Ukrainian MPs delay Tymoshenko release bill debateNovember 13, 2013 - 16:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Lawmakers in Ukraine on Wednesday, Nov 13, again delayed consideration of measures to enable jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko to travel abroad for medical treatment, possibly dashing prospects for a historic trade deal with the European Union, RIA Novosti reports. The draft law has undergone sustained debate in the ex-Soviet nation's unruly legislature, and its failure is likely to be blamed on pressure from Russia, which has sought to persuade Kiev to join its own Customs Union trade bloc instead of seeking closer ties with the EU. Tymoshenko, a prominent opposition leader, was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2011 for abuse of power over a gas contract with Russia that was determined to be financially unfavorable for Ukraine. She insists that the charges were politically motivated. Hearings into another corruption case against Tymoshenko have been continuously postponed since last year over chronic back problems suffered by the former prime minister. Foreign medical experts say Tymoshenko needs medical treatment only available outside Ukraine. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said last month that the EU would only be ready to sign a free-trade agreement with Ukraine at a summit scheduled for late November only if a "suitable solution" was found for the Tymoshenko issue. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych last month said he was ready to allow Tymoshenko to leave the country, but said parliament would first need to pass a law allowing prisoners to go abroad if they suffered from conditions that could not be treated by local doctors. Yanukovych's Party of Regions reacted angrily to Wednesday's failure to pass the law, calling it an attempt by opposition parties to gain political capital by derailing efforts to resolve the Tymoshenko issue. Party of Regions parliamentary faction leader Alexander Yefremov called on opposition parties to cooperate in ensuring the legislation's passage through the committee stage. "If you join in with this work, the road to Europe for our state will be open. If you do not, just decide between yourselves and tell the whole country what game you're playing," Yefremov said in parliament. The next parliamentary session is scheduled for Nov 19. The EU Easter Partnership Summit, during which Ukraine has been hoping to sign the trade agreement, is scheduled to start in Lithuania on Nov 28. Preparations for the summit are set to begin in the coming days, possibly making it too late for Ukraine's parliament to approve legislation to secure permission for Tymoshenko to leave the country. Related links: Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |