26 Mar 2007
Senior-level representatives and experts from Ukraine and NATO countries gathered in the conference hall of the Ukrainian parliament, on 26 March 2007, for roundtable discussions on parliament's role in national security and defence.
The roundtable took place under the auspices of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR). The National Security and Defence Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament, the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NPA) and the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces played key roles in organising the event. A keynote speech at the meeting was delivered by Mr. José Lello, President of the NPA.
"Assisting Ukraine in transforming its system of national security towards a Western model, including by developing parliamentary oversight and democratic control of the security sector, is one of the most important policy objectives on the NATO-Ukraine agenda," said John Colston, JWGDR Co-Chairman and NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning.
The roundtable discussions supported the objectives of the Intensified Dialogue on Ukraine's aspirations to NATO membership and related reforms, and were also in line with guidance from the NATO-Ukraine Commission on cooperation in implementing defence and security sector reforms.
