Thomas Byrne, Ireland’s Minister of State for European Affairs and Defense, met with representatives of civil society in Kyiv
On 16 March, a meeting was held in Kyiv between representatives of civil society and Thomas Byrne, Minister of State for European Affairs and Defense at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who visited Ukraine as part of the international events marking St Patrick’s Day. Tetiana Pechonchyk, Head of the Board of the Human Rights Centre ZMINA, took part in the meeting.
During the meeting, which was one of the first on the agenda of the Minister’s visit to Kyiv, the key challenges facing Ukraine were discussed. In particular, the discussion focused on judicial reform, anti-corruption efforts, as well as preparations for the first post-war elections.
Tetiana Pechonchyk, for her part, spoke about the state of affairs in the field of human rights and highlighted both achievements and issues requiring resolution. These include the need to strengthen efforts to combat discrimination and hate crimes, the adoption of legislation on civil partnerships, and the reinforcement of the independence of the Ombudsman’s institution, combating torture and ill-treatment in places of detention, as well as responding to attacks and politically motivated persecution of activists, in particular Vitalii Shabunin.
The meeting also included a separate discussion on Ukraine’s European integration. Ireland reaffirmed its support for Ukraine – both in countering Russian aggression and on the path to EU membership – focusing on humanitarian, financial and political assistance.
“Ireland is one of the most active supporters of Ukraine’s accession to the European Union. Dublin has pledged to advance membership negotiations as much as possible during its Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2026. We are grateful to Ireland for its consistent support for Ukraine – both in the war against Russia and on the path towards the EU,” Pechonchyk emphasised.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the Anticorruption Action Centre, the Centre for Civil Liberties, Civil Network Opora, the DEJURE Foundation, Transparency International Ukraine and the East Europe Foundation.
