Brussels, 29/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - In Brussels on Monday, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle met the chairman of the committee on European integration at Ukraine's parliament, Hryhoriy Nemyria. This meeting is the first of the week with a Ukrainian MP and precedes the meetings on Wednesday 30 January with Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Vilkul and Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhar. Kozhar will also meet the commissioner for justice and home affairs, Cecilia Malmström, the commissioner for energy, Günther Oettinger, and EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. Many Ukrainian leaders will be travelling to Brussels for the EU-Ukraine summit planned for 25 February next.
Action needed on selective justice and reforms
During their most recent meeting, Füle and Nemyria underlined the need to take swift and decisive action on the issues of selective justice and reforms of the Association Agenda. The European commissioner also confirmed the EU's policy of engagement with Ukraine and the commitment to sign the Association Agreement provided there is “determined action and tangible progress” in these fields. Füle expressed concern about recent news about Yulia Tymoshenko, who is being investigated for having ordered a murder, and about investigations involving her close allies, including Nemyria himself.
The two discussed the current state of play in Ukraine and progress in EU-Ukrainian relations. The commissioner underlined the conclusions of the Foreign Affairs Council on 10 December 2012 (see EUROPE 10748) and said that he was convinced that these conclusions, calling on the country to make progress, “provided a good basis both for the government and the parliament in Kyiv, including the opposition to work together constructively on the European modernisation of the country. They provide an ambitious goal for the benefit of the Ukrainian people”. (CG/transl.fl)