Ukraine's Former Prime Minister to Attend the European People's Party Meeting in Brussels

KYIV, Ukraine, March 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) issued permission to the former Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko to visit Brussels on Mar. 23-25. Earlier, Tymoshenko repeatedly requested the Prosecutor General to allow her to travel to Brussels but was rejected the right to leave the country based on the recognizance not to leave.

The PGO investigator permitted Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the Batkivshchina opposition party, to leave the country to attend the European People's Party (EPP) summit in Brussels, which takes place on Mar. 23-25, according to the press service of the GPO.

The former prime minister requested the investigator to permit her to go to Brussels, Belgium, on Mar. 24th and to Lithuania on June 30th. A decision concerning Tymoshenko's visit to Lithuania to participate in The Best Experience of Strengthening Democracy international forum will be made closer to the dates of the forum, according to GPO. The decision will depend on the status of the criminal case at the time of the trip.

Previously, the GPO rejected Tymoshenko's request to leave for Brussels due to the investigative procedures scheduled for the time of the planned trip and improper, verbal, form of Tymoshenko's invitation to EPP meetings. She was unable to attend EPP meetings and travel to Brussels in Dec. 2010 and Feb. 2011.

In February, Ukraine's President voiced his concern about the decisions made by the PGO that investigates allegations of misuse of state budget funds by Tymoshenko.

Tymoshenko is accused of misappropriation of hundreds of millions of dollars received by Ukraine under the Kyoto Protocol, which should have been invested into environmental programs. In addition, Yulia Tymoshenko is charged with embezzlement of state funds while procuring ambulances at inflated prices.

Earlier, an international audit of Tymoshenko's government has revealed numerous financial irregularities including failure to follow proper tender procedures while making state procurements.