On 1 December 2011 the European Parliament adopted at its plenary session in Brussels a Resolution containing European Parliament’s recommendations to the Council, the Commission and the EEAS on the negotiations of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

On this occasion the Representative of Ukraine to the EU Kostiantyn Yelisieiev made the following comment:

“I heartily welcome today’s European Parliament voting in support of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU. In the document the European Parliament has recognized Ukraine as a European State which pursuant to art.49 TEU may apply for EU membership, and has called on other EU institutions to do likewise.

The European Parliament has proved to be a locomotive power of the European idea. And we cannot but commend the stance the Parliament has taken towards Ukraine. I do hope that the Recommendations of the only representative institution of the European Union, and thus by definition the most legitimate one, will be duly taken into account by all actors towards making the European integration of Ukraine, our political association and economic integration with the EU, an inevitable reality. A key instrument for this is rapid initialling, conclusion and then ratification of the Association agreement. I am happy to see that the European Parliament also shares this view.

I am aware that if we shall claim victory, we shall do it together. The times are decisive. Recent internal developments in Ukraine revealed a number of improvements needed. Nor the internal situation in the EU is an optimal one. That’s why today we both are in a desperate need of small victories. The Association Agreement is precisely the case: a roadmap for Ukraine to gradually overcome fallacies and for the EU to upgrade its relations with a third country to an unprecedented level. More resolute we are, more we get. Therefore, I am looking forward to Ukraine-EU Summit in Kyiv on 19 December 2011 where we both can get more.

Last final remark: precisely 20 years ago on the 1 December 1991 Ukrainian people made a major step at a nation-wide referendum to constitute Ukraine as a full-fledged independent state. More than 90,32% voters supported the independence of Ukraine proclaimed by the Parliament in August earlier that year. Today the importance of that day is sometimes obliterated, but it was only after 1 December 1991 that the world community recognized Ukraine as a sovereign and independent state, following the expression of will of the Ukrainian people.

I think that in much the same way the vote of the European Parliament of 01 December 2011 will be remembered by the connoisseurs in the Ukrainian European integration matters as a milestone towards Ukraine’s full-fledged membership in the European Union” .

, К.Єлісєєв, Представник України при ЄС