“Ukraine will be a star of the EU. In spite of everything”

Ukraine is a future star of the European Union, in spite of the decision recently made by the current government on halting the preparations for signing the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement. This was announced by the head of Monitoring Council of the Open Ukraine Foundation Terezia Yatseniuk in her opening address at the 2nd Youth Kyiv Security Forum “Efficient governance: the only way to the EU.”

Experts from 15 countries of the world, as well as experienced specialists from Austria, Great Britain, Georgia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, and Switzerland came to Ukraine on Friday. The experts gathered within the framework of the Youth Kyiv Security Forum, which was organized on the initiative of Arsenii Yatseniuk’s Open Ukraine Foundation, with an aim to discuss the question of efficiency of governance and security in the context of EU integration process. Diplomats, representatives of international organizations and institutions in Ukraine, such as the EU, UN, NATO, OSCE, World Bank, etc., shared their experience with young people. At this year’s forum international experts told why Ukraine’s accession to the EU is impossible without the rule of law, curbed corruption, transparency, and accountability of the government before the society.

“BELIEF IN YOUTH”

“In spite of yesterday’s events in our country, we are sure that Ukraine is and will be a star of the European Union. And we pin these hopes on you, the youth,” the head of the Monitoring Committee of the Foundation “Open Ukraine” Terezia Yatseniuk appealed to the participants of the forum. She noted that the second forum for youth became a logical continuation of the international Kyiv Security Forum, which has been held by the Open Ukraine Foundation for six years in succession.

On her part, Director of the NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine Natalia NEMYLIVSKA emphasized that the forum was actual and well-timed. “This event is called to help deepen the understanding of today’s situation and the mechanisms in the branch of efficient strategies of fighting corruption,” she underlined and added that NATO takes part in this discussion as well.

“SOCIETY MUST OVERCOME THE SOVIET MENTALITY”

Speakers at the 2nd Kyiv Security Forum for Youth agreed that Ukraine needs to pay attention to the problem of corruption, raise the level of education, and make the system of governance transparent for a faster overcoming of problematic aspects of EU integration. Head of Go-Governance Institute, Vienna, Austria, Dr. Melanie SULLY considers that it is much easier to build a strong state in Ukraine than it was in some countries, which are now leading in terms of finance: “This process in your country might take even shorter than in Britain. You have a law on sovereignty; you may skip some stages, and learn from others’ mistakes.” At the same time the expert underlined that you must keep to consensus concerning the rules of the game in parliament. “It seems to me this question is very actual and urgent. You also need to create a system of restraint and counterweighing, which would balance the entire system of governing,” she admitted.

The participants have also shared the international experience of way to efficient governing. President, FATA Research Centre (Pakistan) Dr. Ashraf ALI told about the low life standards in his country and assumed that Ukraine should pay attention to Pakistani mistakes and refrain from repeating them. “There are several indicators which may help define the life standards in the state. Those include such criteria as political stability, absence of violence, efficiency of the government and its ability to take certain measures concerning the rule of law and fighting corruption. In Pakistan we have not reached even 25 percent in these indicators. We have high prices for goods and services, we have poverty and unemployment. If nobody takes care of these problems, the country may stay in the crisis forever.”

Human Development Advisor, Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Ukraine Gaspar BERGMAN paid attention of the audience to the problem of lifespan. “People in Sweden and Norway live the longest. People in Sudan and Somalia live the shortest. Why is it so? In fact, there are many reasons. Inefficient governance is the major one. People do not get normal life conditions and this makes them suffer not only morally, but physically, too. You won’t live a long life in a country which does not create any conditions for this.”

OSCE Project Coordinator in Ukraine Rene BeBeau made an emphasis on the problems of human rights protection and said that OSCE members are actively working on improving the conditions for Ukrainians: “We are actively working in a number of spheres. One of them is human rights protection. The question of protection and helping to promote human rights is oriented above all at young people. We are working on changing legal education, spreading booklets in schools, holding the forums, where we share our own vision of solving some or other issues.”

“We have actively worked in Dnipropetrovsk oblast. There we created an online registration system for reception by state officials; now citizens can get help without standing in lines. We are cooperating with the National Academy of State Governance, which is involved in improving of the level state officials’ qualification,” Rene BeBeau praised the success of his colleagues.

“SIGNING OF ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH THE EU WOULD HAVE LED TO UKRAINE’S MODERNIZATION”

Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Kyiv Maria JURIKOVA is disappointed at the turn of events. “Signing of Association Agreement with the European Union would have led to Ukraine’s modernization,” Jurikova assessed the decision of Ukrainian government to refuse from signing the Association Agreement with the European Union. Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Kyiv is sure that the life standards would have essentially improved, social benefits, and salaries would have increased as a result of signing the agreement.

The diplomat assured that undermining of signing of Association Agreement with the EU became a disappointed not only for Ukrainians, but representatives of the EU as well. She said that, according to Catherine Ashton, the EU hoped that long-term reforms will have a positive influence on this process, and that in spite of suspension of the agreement its sincerely believes that Ukrainians would remain adherents of the European Union. From herself she added that the preparation for signing the Association Agreement has already positively influenced the changes within Ukraine: “I want to remind you of the contribution the EU made by helping Ukraine in the system of efficient governance. I will note that the level of corruption has decreased. However, certain drawbacks remain. In particular, Ukraine should create an independent body of executive power on combating corruption. Whether the law on purchase meets the European standards remains a question, too. On the one hand, Ukraine showed resoluteness in reform its sector of justice. The law on prosecutor’s office was also approved in the first reading. But further steps are needed and, hopefully, Ukrainian MPs will make them.”

“At this stage we should act accurately and pragmatically. All sides need time to think over and assess the recent events. But it is very sad to understand that we have lost this opportunity. Signing of Association Agreement with EU was supposed to lead to modernization of the country. This is the only way for the economy to grow. The country needs a transparent economic environment to attract investors. And owing to foreign investments, the wages in Ukraine would have increased, correspondingly the life standards of the population. Proof of this is the experience of the countries which have joined the EU over the past two periods,” Jurikova said in the end of her speech.