NATO HQ 10 June 2005

Speech by Dr. Anatoliy grytsenko, Minister of Defence of Ukraine at Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Meeting Item 1: Cooperation Between NATO Nations and Partners in the Field of Peace Support Operations. Dear Secretary General! Dear Ladies and Gentlemen! I am happy to welcomes everybody participating in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council meeting. All of us are witnesses to the positive and dramatic changes, which have been taking place within the Euro-Atlantic partnership area during the.last years. I believe that enhancement of cooperation between NATO Nations and Partners in the area of peace support operations is a typical feature of these changes. Since we cannot imagine management of crises threatening peace and stability without close cooperation between NATO Nations and Partners. Ukraine is doing all the best for enhancing its contribution to this area in its turn. Despite difficulties, which we face in reforming our Armed Force, we have managed to establish necessary conditions for personnel training and their involvement in peace support operations. Primarily, this relates to the Yavoriv PfP Training Center, employed for both practical training of our peacekeeping contingents and combined exercises as well as joint training with NATO nations and other countries units. Since 1997, the Centre receives annually from two to three multinational exercises. This year, we plan to hold 'Cooperative Best Effort-2005', 'Commonwealth-2005' and 'ASSISTEX-2' involving some 2,000 military servicemen properly armed and equipped. Secondly, the Multinational Staff Officers Centre was established several years ago at the National Defence Academy of Ukraine. The Centre is currently capable of performing a wide range of tasks and missions, related to training of peacekeeping personnel. Some 400 Ukrainian officers ranging from peacekeeping unit commander to multinational staff officer have gained special knowledge However, we are not only creating new structures for the training of peacekeeping contingents but also filling them with new contents, such as employment of advanced computer technologies for training of Ukrainian military. The Computer Simulation Center within the National Defense Academy allows the conducting of computer command post exercises and provides for the possibility to employ decision making staff procedures in accordance with NATO standards. These capabilities facilitate achievement of interoperability between Ukrainian Armed Forces units and NATO Nations. Realizing current geopolitical changes around the world, we consider participation of Ukrainian peacekeeping contingents in peace support operations under the auspices of the Alliance and other international organizations not only as a continuation of national foreign policy but also an expansion of security and stability within the Euro-Atlantic area. That is why we continue to participate in K FOR in Kosovo, and also plan to join Operation Active Endeavor in the near future. Moreover, national authorities have taken a decision regarding Ukraine's involvement in the NATO Training Mission in Iraq (NTM-I). As a result we will achieve a necessary level of interoperability between Ukrainian Armed Forces and appropriate NATO Nations structures as well as acquire experience for their restructuring and reform. At the end of my briefing I would like to reiterate that latest geopolitical changes around the world have a considerable influence on the further development of relations between NATO Nations and Partners in the field of enhancement of military and political as well as military cooperation. Thank you for your attention.