17 November 2016 The National Assembly delegation in the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada

17 November 2016 The National Assembly delegation in the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada

Thursday, 17 November 2016

National Assembly Delegation Visits Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada

In the course of the one-day visit to the Committee on European Integration of the Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada), the members of the National Assembly’s European Integration Committee Zarko Micin and Dr Muamer Bacevac met with the Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on European Integration Maria Ionova, members of the Committee on European Integration, Deputy Director of the European Union Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and also visited the Institute of Philology of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and talked to the lecturers and students of Serbian language.


In the meeting between the two parliaments’ European integration committees, Ionova outlined the challenges the Ukrainian society comes up against in the legislative harmonisation process, which means a thorough change of the system of values, organisation of power and economic transition, adding that she believed the upcoming EU-Ukraine summit would result in the clear signal which is visa regime liberalisation. She stressed that for the most part the legislation has been harmonised with the Schengen Area rules and everybody expects the visa liberalisation to go through. Presenting the work of the Committee on European Integration, Ionova said that there is room to advance and acquire best practice experiences, considering that the Committee still has no authority in the area of legislative harmonisation with the EU. She said she was sure the Rules of Procedure would be amended in that sense.

Micin and Bacevac underlined Serbia’s firm commitment to approaching the European Union and soon becoming a member state, its dedication to reform and harmonisation of national legislation with the EU law, as well as Serbia’s contribution to the EU initiatives, policies and missions accessible to it at this stage. They also said they were pleased by Ukraine’s progress in the accession process and cooperation within the EU neighbourhood policy, especially the provisional application of the Accession Agreement in the part relating to the establishment of the deep and comprehensive free trade area.

The members of the National Assembly delegation also highlighted the complexity and length of the EU accession process and the enormous efforts invested in previous years into the harmonisation of the Serbian and EU legislation. They informed the members of the Ukrainian parliamentary committee that at first Serbia cultivated its relations with the European Union through a transitional trade agreement which was a good opportunity to adjust a bulk of legislation vital for the citizens’ everyday life, stabilisation of the economy and development of business and trade. They said they stand ready to convey experience and best practice concerning the legislative harmonisation process and application of the EU accession agreement.

The members of the Verkhovna Rada briefed the guests on the security situation in Ukraine, implementation of signed agreements and the challenges these pose.

The Ukrainian parliamentarians also apologised for the incident at the Ukraine-Serbia friendly match, assuring their guests that the police is working on processing the participants.

The members of the two committees said they were committed to further comprehensive cooperation and trade and define the priorities of economic cooperation and trade through the parliamentary friendship groups in Verkhovna Rada and the National Assembly and talks on a free trade agreement.



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friday, 29 march
  • 9.00 - the National Assembly Speaker meets with the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia (National Assembly House, 13 Nikola Pasic Square, Speaker’s Cabinet)

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