On 6 September, a meeting took place at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (hereinafter referred to as "the Parliament") between Oleksandr Kornienko, First Deputy Chairman of the Parliament, and Hallvard Gorseth, Head of the Anti-Discrimination Department of the Council of Europe's Directorate General for Democracy and Human Dignity. The event was also attended by Nelli Yakovlieva, Deputy Chairperson of the Committee on Human Rights, De-occupation and Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories, National Minorities, and Interethnic Relations and representatives of the joint European Union and Council of Europe project "Support for implementing European standards relating to anti-discrimination and rights of national minorities in Ukraine".
During the meeting, Oleksandr Kornienko emphasised the importance of cooperation with the Council of Europe in the context of harmonising national legislation with the legal standards of the European Union. He welcomed Mr Gorseth to the Parliament and expressed gratitude for the Council of Europe's support in adapting Ukrainian legislation.
The Ukrainian side informed the Council of Europe delegation about the upcoming legislative initiatives aimed at aligning with European standards and discussed key personnel decisions in the government that will facilitate Ukraine's integration into the European Union. Oleksandr Kornienko stressed the value of the Council of Europe experts' opinions on draft laws concerning the status of national minorities and anti-discrimination legislation.
"The opinions of our partners and their support are important for Ukraine's path to European integration," said the First Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Ukraine.
At the end of the meeting, the parties discussed future cooperation and expressed their appreciation for the continued partnership and open dialogue, which are essential for achieving common goals and agreements.
This meeting organised by the joint European Union and Council of Europe project "Support for implementing European standards relating to anti-discrimination and rights of national minorities in Ukraine".
