British MP focuses on Ukraine's future (06/27/04)

British MP focuses on Ukraine's future

by Tony Leliw

LONDON - A British member of Parliament believes that Ukraine's political future has to be more balanced between its neighbors to the East and West.

John Wilkinson, who campaigned for the demise of the Soviet Union for more than three decades, said: "Ukraine itself would wish a more balanced relationship with Russia and the CIS countries, the European Union and NATO countries. I think it is possible and desirable."

The founder and vice-chairman of the British-Ukrainian All-Party Parliamentary Group, said the outcome of Ukraine's autumn elections will be important not only for its neighboring countries but for the wider world.

Mr. Wilkinson, who also serves on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, said he is not in a position to judge if the October elections will be free and fair, but the fact that they would be under the monitoring procedure of the Council of Europe, implied there had been criticisms.

"These criticisms have been in parliamentary practices, doubts about the independence of the media, strong-arm tactics and intimidation," said the Conservative MP.

"We hope that the elections are freely and fairly conducted, but the present atmosphere seems to be tense," explained Mr. Wilkinson, who argreed there are long-term prospects for Ukraine in the EU.

"It depends on the election and whether Ukraine meets the criteria of harmonizing its legal processes, reforms its economy, and if its democracy is of a sufficient high-standing. All these things take time," he said.

"Being optimistic, it would be 2010 at the very earliest," he stated.

As chairman on migration, refugees and demography in the Council of Europe, Mr. Wilkinson said he was concerned that Ukraine plays its part in stopping the trafficking of illegal immigration and prove itself a reliable partner to its neighbors in the EU.

Mr. Wilkinson said his interest in Ukraine was awakened when he was MP in 1970-1974 for the Yorkshire constituency of Bradford West, which had a sizable Ukrainian population.

For many years he supported Ukraine's drive for independence. When it achieved its freedom he set up the British-Ukrainian All-Party Parliamentary Group, whose purpose was to encourage good relations between parliamentarians in the United Kingdom and Ukraine.

"We have a good liaison with the Embassy, and when there are members of the [Verkhovna] Rada and Ukrainian leaders visiting here we try and have meetings with them," he said.

The group has discussed a whole range of subjects over the years, from big power politics like arms control and security to migration and the human and clean-up cost of Chornobyl.

"We write reports to the Foreign Office and ministers, so that the government can act on any advice we receive from our Ukrainian friends. We can exercise pressure and we hope to be influential," he added.

Members of the group include such political heavyweights as Baroness Williams of Crosby, Lord Biffen, Sir George Young and Earl Howe. Its current chairman is the Labor MP Ann Clwyd, known for her high-profile support of the Iraq war.

Mr. Wilkinson said the group meets two or three times a year, admitting that the contact is not as close as he would wish.

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