Washington roundtable focuses on post-Orange Revolution Ukraine (10/09/05)

Washington roundtable focuses on post-Orange Revolution Ukraine

Ukrainian National Information Service

WASHINGTON - "Ten months after the Orange Revolution, we have to be satisfied that the mass media in Ukraine is free, that Ukraine's foreign policy is in the hands of committed individuals and is pointed in a clear strategic direction," said Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security advisor and professor of American foreign policy at Johns Hopkins University.

In his keynote address to the Ukraine's Quest for Mature Nation Statehood Roundtable VI conference, Dr. Brzezinski noted the Orange Revolution was "a true and ecstatic emancipation." It was the expression of a shared national identity that was defined in a democratic context and became part of the Ukrainian people.

His enthusiasm notwithstanding, Dr. Brzezinski spoke to the realities of politics, evaluating recent events objectively and not through rose-colored glasses. "One cannot live forever in hope. But one can get indigestion from too much opportunism," hinting at the recent agreement signed by President Viktor Yushchenko and former rival Viktor Yanukovych.

The challenge for Ukraine's leadership is to strike a balance between the hope of the "maidan" (Independence Square) and the imperatives of reality, he explained.

The September 27-28 conference, the sixth installment of the Ukraine's Quest for Mature Nation Statehood series, was opened by Michael Sawkiw Jr., president of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, who commented that, "Ukraine is indeed a country of immense proportions and holds within its balance the linchpin of stability and security in Europe."

The roundtable, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, was organized to analyze Ukraine's transition to an established national identity in light of what has become known as Ukraine's Orange Revolution. As chairman of the Roundtable Steering Committee, Mr. Sawkiw noted that "the Orange Revolution was about the creation of a political nation." According to Mr. Sawkiw, the people of Ukraine moved "the arrows of political development toward an open society" expressing their European identity.

Walter Zaryckyj, executive director of the Center for U.S.-Ukrainian Relations and program coordinator for the roundtable series, noted that the first three roundtables had Ukraine's external relations as their themes. "Today's roundtable marks the culmination of the third in a series that looked at internal themes," said Mr. Zaryckyj. He said that "the conferences were designed to be a trilogy of trilogies, as Ukraine emerges from the post-Soviet space and becomes a mature nation-state."

The keynote speaker, Dr. Brzezinski, was introduced to the assemblage as "the moral voice for the deepening of democracy in Poland and Ukraine," by Adrian Karatnycky, senior scholar at Freedom House. Mr. Karatnycky recently founded the Orange Circle, a new international non-profit initiative to support the values of the Orange Revolution, including democracy, the rule of law, a competitive economy, and honest and transparent government.

"The future of Ukraine should not be shaped by seemingly irreconcilable groups without the participation of the Ukrainian people," Dr. Brzezinski stressed in his remarks.

He also pointed to the efforts of the Ukrainian American diaspora, particularly their generations-long dedication to Ukraine's independence. He highlighted the need to support election monitoring projects and civil society building initiatives such as those spearheaded by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America.

Dr. Brzezinski noted, "Many of you here represent the Ukrainian diaspora and have always been committed to Ukrainian independence. You have a responsibility to monitor the events and to communicate to the leaders your expectations."

Ukraine is poised to become a member of the World Trade Organization later this year. Noting the difficulties and the political realities in Kyiv, Dr. Brzezinski pointed out that over 20 laws remain to be adopted by the Rada that would ensure WTO membership. Dr. Brzezinski stressed that the leadership in Ukraine must communicate its expectations and the importance of WTO entry this year. "Ukraine's future is important to the future of Europe," said Dr. Brzezinski. "The success of Ukraine will predetermine Russia's future in Europe."

Recognizing the will and aspirations of the people of Ukraine, Dr. Brzezinski concluded, "The Ukrainians ... have proved they are a nation and now they have to remind their leaders it is they who decide the future of their country."

Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), congresswoman from Yonkers, N.Y., who spoke on the conference's opening day, expressed American support for Ukraine. "The United States must remain steadfast in our support for Ukraine," according to Rep. Lowey, ranking member on the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House of Representatives Appropriations Committee and a member of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus. She noted that there will be bumps in the road, citing the recent deal President Viktor Yushchenko signed with his former adversary Viktor Yanukovych.

Speaking of recent changes in Ukraine's government, Anton Buteiko, Ukraine's vice minister of foreign affairs, commented that "Following elections in the United States, Republicans and Democrats shake hands and cooperate." For many in Ukraine, the changes in government are part of normal political developments.

Mr. Buteiko was Ukraine's ambassador to Romania and resigned from his post in 2003 in protest against the policy pursued by former President Leonid Kuchma to sign the agreement on a Single Economic Space. Mr. Buteiko underscored Ukraine's European identity, having himself returned from meetings in Brussels, where he led talks to intensify Ukraine's entry in the European Union and Euro-Atlantic structures, including NATO.

The roundtable's morning session on September 27 addressed physical and economic factors of Ukraine's "center of gravity." Mark von Hagen, professor of history at Columbia University and former president of the International Association of Ukrainian Studies, chaired the session that contemplated the political dimension of Ukraine's center of gravity.

Stephen Nix, chairman of the International Republican Institute, and Nelson Ledsky, chairman of the National Democratic Institute, highlighted Ukraine's advanced development of civil society and political party development. In particular, Mr. Ledsky pointed to the recent statement by the Committee of Voters of Ukraine condemning President Yushchenko's agreement with Mr. Yanukovych as proof positive that civil society will become the bastion of Ukrainian democracy.

"Any discussion of Ukraine's body politic would be remiss without a discussion about the body economic," according to Andrij Bihun, senior international trade specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce and chair of the session contemplating the economic dimension to Ukraine's national identity. Mr. Bihun observed that Ukraine's economy is no longer a patient in cardiac care, but still requires post-operative supervision.

Anthony Wayne, assistant U.S. secretary of state, noted that, despite deeply rooted problems of corruption, Ukraine has advanced by integrating WTO norms into its legal framework and making eventual membership possible. He observed that Ukraine is strategically located between the Caspian and Black seas and should do more to capitalize on that advantage and shift the direction of the Odesa-Brody pipeline toward the European Union.

Mr. Wayne noted, however, that it is fully within Ukraine's purview to develop regional business initiatives with all its neighbors. "President [George W.] Bush and President Yushchenko agreed to develop a bilateral market access agreement by the end of the year," according to Mr. Wayne.

Brian Cox of the U.S. Treasury Department noted several currency controls and financial monitoring agreements between the United States and Ukraine aimed at combatting transnational organized crime. He noted there may be several hurdles to the Ukrainian economy, many of which will require serious attention, such as the marked deceleration of Ukraine's economic growth.

Ariel Cohen, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, noted Ukraine has matured and the United States can no longer treat Ukraine like a "child." Dr. Cohen noted that the populism of the past eight months may have long-lasting effects on the economy that may not be fully felt until after the March 2006 elections. He cautioned that Ukraine will be competing with other emerging economies, such as India and Korea, and must strengthen its financial institutions and economic policies.

Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI) made an unscheduled appearance at the conference. He was introduced by UCCA President Sawkiw as "an ardent spokesman for Ukraine's graduation from Jackson-Vanik" and as the congressman who recently introduced a resolution and a bill to build a monument to victims of the Ukrainian Genocide of 1932-1933.

Directly addressing the members of Ukraine's Parliament who were present at the conference, Rep. Levin stressed that the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus will "accelerate our interaction with all of you."

"Our faith in the path of a free Ukraine remains undiminished," said Congressman Levin.

Latvia's ambassador to the United States, Maris Riekstins, echoed this sentiment, stating that "we will support Ukraine's aspirations to join the European Union and NATO." Mr. Riekstins noted that a Western-oriented foreign policy requires intense management of regional expectations. "Western foreign policy entails complicated relations with Russia. We have experience in this field that we could share with Ukraine," he explained.

"There is no general recipe, and dealing with the past is always a painful thing," Mr. Riekstins said about implementing laws on lustration in Ukraine. Although Latvia had restrictions preventing former members of the KGB and the Communist Party from holding government positions, Lithuania leads the region in pursuing atonement for Soviet crimes against humanity.

"Look into your own history with honest eyes. Focus on your future. You shouldn't forget your past, but the reforms are more important for the welfare of your people and the future of Ukraine," Mr. Riekstins emphasized.

Georgia's ambassador to the United States, Levan Mikeladze, who spoke on the topic of Ukraine in a regional context, noted that the enhancement of a partnership with Ukraine remains one of the priorities of Georgia's foreign policy.

In other presentations during the two-day conference, National Deputy Oleh Zarubinskyj, acting chairman of the Verkhovna Rada's Committee on European Integration, focused on the Ukrainian perspective on the country's accession to the European Union, while Ambassador Steven Pifer, who was the U.S. envoy to Ukraine in 1998-2000, assessed Ukraine's prospects for joining the EU and noted what Ukraine needs to do for this to become a reality.

James Sherr, a fellow at the Conflict Studies Research Center of the Defense Academy of the United Kingdom, delved into the challenges that Ukraine faces as it seeks membership in NATO.

Presentations such as those by Myroslav Popovych, director of the Hryhorii Skovoroda Philosophy Institute, who spoke on "The Problem of National Self-Identification in Ukraine," and a panel foreshadowing the March 2006 parliamentary elections with representatives of Ukraine's political spectrum, rounded out the program of "Roundtable VI: Ukraine's Transition to an Established National Identity."

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