Address by Ukraine’s President Victor Yushchenko on the occasion of the first part of the 2005 Ordinary Session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (Strasbourg, 24-28 January 2005)

Your Excellency,

Distinguished Deputies,

It is a great honour to me to make a statement here, inside the oldest European political institution.

I am happy to have a possibility to greet you, the newly elected President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and to wish you fruitful work.

I am proud that I can speak here on behalf of the free and independent Ukraine.

My country stands no longer at the crossroad. The Ukrainian people have won the fair elections, and they have chosen their way. This is the way that will build a new Ukrainian society – the open, democratic and European one.

Millions of Ukrainians came out to the Independence Square (Maidan) in Kyiv, to the streets and squares throughout Ukraine. They strived for justice and implementation of their rights. They stood up for their dignity and they supported one another. They showed courage and tolerance. The citizens of Ukraine felt a part of the community which was not controlled by the Government, which was able to defend its rights. The civil society in Ukraine became a reality.

The Ukrainian people appeared before the world as a modern nation. Neither different languages that we speak nor different religions that we have nor even political views that we choose prevent us to feel the common character of our destiny. The Ukrainians have been united by the wish to live in a country that is based upon democratic values.

Ten years ago the desire of the Ukrainians to be a part of the European space brought our country to the Council of Europe. At that time Ukraine declared its intention to see itself among nations that were united by common democratic heritage and by joint commitment to freedom in all its aspects.

The Orange Revolution is the nationwide confirmation of that intention. It has clearly demonstrated that the rule of law and respect for human rights are now predominant for the Ukrainians as they choose their future. Through the will of the people, freedom got established as a fundamental value of the Ukrainian society. The European choice of Ukraine has become a reality. And it is irreversible.

We, the citizens of Ukraine, are proud of the choice we made. We are grateful to everyone who supported us on that way. In the most difficult days, the Ukrainian democracy knew that it can rely on your support, my dear friends.

On behalf of democratic Ukraine I would like to thank you for raising your voice at the time when journalist Heorhiy Gongadze was killed. We are grateful for your support in our fight against censorship and attacks on freedom of expression in my country.

I would like to assure you that the investigation of Gongadze murder case will be completed. All cases related to instances of violence against journalists will be investigated. Those guilty will be brought to trial.

I want to say special words of gratitude to two noble and courageous ladies – to PACE co-rapporteurs Mrs. Hanne Severinsen and Mrs. RenateWohlwend. Through their voices the European democracy spoke in Ukraine.

We also remember that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has helped streamline the process of bringing amendments to the Ukrainian Constitution in to the legal framework.

The Ukrainian citizens are profoundly grateful to the Council of Europe representatives who took part as observers in the electoral process in Ukraine. Your denunciation of election fraud became a real support to millions of Ukrainians. We felt at that time that we were not alone. The authority of the Council of Europe reinforced our confidence that we were right.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I became the President by the will of the Ukrainian people that wishes to see its country prosperous and democratic. My vision of Ukraine is of a society and a state governed by the rule of law. This vision of mine has deep personal and national roots.

From Strasbourg, this symbol of Europe’s conscience, its reconciliation and unity, I will go to Auschwitz. That place has become the symbol of pain. It reminds us of the Holocaust, a dreadful crime against humanity. That is the place of sufferings of my father, Andriy Yushchenko, a village teacher and a soldier who was wounded and taken prisoner to Auschwitz under the number 11367.

I have already been to that place together with my children. I hope to go there with my grand-children as well. My family has not forgotten my father’s stories. I took back to Kyiv a handful of earth from Auschwitz. And I have sworn over it that there would be any “Jewish issue” in Ukraine.

I belong to a nation that had to go through the largest tragedies in the European history of the XXth century – two world wars, the great Ukrainian famine-genocide, and the Holocaust. As a patriot of my country, and a responsible politician, I have always done and will always do everything I can so that Ukraine never has any element of anti-Semitism, intolerance to any ethnic groups, religions, and cultures.

I would like to assure you that in my capacity of the President I will take every effort to secure the irreversibility of democratic changed in my country. The Ukrainian public authorities will do their utmost to secure the fundamental principles of the Council of Europe – human rights protection, pluralist democracy and the rule of law.

We will see to it that the state not only makes verbal guarantees but safeguards basic human rights and freedoms. The rule of law will become the cornerstone for all the state institutions, the courts of law in particular. No one will be above the law, everyone will be equal to it. ]

The Ukrainian court of law opened up a way for a peaceful solution to the crisis when the situation was critical. The ruling of the Supreme Court to conduct a revote of the second round of the Presidential election clearly showed that the rule of law had won. The fact was highly appreciated by the Parliamentary Assembly. But that was just the beginning of the work that Ukraine is facing. Our top priority is to bring fully in line our legislation and judicial practice with the standards of the Council of Europe. This is especially true regarding the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights.

The citizens of Ukraine want to have an honest, professional, and responsible Government. We will cure the Ukrainian public authorities of corruption. Transparency and respect for human rights and freedoms must become the Government’s indisputable features.

A versatile and well-established civil society is the key instrument to bring about the changes and to make them irreversible. My role is to constantly encourage citizen participation in decision making at every level of the public authorities structure.

The society must know what is happening in the country. The members of the society have to hear one another. Ukraine needs freedom of expression and independent media.  The evolution of the media space brought about by the Orange Revolution was a significant step. Ukrainians are better informed today, and the media is freer. However, new steps are needed, and as we make them we will be guided by all recommendations of the Council of Europe. High standards of the freedom of expression will become a norm for us.

The local self-government is to play an important role in the country’s democratization. They were extremely active throughout the crisis in supporting the voters’ efforts to have fair elections and change the regime. The local communities will see their rights fully implemented.

Ukraine is a pluralist society where various minorities coexist. Our versatility makes us rich. The duty of the Government is to provide safeguards against oppression and discrimination for all the groups of citizens with a common language, religion, descent or living area. Ukraine will never have second-rate citizens.

Ukraine will meet all its commitments to the Council of Europe that have not yet been implemented. We have to bring the public prosecutor’s supervision in line with the legal framework of the Council of Europe and we have to adopt a new code of criminal procedures – these are some of the priorities of our political reform.  

We hope that we will get support of the Council of European the implementation of these ambitious tasks, and its expert assistance in particular.

I am sure that our cooperation will acquire a new quality. The watchful and uncompromising position of the Council of Europe has helped us push forward the democratic process, and we are going to make it irreversible. I hope that soon there will be no grounds for external monitoring of democracy development in the country. Ukraine will do its utmost in the next election campaign to show the member of the Parliamentary Assembly that the country lives by the European election standards. As I take the office, profound changes will start in the life of my country. I have a clear plan of transformations, and I have a team to implement it. Let me outline this plan for you.

I said in my inaugural address, “My objective is to see Ukraine in the European Union. This is an established formula for well-being and security. History, economic prospects, and interests of the people prove that the Ukrainian road into the future is the road of the United Europe.

Not long ago, many people thought that Ukrainian accession to the European Union was a possibility of a distant future, too early to be discussed. But the history of Europe has repeatedly proved that free European nations can accelerate the time. Rapid changes have been symbolized by the crush of the Berlin wall, the round table in Warsaw, and our Maidan, the central square of Kyiv.

We welcome the intention of the European Union to develop a new strategy of relations with Ukraine. This is an important signal. I am convinced that the new paper should contain a prospect of membership. We believe that the EU-Ukraine Action Plan should be reviewed.

Ukraine expects to get the status of a market economy in the nearest future, and we are going to join WTO and conclude a free trade space agreement with the EU by the end of 2005.

Millions of Ukrainians also hope to see simplified visa regime between Ukraine and the European Union country members.

Dear friends!

Ukraine is starting the implementation of ambitious goals. But I am sure that they are realistic, for they are the will of the Ukrainian citizens who have thrown away the burden of the country’s past. This is the will of Ukraine, the modern European nation.

The European democracy has not yet exhausted its potential. Mykhola Khvyliovy, the outstanding Ukrainian writer shot and killed by Stalin’s henchmen, wrote that Europe had not said its most important word, and its future would come from the east. We have seen that future in Maidan where Ukrainian colours flew next to the banners of all European countries, from Portugal to Georgia. Ukraine is opening up the history of Europe in the third millennium. I greet you on behalf of this new Ukraine!

Thank you for attention.