Dutch Parliament members discussed the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement Referendum with IFNUL students
MARCH 1, 2016 – Members of Dutch Parliament and the representatives of business environment of the Netherlands visited the IFNUL on the 23rd of February, 2016. They met with Rector, Professor Volodymyr Melnyk and University students. The European politicians outlined their visit as an attempt to better understand our country and to convey the information about it to the citizens of the Netherlands before the consultative EU-Ukraine Association Agreement Referendum which will be held on the 6th of April in the Netherlands.
The honoured guests who payed a visit to our University are supporters of Ukraine and its integration. In their homeland they advocate Justice of the European integration aspirations. In particular, according to Frans Lavooij, Director Nedspice Sourcing and Chairman of the Netherlands – Ukrainian Council for Trade Promotion, the main task of supporters of signing the Association Agreement is providing information about Ukraine and Ukrainians to Dutch society, to demonstrate the benefits of the Association.
For Dutchmen to vote for the EU-Ukraine Association it is significant that they are aware of the intention of the Ukrainians to reform their country – the members of the Dutch parliament believe. The leader of «D66» Alexander Pechtold calls reforms “an affair of every Ukrainian citizen”.
“Try to show by example how necessary it is to build the country, how to fight against corruption, how to encourage the development of democratic values in Ukraine,” – the Dutch parliamentarian urged the IFNUL students.
While answering the question of Dutch MPs: why do Ukrainians seek for signing the Association Agreement with the EU, University students named a number of positive changes which Ukrainian integration could bring into the fold of European nations. In particular, the students seek for the open borders between Ukraine and the EU to pursue the opportunities to acquire qualified education, participate in seminars, conferences and academic mobility programs. However, the main answer to the question why Ukraine should become part of the EU was that the Ukrainians have already proved their European character and nature during the Revolution of Dignity, when one cost of their lives they stood for democratic principles and European ideals.