EP mission gave no instructions to opposition on Tymoshenko issue ahead of Vilnius summit – Sobolev

The European Parliament's observation mission of former president of the European Parliament Pat Cox and former Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski gave no instructions to the Ukrainian opposition ahead of the signing of the Association Agreement with the EU, the Batkivschyna parliamentary faction has said.

"I think that it [a statement linking recent talks on the release of former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko with the upcoming signing of the Association Agreement] was written by the press service of the Party of Regions or the press service of Viktor Yanukovych, who mistake a wish for reality," a member of the Batkivschyna parliamentary faction, Serhiy Sobolev, said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

"Cox and Kwasniewski passed no such information to anyone," he said.

Sobolev said that the Cox-Kwasniewski mission has a clear position – either ex-premier Tymoshenko should be pardoned, or the bill on treatment of convicts abroad submitted by MP Anzhelika Labunska should be adopted.

As reported, following an unscheduled sitting of the Verkhovna Rada on Wednesday, Kwasniewski and Cox expressed the hope that the Ukrainian parliament will adopt all the necessary European integration bills at its sitting on November 19.

Later on, some Ukrainian media reported, referring to an informed source, that Cox and Kwasniewski allegedly held talks with representatives of the Ukrainian opposition in order to convince them to put off the settlement of the Tymoshenko issue until the Association Agreement is signed.