Opening of the Ukraine week in the EP in Brussels. Statements by Andrej PLENKOVIC (EPP, HR), Chair of the EP delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, Martin SCHULZ, EP President, Volodymyr GROYSMAN, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Pat COX, former EP President 2002-2004, and Johannes HAHN, Member of the EC in charge of European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations

EU - Ukraine Association Agreement (T)

EU - Ukraine (T)

Brussels

conference

SCHULZ, Martin (S&D, DE)

PLENKOVIĆ, Andrej (EPP, HR)

HAHN, Johannes (AT)

COX, Pat (ELDR, IE, Patrick)

GROYSMAN, Volodymyr (UA)

Ukraine week in the European Parliament: extracts from the Opening of the Conference

Atmosphere shots, arrival of EP President, greetings to EP Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Elmar Brok, and Chair of the EP delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee Andrej Plenković, Volodymyr GROYSMAN, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Pat COX, EP President 2002-2004, and Johannes HAHN, Member of the EC in charge of European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Andrej PLENKOVI&#262; (EPP, HR), Chair of the EP delegation to the EU-Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee, Every week is the Ukrainian week for us and I say this as a friend, as a colleague. The EP will do its utmost to help you in the process of peaceful re-integration of the occupied areas such as Donetsk, Luhansk and the Crimea. We are here to support you in the implementation of the Association Agreement.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, We are in the process of writing Parliamentary history here; what the EP is doing in cooperation with the Ukraine has never been done before anywhere else.

SOUNDBITE (English), Martin SCHULZ, EP President, In these turbulent times we need a stable Ukraine; the EU is being challenged as never before because of the situation in neighbouring countries, and those challenges are humanitarian challenges. In the EU we are going through a crisis of solidarity and the problems we are facing can only be solved on the basis of solidarity, which should not be put in question, not in the inside of the EU nor towards the outside world.

SOUNDBITE (Ukranian), Volodymyr GROYSMAN, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, No matter the obstacles we face and how much they say we cannot make it, I'm sure we will find compromises to move forward. We should strive to turn the Rada into a stability area; we have to strive for the supremacy of law. The aggression of Russia is not a reason for delaying reforms because delay is what Moscow would like to hear from us and it's not going to happen.

SOUNDBITE (English), Pat COX, EP President 2002-2004, It is a strong belief that the key for the transformation of democracy, society, economy and the justice system in Ukraine is the building of strong and independent institutions.

SOUNDBITE (German), Johannes HAHN, Member of the EC in charge of European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Ukraine is doing well in taking decisions to draft legislation; but now you have to be persistent in implementing the legislation you adopt and make sure that the legislation remains implemented. I am talking here about the reform of the judicial system, the tackling of corruption. It's important that you are able to attract investors, I talk a lot with business people and although things have improved for you, there are still investors who hesitate to invest in Ukraine because of the local al regional corruption. An example is to get a building permit for a factory, there is corruption there. And those are important things for you that need to be tackled.