Party of Regions supporters rallying in Kyiv to demand EU-Ukraine-Russia commission establishment
KYIV. Nov 29 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Party of Regions has called on the EU to set up a tripartite commission with Ukraine and Russia for addressing Ukraine's trade and economic problems.
"We demand the setting up of a commission including the European Union, the Russian Federation, and Ukraine to resolve trade-economic problems," Oleksandr Yefremov, the leader of the Party of Regions' parliamentary faction, said in airing a resolution of a rally in support for the Ukrainian leadership in Kyiv on Friday.
The resolution says Ukraine expects the EU to take steps that would confirm its support for Kyiv's integration with Europe and urges President Viktor Yanukovych and the government to continue the European integration dialogue.
Yefremov contented that the dialogue with the EU should switch from political to economic matters.
"We are calling on the EU to take the dialogue from the political to the economic plane and give an answer to Ukraine as to what is to be done with compensation for losses in the transition period. The EU should make a decision on the development and implementation of an economic assistance package to stabilize the Ukrainian economy," he said.
"We are calling on support for President Yanukovych's balanced actions in pursuing Ukraine's foreign economic policy based on principles of national interest and pragmatism. This is the only way for our state to hold out," Yefremov said.
The organizers of the rally claimed that about 50,000 Party of Regions supporters gathered at European Square in Kyiv.
At the same, the city police office told Interfax there were about 10,000 participants in at rally as of 1:00 p.m.