On 22-23 May 2019, the Verkhovna Rada of the Ukraine hosted the 3rd Working Meeting of Secretaries General of Parliamentary Administrations of the Eastern Partnership Countries in Lviv, Ukraine. The Meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff-Secretary General of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Mr Tigran Galstyan, Secretary General of the Parliament of Georgia, Mr Givi Mikanadze, the Acting Secretary General of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mr Petro Bodnar and a representative of the Secretariat of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova.

 

In the framework of the meeting Secretaries General reviewed the existing state of cooperation under the TBILISI Memorandum. The Secretary General of the Parliament of Georgia and the Chairman of the Network of Secretaries General of Parliament of the Eastern Partnership Countries, Mr Givi Mikanadze introduced future activities to be implemented by the end of year 2019 and delivered information on cooperation prospects with the Secretariat of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the Swedish Riksdag, the Secretariat of the European Parliament and other international partners interested in potential cooperation with the Network of Secretaries General of Parliament of the Eastern Partnership Countries. The information was delivered on the results achieved during the Winter Academy: “Research Work for Strong Parliaments”, held on 10-16 February 2019, in Tbilisi (Georgia) and the Seminar on Parliamentary Training and Communication, held on 5-9 May 2019, in Batumi (Georgia). The draft Guidelines for Facilitating Cooperation under the TBILISI Memorandum and the 2018-2019 Work Plan, as well as the website concept and the logo for the Network of Secretaries General of Parliament of the Eastern Partnership Countries were presented and reviewed in the framework of the Meeting. Head of Department of Computer Systems in the Secretariat of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mr. Oleksii Sydorenko presented the existing electronic services and resources in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for ensuring better openness and accountability of the Ukrainian Parliament.

 

The Regulation on Operation of the Eastern Partnership Parliaments Research Network (EPPRN) was adopted by the joint decision of the attending Secretaries General and endorsed on 22 May 2019. The Meeting concluded with the signing of the Lviv Communiqué by the Chief of Staff-Secretary General of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, Mr Tigran Galstyan, the Secretary General of the Parliament of Georgia, Mr Givi Mikanadze and the Acting Secretary General of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mr Petro Bodnar, addressing the international partners and encouraging them to establish closer ties with the Network of Secretaries General of Parliaments of the Eastern Partnership Countries. 

 

The 3rd Working Meeting of Secretaries General of Parliamentary Administrations of the Eastern Partnership Countries was hosted by the Lviv Regional Council on the premises of the Lviv Regional Administration. Head of the Lviv Regional Council, Mr. Oleksandr Hanushchin and representatives of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH also attended the Meeting.