WELCOME NOTES OF MR MEVLÜT ÇAVUŞOĞLU,

PRESIDENT OF THE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY,

TO THE ATTENTION OF MR VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH,

PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE

(Strasbourg, Tuesday 27 April 2010, 11h00)

Dear President,

We would like to welcome you here and congratulate you on your election, which was considered to be free, fair and democratic by international observers, including those from the Assembly.

We hope that your election will also be the start of a process of overcoming the systemic political crisis and infighting between the different branches of power that has so much hindered the development of your country over the last years.

We hope that you, your government, and the members of the Rada will make all efforts to ensure that the reforms that Ukraine has committed itself to (electoral, constitutional, judiciary and procurator for example) will now be implemented without further delay.

As parliamentarians we have noted that many attempts to reform have been stalled in the Rada. We therefore hope that your election will not only herald new efforts by the executive, but also by the legislative powers to implement the reforms and comply with the few remaining accession commitments of Ukraine. Of course, the Parliamentary Assembly and the Council of Europe as always are ready to assist your country in the implementation of these much-needed reforms.

Dear President, welcome again and it is with great pleasure that I am giving you the floor.