Greetings of Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov with the Constitution Day of Ukraine

I sincerely congratulate you on the Constitution Day of Ukraine!

The constitutional process in Ukraine has lasted for over 300 years - the Constitution of Pylyp Orlik secured the democratic traditions of the Cossacks, largely ahead of their time.

The present Constitution was adopted more than 20 years ago. However, only now we are fully beginning to feel and understand the price and significance of its first article: "Ukraine is a sovereign and independent, democratic, social, law-based state". Sovereignty and independence are never given for free, one must fight and pay the highest price for them - lives of the best sons and daughters of Ukraine.

Understanding the value of what we have and the dangers faced by our state, we must unite for the sake of the reconstruction of our country. The motto of the Maidan is now more relevant than ever - "Until we are united we are invincible!".

I believe that enshrining in the Constitution of the strategic goal of membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance will further consolidate Ukraine.

The Constitution is the fundamental law of the state, its cornerstone, on which one can build such a Ukraine that our nation is worth of - a free, independent, just and European state of equal opportunities and free people!

Happy holiday!