European Parliament President Martin Schulz Joint Statement by President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman Press Release Internal Policies and EU Institutions Brussels 01-03-2016 Today the European Parliament welcomes in Brussels the delegation of leaders of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. “The Ukraine week”, which is ongoing these days in the European Parliament, demonstrates continued strong solidarity between our respective chambers, following the historic simultaneous ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement on 16 September 2014 and the joint Memorandum of Understanding we signed in Kyiv on 3 July 2015. During today's unprecedented joint political group leaders' meeting of both parliaments, we endorsed the recommendations of the report of the Needs Assessment Mission led by former EP President Pat Cox, which provides an ambitious roadmap for the reform and the transformation of the Ukrainian Parliament. The Report contains concrete suggestions on improving the quality of its legislative process, its efficiency and transparency, and represents a joint ownership of all the factions and groups of the Verkhovna Rada. We have also expressed our joint commitment for the implementation of systemic reforms in Ukraine, underlined our unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty and have stressed the importance of national unity and political consensus of all political forces in Ukraine in this difficult political period. We hope that the reform process of the Verkhovna Rada will unite the majority and the opposition for the common goal of increasing the credibility of the Parliament in the eyes of the society and turning it into a genuine backbone of Ukrainian democracy. The report on internal reform and capacity-building for the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/resources/library/media/20160229RES16408 /20160229RES16408.pdf For further information: [email protected] Armin Machmer Giacomo Fassina Spokesperson Spokesman +32 479 97 11 98 +32 498 98 33 10 Joint Statement by President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of 1/ Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman 2 European Parliament President Martin Schulz Joint Statement by President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of 2/ Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman 2.