Official Visit of President Pöttering to Ukraine & participation in the EU-US Summit in Prague (03/04/2009)

Hans-Gert Pöttering, the President of the European Parliament, will pay an official visit to Ukraine on Monday, the 6th of April on the invitation of Mr Volodymyr Lytvyn, the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.

During the visit the President will meet with the President of Ukraine Mr Viktor Jushchenko, the Prime Minister Mrs Julia Tymoshenko, as well as the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Mr Volodymyr Lytvyn. President Pöttering will also have an exchange-of-views with the leader of the opposition, former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich. The President will also participate in a round table with representatives of Non Governmental Organisations.

The highlight of the visit will be an address by President Pöttering to an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada. In his speech the President will convey a strong message on the necessary substantive cooperation between the European Union and Ukraine in a bilateral and multilateral framework. The President of the European Parliament will also underline the importance of political stability, of well carried out reforms and smoothly functioning institutions in order to deepen and strengthen EU relations with Ukraine, particularly in the light of the launch of the Eastern Partnership and ongoing negotiations on the Association Agreement.

Hans-Gert Pöttering will fly to Kiev directly from Prague, where he will be participating this Sunday, together with the Heads of State and Government of the Member States in the EU-US Summit with President Barack Obama.


On the EU-Summit:
Jesus Gomez, Spokesperson, + 32 498983309

On the official visit to Ukraine:
Robert A. Golanski, Press Adviser, +32 475 75 16 63

Please find below the programme of the official visit to Ukraine

Official visit to Ukraine

9.00 Meeting with Mr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada

Photo opportunity

Joint Press Briefing

10.00 Meeting with Mrs Tymoshenko, Prime Minister of Ukraine

Photo opportunity

10.40

Press Point with PM Tymoshenko

11.00 Speech by the President of European Parliament at a Special Plenary Session of the Verkhovna Rada

11.35

Meeting with V. Yanukovich, leader of main opposition party, Head of Party of Regions

Photo opportunity

13.00

Meeting with President V. Yuschenko

Photo opportunity

16.00

Round Table with NGOs

(venue EC Delegation)