Ambassador in the EU: Ukraine will not have time to adopt anti-discrimination laws by Vilnius Eastern Partnership summit

Ukraine will not be ready to fulfill the key criteria of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalization regime with EU – to adopt anti-discrimination laws. It was reported by the Ukraine's representative to the European Union Konstantin Eliseev.

"I regret to acknowledge that we have not yet fulfilled the key condition of the first phase – adoption of the anti-discrimination laws, – said the Ambassador in his interview to the newspaper "Kommersant-Ukraine". – Of course, in Vilnius, we will not have time to officially proceed to the second phase of the Action Plan on Visa Liberalization regime with EU, since the procedure takes time".

According to the Ambassador, Ukrainian authorities are trying to find a solution to this problem in order to spare 46 million of Ukrainians, who are waiting for free visa regime, from being held hostages by political insinuations. 

At the same time Mr. Eliseev noted that anti-discrimination laws does not provide any special privileges for homosexual people. "I would like to underline that it is not about the legalization of same-sex marriage or adoption by same-sex couples. The essence of the law is just to ensure the equal access to the job market. This is, to the point, no more than a constitutional norm", – he said.

Mr. Eliseev also expressed his hope that the EU will make concessions to Ukraine on this matter. "Since I am an optimistic person, I hope, that during the Summit the political decision will be made and announced that Ukraine has accomplished the first phase", – said the diplomat.

Автор: upogau.org