An official opening of the ninth session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Ukraine and Poland took place in the Mirror Hall of Lviv University on December 3, 2016.
Rector of the University, Professor Volodymyr Melnyk welcomed the participants of the meeting stressing that the University is always open for activities aimed at integrating Ukraine into the community of democratic nations.
“Our meeting takes place at a symbolic time: 25 years ago, on December 2, 1991, Poland was the first to recognize the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine. This is a symbolic sign that the present and future of Ukrainian-Polish relations should be based on European values and mutual respect concerning historical past and our common future”, said the Rector of the University.
Volodymyr Petrovych also expressed the belief that historical misunderstandings and tragic periods in Ukrainian-Polish relations will not prevent both countries from developing interstate cooperation. “I am convinced that true tolerance is possible only in conditions of constant dialogue and intensive cooperation. Only when we actively implement joint projects, achieve common goals on principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit, will our cooperation cease to be sporadic and bring great benefit for both Ukraine and Poland”.
Addressing the participants, Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy said that two years ago Ukraine “was on the verge of to be or not to be”. “We came under attack from Russian Federation. At such moments you come to know very well who is who, you realize who your true friend is and who pretends to. I believe that today’s debate will give clear answers to these questions; and the foundation of today’s debate is dignity: the dignity of the Poles, Ukrainians, the dignity of peoples”, said Andrew Sadovy.
Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, co-chairman of the Ukrainian part of the Assembly, Oksana Syroyid focused on the issues, which the whole international community faces today. According to Oksana Syroyid, armed and information aggression, occupation regimes settings are typical of modern Russian politics. According to Deputy Speaker, the biggest problem of today is that no country has the answer to the question: what to do if they become the next target of Russia?”
“Now we clearly see that the world is ready to recognize and accept only something which Russia does not object. We must understand the causes of this situation and to seek ways out of it, otherwise we will continue to remain in this trap”, said Oksana Syroyid, expressing also hope that it is the active cooperation between Ukraine and Poland that will allow to find a way out of the present state of things in the world.
The participants were also greeted by the Deputy Marshal of the Polish Sejm, the Polish co-chairman of the Assembly Ryszard Terletsky, who said that Europe must now become more united to protect and maintain the security on the continent.
Members of the Ninth Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of Ukraine and Poland discussed the topic of security of bilateral cooperation and the need to consolidate efforts to counter Russian aggression. They also discussed the role of the Parliaments in strengthening mutual understanding between the Ukrainian and Polish peoples.