Ukrainian and Norwegian defence committees hold exchange on mechanisms of democratic control of the armed forces

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly hosted an online meeting on Thursday 10 October for members from the Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence of the Norwegian Storting.

This was the first meeting of a new initiative aimed at facilitating discussions between Ukrainian parliamentarians and their counterparts in Allied parliaments on the legislative reforms necessary for Ukraine to adopt on its way to NATO membership.

The Assembly is committed to supporting Ukraine’s democratic consolidation and assisting with its reform agenda.

Mr Åsmund Aukrust, Deputy Chair of the Norwegian Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee, and other members of the Committee presented the Norwegian experience in exercising democratic control over the armed forces and security sector.

Oleksandr Zavitnevych, Chair of the Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Yehor Cherniev, Deputy Chair and Head of the Ukrainian Delegation to the NATO PA, and other members of the Committee, also updated their Norwegian counterparts on the current situation in Ukraine.

Eight members of the Norwegian parliament and eight members of the Ukrainian parliament participated in this meeting.