Extracts from the interview with Yelyzaveta Schepetylnykova, 2014 Sakharov Prize finalist.

Strasbourg

interview

Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought 2014 (T)

Sakharov Prize 2014: Interview of Yelyzaveta SCHEPETYLNYKOVA, activist, representative of EuroMaidan, candidate for the 2014 Sakharov Prize

<p>SOUNDBITE (English) Yelyzaveta SCHEPETYLNYKOVA, activist, representative of EuroMaidan, candidate for the 2014 Sakharov Prize: "Obviously for young people just like probably for the rest of the country the most important two issues are being able to, if we can say when and the struggle and then the war that is happening in the East and at the same time to develop the country. Because reforms has been a very important goal of the EuroMaidan and unfortunately this is a goal that hasn't been yet reached. So there is a lot of work that needs to be put into the development of the country and solve the issues as fighting corruption and establishing the new order and the new rule in the country.</p>

SOUNDBITE (English) Yelyzaveta SCHEPETYLNYKOVA, activist, representative of EuroMaidan, candidate for the 2014 Sakharov Prize: And there are obviously very high hopes for the Parliament as it starts its work, and we do believe that a lot of new people that have become members of the Parliament have expertise, but there is definitely a strong need for further cooperation between the civil society and the Parliament members, because it is going to be a very big struggle to develop the country and to implement the reforms that we have been all standing for on Maidan."

<p>SOUNDBITE (English) Yelyzaveta SCHEPETYLNYKOVA, activist, representative of EuroMaidan, candidate for the 2014 Sakharov Prize: "For the Ukrainian students it is very important to see the European Union support from the perspective of creation of opportunities. We have been in the long lasting debates on the format of the Erasmus + programme, and obviously it is a great instrument that European Union has, which making use of it for the Ukrainian population is going to be a great benefit. Therefore for the student community, as we are also in the process of reforming high education in Ukraine at the moment, it is of a crucial importance to develop the discussion and to provide Ukrainian students and scholars with access to the European programmes,</p>

SOUNDBITE (English) Yelyzaveta SCHEPETYLNYKOVA, activist, representative of EuroMaidan, candidate for the 2014 Sakharov Prize: "and also with an opportunity to enhance the cooperation that there is between the Ukrainian high education institutions and those in the European Union countries, as we are all making this joined European high education area and advance in the knowledge, increasing the intercultural understanding. And cooperation is very important, both in terms of building the European knowledge and developing the human capital of Ukraine which is going to be obviously the very important factor for the further development of the country."