Analysts and policy-makers discuss U.S.-Ukraine strategic relations at roundtable conference (11/18/01)

Analysts and policy-makers discuss U.S.-Ukraine strategic relations at roundtable conference

by Andrew Nynka

WASHINGTON - More than 200 government official and representatives of non-governmental organizations with an interest in developments in Ukraine gathered for a conference on October 31-November 1 in Washington to exchange views on Ukraine's progress in its efforts at state- and nation-building.

The two-day event, titled "Ukraine's Quest for Mature Nation Statehood: Roundtable II - Taking Measure of a U.S./Ukraine Strategic Partnership," included almost two dozen panel discussions, with more than 80 panelists and discussants participating. The conference sessions, organized at the initiative of the Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine and the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, were held at the Wyndham Washington Hotel.

Addressing conference participants, the keynote speaker, Ukraine's Prime Minister Anatolii Kinakh, recognized the work being done by the roundtable when he underlined its efforts to "convene a conference that would bring together prominent representatives from academia and the governments of Ukraine and the United States to assess Ukraine's prospects for accelerated integration into the Euro-Atlantic community and stronger bilateral relations."

In the program handout, conference organizers stated that "the goal of the roundtable is to provide, inter alia, a valuable cache of information, analysis and insight pertinent to U.S.-Ukraine strategic relations for the new administration in Washington and the newly appointed Cabinet of Ministers in Kyiv."

Bohdan Fedorak, chairman of the conference steering committee, noted that "the purpose of the conference is to objectively assess the capacity of the United States and Ukraine to make the requisite political, economic, diplomatic and military commitments to the realization of these strategic goals."

Among the topics discussed by the panels were: Ukraine's relations with the international community, global security, regional stability, the future of U.S.-Ukrainian strategic relations, Poland and the U.S.-Ukraine nexus, economic ties between the United States and Ukraine, Ukraine's relations with multilateral financial institutions and Ukraine's quest for energy independence.

Also broached were: U.S.-Ukraine relations on the legislative front, expanded security ties between the United States and Ukraine, organized crime, enhancing Ukraine's national security through democracy-building, Russia and the U.S.-Ukraine nexus, U.S.-Ukraine relations with regard to the Visegrad Group, GUUAM, the European Union and the war on terrorism.

Addressing the benefits such a conference has for democratic and economic reform currently under way in Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada National Deputy and Vice-Chairman of the Ukrainian National Rukh, Mykhailo Ratushny said that "the level of the conference, as well as the level of representation, is growing and we see the positive consequences of this in recent economic and agricultural developments in Ukraine."

Former Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources and Verkhovna Rada National Deputy Ivan Zayets echoed the necessity of such a conference for Ukraine's future, saying that "not only are both Ukraine and America changing dynamically, but the relationship between the two is changing. This conference allows us to understand each other and grow from such interactions."

Among the many other experts participating in the conference were: Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, co-chair of the Ukrainian Congressional Caucus Rep. Robert Schaffer, U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Carlos Pascual, Ukraine's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ihor Kharchenko, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, Consul General of Ukraine in Chicago Boris Bazylevskyi, Ukraine's Minister of Finance Ihor Mitiukov, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Steven Pifer.

Also participating were: President of the Dupuy Institute Nicholas Krawciw, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Eurasia Mira Baratta, President of the Razumkov Center Anatolii Hrytsenko, Verkhovna Rada National Deputy Ivan Bilas, Director of the Center for National Security Studies at the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Olexiy Haran, Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William Green Miller, President and CEO of the Western NIS Enterprise Fund Natalie Jaresko, National Bank of Ukraine Chairman Volodymyr Stelmakh, and Ukraine's Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Hennadii Udovenko.

The sponsors of Roundtable II were: the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, Embassy of Ukraine, American Foreign Policy Council, International Republican Institute, National Democratic Institute, Harriman Institute/Columbia University, Ukrainian National Security Program of Harvard University, School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University, SigmaBleyzer, Romyr Consultants Corp., Merchants of Light, The Silecky Firm, Ukrainian World Congress, Ukrainian American Freedom Foundation, Organization for the Defense of Four Freedoms for Ukraine, Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, Ukrainian National Information Service, Ukrainian Academic and Professional Association, and the Ukrainian Central Information Service.

According to conference organizers, transcripts of the conference proceedings will shortly be available on the website www.fourfreedoms.net.

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