Vice speaker of Ukrainian Parliament calls for membership of the Three Seas Initiative

RIGA - The Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) calls for the country to be granted full membership status of the Three Seas Initiative and to involve it in various projects of the initiative, the Deputy Speaker of Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratyuk emphasized at the 2nd Parliamentary Forum of the Three Seas Initiative in Riga on Tuesday.

Ukraine can help Europe in various areas by participating in the projects of the Three Seas Initiative, said Kondratyuk. The country has large underground gas storage facilities and extensive natural gas infrastructure, so it could help meet Europe's energy needs, she said.

Ukraine can also help secure energy, food and transport corridors from north to south Europe.

Ukraine is ready to participate in the project Via Carpathia, helping to build a highway that will connect northern Europe with the south, said Kondratyuk. The state will also be involved in the Rail Baltica project, where a railway section will be built to Kyiv.

Ukraine has gained unique experience and knowledge in the field of cyber security in combating security threats from Russia, the representative of the Ukrainian parliament noted, noting that the country would be useful for the initiative in this area as well. The state could also get involved in other digital projects, for example, by supporting the implementation of various digital programs, Kondratyuk mentioned.

The Ukrainian army has also gained considerable experience and skills in fighting the Russian troops, the Ukrainian representative added.

As Kondratyuk mentioned, the culture of the member state of the Three Seas Initiative is not widely known in Ukraine, and little is known about the culture of Ukraine among Europeans. Therefore, the representative of the Ukrainian parliament expressed the wish to develop mutual cultural contacts and exchange.

Kondratyuk also called on member states of the Three Sees Initiative to support Ukraine's EU candidate status.

The Three Seas Initiative was established in 2016 to promote unity between these 12 member states of the European Union - Latvia, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.