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Supporting Ukraine’s Eurointegration

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Published on Tuesday, 26 November 2013 11:30

The academic community of the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy expresses deep concern on the Ukrainian Government’s decision to put on hold, which in fact means to scuttle, preparations for signing the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement.

We consider this unexpected and unreasoned step to be in conflict with the current enshrined-in-law strategy of Ukraine’s development, in particular with the Constitution of Ukraine and the Law of Ukraine “On Fundamentals of Domestic and Foreign Policies”, which recognizes “securing Ukraine’s integration into European political, economic, and legal areas to join the European Union” to be one of priorities of the Ukrainian foreign policy and national security. Current evasions of some officials cannot excuse deviation from the strategic and geopolitical courses chosen by the state and its citizens.

  Cancelling the European integration policy contradicts the will of most Ukrainians associating their future with democracy, rule of law, human rights, economic effectiveness, prosperity, social security, and any other fundamental humanistic values affirmed by the European community of free nations. Shortfall and dubious, from the economic point of view, excuses and references to obviously unfriendly actions of Russia as Ukraine’s trade and geopolitical partner cannot be a reason for interrupting preparations for signing the Ukraine-EU Association Agreement. A professional government should have anticipated and damped such hardships.

 Both in previous centuries and after its rebirth, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy has been a natural part of the European civilization. It has been asserting panhuman ideals of freedom and democracy and cultivating youth’s sense of personal and national dignity, moral responsibility, and civil conscience. Therefore, we are anxious about the sovereign development of independent Ukraine among equal European nations, which has been our dream and goal for centuries, not to be changed for vassal vegetable existence within a modern empire.

We call on Ukraine’s President V.F. Yanukovych to overcome the deadlock and sign the EU Association Agreement at the Vilnius Summit on 28 November 2013. According to Ukrainian President’s repeated emphasizing, this complies with national interests of Ukraine. It is not late to do so. Today, all conscious citizens of Ukraine are declaring their geopolitical choice in a constitutional way, thus contributing to signing the Association Agreement.

We also strongly emphasize that, together with all citizens of free Ukraine, we are ready to defend our choice in accordance with our constitutional rights and civic awareness.

Signed:

S.M.Kvit, V.S.Briukhovetskyi, V.P.Morenets, V.M.Ozhohan, L.I.Diachenko, A.A.Meleshevych, M.L.Tkachuk, S.M.Oksamytna, M.M.Hlybovets, O.V.Humenna, I.H.Vyshenska, T.O.Yaroshenko, N.R.Shumkova, L.Yu.Chovnyuk