On 12 November 2019, representatives of the Central Election Commission of Ukraine and the Council of Europe met in Kyiv to discuss further lines and modes of cooperation to improve the electoral practice in Ukraine both at national and regional levels. The Central Election Commission was represented by its Chair Mr. Oleg Didenko, the CEC Chair Deputies Mr. Sergiy Dubovyk and Mr. Vitaliy Plukar, the CEC Secretary Ms. Olena Gataullina. The Council of Europe was represented by the Head of the Electoral Assistance Division of the Council of Europe (DGII) Mr. Francois Friederich, the Deputy Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine Ms. Olena Lytvynenko, and the Council of Europe project managers in Ukraine Ms. Inna Zubar and Mr. Sergiy Tkachenko.

The participants of the meeting emphasized the importance of implementation of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the Council of Europe and the Central Election Commission of Ukraine in December 2018. During the meeting, parties discussed plans for further cooperation, particularly, with regard to the organisation of trainings for election commissioners and other participants of the electoral process, voters’ awareness raising campaign, transformation of the CEC training center, introduction of new technologies in the electoral process and other issues.

A particular focus was made on such priority issue as establishment and development of regional/territorial offices of the Central Election Commission. It is expected that the functioning of such offices may contribute to significantly better quality of the electoral process in Ukraine. The Council of Europe representatives assured the Central Election Commission in its readiness to provide further support for the implementation of all the discussed and agreed plans