The Committee on Foreign Policy and Interparliamentary Cooperation has reiterated its recommendation that the Verkhovna Rada approve the draft law on ratification of the Agreement on the Establishment of an Investment Fund between Ukraine and the United States. The MPs added new clauses to the text of the draft law on ratification.
This decision was made by the committee members at a meeting on 7 May, an LB.ua correspondent reports.
Committee member Iryna Herashchenko (European Solidarity) insisted that the Verkhovna Rada cannot vote for the ratification of the agreement without providing MPs with a second private partnership agreement detailing the work of the Ukraine–US fund.
Committee member Hryhoriy Nemyria (Batkivshchyna) also proposed that an additional clause be added to the text of the draft law on ratification, stating that MPs had not been provided with additional documents on the establishment and operation of the fund. However, this proposal was rejected at the committee’s meeting on 6 May.
At the committee meeting on 6 May, a single proposal was added to the text of the decision stating that “any additional agreements on the establishment of the reconstruction fund cannot contradict this agreement and that this agreement is valid throughout Ukraine within internationally recognised borders”.
On 7 May, the MPs returned to consider the ratification bill and approved additional amendments.
In particular, the preamble of the draft law was supplemented with the following paragraphs:
- The VRU states that as of the date of ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the United States on the Establishment of the US–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund, the Parliament has not received the text of the Limited Partnership Agreement and other agreements, the conclusion of which is stipulated by this Agreement.
- The VRU notes that the ratification of the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the United States of America on the Establishment of the US–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund does not mean ratification or automatic approval by the Parliament of the Limited Partnership Agreement or any other agreements to be concluded by the authorised parties for the purpose of implementing this Agreement.
- The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine declares that any additional arrangements necessary for the implementation of the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the United States of America on the establishment of the US–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund cannot go beyond the provisions of this Agreement and establish international legal obligations for Ukraine that are not provided for in it and not agreed upon in the established procedure.
Yesterday, the relevant committee already supported the ratification of the Agreement between Ukraine and the United States. The Parliament is scheduled to vote for ratification this week. After that, the Cabinet of Ministers will have to draft two more technical agreements – but they will not require MPs’ approval.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that there are people in the Rada who travel to the United States on business trips but are not ready to approve a document that is important for this partner. He believes that it would be good for such MPs to have their visas cancelled.