Press ReleaseJoint Statement of the Press Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine: PACE Adopts All-Ukrainian Referendum RecommendationsMarch 09, 2000 # 14On March 8, 2000 the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) adopted the draft recommendations for the PACE, concerning the All-Ukrainian Referendum on the people's initiative. In this connection the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine Press Services state the following. The announcement by the Monitoring Committee of the PACE of the aforementioned draft recommendations prior to the resolution of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on the constitutional appeal by a group of Ukrainian MPs concerning correspondence to the Constitution of Ukraine of the Presidential Decree No. 65 of 15 January, 2000 "On Calling Up the All-Ukrainian Referendum on the People's Initiative", and before the decision is taken by the Venice Commission (CE consultative body for constitutional law issues), is regarded as an attempt to exert pressure on Ukraine in these matters. The contents of the PACE Monitoring Committee draft recommendations testify to the biased attitude and lack of information on the part of the Committee about the effective legislation of Ukraine. These draft recommendations also do not correspond to the nature of relations established between Ukraine and CE. Joint efforts of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of power aimed to ensure the fulfillment of obligations assumed by Ukraine when acceding to the Council of Europe, were highly appreciated by the member-states and the leadership of this international organization. That is why one cannot help expressing surprise at the stand taken by the PACE Monitoring Committee and in particular by some of its members. Instead of working on really important issues on the PACE agenda, they draw excessive public attention without any grounds and spend unproportionate resources of the Organization to resolving imaginary problems in Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine express their hope that PACE and the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers will assume a balanced stance about the PACE Monitoring Committee draft recommendations concerning the All-Ukrainian Referendum on the people's initiative, and will promote intensified co-operation between the Council of Europe and Ukraine with the view to further development of democratic transformations in our country.
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