OSCE Supports Ukraine's Association With the EU

KYIV, Ukraine, April 24, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

The President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Wolfgang Grossruck stated that the Assembly and Austrian government would support Ukraine in its association with the EU. During his meeting with the Prime Minister of Ukraine in Kyiv, Mykola Azarov Grossruck highly appreciated the reforms Ukraine was performing and thanked for taking into account the recommendations of the Assembly, reports the website of the Ukrainian government.

Ukraine is an active advocate of the OSCE priorities, noted the OSCE official during his Kyiv meeting with the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych. Presently, Ukraine is chairing the OSCE. The Eastern European country took up the chairmanship duties on January 1, 2013, and will preside in the security organization until the end of the year.

As the OSCE chair, Ukraine aims to address the issues of border security, arms control, frozen conflicts, energy security and energy efficiency, as well as human trafficking, freedom of speech, tolerance, and non-discrimination.

These activities go in line with the Ukrainian policy aimed toward European integration. Preparing for the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU, Ukraine joined the the UN Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Additionally, Ukraine continued implementing its Energy Strategy for 2030, focused on developing its renewable energy sector, as well as contributed to the issue of energy saving by adoption of an action plan regulating energy efficiency of buildings.

Ukraine's accomplishments in the energy sector included stress tests of nuclear power stations, adoption of the law on natural monopolies, implementation of the gas market law, and continued privatization in the sector, as highlighted by the 7th joint Ukraine-EU report on the implementation of the 2005 energy cooperation memorandum of understanding during 2012.

Ukraine's European integration is widely supported by the international politicians. Just on April 23, 2013, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Tefft expressed hope that the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine would be signed this year. He reckoned that the agreement would show Ukraine the road to economic reforms and welfare, currently existing in the EU.