NordenBladet —

President of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) Jüri Ratas expressed Estonia’s full support to Ukraine at the meeting with Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk today in Kyiv.

Ratas underlined that there was no doubt in the global democratic community that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity were unconditional. “Invasion of an independent state is a grave violation of international law,” Ratas said. He recalled that the war in Donbass had been going on for eight years already, and it had to stop immediately.

Ratas assured his Ukrainian counterpart of the cooperation of like-minded democratic states and allies, and promised that Ukraine would not be left alone. “It is our duty to support Ukraine in your fight for your territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Ratas said.

Current security situation and plans for interparliamentary cooperation were discussed at the meeting.

At the meeting with Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, Ratas also assured that Estonia supports Ukraine in every way both bilaterally and in international organisations. Security cooperation, including military assistance, development cooperation and humanitarian aid, as well as cyber defence cooperation were discussed.  

The President of the Riigikogu gave a speech at the digital development and digital services forum Diia Summit. He spoke about the digitalisation of democratic societies through the example of Estonia and emphasised that the development of digital governance must be citizen-focused, and the legislation should support it.

The President of the Riigikogu is accompanied on the visit by Chair of Estonia-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship Group of the Riigikogu Mati Raidma and Member of the Riigikogu Urmas Reinsalu. In the afternoon, the Estonian delegation laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and commemorated the victims of the Great Famine of the 1930s in Ukraine (Holodomor). Tomorrow, the Estonian delegation will visit the Administrative Border Line with Crimea and get information about the situation there.

Photos of the visit (Erik Peinar, Chancellery of the Riigikogu)

Source: Parliament of Estonia