Foreign affairs minister promotes Ukraine's candidacy for U.N. Security Council seat (10/03/99)

Foreign affairs minister promotes Ukraine's candidacy for U.N. Security Council seat

by Irene Jarosewich

NEW YORK - Ukraine's Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasyuk headed a delegation of diplomats and Foreign Affairs Ministry staff that arrived here for the opening on September 14 of the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He addressesed the General Assembly on September 21 and 24, and spoke at the Ukrainian Institute of America.

One of Ukraine's foreign policy goals for this year is to be selected for one of the 10 non-permanent seats on the U.N. Security Council, stated Mr. Tarasyuk. Ukraine is a top contender for one of the slots available to European nations, and Ukraine's only major competitor for this position is the Republic of Slovakia, he noted. However, he stated, of the 20 countries that belong to the East European bloc, of which Ukraine is a member, 15 have expressed their support for Ukraine rather than Slovakia.

Countries qualify to serve as a non-permanent member of the council on a rotating basis and the term of the position is for two years. The Security Council's five permanent members are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Ukraine, as part of the USSR, served two terms as a non-permanent member of the Security Council; as an independent country, this would be Ukraine's first term. Slovakia has never served on the council.

However encouraging it is to have the support of a majority of East European nations, noted Mr. Tarasyuk, the majority of support for Ukraine must come from non-European countries. In order to obtain the seat, two-thirds of the General Assembly, which now numbers 188 delegates, must vote for Ukraine. To that end, Mr. Tarasyuk and his delegation are meeting with U.N. representatives from many nations, responding to their questions and informing them about Ukraine in order to secure their vote. The U.N. General Assembly vote on this issue is scheduled for mid-October.

Over all, Ukraine's chances are excellent, stated Mr. Tarasyuk, praising the work of Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.N. Volodymyr Yelchenko, as well as that of Hennadii Udovenko, Ukraine's former ambassador to the United Nations and former foreign affairs minister, as well as a former president of the U.N. General Assembly. In no small part due to their efforts, Mr. Tarasyuk noted, Ukraine and its U.N. delegation are held in high regard by other U.N. delegates.

He cautioned, however, that there is precedent at the United Nations wherein countries have been convinced that they have the two-thirds majority votes required, yet in the final count certain delegates failed to come through as promised. He shrugged slightly as he tersely described this type of behavior as "dishonest and disreputable," unworthy of diplomats.

The strongest criticism of Ukraine's candidacy comes from countries that fear a lack of balance, those that believe, as Mr. Tarasyuk stated, that "to have Ukraine on the council is like having another Russia" and are unsure of Ukraine's ability to be independent of its northern neighbor.

If given the seat, "Ukraine will continue to take the opportunity to participate in stabilization in troublespots throughout the world," he noted, alluding to Ukraine's successful participation in Kosovo and other U.N. peacekeeping missions.

Mr. Tarasyuk noted that at the beginning of Ukraine's independence there was international concern about Ukraine's foreign policy stance. As it turned out, the minister observed, Ukraine's internal problems, especially rebuilding the economy, were the most difficult to resolve and Ukraine's finest achievements can be found in the arena of foreign policy.

From the beginning, Ukraine's goals were to integrate into Euro-Atlantic structures and to maintain good relations with its neighbors, noted Mr. Tarasyuk, adding that Ukraine's positions were "not pro- or anti-West, but only those that were in Ukraine's interest."

"As once before in history, as with our 'great-grandfather' predecessor - Kyivan Rus' - Ukraine, still, and again, stands at a strategic crossroads between nations. ... Ukraine can't afford enemies, we need friends. In that sense, our goals have been achieved," he said, citing partnerships with NATO and the United States, and good relations with the Russian Federation.

In a relatively short period of time, "we have peacefully resolved problems that in history were rarely so complex," noted Mr. Tarasyuk, including such divisive issues as the status of Crimea, division of the Black Sea Fleet, agreements and treaties with all neighboring countries, border demarcations, and, not least of all, complete nuclear disarmament.

Ukraine's establishment of 80 embassies and consulates in 60 countries in less than eight years can be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records, he claimed, since never in history has such a feat been completed successfully.

The recent summit of 14 presidents in Yalta, dubbed "Yalta II," can also be considered an enormous achievement, he noted. The attendance by such a broad and high-level representation only attests to the seriousness with which Ukraine's efforts to help shape regional politics and participate in international relations are viewed.

The minister spoke little of Ukraine's internal situation, noting only that the main event in the near future is the presidential election. He claimed that the candidates hold opposing positions.

The first group wants to halt and reverse Ukraine's progress, and includes such proposals as integrating with the Russian Federation, turning away from Euro-Atlantic institutions and returning to a command-administrative economy. This left wing includes such candidates as the Kaniv Four (Oleksander Moroz, Oleksandr Tkachenko, Volodymyr Oliinyk and Yevhen Marchuk), as well as Natalia Vitrenko and Petro Symonenko.

The second position, he stated, is that of those who want to continue along the path of reform, including continuing the very successful foreign policy strategy of reinforcing independence and friendly relations with all nations, the leading candidate of which is President Leonid Kuchma.

"We can only hope that Ukraine does not willingly desert its independence ... independence is an achievement of Ukrainians worldwide," he said.

| Home Page |