Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada speaker prioritizes achievement of full membership in EU, NATO

MOSCOW. Jan 16 (Interfax) - The achievement of full membership in the European Union and NATO and the reconstruction of Ukraine should be the primary objectives of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, Verkhovna Rada Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk said.

"The main tasks of the upcoming session is to do everything so that Ukraine starts negotiations on a full membership in the European Union. We have met every qualification set for us," the Ukrainian media quoted Stefanchuk as saying in a national telethon on Saturday.

"Another matter is the beginning of active promotion of Ukraine's entry into NATO. We are also working on it, and a large portion [of the work] will be assigned to the parliament. The third element is definitely the reconstruction," he said.

That would require international efforts to draw other countries into the reconstruction of Ukraine, the elaboration of joint assignments, the signing of joint memoranda, the ratification of bilateral agreements, and "a series of other important efforts to make the reconstruction of Ukraine a story of success of the entire world," Stefanchuk said.