The European Parliament has agreed to open an office in Ukraine following requests by senior Ukrainian officials, Euractiv reported on Nov. 21, citing a document from the European Parliament bureau.
The decision, approved on Nov. 20, reportedly aims to facilitate relations with the Ukrainian parliament, namely to connect it with the European Parliament's committees.
The European Parliament has a liaison office in each member state to strengthen outreach to individual countries. It also has several offices outside the EU, for example, in the U.S. or the U.K.
According to the document seen by Euractiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky asked European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to establish representation in Ukraine during their March meeting in Lviv.
Ruslan Stefanchuk, the Ukrainian parliament chairman, also allegedly raised the issue in late April.
The European Parliament's presence in Ukraine aims to ensure that the EU parliamentary committees are "regularly informed about ongoing issues and processes" in the country, as well as in other Eastern Partnership states, the document said.
Ukraine submitted its EU membership bid in February 2022. The European Commission recently recommended launching formal accession talks, acknowledging Kyiv's reform efforts on its path toward European integration.
EU leaders are expected to make the decision on the accession negotiations in December. While some members voiced support for opening the talks, Hungary said it would oppose such a step.
Kate Tsurkan
