Enhancing NATO-Ukraine Cooperation: Short-Term Actions

NATO Allies and Ukraine have agreed to launch the initiatives outlinedbelow to enhance their cooperation in support of Ukraine's reformpriorities. We are undertaking these measures in the framework of theNATO-Ukraine Action Plan, taking into account our decision to begin anIntensified Dialogue on Ukraine’s aspirations to membership andrelevant reforms, without prejudice to any eventual Alliance decision.

Strengthening democratic institutions

• Using available resources from NATO, Allies, and other interestedinstitutionalpartners like the Geneva Centre for Democratic Control of Armed Forces(DCAF), expand Joint Working Group on Defence Reform (JWGDR) efforts tohelp the new leadership strengthen executive, legislative, and publicoversight of defence and security sector institutions with which NATOis engaged in co-operative activities.
• Receive and evaluate information and exchange views on effortstoenhance media freedom and electoral and judicial reform, including byinviting relevant Ukrainian ministries and agencies to provide regularbriefings.
• Use this year's annualassessment of Ukraine's Action Plan implementation to provide acomprehensive review of achievements since its adoption in 2002,offering specific guidance on outstanding reform needs.
• Fully utilise Action Plan (AP)/Annual Target Plan (ATP) mechanisms(using existing NATO-Ukraine channels at all levels) to providepositive feedback on successes in this area, as well as constructivecriticism and recommendations as necessary.

Renewing political dialogue

• Broaden the scope of issues to be discussed in NATO-Ukraine meetings inall levels in the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) format, to include allareas outlined in the Charter and AP.
• Undertake tohold discussions of specific common political and security concerns,particularly regarding frozen conflicts (e.g., Transdniestria).
• Offer a more regular frequency of substantive exchanges with Ukraine(e.g., through a regular calendar of issue-driven NUC meetings at alllevels) to inform and focus targeted practical co-operation. This wouldinclude work toward enhanced operational co-operation in key areas(including in the framework of Operation Active Endeavour, ISAF, KFORand the NATO Training Mission-Iraq), as well as intensifyingconsultations on arms control, export controls and non-proliferation(including exploration of a possible Ukrainian contribution to Weaponsof Mass Destruction (WMD) defence).
• Improve thepreparation of high-level meetings by using the Political Committee inNUC format for that purpose, and to develop substantive issues.
• Increase public awareness of enhanced political dialogue betweenUkraine and NATO, using the full range of public diplomacy instrumentsavailable.

Reinvigorating co-operation in defence and security sector reform

• In the context of the JWGDR Work Plan for 2005, develop activities toassist Ukraine in conducting a comprehensive national security reviewof the missions, tasks and functions of all security institutions withwhich NATO is engaged in cooperative activities.
• Assistin the reform of the intelligence sector according to Euro-Atlanticstandards, through enhanced exchanges of experience and expertisebetween Ukraine and NATO member states; support enhancement of thecapabilities of the Ukrainian intelligence services in the struggleagainst terrorism.
• At the working level, enhance theprovision of Allied expertise (both International Staff(IS)/International Military Staff (IMS) and national experts) tosupport the urgent work of implementing Ukraine's reform plans,including the demilitarisation of internal security structures,whileinitiating a fundamental review of co-operation in light of how the newUkrainian administration defines Ukraine's longer-term needs.
• Assist Ukraine in developing civilian personnel to be employed in bothkey and expert positions in Ukrainian security institutions, includingthe National Security and Defence Council (NSDC).
• Follow up on specific requests for information and specificpossibilities identified for expert twinning, while developing a widerprogramme under the JWGDR.
• Consult with all relevant structures of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD)andNSDC to encourage broad co-ordination of reform plans, and to determinespecific needs for defence planning expertise in developing mid-termprogrammes.
• Hold conferences, workshops and seminars ondefence policy/strategy and defence economics issues with theinvolvement of experts from Allied capitals to assist Ukraine instrengthening policy formulation capacities and increasing civilsociety expertise and oversight capacity.
• Leverage theNATO Defence College’s (NDC) relationship with Ukraine’s NationalDefence Academy to enhance the capability of the latter to generateinnovative thinking on issues of importance for defence reform. Thiscould include, inter alia, increasing the number of Ukrainian officersparticipating in NDC programmes.

Enhancing and targeting public diplomacy efforts

• In cooperation with the Ukrainian authorities, seek to address negativepublic perceptions of NATO in all regions of Ukraine, including bymaking available Russian-language versions of NATO-Ukraine publications.
• Increase awareness of positive developments in NATO-Ukrainecooperation, including in the defence sector, as well as of NATO-Russiacooperative activities in the framework of the NATO-Russia Council(NRC).
• Develop, together with the Ukrainianauthorities, a concrete public diplomacy strategy involving Ukrainiancivilian and military officials, parliamentarians and Non-GovernmentalOrganisations (NGOs) on one side, and NATO officials, high-level Alliedrepresentatives and experts on the other.
• Undertake a series of seminars for interested personnel ofrelevant Ukrainian ministries and formedia representatives, academics and public opinion-makers, aimed at developing greater public understanding of NATO issues.
• Using the NATO Information and Documentation Centre, the NATO LiaisonOffice and the NATO Contact Point Embassy, increase the frequency andvisibility of high‑level visits to Ukraine by both Alliedrepresentatives and the IS/IMS, to assist in disseminating NATOinformation and key messages.

Enhancing support to address the socio-economic impact of defence reform

• At the working level, enhance the provision of Allied expertise tosupport the urgent work of developing and implementing Ukrainianmilitary and security forces’ release, retirement and resettlementprogrammes, to include in particular:
  • expert support for an assessment of needs and the development of a comprehensive retraining/resettlement plan;
  • increased practical support to concrete retraining programmes in 2005 and 2006; and
  • explore means of addressing Ukraine’s retraining needs in the longer term.
• Provide expert advice to Ukraine’s defence industrial complex to helpit adapt to new market realities, convert to civilian production, andintegrate into the Euro-Atlantic market environment, including throughthe application of Euro-Atlantic standards in arms export controls.
• Work to ensure that additional resources are found for the PfP TrustFund for the destruction of surplus small arms/light weapons (SALW) andmunitions, so that the first phase of destruction can be undertaken assoon as possible. Explore additional co-operation in the area ofmunitions safety and security.