On 24 July 2014, a delegation of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly headed by its President Hugh Bailey paid a visit to Ukraine. The NATO PA delegation consisted of President Bayley Vice-Presidents, Dr. Karl A. Lamers (Germany) and Dr. Daniel Bacquelaine (Belgium), and Secretary General David Hobbs.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly delegation met with Prime Minister of Ukraine Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov.

In the course of the meeting, the Parties discussed the issue of threat to the collective security system in the world in connection with Russia's occupation of Crimea and support of international terrorism.  

Expressing unequivocal support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, President Hugh Bayley condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine: “President Putin’s doctrine of military intervention in sovereign states on the pretext of protecting Russian speakers must be vigorously opposed by the international community in order uphold the principles of national sovereignty and international law. As the people of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine are now realizing, separatist movements are turning out to be thinly disguised gangsters, terrorists, and externally sponsored infiltrators. The battles on Ukrainian territory are actually a threat to peace and security in Europe.”

"We treat with great respect the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and we consider our cooperation a guarantee of global security", said Oleksandr Turchynov.

In his words, there is no alternative for Ukraine's European way of development, "however, aggression of the Russian Federation got in our way towards Europe".

“Ukraine’s programme of reform and revival is being supported by the European Union and NATO. Ukraine could and should also have a mutually beneficial political and economic relationship with Russia, yet Russia seems intent upon undermining Ukraine’s stability and right to determine its own future,” said Mr Bayley.

The Parties also discussed the issue on providing Ukraine with super-precision weapons and material and technical assistance in the fight against "terrorists supported by Russia". 

According to President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, shooting down of a civil aircraft "Boeing-777" has become a point of no return in the system of global collective security.   “This tragic event shows that Russia’s destabilizing actions in Ukraine are of concern to the entire international community,” President Bayley continued. “Russia should fulfil its legal obligations, withdraw its troops from Ukraine’s borders, stop the flow of fighters, equipment, and weapons, and exert its influence so that the separatists lay down their arms.”

In the words of Vice-President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Daniel Bacquelaine, "today the agenda includes not the issue of Ukraine's security but the issue of Europe's and the whole civilized world's security".

Moreover, according to Oleksandr Turchynov, collective security system should work, and, thus, "cooperation in the framework of the North-Atlantic Alliance is more important than ever".

"There is no alternative for us to European and Euro-Atlantic integration", summed up the Chair of the Parliament. 

Source:

Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine http://iportal.rada.gov.ua/en/news/News/News/page/en/news/News/News/96332.html

NATO Parliamentary Assembly http://www.nato-pa.int/default.asp?CAT2=0&CAT1=0&CAT0=0&SHORTCUT=3540