Strasbourg, 19/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - Viktor Yanukovich, President of Ukraine, has congratulated Martin Schulz upon his election as president of the European Parliament, Yanukovich's press service announced on Wednesday 18 January. President Yanukovich expressed his “hope” that the European Parliament would continue to support his country's “European aspirations and further the implementation of the ambitious agenda of Ukraine-EU relations”. The “primary task is to complete the association agreement”, he explained, while the European Parliament underlined on several occasions that the agreement is linked to the situation of the former prime minister, Yulia Tymoshenko, who was sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment at what was considered by Europeans as a political show trial.
The Ukrainian president said he was “convinced” that, under Martin Schulz's presidency, the European Parliament would strengthen its influence on the EU's internal development and its foreign policy.
Yanukovich also sent a letter to the former president, Jerzy Buzek, thanking him for his fruitful cooperation and his personal contribution to the development of Ukraine-EU cooperation. (CG/transl.jl)