"Our main objective is living in Ukraine the way people live in Europe – by the same principles of democracy, human rights," Raupov said at the Lithuanian parliament on Wednesday.
"Bikers are free people and free people choose Europe," he said.
On the bike tour, members of Ukraine's Supreme Rada and employees of the office together with bikers covered the distance between Kiev and Vilnius with a slogan Ukraine to Europe. In Vilnius, the bikers presented their tour flag to Lithuanian politicians.
In a ceremony to welcome the bikers on their motorcycles in the central yard of the Lithuanian parliament, Parliamentary Speaker Vydas Gedvilas said that Lithuania, the Baltic states and the Nordic countries support Ukraine's aspiration to sign the EU Association Agreement during the Eastern Partnership summit in Vilnius in the end of November.
"There is plan A – Ukraine signs the agreement, there is no plan B. We are now holding EU Council presidency and will do everything in our capacity to have an opportunity of signing the Association Agreement during the November summit. It would be a major step to help Ukraine's accession to the EU," Gedvilas said.
The biker campaign was organized by Ukraine's opposition party Udar headed by prominent boxer Vitaly Klychko.
Gedvilas noted that Klychko started his career in Panevėžys, northern Lithuania.
The 19 bikers left Kiev on August 24, Ukraine's Independence Day. After covering over 2,500 kilometers in four days, 15 Ukrainians arrived in Vilnius. In Raupov's words, four bikers had to cut their trip short due to mechanical problems.
They chose Vilnius as their destination, as Lithuania is holding EU Council presidency in the second half of 2013.
On November 28-29, the Lithuanian capital will host a summit of the Eastern Partnership, a program aimed to promote closer EU ties with six post-Soviet countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.
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| Seimo kanceliarijos (aut. O. Posaškova). nuotraukos/Seime lankėsi Ukrainos baikeriai |
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| Seimo kanceliarijos (aut. O. Posaškova). nuotraukos/Seime lankėsi Ukrainos baikeriai |
