Coordinating efforts to strengthen VRU's capacity for European integration

On February 28, USAID "RADA: Next Generation Program" held a coordination meeting of international technical assistance projects and programs, bringing together nearly 100 participants. Among them were members of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (VRU), the leadership and staff of the VRU Secretariat and committees, international donors, representatives of embassies, and the public.

The topic of the discussion was "Role of Verkhovna Rada on the Way to Ukraine's Full Membership in the EU." In particular, MPs Ivanna Klympush-Tsyntsadze and Vadym Halaychuk spoke about the needs of the Ukrainian parliament.

They emphasized that in order to effectively fulfill European integration tasks, it is important to:

1. develop the expert potential of the VRU Secretariat staff, organize trainings and study visits to other European parliaments;
2. to engage external experts and jointly seek solutions to complex problems, assess risks, and carry out crisis communications;
3. ensure transparency of the Parliament and involve as many stakeholders as possible;
4. strengthen the oversight function and effectively coordinate European integration activities with the government;
5. intensify parliamentary diplomacy and international communications, considering upcoming elections in Europe.

USAID "RADA: Next Generation" Program's experts also presented the experience of European parliaments on their way to EU membership. Afterward, other international programs and projects introduced their current activities to strengthen the European integration capacities of the VRU. The participants agreed to coordinate their work to achieve maximum results.