The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the Resolution “On the Statement of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ‘On the European Choice of Ukraine’” (press release, 16.09.2014)
The Statement reads out:
An outstanding event took place in the history of modern Ukraine—the Ukrainian Parliament has made a crucial step in the direction towards the European integration.
Having overcome 23 years of hesitation, uncertainty, and hardship, as well as counteraction to dreadful aggression, Ukrainian people have won their right to live in a free and democratic state. Such status can be acquired only in the union of equal, prosperous, democratic and legal European states.
The EU-Ukraine Association Agreement provides us with such a unique opportunity. Its ratification allows beginning a comprehensive reforming of the state on the basis of European standards and values. We understand that this will be a complicated way, however, we see no other alternative for our country.
Now all brunches of power demonstrate unity of views on Ukraine’s European prospective, in no small part due to the factor of external pressure that was clearly directed at making our country retreat from its far-reaching choice. The one who exerts this pressure should realize that the greater the pressure is, the greater the resistance will be, and the more united Ukrainian people will become in their fight for the choice of their future. Whereas aspiration for a higher level of civilizational development, that is based on democracy and civil society, is the integral part of strategic development of our country.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as the only legislative authority that embodies the will of its electorate claims that by having ratified the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, Ukraine, as a European state that shares common values of democracy and the rule of law, emphasizes its sovereign choice for the benefit of the future membership in the European Union under article 49 of the Treaty on European Union.
In connection with this, Ukrainian parliamentarians stress that Ukraine views the ratified EU-Ukraine Association Agreement as a tool for a comprehensive preparation in order to reach this aim.
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine considers ratification of the Agreement not only as an impetus for implementing further reforms in Ukraine but also as another step on the way to accomplishing its main objective—the European integration—becoming a full member of the European Union.
Ukraine’s decision regarding the European future is decisive and final.
And nobody will compel our country to change the movement vector on this way.
The respective bill was registered under No. 5076.
Quelle: Information Department of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Secretariat, <http://iportal.rada.gov.ua/en/news/News/News/page/en/news/News/News/97809.html>
