Joint statement

NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting -  9 July 2007

At our meeting in Brussels on 9 July 2007, we, the Ambassadors of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, marked the tenth anniversary of the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Ukraine, signed on 9 July 1997 in Madrid.

Over the past ten years, the NATO-Ukraine Distinctive Partnership in the framework of the Charter has strengthened security throughout the Euro-Atlantic area by creating effective mechanisms for Ukraine-NATO cooperation. 

The NATO-Ukraine Commission, established by the Charter, has served as a forum for regular consultations on issues of mutual interest. The Commission has provided a valuable framework for the development of mutually beneficial practical defence and military, scientific, environmental and economic cooperation.

This cooperative format has allowed Ukraine to benefit from NATO’s experience and assistance in the conduct of ambitious reforms. In the framework of the Joint Working Group on Defence Reform, Ukraine has made significant progress in implementing security, defence and military related aspects of the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan and has worked towards strengthening a democratically-controlled and accountable security sector. NATO/PfP Trust Funds for the destruction of small arms, light weapons and man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), and for the retraining and resettlement of former military personnel have enhanced Ukraine’s national security in concrete ways.

Active military cooperation, in particular Ukraine’s participation in and contribution to NATO’s operations and missions, have reinforced the NATO-Ukraine partnership, and made a tangible contribution to international peace and stability.

Underscoring the importance of the NATO-Ukraine Distinctive Partnership and Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration policy, we noted that introduction of the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan in 2002 and the adoption, in 2005, of the Intensified Dialogue on Ukraine’s membership aspirations and relevant reforms, without prejudice to any eventual Alliance decision, have been instrumental in contributing to Ukraine’s progress in achieving Euro-Atlantic standards.

On this landmark anniversary, we reviewed the main achievements of the last ten years in the framework of the Distinctive Partnership, and discussed the prospects for the further development of the NATO-Ukraine partnership.

The Ukrainian Ambassador re-affirmed Ukraine’s strategic course of Euro-Atlantic integration aimed at achieving full membership in the Alliance. He reconfirmed Ukraine’s determination to follow through on relevant reforms, and to intensify mutually beneficial cooperation in ensuring regional peace and stability, including through support to all current NATO-led missions and operations.

Allied Ambassadors re-affirmed that NATO remains open to new European members under Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty.  They welcomed Ukraine’s progress in implementing key reforms aimed at strengthening its democratic institutions and reforming its defence and security sectors and called for further efforts in this regard. They reconfirmed their readiness to pursue cooperation in all existing formats, including the Intensified Dialogue and the Ukraine-NATO Action Plan.  They expressed their appreciation for Ukraine’s substantial contributions to international security, including through active support to all current NATO-led operations and missions, as well as for its efforts to promote regional cooperation.  NATO Ambassadors also reiterated their willingness to support Ukraine in informing the Ukrainian people about NATO-Ukraine cooperation in an accurate and positive way, and commended the efforts of the NATO Information and Documentation Center and the NATO Liaison Office in this regard.

Welcoming the main achievements of the past years, we concluded our meeting by reaffirming our commitment to pursue cooperation in the full range of political, military, financial and security issues covered by the Intensified Dialogue and the NATO-Ukraine Distinctive Partnership .

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