14 October 2010
Mrs Irena Degutienė, Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, met with Mr Victor Janukovyc, President of Ukraine, who came to Lithuania with an official visit. At the meeting they discussed joint parliamentary initiatives between Lithuania and Ukraine and reforms in Ukraine which aim at a closer cooperation with and a more successful integration into the EU.
The Ukrainian president confirmed that currently the situation in his country is stable, key reforms are now under way while the economy is recovering. We are glad that our Lithuanian friends support us and are not only our allies but also real partners on Ukraines path towards euro-integration, said Mr Janukovyc. He underlined that he does not expect the reforms to bring about any fast-track results but he realises the importance of changes for the countrys prosperity in the future.
The Seimas Speaker highlighted that Lithuania has supported and will continue to support Ukraines aspirations of EU membership and underlined that mutual cooperation is necessary not only on political but also on economic level. Ukraine is a strategic partner of Lithuania and we seek to maintain a constructive cooperation, said Mrs Degutienė.
The Speaker reminded that last week the Assembly of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, the Sejm and the Senate of the Republic of Poland and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine convened in Vilnius where the discussion focused on energy security. The Assembly adopted a joint statement of the Speakers of the three parliaments whereby we expressed our aim to strengthen the EUs foreign energy policy and urged the EU to assist Ukraine in its pursuit to implement the EUs legal acts related to Ukraines membership of the European Energy Community, said Mrs Degutienė.
The Speaker of the Seimas highlighted that the Assembly also came up with the idea of joint visits of the heads of the Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian parliaments to the leading countries and institutions of the EU. Mrs Degutienė believes that such visits could facilitate the development of closer relations between Ukraine and the EU.
The head of the Lithuanian Parliament congratulated the President of Ukraine on the resumed talks on the free-trade agreement with the EU and significant results achieved in the final round of negotiations.
Secretariat of the Speaker of the Seimas
Advisor of the Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Ruzgys
