The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk met with the President of the Bundesrat Manuela Schwesig
"This is our first meeting and the first visit of the President of the Bundesrat to Ukraine, which certainly demonstrates solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine said at the beginning of the meeting.
At the same time, he expressed gratitude to Germany for its comprehensive assistance to Ukraine — financial, humanitarian and military. "Of course, military assistance is especially important. Ukraine is grateful to Germany for its global leadership in providing defence support," said Ruslan Stefanchuk, thanking more than 1.1 million Ukrainians for their shelter.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine also stressed the value of the International Conference on Ukraine's Recovery in Berlin. "This high-profile meeting provided an opportunity to concentrate the necessary resources for the reconstruction of Ukraine," the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine stressed, adding that municipal partnerships are important in this regard. An example of this partnership is the development of cooperation between Chernihiv region and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: "This is an example that other regions of Ukraine can follow."
Ruslan Stefanchuk also suggested that his colleague consider launching joint projects at the level of the chairmen of parliaments to restore the area: "It could be patronage of the reconstruction of kindergartens, schools, hospitals." "We are now actively negotiating with many parliamentary speakers that we can take on specific reconstruction projects and jointly patronise them," he said.
The parties paid special attention to Ukraine's European and Euro-Atlantic integration. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine thanked Germany for its active lobbying of Ukraine on its path to the European Union. He said that tomorrow, 25 June, a negotiating framework would be adopted, stressing that he expected it to be a powerful step towards Ukraine's membership in the European Union.
In the context of Euro-Atlantic integration, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine noted that during the NATO Summit in Washington, Ukraine expects to receive clear signals of rapprochement with the Alliance.
At the same time, the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine expressed hope for the intensification of relations, in particular, through a meeting during the Third Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform, which will be held in Riga this October.
"Our visit is a symbol of solidarity with Ukraine. All 16 federal states of Germany stand firmly on the side of Ukraine. And we think it is absolutely right that Germany provides military, humanitarian and financial assistance to Ukraine," said Manuela Schwesig, the President of the Bundesrat, expressing the need to strengthen and implement regional cooperation and partnership.