Ukraine hosts talks on relations between post-Soviet space, EU

The Ukrainian city of Kharkov is hosting a conference “Post-crisis trends of European integration” with one of the key topics – Ukrainian membership in the EU.

Tatyana Kaganovskaya, President of the Fund for Support of Democratic Initiatives of Yevgeny Kushnarev, organizer of the forum, said that the choice should be made by Ukrainians themselves. They are the ones to share European values such as freedom of speech and democratic principles.

Valery Chaly, Deputy Director of the Center of Razumkov, said that the last issue their center studied was the choice of Ukraine to join the EU and the Customs Union. Ukrainians prefer the European Union. The tendency to turn to the West started some two months ago, he explains.

Dmitry Vydrin, Advisor of President Yanukovych, reminded about the crisis in the EU. It is not the crisis of euro but a crisis of the spirit. The value have been lost. CIS must take that fact into account. Vydrin believes that Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan need Europe as source of cultural treasures, not “a stockpile of oligarchs”.

Some of the highlights of the meeting are Ukrainian Ex-President Leonid Kravchuk, political analysts Karina Stachetti, Dmitry Vydrin, Vadim Karasev, Secretary General of “Interfax-Ukraine” Alexander Martynenko, Editor-in-Chief of “Vestnik Kavkaza” Alexey Vlasov.