Brussels – The Ukrainian authorities should continue to conduct major reforms in the country to achieve a lasting peace, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has said.
‘Those reforms – economic, political, constitutional – will determine the success of a lasting political solution,’ he said at the 69th session of the UN General Assembly.
‘The country’s political life and prosperity shall belong to all its citizens. An inclusive Ukraine, with a new social contract and a fair balance between the parts and the whole, is the best way to secure the country’s future,’ Van Rompuy said.
He said that the EU and its member states were fully committed to supporting Ukraine along this path, which is particularly evidenced by the ratification of the Association Agreement by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the European Parliament.
Van Rompuy also stressed the importance of the fulfillment by all parties of the Minsk peace plan. At the same time, he did not rule out the possibility of reviewing current sanctions against Russia.
‘The sanctions are not a goal in themselves: and they can be revised, provided there is tangible progress. We can rebuild trust if commitments are met,’ he said.
