Andrii Deshchytsia: ‘Ukraine has no differences of choice between Europe and Russia, only choice between the future and the past’

‘I see Ukraine in the European Union. But I also see years of hard work that should lead us to this goal. I see Ukraine within its internally recognized borders. I see our neighbors who respect each other’s choice and rights’, Deshchytsia noted.

‘There are no differences of choice between Europe and Russia for Ukraine, there’s only choice between the future and the past’, he added.

According to Deshchytsia, as the Acting Minister, he observes unprecedented consolidation of the international democratic community’s response to the events around Ukraine every day. ‘None of our partners has ever decided for us what Ukraine’s and its people’s future should be like… I’ve never heard either in Washington or in Brussels any instructions on where Ukraine should be going to. Meanwhile, every day we hear from another capital (Moscow) what our agenda should be like, and what our future route should be like’, he added. According to Deshchytsia, the only condition set to Kyiv in the European capitals is for Ukraine to become a truly democratic country where fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens as well as the rule of law would be guaranteed in practice.

Besides, he shared his observations on the way the world has changed as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine: ‘First of all, the military occupation has united Ukrainians around the idea of our sovereignty and the European future for Ukraine’. Secondly, in the Ukrainian MFA chief’s opinion, the UN has become a truly united organization after the entire security system architecture had undergone trials after the World War II. ‘And, thirdly, the aggression has brought to the forefront the values of democracy and freedom, and settlement of the present crisis will under no circumstances be paid for at the cost of these values’, Deshchytsia summed up.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The Kyiv Security Forum agenda is designed for 2 days and offers six panels open to the media representatives. The agenda can be amended, with amendments posted on the Forum’s website.

A separate area (Press Center) will be organized for the press, with equipped workplaces and Wi-Fi Internet access as well as live broadcast of all the Forum panels. In addition, a specially equipped area in the session hall will be reserved for journalists.

The organizers are ready to help arrange individual interviews with and comments from the Forum speakers on advance notice.

The Kyiv Security Forum annual international event, initiated by the Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation in 2007, is a platform for debates on the most pressing security issues in Europe and the Black Sea region. The Forum’s mission is to increase security cooperation between the European Union and the Black Sea region, raise awareness about security development among key players, and promote the role of independent and non-governmental actors in setting the security agenda in Europe.

The event is supported by the Viktor Pinchuk Foundation, the NATO Information and Documentation Centre in Ukraine, and the Chatham House Royal Institute of International Relations (UK).

For information on the project visit http://ksf.openukraine.org/

The Open Ukraine Foundation is an international charitable foundation established at the initiative of Arseniy Yatsenyuk for strengthening public diplomacy and developing Ukraine’s reputation in the world. The Foundation achieves its goal by implementing the key programs: International Dialogue, Cultural Horizons, and Young Leaders. The Foundation is an organization of a broad circle of charity providers and unites around itself any people who care for Ukraine’s reputation and future.

For more details about the Foundation visit http://openukraine.org.