Ukraine is ready to develop inter-parliamentary cooperation with Italy, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov said during a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to Ukraine Pier Francesco Zazo. “We are ready to deepen relations between the Ukrainian parliament and our partners from Italy. Both with the Senate and with the Chamber of Deputies,” the parliament’s office press service said, citing Razumkov.
The chairman of the Verkhovna Rada also said it is important to intensify interaction between Ukraine and Italy at the level of friendship groups.
During the meeting, the sides discussed the reform process in Ukraine.
“Reforms in Ukraine continue. This is not happening quickly, however, the main thing is quality. Something we have already managed to do, something is still in the implementation mode,” the chairman of the parliament said.
He said a bill is currently being considered in the session hall that will help implement land reform. At the same time, judicial and anti-corruption reforms continue.
The sides also discussed the situation in the east of Ukraine. Razumkov thanked Italy for the unchanged position on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.
“The principled position on sanctions pressure is very important for us. As practice has shown, this particular mechanism is one of the most effective. It is not fast, but we see its effectiveness,” Razumkov said, adding that the situation in the temporarily occupied Crimea, in particular, with regard to human rights violations, continues to deteriorate.
In addition, during the discussion, the issue of Ukraine’s European integration and Euro-Atlantic aspirations was raised.
“The integration of Ukraine into the EU, NATO is not just words, these are principles that are enshrined in the Constitution of our state. Therefore, we count on the support of Italy,” the Verkhovna Rada chairman said.
At the same time, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Italy to Ukraine Pier Francesco Zazo said that in order to establish effective inter-parliamentary relations, it would be advisable to establish direct communication between the parliaments of our countries.
In addition, Ukraine and Italy, according to him, have significant economic potential. At the same time, it is important for Italy to continue the reform process in our country, in particular, the reform of the judicial procedure, because this will allow attracting Italian investments.
