Zelenski nominated for Liberal International Prize for Freedom

Photo: Gleb Albovsky, Unsplash

Tijdens de jongste vergadering in maart van het bureau van de Liberale Internationale heb ik voorgesteld President Zelenski voor te dragen voor de Prize For Freedom. Jaarlijks kent de LI deze prijs toe aan een personaliteit die een uitzonderlijke bijdrage leverde  voor de vooruitgang en de promotie van de Rechten van de Mens en van de Politieke Vrijheden. Officieel moet de nominatie uitgaan van een lidorganisatie van de LI. Op mijn voorstel heeft Open VLD nu President Zelenski formeel voorgedragen. Het Executive Committee van LI zal op zijn meeting van 1 juli in SOFIA, tussen alle voorgedragen nominaties beslissen. De meeting van het LI Executive Committee maakt deel uit van het  programma van het 75ste Jubeleum Congress van LI dat doorgaat van 30 juni tot 3 juli in Sofia ( Bulgarije). Hieronder de nominatie door Open VLD.

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ALDE MEPS convinced that Ukraine’s future remains with Europe

 

 

alde press release

 

 

 

 

Brussels,  26  November 2013

 

ALDE MEPS convinced that Ukraine’s future remains with Europe

 

Last week Ukraine announced that it will halt discussions with the EU on a political and trade association agreement following a vote by the Ukrainian Parliament to reject the EU’s demands to allow jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko to leave the country for medical treatment.  ALDE MEPs regret the decision and  remain convinced, along with 60% of the Ukrainian population many of whom demonstrated on the streets of Kiev this weekend, that Ukraine’s best prospects remain in closer association with the EU.

 

Annemie Neyts, MEP (Open VLD, BE) ALDE spokesperson on the Foreign Affairs committee stated ” The run-up to the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius has taken a major blow with news that Ukraine has stopped its preparations to sign the Association Agreement with the EU at the Vilnius summit this week.  I remain convinced that the best future for Ukraine is to strengthen its links and cooperation, both economic and political, with the European Union. “

 

Hans van Baalen (VVD, The Netherlands) ALDE Spokesperson on Ukraine added “At the moment of truth, President Yanukovych decided to bow to Russian pressure and ignore the longer-term interests of the majority of Ukrainian people. The mass demonstrations in favour of European Association in Kiev and elsewhere in the country prove that the Ukrainian people want to choose an independent future determined by themselves and in the interests of Ukraine, without Russian blackmail.  I hope that Yanukovych will listen to the voice of reason coming from the streets of his own country“.

 

For more information please contact:

Neil Corlett: +32-2-284 20 77 or +32-478-78 22 84

e-mail: neil.corlett@europarl.europa.eu

Edel Rettman-Crosse: +32-2-284 31 28 or +32-498 16 17 80

also consult: http://www.alde.eu