The President of the Storting, Olemic Thommessen, visited the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday 1 March. During his visit Thommessen took part in the European Parliament’s Ukraine Week, addressing key Ukrainian parliamentarians and meeting with both the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, and the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Volodymyr Groysman.

“If you can continue to shoulder the responsibility the people gave you in the parliamentary election after Maidan, then help the government find solutions. If you cannot do that, call new elections,” Mr Thommessen said in a debate with Ukrainian MPs over the political turmoil in Kiev.

Yuriy Lutsenko, leader of the largest party in the Rada, or Ukrainian parliament, told Mr Thommessen that Ukraine Week is important because it calls the EU’s attention to Ukraine. It also sends an important signal home to Ukraine that leading Ukrainian politicians of all parties are now working together on the country’s reform programme.

Ukraine Week is a capacity-building initiative for the Ukrainian parliament that inaugurates the European Parliament’s formal cooperation programme with the Rada. Sixty key Ukrainian parliamentarians attended the three-day event. Mr Thommessen opened two seminars, one on the reform process and one on ethical guidelines for parliamentarians.

Meeting with Martin Schulz

The Storting President’s meeting with European Parliament President Martin Schulz centred on the relationship between the Storting (Norwegian parliament) and the European Parliament as well as on migration challenges and the partnership between Norway and the EU.

“Norway is dependent on Europe, so it is important for the Storting and Norway to contribute to Europe’s democratic evolution, especially in the EU’s eastern partner countries,” Mr Thommessen said in the meeting.

Mr Schulz said the EU-Norway partnership and community of interests were very important in a period of political challenges for the union. He emphasised that Norway is a preferred partner for the EU, and he accepted an invitation to come to Norway to contribute to the Norwegian debate on Europe.

“The Nordic-Baltic initiative for capacity building in the Ukrainian parliament is an important measure,” said Mr Schulz. “Norway and the EU share viewpoints on key European challenges. It is important, therefore, that we include Norway as much as possible.”

Meeting with the Ukrainian parliament chairman

Mr Thommessen also met with the chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Volodymyr Groysman. The two held talks on further development of the Storting’s capacity-building effort to benefit the Rada. In particular, the two presidents discussed measures to promote the role of the Ukrainian parliament in controlling the executive authority. The Norwegian Storting has effective procedures and long experience in that regard.