Press Center of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Chech Republic informs that the Czech Republic’s parliament has ratified Ukraine’s Association Agreement with the European Union, approved by the Ukrainian and the European Parliaments on September 16, 2014.
The Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU has been approved at first reading by the lower house of the parliament of the Czech Republic on April 2, 2015, however Deputies of “Dawn of Direct Democracy” (right-wing populists) and the Communists tried to drop the consideration of the bill. Before final approval the document will be considered by parliamentary committees on foreign policy and European Affairs. On Thursday the lawmakers reduced the time for such discussions from 60 to 40 days. Besides President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman is known for his pro-Kremlin position. For example, he stated that on May 9, 2015 he would go to Moscow to celebrate the ‘Victory Day’ with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Actually, the US, Japan and leaders from France, Germany, Great Britain, Norway, Georgia, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Slovakia have already refused such invitation to this ceremony in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the WWII Victory Day from the President of Russian Federation Vladimir Putin because of the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014 and illegal annexation of the Crimean peninsula.
The Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU has already been ratified by Ireland, Denmark, Hungary, Sweden, Estonia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia, Malta, Poland, Romania, Germany and it is expected that all EU countries will ratify the agreement by May 2015.
