On December 1, 2016, Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine Filaret and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Patriarch Sviatoslav took part in the National Forum "Transformation of Ukraine", hosted by the Congress Centre “Ukrainian House.”
On December 1, 2016, Patriarch of Kyiv and All Rus-Ukraine Filaret and Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Patriarch Sviatoslav took part in the National Forum "Transformation of Ukraine", hosted by the Congress Centre “Ukrainian House.”
The forum was also attended by the chairman of the Anti-Crisis Council of NGOs, president of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and EntrepreneursAnatoliyKinakh, civil society leaders, MPs, representatives of government and business, international experts and diplomats.
For the first time the public was presented the joint achievement of business, diplomacy, and clergy - a draft action plan for implementation of the transformation processes in Ukraine. It has been designed on the basis of best transformationpractice in Central and Eastern Europe, providing guidance for the state leadership.
The forum stressed the need for preparing the National Strategy for transformation. It has taken into account the current situation and national interests of Ukraine, based on the experience of Eastern European countries - EU members, toensure compliance with the Copenhagen criteria required for membership of the EU. The strategy will cover areas such as state security, favorable business climate, streamlining the legal system, public finance, social policy, science, education and so on.
Head of the UOC-KP welcomed the participants and stressed that the purpose of the Ukrainian people is not only to have an independent state, but also that Ukrainian State joined the family of European nations. “To return to the family of European nations, we need to implement reforms, i.e. rise to the level of European countries. In our view, we must first overcome corruption. All the people should stand against corruption. It is not only the one who gives, but also the one who takesbribes is to blame for the corruption,” Patriarch Filaret said.
His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk noted: “I think that today, on the 25th anniversary of Ukraine's independence referendum, we are facing the task to articulate and confirm this national and social project of building up a European state. If we even approximately achieve this, if it becomes a requirement of citizens to politicians and public authorities, then we can say that the nationwide will of Ukrainian people expressed 25 years ago is our imperative that we, as a society, take duty to implement.”