The European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kӧvesi and European Prosecutor Juraj Novocký met with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova this morning. During their visit to Ukraine, the European Public Prosecutor’s office (EPPO) and the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine signed a working arrangement.
On the occasion, Laura Kӧvesi conveyed the support of the College of the EPPO to our Ukrainian colleagues: “The whole world is witnessing the suffering, despair and destruction that the war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine is inflicting to millions of your compatriots. We are humbled by your example, by the determination of the Ukrainian prosecution service to continue to work under siege, bombarded, on the verge of annihilation. We are convinced that your tenacity and courage will prove critically important once peace will return to Ukraine. Your investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine will be essential in getting the wheels of international justice into motion as well as to allow the healing process of the Ukrainian and Russian nations to start.”
The working arrangement establishes the basis for a close cooperation to protect the financial interests of the EU and Ukraine, through effective investigation and prosecution, and to bring to justice without undue delay all suspects or accused of crimes against the EU budget. It testifies to Ukraine’s recognition of the EPPO as a competent authority.
The European Chief Prosecutor also conveyed the readiness of the College of the EPPO to support our Ukrainian counterparts on their path to the EU with all the means at our disposal, within the limits of our mandate and expertise, as soon as this process moves forward.
You can download the working arrangement here.