On the 120th day of the war, 23 June 2022, a joint online meeting took place of the Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Committees on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation and on Ukraine’s Integration into the European Union, and Members of the Foreign Policy Council and the European Affairs Committee of the Folketing.
From the Ukrainian side, the meeting was attended by the Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy and Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Oleksandr Merezhko, Chairwomen of the Subcommittees of the Committee Maria Ionova and Olena Khomenko, Chairwoman of the Committee on Ukraine′s Integration into the EU Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee Vadym Halaichuk, Secretary of the Committee Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, and Ukrainian Ambassador to Denmark Mykhailo Vydoinyk.
The Danish side was represented by the Chairman of the Foreign Policy Council Martin Lidegaard (Social Liberal Party), Deputy Chairman of the Council Michael Aastrup Jensen (Liberal Party), Members of the Council Mogens Jensen (Social Democratic Party), Aki-Matilda Høegh-Dam (“Siumut” Party), and Member of the European Affairs Committee Katarina Ammitzbøll (Conservative People′s Party).
The Ukrainian parliamentarians informed their Danish colleagues about the current security, humanitarian and social economic situation in Ukraine, the blockade of Ukrainian seaports by the aggressor state.
During the meeting, they discussed issues of war crimes and crimes against humanity, various forms of violence against the civilian population of Ukraine in the occupied territories, including forced deportations, threats of human trafficking, destruction of civilian infrastructure, destruction of the Ukrainian economy. They also covered ensuring accountability of those responsible and recognition by parliaments of the world events in Ukraine as genocide of the Ukrainian people.
One of the main issues of the meeting was the European integration, the expansion of the European Union, granting Ukraine the status of a candidate state for membership in the organization and further steps towards Ukraine′s membership in the European Union.
Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze thanked Denmark for the long-term support of Ukraine, in particular, in the implementation of anti-corruption reforms. According to her, it is important for Ukrainians to receive this political signal from the EU in order to continue reforms and transformation in Ukraine. “It is important to understand that Ukraine can be not only a part of the difficulties for the European Union, but also a help. It can bring a lot of what the Western world needs now. These are energy security, food security, innovation, creativity and social order based on values,” said the Chairman of the Committee.
Also, the interlocutors discussed during the meeting issues of providing assistance to Ukraine, in particular military-technical, development of inter-parliamentary dialogue, deepening cooperation between the two states at all levels.
The Chairmen and Members of the parliamentary committees of the Verkhovna Rada invited their Danish colleagues to visit Ukraine, including the liberated cities.