The Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Prof. Dr Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic received the Speaker of the Ukrainian Supreme Rada Volodymir Lytvyn.

The NARS Speaker expressed her pleasure at meeting Mr. Lytvyn again, after her visit to Kiev on 5 July 2010 when the two Speakers signed the Cooperation Agreement between the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia and the Ukrainian Supreme Rada. “The friendly and cordial atmosphere during my visit to your country where you demonstrated that Serbia has a true friend and partner friend in Ukraine, left a strong impression on me”, said the NARS Speaker. The Speakers agreed that it would be particularly useful to deepen parliamentary cooperation both on the level of friendship groups and committees considering that parliamentarians persuade the executive government to establish and improve the relations in both countries’ spheres of interest. The Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation Agreement offers exceptional potential to this end. Lytvyn stated that he believes that a series of joint projects should be launched, particularly in the economic, commercial, energy, transport, scientific and cultural sphere. In order to improve bilateral relations, both Speakers expressed hope that the issue of visa-free regime for the citizens of Serbia and Ukraine would be resolved in the near future.

In the realm of culture, the officials agreed that monuments of prominent Serbian and Ukrainian writers could be erected in Belgrade and Kiev which would be a real sign of true friendship between the two countries.

European Union integration is one of the spheres with potential for more intense parliamentary cooperation to which the Ukrainian Parliament Speaker said: “You are a step ahead of us and seeing you overcome all the obstacles on the road to full EU membership is of particular concern to us, particularly since Ukraine will then have another ally in the EU and Serbia’s experience would be invaluable to us.”

Djukic-Dejanovic thanked the Ukrainian Government and people for refusing to recognise the unilaterally declared independence of Kosovo-Metohija and respecting international law and the UN Charter, and the Ukrainian Supreme Rada Speaker stressed that their position is very clear and he himself believes it just.

Lytvyn thanked the Speaker on the very open and cordial conversation and the warm atmosphere at the National Assembly House, where, as he said, one can clearly feel the pulse of the people and the pulse of the state.