The Verkhovna Rada may soon adopt in the first reading the draft law 10370 on amendments to the Law “On Diplomatic Service” in order to improve the passage of the diplomatic service.
This bill was submitted to the parliament on December 22, 2023 President Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Currently, the Committee of the Verkhovna Rada has recommended the draft law for adoption.
As you know, currently the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary is assigned to diplomatic employees by the President of Ukraine at the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The draft law proposes to establish an additional condition for this.
Thus, according to the President’s proposal, the diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary can be assigned to persons whose diplomatic positions are assigned to this diplomatic rank, provided that the diplomatic service experience of such persons is at least 10 years.
The range of grounds for termination of diplomatic service is also expanding.
Namely, the diplomat will be dismissed in case:
- refusal without valid reasons by an official of the diplomatic service from the third offer to participate in the rotation within 12 months;
- failure to complete an internship within the period specified by law by an official of the diplomatic service who received an offer to participate in the rotation, and/or receiving a negative evaluation based on the results of the internship
- non-arrival without valid reasons by an official of the diplomatic service within the specified period after the end of a long-term business trip to the personnel management service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to resolve the issue of further diplomatic service
- issuance by an official of the diplomatic service during a stay on a long-term business trip of documents certifying the right to reside in a foreign country, other than those issued to employees of the diplomatic service for sending and staying on a long-term business trip.
- Currently, the draft law does not provide retroactive force for already appointed diplomats.
