European Union Launches a Major Information Campaign in Ukraine

This initiative is to help citizens understand the opportunities that will result from closer relations with Europe.

The European Union – in close cooperation with Member State Embassies – has officially launched a public awareness campaign to explain the benefits of closer association of Ukraine with the European Union. The initiative titled ‘Stronger Together’ started with a media presentation at the National Philharmonia Concert Hall in Kyiv to outline the opportunities that will develop for the Ukrainian people if the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement are signed at the EU summit in Vilnius in November 2013.

The keynote speech was presented by EU Ambassador Jan Tombinski who outlined the work that needs to be done by the government and Parliament to ensure that it will be possible for all 28 EU member states to sign the agreements at the Vilnius summit.  He stressed that it should not be taken as a foregone conclusion that the European states will sign and a considerable amount of work needs to be done. He was pleased, however, to see that the Rada were now working diligently on outstanding matters.

Ambassador Tombinski described the opportunity for Ukraine as a pivotal point in history where the Ukrainian people could define their own destiny.  He said that the EU will provide the mechanisms with which to build Europe in Ukraine.  He outlined that Europe was committed to help in this process so that Ukraine could learn from the mistakes that had been made by others in the past so that much of the legislation could be fast tracked into law.  He said: “The decision on association with the EU is a positive choice. The EU does not impose anything on Ukraine that could damage relations with its neighbours, including Russia. On the contrary, the reform and modernisation of Ukraine in line with the Association Agreement is in the best interests of all parties, including Russia.”

Ambassador Tombinski was followed by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andrii Olefirov, who outlined the government’s positive attitude towards European integration.  He reiterated the Ambassador’s words that a great deal of work needed to be done and was being done as the government was committed to a successful summit in Vilnius. 

The President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Industry and Commerce Hennadii Chyzhykov outlined many of the positive factors that would result for Ukrainian business and, in particular, the SME sector which in Ukraine accounts for only 10% of the GDP whilst in the EU it is over 57%. 

Tomas Fiala, Chairman of the European Business Association gave details of how the agreement would influence foreign investment.  He said that foreign investors recognised the value and importance of Ukraine both from a geographical and industrial point of view but at present found the business climate too precarious to warrant investment.  Once the agreement is signed and the government is mandated to build a level business playing field, investment in new industries and new jobs would follow sooner rather than later.  He also outlined the reality of Ukraine’s economic relations with Russia pointing out that Russia’s current trade with the EU is ten times larger than its trade with Ukraine and that it can only be to Russia’s economic advantage if Ukraine signs with the EU.

The third section of the event was devoted to civil society and future generations with presentations from the Director of the Institute for World Policy Alyona Hetmanchuk and the President of the European Youth Parliament of Ukraine Anna Suprunenko, both of whom stressed the importance to future generations of a Ukraine governed in accordance with European values.  Anna Suprunenko noted that the fact that the young people of Ukraine had been asked to contribute to this event was indicative of the values that Ukrainians already cherish.

The presentations were concluded by the Ukrainian musician Sviatoslav Vakarchuk who spoke passionately about the values he believed that Ukrainians hold dear.  He said that the decision was not only a decision for the government but for every Ukrainian where they had to decide by which values they wanted to live for today and for tomorrow.  He said that this was not a decision of which friends to choose but which values are important and if we want to live by the values of freedom, justice, openness and honesty then his personal choice would be a European solution to which he received a standing ovation.

The presentation was hosted by the European Union and was attended by Ambassadors from the EU member states, the new US Ambassador, senior members of leading Ukrainian political parties and civil society as well as nearly 20 television channels and over 100 journalists from national and regional publications.