The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk met with the President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic Miloš Vystrčil

The Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic, Miloš Vystrčil, arrived in Kyiv to participate in the Fourth Summit of the International Crimea Platform.

At the beginning of the meeting, Ruslan Stefanchuk welcomed Miloš Vystrčil to Kyiv and expressed gratitude for all the efforts and practical steps of the Czech Republic aimed at supporting Ukraine, noting the significant military, financial and humanitarian assistance. “I am personally grateful to the Czech people, the Czech President, Government and Parliament for their unwavering support of Ukraine,” the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine said.

He also noted that the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform will be held in the Czech Republic in October 2023 and stressed the importance of this initiative for international support for Ukraine. Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed special gratitude for the Czech Republic's advocacy of Ukraine's path to EU and NATO membership.

The parties paid special attention to the security situation and defense needs of our country. In particular, they discussed the need for additional air defense systems in view of the constant missile and drone attacks on Ukraine's civilian, energy and other critical infrastructure.

Ruslan Stefanchuk thanked for the initiative of Czech MEPs who appealed to the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell to lift restrictions on Ukraine's use of weapons received from Western partners against legitimate targets in russia. He stressed the importance of lifting such restrictions for Ukraine.

In the context of strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, the speakers discussed the implementation of the Czech initiative to provide Ukraine with artillery shells. “I am sincerely grateful to the Czech Republic for uniting its allies and partners around its initiatives,” Ruslan Stefanchuk said.

The parties also discussed the restoration of Ukraine. Ruslan Stefanchuk expressed his gratitude to the Czech Republic for its patronage of the Dnipro region as part of the programme to rebuild our country.

At the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine called on the Senate of the Czech Parliament to adopt a decision to recognise the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people in 1944 as an act of genocide.