Ukraine to focus on European Union, U.S. and Russia in 2000 (01/02/00)

Ukraine to focus on European Union, U.S. and Russia in 2000

by Pavel Polityuk
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

KYIV - Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk said on December 28 that Ukraine's integration into European structures and its close cooperation with the United States and the Russian Federation will be the main directions of Kyiv's foreign policy in the year 2000.

"Our foreign policy will be focused on three main directions: integration into the European Union and development of cooperation with both the United States and Russia," Mr. Tarasyuk told journalists at a news briefing, presenting a review of the Foreign Affairs Ministry's activity in 1999 and prospects for the coming year.

Mr. Tarasyuk, whose appointment as foreign affairs minister in the new Ukrainian government head by Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko is still unclear, said the year's results had proven that Ukrainian foreign policy was stable and effective.

"(We) have confirmed the European choice of our country," Mr. Tarasyuk said. "This path was supported by the Ukrainian people during the presidential elections when Leonid Kuchma was re-elected to a second term in the office."

Integration into the European Union is the "Ukrainian strategic target," according to Mr. Tarasyuk. He said Ukraine is still striving to achieve associate membership in the union and added that the recently adopted EU strategy for Ukraine is the key step toward that status.

The European Union adopted a strategy on December 10, 1999, for developing relations with Ukraine for the next four years. The strategy stopped far short of mapping out EU membership for Kyiv; it merely acknowledged Ukraine's European aspirations, welcomed its "pro-European choice" and outlined the basis for cooperation between Kyiv and the EU.

European Union leaders declined to say what prospects Ukraine had of becoming part of the EU's enlargement plans, which now include the three Baltic states and seven other Eastern European countries.

Despite the EU's cautious approach, Mr. Tarasyuk said he believes Ukraine has a good chance to attain associate membership in the union next year. He underlined, however, that Kyiv must first do its best on economic issues.

"Now we must take serious economic steps," he said, adding that the recent economic decree signed by President Kuchma has confirmed Ukraine's intentions to undertake radical market reforms.

Ukraine's top diplomat said Kyiv also is paying serious attention to its cooperation with the United States, the country's major financial supporter and an influential political and economic partner. Mr. Tarasyuk said the U.S. had supported Ukraine's efforts to reform its Soviet-style management, economy and agricultural sector.

Earlier this month President Kuchma visited the United States and said he is ready to move on "immediate economic transformation," following the advice of various foreign experts and economists who urged Ukraine to speed up its reforms.

Mr. Tarasyuk noted that during the U.S. visit Ukrainian and U.S. leaders signed 12 bilateral documents aimed at expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.

"We are fulfilling a series of previous agreements, especially regarding the space issue," the diplomat said. "Two (Ukrainian) rocket boosters have been launched under the international Sea Launch space program in which Ukraine, the United States, Norway and Russia are taking part."

Mr. Tarasyuk said Ukrainian diplomats also will pay serious attention to relations with other important countries, such as Canada, Germany, France, Japan, China, former Soviet republics and Eastern European states, including Poland, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and others.

"This was a unique year for Ukrainian foreign policy and our diplomats, but I can forecast that the next year will give us new successes and achievements," the acting foreign affairs minister emphasized.

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