Press Release (1999)039 22 Mar. 1999

NATO-Ukraine Commission Ambassadorial Level The NATO-Ukraine Commission met today at the Ambassadorial level at NATO HQ in Brussels. Members held a wide-ranging discussion and shared their concern about the deteriorating security situation in Kosovo. They underscored the urgent need for the FRY to accept the Interim Agreement which provides for an enhanced status of autonomy for Kosovo within the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. NATO Allies expressed their appreciation for Ukraine's participation in the OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission, Ukraine's offer to contribute to the Kosovo air verification mission, a possible NATO-led peace implementation force, as well as for its ongoing contribution to SFOR . Members of the Commission also had a fruitful exchange of information on strategy and military doctrines. Members of the NUC discussed the implementation of activities under the NATO-Ukraine Charter in 1999, including the visit by the Political Committee to Kyiv in February, the meeting of the Chiefs of Defence Staff in March in Brussels, the on-going work of the Joint Working Group on Defence Reform, the ad-hoc expert group on arms control which met in February in Brussels, the continuing implementation of the information programme and the recent workshops on retraining military officers and defence industry conversion. They welcomed the fact that the Yavoriv training area has been officially designated as a PfP Training Centre. They looked forward to the appointment of the two NATO Liaison Officers, as well as the new Director for the NATO Information and Documentation Centre in Kyiv. Members also discussed preparations for the NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting to be held at Summit level in Washington, D.C. in April.