Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has welcomed the opportunity to hold a meeting between the leaders of opposition factions and representatives of the authorities and Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and stressed to the need to engage journalists and the leaders and representatives of social movements in this dialog.

"I welcome the decision by the leaders of opposition factions in the Verkhovna Rada to hold a round table with representatives of the authorities and Yanukovych," Tymoshenko said in a statement, which was published on her official Web site early on Monday.

In her opinion, the participants in this round table "will have a deep public debate in order to find ways to stop the country's slipping into the abyss of statelessness, the final discrediting of political institutions, the destruction of basic moral values, and the escalation of a cold war by artificially splitting the nation into 'fascists' and 'anti-fascists.'"

In addition, Tymoshenko expressed hope that a "roadmap" of Ukraine's movement to the EU would be agreed at this meeting.

"I believe that it would be expedient to invite to this meeting a wide range of media representatives, as well as the leaders and representatives of social movements. This public meeting cannot be considered the legalization of corrupt authoritarianism and the Ukrainophobia of the regime. It can only be a mechanism that will slow Ukraine's degradation until the overthrow of the ruling 'family,'" reads the statement.

As reported, on June 6, MPs received an annual presidential address to Verkhovna Rada on the domestic and foreign situation in Ukraine in 2013.

After that, the opposition demanded that Yanukovych present the address in parliament.

Opposition deputies blocked the work of parliament. The Verkhovna Rada did not work on June 6 and 7.

The press service of the Verkhovna Rada reported on June 10 that Yanukovych, at a meeting with Verkhovna Rada Speaker Volodymyr Rybak, had agreed to hold a meeting with the leaders of parliamentary factions: "The Ukrainian president has agreed to hold a meeting with the leaders of the parliamentary factions. Yanukovych said that he is ready to make changes in his work schedule this week, given the importance of the meeting."