Prosecutor General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin welcomes the decision of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to submit to the Verkhovna Rada a bill on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) and I personally have always supported and continue to support this initiative. Ratification of the Rome Statute is not only a necessary condition for Ukraine's integration into the European Union. It is also a clear signal that Ukraine shares the principles of an international order based on laws and rules and is fully prepared to act in line with those principles," he said in a statement on the PGO's website on Friday.

Kostin also said Ukraine already does "a lot of things envisaged by the Rome Statute" since it has created all conditions necessary for the ICC to effectively conduct unbiased investigations, as well as adopted relevant amendments to the legislation.

"Ukrainian prosecutors cooperate with the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on a daily basis, providing all necessary materials and assisting in the collection of evidence. The ICC has a field office in Ukraine – the largest outside The Hague. Ratification of the Rome Statute will only strengthen this cooperation," he said.

The Prosecutor General also noted that Ukraine's accession to the ICC participants will provide additional opportunities to use the court's tools, in particular, to support victims of crimes committed during the Russian aggression.

"The Prosecutor General's Office for its part is ready to continue to provide maximum assistance to the work of the International Criminal Court and is open to cooperation with international partners," he said.

As reported, on August 15, President Zelenskyy submitted to the Verkhovna Rada bill No. 0285 on ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and amendments to it.