Vitali Klitschko: I support freedom aspirations of Belarusians

The leader of the Ukrainian party UDAR and the world heavyweight boxing champion expressed his solidarity with Belarusians.

Vitali Klitschko gave an interview to editor of charter97.org Natallia Radzina during a Meeting of the Chairs of the Committees on Foreign Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union and the Parliamentary Forum for Democracy in Vilnius.

“We support freedom aspirations of Belarusians. I understand how hard it is to live under a dictatorship. I know about your political prisoners. Human rights defence is among main principles of the European community. Ukraine has problems with human rights. It is burning issue for Belarus.

We thank you for supporting our aspirations to live in a European country. Signing an Association Agreement between Ukraine and the EU will make Belarus a little closer to Europe and Europe will become closer to Belarus,” Vitali Klitschko said.

The leader of the UDAR party said during the Parliamentary Forum:

“I hoped my visit would be held in the context of the historic event. I hoped Ukraine would sign the Association Agreement. But Yanukovych stole our future and betrayed our interests. He put business above the interests of people. Don't believe Yanukovych when he says that economic problems were a reason for refusing to sign the agreement. He feels better in the authoritarian club having profit from illegal deals. Refusal to make such important decisions hinders the country's progress. The Ukrainian regime organises political repressions. The authorities are corrupted.

I am sure that Yanukovych and his cronies will never agree to sign the association agreement. They do everything to keep their power. The people of Ukraine support the European integration. They say: enough political repression, enough corruption, we want a European future,” he said.

Ukrainian opposition leaders Vitali Klitschko, Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleh Tyahnybok hold meetings with leaders of the EU countries, EU commissioners and attend events at the European Partnership Summit in Vilnius.