Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which the international community continues to monitor the continued incarceration of former Prime Minister of the Ukraine, Yulio Tymoshenko; the extent of efforts, if any at international level to bring about her release; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1943/13]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The imprisonment of the former Prime Minister of Ukraine, Ms. Yulia Tymoshenko, remains a matter of deep concern to Ireland, to our EU partners and to the wider international community. I refer the Deputy to my previous reply on 12 October 2012 on this matter. Since then, parliamentary elections were held in Ukraine on 28 October. It is a matter of deep regret that Ms. Tymoshenko was prevented from participating despite the fact that she remains the leader of a political party which gained significant representation in the elections. The EU has made it clear to Ukraine on a number of occasions that advancing its relations with the EU would require it to address, among other issues, the question of politically motivated convictions. On 10 December 2012, the Foreign Affairs Council, while repeating this message, also commended the efforts undertaken by the European Parliament’s monitoring mission headed by former Presidents Cox and Kwasniewski on this issue. I understand that the two former Presidents will report to the European Parliament on their work shortly.

At the December Foreign Affairs Council Ministers also restated that progress towards signature and ratification of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement would not be made until ‘determined action and tangible progress’ were demonstrated in three areas, including that of selective justice and preventing its recurrence.