Kyiv, March 8 (Ukraine General News) – U.S. Senator John McCain and European People’s Party President Wilfried Martens on March 7 released a joint statement urging the Ukrainian authorities to lift a travel ban on Batkivschyna Party leader Yulia Tymoshenko.

“We jointly call on the Ukrainian authorities to allow Yulia Tymoshenko to attend the EPP Summit in Brussels on March 24, 2011. Mrs. Tymoshenko’s party, Batkivschyna, is an observer member of the EPP, and she is, therefore, invited to participate in the summit,” reads a joint statement posted on the official Web sites of the U.S. senator and the European People’s Party.

McCain and Martens also called on the Ukrainian authorities to reconsider what could be viewed as selective prosecution of opposition members in Ukraine. The statement also notes that Tymoshenko has already been barred from traveling to Brussels in December 2010 and February 2011 and attending EPP meetings.

[UA EUROPE EEU EMRG POL]

PA

11:49:38 EET-2