The Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasyuk met the first deputy president of the Czech Senate Petr Pithart.

Having a conversation, the interlocutors have discussed the main issues of a wide specter of bilateral co-operation, having focused their attention on the state of Ukrainian-Czech parliamentary co-operation. The parties have noticed an important role of MPs of both countries in improvement of bilateral ties as they mostly form a political climate in the society and determine the strategies of the foreign policy of the country.

Deputy groups and direct contacts between MPs are to become the main working instrument of co-operation at parliamentary level, by mutual consent of parties. At that Mr. Tarasyuk informed that a parliamentary group «Ukraine-Czech Republic» had been already formed. He added that this group was interested in visiting Prague in the first half-year of 2007 and establishing a constructive co-operation with Czech colleagues.

The study of the Czech experience in adaptation of national legislation to European standards, legislative support of struggle against corruption, co-operation in the sphere of energy policy etc. is a potential direction of such co-operation.

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appreciated a consecutive support of Ukraine’s course towards EU and NATO integration. At that Mr. Tarasyuk has expressed his hope that the Czech side would support a constructive negotiating process concerning a conclusion of a new basic agreement between Ukraine and the EU and ratification of Ukraine’s agreements with the EU in visa readmission sphere by the Czech Senate.