The Hague Declaration of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA), adopted following the 33rd summer session of the OSCE PA, just like the resolution of the European Parliament, points to the inadmissibility of pressure on the opposition and makes this a condition for membership in the European Union, notes Member of Parliament of Ukraine, co-chairman of the European Solidarity parliamentary faction, and vice-president of an OSCE PA committee Artur Herasymov.
"A document where, out of 216 main paragraphs, more than 60 are dedicated to Ukraine. It also covers the recognition of Russia’s crimes against the Ukrainian people, our state, and culture. Partners noted the role of Ukraine as a key defender of the eastern flank of the entire democratic world. This is an unconditional victory for our entire delegation, which represented Ukraine at this event, and proof that Russian aggression against Ukraine remains in the focus of all civilized countries of the world," Herasymov wrote on Facebook on Thursday.
However, according to him, international partners in the document "explicitly emphasize: the resilience of Ukraine and our victory depend not only on weapons, but also on the strength of our own democratic institutions, parliamentary pluralism, the rule of law, and the independence of anti-corruption bodies."
"This is direct evidence that the West expects real reforms, the fight against corruption, and the strengthening of democracy from Zelenskyy’s team, rather than its curtailment. Our allies want to see Ukraine as a European state, not a copy of a ‘little Russian regime’ with a monopoly on power, the destruction of the opposition, pressure on the media, or the imposition of groundless illegal sanctions on the opposition leader. Our future membership in the European Union depends on the fulfillment of these requirements," Herasymov pointed out, thanking the partners for their continued support of Ukraine.
In turn, the head of the Permanent Delegation to the OSCE PA, Member of Parliament from the Servant of the People party and head of the Committee on Humanitarian and Information Policy Mykyta Poturaiev, noted that the approved general Hague Declaration "fully corresponds to both the immediate and strategic goals of Ukraine."
"Out of 216 points of the Declaration, more than 60 are clearly aimed at supporting our country and harshly condemning the war of Russia. More than 20 points also correspond to the common interests and tasks of both Ukraine and other OSCE member states—with the exception of Russia, of course," the parliamentarian noted.
In addition to the main document, Assembly delegates demonstrated unity when voting for an expanded package of additional decisions that provide a legal and political assessment of the actions of the occupying forces, as well as protect freedom of speech, the rights of journalists, and indigenous peoples undergoing systematic persecution by Russia.
"In the package of additional resolutions, the OSCE PA also unanimously supported resolutions with specific emphasis on crimes against humanity and war crimes of Russia. The importance of Ukraine’s role as a defender of the eastern flank of the democratic world and the need for comprehensive support for our country were noted separately," Poturaiev said.
According to him, an important part of the work of Ukrainian representatives in the Netherlands was an intensive bilateral dialogue. On the sidelines of the session, numerous negotiations were held with key Western partners to promptly advance the defense and strategic needs of our state. "Members of the Ukrainian delegation held dozens of personal meetings, promoting our current needs. Meaningful bilateral negotiations were also conducted with delegations from Great Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, and the United States. Ukraine remains in the focus of international attention and support," Poturaiev said.
