EU Commission Pres. stresses independence of Ukrainian institutions

BRUSSELS, July 27 (KUNA) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized on Sunday the need to reinforce the independence of Ukrainian institutions, particularly those tasked with fighting corruption, as a prerequisite for Ukraineآ’s accession to the European Union.
In a post on platform X following what she described as a "good" conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, von der Leyen stated that "Ukraine has already made great progress on its European path," but added that "It must build on these solid foundations and preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of Ukraineآ’s rule of law." She affirmed that "Ukraine can count on our support to deliver progress on its European path." The European Commission on Tuesday criticized a vote in the Ukrainian parliament on a draft law which it said undermines the independence of anti-corruption bodies in Ukraine, calling it "a serious setback" from fundamental standards of judicial independence that "are essential pillars of Ukraineآ’s path toward EU membership". (end) arn.mt