Press release, 24 February 2014
Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas, congratulated Oleksandr Turchynov on his election as Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
May I extend my sincere congratulations to you on your election as Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. As I, together with the delegation of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, was visiting Kiev and making a speech on the stage of a peaceful Maidan on 26 November last year, both you and I had faith in a sincere and strong pro-European choice of the people of Ukraine. Three months later, the efforts and determination of the people brought huge changes for Ukraine and an even greater responsibility for you as Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mrs Graužinienė wrote in her letter of congratulations.
The Speaker of the Seimas underlines that the newly elected Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada assumes his post at a special and particularly responsible period of time for the country, because he takes over the responsibility not only to lead the parliament but also to carry out presidential functions and ensure democratic elections.
Let me assure you that as a long-standing partner of the Ukrainian parliament, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania will contribute to the European integration aspirations of Ukraine in a targeted, specific and consistent manner by using the existing mechanisms of parliamentary cooperation, such as 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, the Assembly of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and other forms of parliamentary cooperation, Mrs Graužinienė said.
The Speaker of the Seimas wished every success to Mr Turchynov in his efforts to stabilise the political situation in the country and invited him to the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments to be held in Vilnius on 68 April 2014.
Secretariat of the Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6002
