The USAID RADA: Next Generation Program supported the visit of representatives of the Association of People's Deputies of Ukraine (APDU) to Graz, Austria, where the European Association of Former Members of Parliaments of the Council of Europe (FP-AP) held a meeting to mark the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe.
The Ukrainian delegation agreed to renew its membership in the FP-AP, support the institutional development of the APDU, and provide expertise in the implementation of parliamentary reform. The discussions focused on current challenges and opportunities for democracy and parliamentarism.
As part of the meeting, a roundtable discussion "Ukraine 2024" was held. The participants discussed the state of parliamentary democracy in Ukraine and the challenges posed by the full-scale russia's invasion. Members of the APDU also raised the issue of international assistance that Ukraine currently needs.
"Our delegation spoke very firmly about the defense of Ukraine, about the necessary assistance to the Armed Forces, about the restoration of Ukrainian cities and the Ukrainian economy after the war, and about the compensation to be paid by the aggressor country. We have to use any European platform, using our own political experience, so that the civilized world can work together to help Ukraine win," said Mykhailo Pozhyvanov, a member of the Ukrainian delegation.
The USAID RADA: Next Generation Program systematically assists the Verkhovna Rada and other stakeholders in developing interparliamentary dialogue to enlist the support of foreign national parliaments for Ukraine's successful European integration, democratic development, and victory in russia's war.