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On September 1, began the visit of President of Latvia (1999-2007) Vaira Vike-Freiberga to Kyiv at the invitation of the Institute of World Policy.During her visit he met Head of the Ukrainian Parliament Volodymyr Lytvyn, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Raisa Bohatyryova and ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. September, 3 President delivered a lecture at the Kyiv Institute of International Relations of the National Shevchenko University.
The key point of the visit was a discussion “Quo vadis, Ukraine” held at the IWP. In the discussion took part prominent Ukrainian journalists, experts, political analysts.
President made it clear that free elections were still not enough to consider country to be democratic. “Elections are only the first step towards democracy”, she pointed out and added that democratic regime should also possess some criteria like multi-party system, independent judicial system, effective Constitution and educated society.
Vaira Vike-Freiberga also claimed that European Union is being under the structural transformations caused by Lisbon Treaty. EU officials are now to understand whether the Union is capable to enlarge, while Ukraine should make a final decision on its geopolitical choice.
Full transcript of the discussion.