You're reading: Kuchma asks prosecutors to allow him to visit France

Second Ukrainian President (1994-2005) Leonid Kuchma has filed a motion with Ukrainian Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka requesting permission for him to travel to France on June 14-16, Kuchma's press service of reported on Tuesday.

According to the press service, in France the second president plans to attend a roundtable meeting organized by the Center for Political and Foreign Affairs (CPFA) and dedicated to prospects of Ukraine’s European integration.

The press service reported that the CPFA, at the initiative of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, is taking measures to cooperate with countries that could integrate with Europe in the future.

"CPFA President Fabien Baussart in his letter to Kuchma said that during a discussion at the roundtable meeting of the former leaders of these countries it is important to hear a valuable experience of Ukraine’s cooperation with the European institutions during the presidency of Kuchma in 1994-2005, as well as ideas of the second president regarding the prospects of Ukraine’s integration. Members of the French government, ambassadors of European countries and representative of large business will also attend the roundtable meeting," reads a report.

The press service noted that on May 12, Kuchma sent a motion to Pshonka to cancel travel restrictions imposed on him, but was refused.

A criminal case against Kuchma was opened on March 21, 2011.

He is charged with abuse of power and official authority, which subsequently led to the murder of journalist Georgy Gongadze (Part 3, Article 166 of the 1960 Criminal Code).

Tapes secretly recorded by Kuchma’s former bodyguard Mykola Melnychenko in the president’s office were declared to be material evidence in the case.

The investigation into the criminal case against Kuchma was completed on April 26.

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