Duarte Pacheco, outgoing president of the IPU, lamented the inability that still exists to get deputies from both countries to sit at the same table to talk about the war, which has been going on for more than a year and a half.
A group of assembly participants will address the conflict but "they weren't even available to sit in the same room, it's very bad", said Duarte Pacheco, considering that this attitude shows an incapacity for permanent dialogue, and expressing the desire to that Russians and Ukrainians were willing to talk.
It could be "to say, 'we are in different camps, but let's sit down to see what points we can build', because if there is no dialogue there will never be peace and that is the kind of effort that we want everyone, the more than a thousand [deputies participating in the meeting] take over", he pointed out.
Duarte Pacheco stressed that "listening, listening, does not mean that you agree and those in politics and parliament already have this practice".
"It's sitting on our benches and hearing things we like and hearing things we don't like, that's normal in life and we have to receive it normally, with respect, and expect others to have the same respect when we take our positions ", he stressed.
The meeting between the parties, said the president of the UIP, aims to try to reach even the slightest understanding and understand what one party might be willing to accept and the other the same thing.
"We have to start at the base. The positions are so extreme that thinking that tomorrow they will shake hands is difficult. But for example, if they sat in the same room it would be a win and here the same thing in terms of dialogue", said the Portuguese deputy, highlighting that the issue of prisoner exchange will be addressed, for example, to see if they are available for this.
"If we managed to achieve a ceasefire, if we managed to ensure that innocent people don't die on either side when missiles are fired, it would be a win", he stressed.
