On June 30, 2014 in Doha at the premises of the Embassy of Moldova in Qatar a solemn gathering on the occasion of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova signing of Association agreements with the EU took place.

During the event ambassadors of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova addressed the audience with welcoming speeches in which they highlighted the importance of this event for the peoples of their countries, focusing on the immutability of the European choice as a prerequisite for democracy, rule of law and high social standards.

 
Among the speakers there were the ambassador of Greece as the representative of the country which presidency in the first half of this year is about to finish and Italy which assumes from July 1 the presidency of this institution.

In their speeches they welcomed the people of Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine with the signing of the Agreement and expressed the hope that the full-fledge EU membership fot these three countries is a matter of the nearest time.
The event was attended by the leadership of the Department of Europe of the Foreign Ministry of Qatar as well as by representatives of leading local media.

The gathering was also attended by the Ambassadors of Germany, Poland, France, Great Britain, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Cyprus, Croatia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Egypt, Tunisia and Lebanon.

 

 

The statement of the Ambassador of  Ukraine Mr. Yevhen Mykytenko (in English language) can be found  below:

********************************************************************************

Statement

of the Ambassador of Ukraine to the State of Qatar

Mr. Yevhen Mykytenko

(Doha, June 30-th, 2014)

 

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen!

Dear friends,

Good afternoon to you all, Ramadan Mubarak!

The 27-th of June was really a great day! Perhaps, the most important day for my country after the proclamation of independence. On this day in Brussels the President of Ukraine Mr. Petro Poroshenko along with his Georgian and Moldovan counterparts signed the Association agreement with the European Union.

 The Association Agreement is not only a political and economic document. It is a symbol of fate and aspirations for the people who sacrificed their lives and health since November last year in order to make it happen.

The European path ultimately serves the benefit of the Ukrainian nation. When I say Ukraine, I mean the occupied Crimea as well. The Agreement with the EU represents Ukraine as an integral and united state.

   Dear colleagues!

To be a part of United Europe is a target for my country. Therefore, it doesn’t mean that there are no opponents to this choice. There was a large number of attempts to destroy the European unification project, for instance, through what has been happening in Ukraine over the last months.

Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova - are striving for the new economic goals. But above all – this is about fostering freedom and democracy. Now we must demonstrate our abilities to implement vitally important reforms which will inevitably take place in the framework of the Association Agreement. The Agreement with EU is not - in any way- a threat to Russia but – on contrary – Ukraine could become a bridge for importing and exporting goods between Russia and the EU.

The newly elected President of Ukraine proposed amendments to the Constitution of Ukraine which are now being under consideration of the Venice Commission.

After their adoption the power holder – the people of Ukraine - will obtain more rights. Decentralization will modify budget, taxes and language policy. It will also help establish reconciliation in the society for the sake of progress and prosperity.

We wished we were signing the Association Agreement with the EU in better conditions than those that we are having now in Ukraine. But on the other hand - external aggression in Ukraine provides another strong push to make this important step come true.

By signing this agreement, Ukraine promises that it will implement reforms. But this document also shares common responsibility.

We expect that the European Union will do everything possible to maintain Ukraine`s sovereign choice to defend independence and territorial integrity of my Motherland.

The Parliament of Ukraine is ready for ratification of the Association Agreement with the EU.

We believe that the ratification of the Agreement in the European capitals will also take place without delay.

In recent months, Ukraine has paid a lot, the highest bid for European dreams to become a reality. This should not be forgotten!

Ukraine shares with the UE the same values - the rule of law, freedom and democracy. Association Agreement is a tool for preparation for future accession and is a very important achievement for the people of Ukraine and European Union citizens.

I thank you and congratulate all of us!