Statement
Meeting
of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at the level of Foreign Ministers
Brussels, 15 December 1999
The NATO-Ukraine Commission met in Foreign Ministers session at NATO
Headquarters on 15 December 1999.
The Commission welcomed the reaffirmation of Ukraine's policy of Euro-Atlantic
integration after the re-election of President Kuchma. The Ministers stressed
their mutual commitment to making further progress in enhancing the NATO-Ukraine
Distinctive Partnership. In this context, they also noted Ukraine's aspiration
for closer involvement in the process of developing the European security
and defence identity.
The Commission discussed the security situation in the Euro-Atlantic
area and welcomed the approval by the OSCE Summit of the Charter for European
Security, the adapted CFE Treaty and the updated Vienna Document. The
Ministers expressed their confidence that the EAPC, the PfP program, the
NATO-Ukraine Charter as well as the NATO-Russia partnership all have a
major role to play in further strengthening European security and stability.
The members of the Commission appreciated the achievements of NATO and
Ukraine in strengthening regional security, in particular through their
close cooperation within KFOR and SFOR. They also took positive note of
Ukraine's commitment to further promote regional security in Europe through
her membership in the UN Security Council in 2000-2001.
The Commission reviewed the situation in the Balkans. The Ministers welcomed
the continuing progress in implementing the Dayton Peace Agreement in
Bosnia and Herzegovina and noted the restructuring of SFOR. The members
of the Commission discussed further prospects for NATO-Ukraine cooperation
in the consolidation of peace and security in Kosovo and noted the achievements
of KFOR in this regard. They also discussed present and future challenges
to KFOR and called upon all ethnic communities to demonstrate tolerance
and work together with the international community in the reconstruction
efforts. The members of the Commission condemned the ongoing acts of ethnic
violence in Kosovo and stressed their determination to meet the full aims
of the international community as set out in UNSCR 1244, reaffirming their
commitment to a multi-ethnic and democratic Kosovo within the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia.
The Commission exchanged views on the results of cooperation under the
NATO-Ukraine Charter in 1999 and endorsed a substantial range of cooperative
activities for 2000, with a particular emphasis on such fields as military-technical
cooperation, armaments and standardization, economic and environmental
aspects of defence-related activities, science and technology, and civil
emergency planning. The members of the Commission noted significant progress
reached in NATO-Ukraine cooperation under the Charter and within the Partnership
for Peace. Ministers welcomed steps undertaken in Ukraine to ensure the
effective implementation of Ukraine's National Program for cooperation
with NATO to the year 2001, as well as efforts to make the Yavoriv PfP
Training Center fully operational.
The Commission took positive note of the more focussed and prioritized
approach taken by Ukraine towards her cooperation with the Alliance. Ministers
also discussed the prospects of further strengthening the institutional
basis of the NATO-Ukraine relationship, in particular the NATO Liaison
Office to Ukraine, the NATO Information and Documentation Centre in Kyiv,
as well as the Joint Working Groups on Defence Reform, Civil Emergency
Planning, and the Open Ended Working Groups on Economic Security and Retraining
of Retired Military Personnel.
The next meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission will be held in Ambassadorial
session in Kyiv in March 2000.
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