Press release, 22 January 2014
During its closed meeting on 22 January 2014, the Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing of the report by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the Foreign Affairs Council meeting held in Brussels on 20 January 2014 and, having discussed the current events in Ukraine, adopted a statement:
The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,
recalling the Resolution of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania of 14 November 2013 on Ukraines Commitments and Aspirations towards European Union Integration and the Resolution of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania of 3 December 2013 on the Political Situation in Ukraine;
taking note of the U.S. Senate resolution on Ukraine, adopted on 7 January 2014;
taking account of the Statement by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton on developments in the Ukrainian Parliament, issued on 17 January 2014;
having regard to the Council conclusions on Ukraine, adopted at the Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 20 January 2014;
is deeply shocked by the recent events in Ukraine when clashes between the protesters and militia officers have left hundreds of people injured, some of them severely injured or dead;
regrets the lost lives and extends its sincere condolences to the families and relatives of the victims;
takes note of the provocative actions by some of the groups aimed at turning peaceful demonstrations into riots;
is of the opinion that the laws passed by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 16 January 2014 do not comply with Ukraines international commitments ensuring human rights and fundamental freedoms, inadmissibly restrict freedom of speech and peaceful assembly as well as the activity of non-governmental organisations and should thus be urgently repealed;
notes that the Human Rights Directorate and the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe have already started assessing compliance of the laws with the principles of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and expects conclusions and opinions on possible further steps to be provided on 5 February 2014; urges Ukrainian public authorities to cooperate with respective institutions of the Council of Europe and to take their conclusions and opinions into account;
addresses Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine urging them to realise their exclusive political responsibility at this particularly difficult period of time for Ukraine, take responsible actions to contain the deepening political crisis in the country and work towards the consolidation of its civil society;
invites Ukrainian society, opposition forces and government authorities to seek, by all means possible, a peaceful political dialogue and resort to this only method to deal with the political crisis in the country;
urges the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania to ensure that the case of Ukraine be constantly on the agenda of the Foreign Affairs Council until the political crisis is solved and solutions meeting the interests of both sides of the conflict are found;
calls on the Foreign Affairs Committees of national Parliaments of the EU to put a special focus on the assessment of the complicated situation in Ukraine and to promote active actions by their governments in response to the events in this strategically important country for the entire European Union;
addresses the European Parliament, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, and asks them to consider all possible measures by the European Union, including economic sanctions, in response to the events in Ukraine and take respective actions aimed at promoting a constructive dialogue between the conflicting sides, ensuring implementation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, and meeting the EU integration goals of Ukrainian society;
recalls the invitation of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, expressed in its Resolution of 3 December 2013, to call for the immediate holding in Vilnius of a session of the Assembly of Members of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, the Sejm and Senate of the Republic of Poland, and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to discuss the current situation.
Benediktas Juodka, Chair
Public Relations Unit
