SC President participates in international conference to mark the 20th anniversary of Latvia's accession to the EU

European values are deeply rooted in our culture. The desire for freedom, justice and equality has always united the Ukrainian people. Ukraine's membership of the European Union is not just a political choice, but a path to a united Europe where the rule of law, justice and equality are inviolable principles.

This was stated by Stanislav Kravchenko, President of the Supreme Court, during the International Conference ‘Values of the European Union - the responsibility of every national judge’, organised by the Supreme Court of Latvia on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Latvia's accession to the EU.

"The Supreme Court of Latvia is our long-standing partner and friend. Many years of our cooperation underline the unity of the European states, both in sharing experiences and in overcoming common challenges. In these challenging times, it is more important than ever to strengthen judicial cooperation for the sake of the rule of law, justice and democracy. Together we will be able to defeat the enemy, establish a just peace in Ukraine and build an even stronger and more united Europe," the President of the Supreme Council said.

The head of the Supreme Court also thanked Latvia and other EU member states for their unwavering support of Ukraine in its struggle for freedom and a European future.

In his welcoming speech, Stanislav Kravchenko outlined the challenges faced by the judiciary of Ukraine in the context of the war, spoke about the priority areas for further reform of the judiciary and optimisation of its work, and focused on the key tasks set for the courts in the context of European integration, including the transposition of the case law of the ECHR and the Court of Justice of the European Union into national legislation and its application.

During the working visit, the SC President also met with the President of the Supreme Court of Latvia, Aigars Strupišs, to discuss Latvia's assistance to the judicial system of Ukraine and the further implementation of reforms in the process of Ukraine's European integration.

Stanislav Kravchenko briefed his colleague on the work of the Ukrainian courts in the context of the security risks and other challenges posed by the war, focusing on the courts' adjudication of criminal cases involving war crimes and new categories of war-related cases.