. He expressed gratitude to the German side for providing shelter to Ukrainians who were forced to flee the war. "At the same time, we agreed that it is extremely important that Ukrainian issues remain on the agenda of the international community," said the First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
According to Oleksandr Korniienko, a meaningful meeting with members of the German Bundestag's Committee on European Union Affairs was also held immediately after the visit of the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk. Such contacts demonstrate the commitment of Ukraine and Germany to common goals and the desire to achieve them as soon as possible. "I informed him about the attacks on the energy infrastructure and their consequences for the population. I stressed that, despite all the difficulties, we continue to move towards European integration and fulfil the obligations set out in the Ukraine Facility programme," the First Vice Speaker said.
The Ukrainian delegation also had the opportunity to have a dialogue with Director Volker Owen and Ulrike Hopp-Nishanka, Head of the Ukraine Unit at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. During the meeting, Oleksandr Korniienko stressed that financial stability is important for Ukraine in the face of a full-scale invasion. "Our country is grateful for all the help. We hope to continue to cooperate to strengthen the economic front," he added.
The main topic of the meeting with Edgar Lenski, Head of Group 51 of the Federal Chancellery, was the presentation of Ukraine's institutional European integration infrastructure. Special attention was paid to the issue of involving parliamentarians in the process of Ukraine's accession to the European Union. In addition, the Ukrainian side spoke about the activities of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine under martial law. "We informed them about the current agenda. We thanked the Chancellor for his position and leadership in the process of transferring frozen russian assets, and noted the importance of putting pressure on russia. It is important that this process moves forward as quickly as possible," summed up Oleksandr Korniienko.