FRIENDS OF EUROPEAN UKRAINE

Back in December 2014, upon the initiative of MEP from Lithuania Petras Auštrevičius an informal group "Friends of European Ukraine " was created in the European Parliament. At its very first session the group already included 50 members from 18 EU member states, representing different political groups, including the socialists, liberals and conservatives. The inaugural meeting was attended by MPs of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Iryna Gerashchenko, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Maria Ionova, Olena Sotnyk, Ostap Semerak, Olexander Prysyazhnyuk, Chairman of Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov and Representative of Ukraine to the EU Kostiantyn Yelisieiev.

During the meeting the co-chairs of the group were elected, namely: from the EU side - Petras Auštrevičius, from the Ukrainian side - Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze and Ostap Semerak. Ukrainian delegation informed that the Ukrainian part of the group had already been established in the Verkhovna Rada (over 50 members).

Petras Auštrevičius has been elected as a Co-Chair of the European component of the Group, and Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze has been elected as Co-Chairs of the Ukrainian component. The Group conducts its work complementing the regular activities within the Parliamentary Association Committee.