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| Updated: 03-Oct-2006 | NATO Speeches |
NATO HQ 14 Sept. 2006 |
Press point with NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych after the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission at ambassadorial level
JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER (Secretary General, NATO): It's a great pleasure for me to greet at NATO headquarters Ukrainian Prime Minister Yanukovych the first time in his new capacity with which of course I've congratulated him. Not the first because it's the fifth time Prime Minister told me that he is now here at NATO. We have had a bilateral meeting and afterwards the North Atlantic Council has met with Prime Minister Yanukovych. I think we can say that this was a very interesting open and frank meeting. And I think the Prime Minister and the NATO Ambassadors very much agreed that the distinctive partnership, as we call it, between Ukraine and NATO is to the benefit of Ukraine and to the benefit of NATO. May I mention, as many Ambassadors did, Ukraine 's very important participation and support for many peacekeeping operations which NATO is leading at the moment? And on the other hand it is NATO assisting, co-operating with Ukraine in sectors like defence reform, security sector reform and related subjects. And we do consider and I do consider this visit by Prime Minister Yanukovych very early in his tenure, as underlining the importance of the Intensified Dialogue Ukraine and NATO have had now for quite some time. This process will continue; this process will intensify and I do see this successful visit as an important step in that further process of closer co-operation between Ukraine and NATO. Thank you very much. Welcome Prime Minister. VIKTOR YANUKOVYCH ( Prime Minister , Ukraine ): I am very grateful to General Secretary. I really personally met him several times. And this meeting with the Ambassadors of NATO persuaded me once more that Ukraine now is the next stage of improvement of our relations... of closer relations with Alliance . For Ukraine it is very important now to participate in the creation of the new system of European security and such an opportunity is given to us today with the Intensified Dialogue with NATO and co-operation with NATO. For us it is very important today to give answers for the dangers that exist today, not only for the European Union, for the Ukraine , but for the whole world. There is now alternative today for the strategy that Ukraine has chosen in its relations with NATO. We understand very well that existing dangers such as terrorism needs to co-operate together the efforts of all countries of the world. And depending our relations and co-operation with NATO, we mandatory will participate in all the actions that help to overcome such a hard phenomenon as terrorism. So we made the next step in our relations with NATO and we will carry out this work very consequently, very logically and we will do all possible to persuade Ukrainian people that this is the work that has no alternative. Thank you. Q: (Translated)... YANUKOVYCH: (Translated)... TRANSLATOR: The question was about MAP and whether the Prime Minister has explained to the Ambassadors what Ukraine is going to do in terms of MAP and the answer was that we have explained that because of the political situation in Ukraine, we will now have to take a pause, but the time will come when the decision will be made. Q: How are you going to develop the policy of your government if, as the leader of the party, your attitude toward joining NATO is quite moderate and careful, whereas as the national leader you will have to pursue the policy of the country which has been clearly stated in that respect? YANUKOVYCH: We have to convince the society and when I say convince the society that means we should not really juxtapose two different ways like the part... the membership in NATO and our policy of good relations with Russia . And if we manage to find a way of bringing these two positions together, then this will be a policy that will be comforting, not only for a party, but for the country in general. We should not develop a policy that would create a blind alley in the relations between Russia and the European Union or in the relations between Ukraine and European Union versus Russia . We should build a reliable bridge between Russia and the European Union and I have stated that often and often again. MODERATOR: Two short questions here. Q: National News Agency of Ukraine . If possible in Ukrainian. (Translated)... And short question to Secretary General. Secretary General after these negotiations, do you feel that Ukraine is ready to fulfill its intention to send to Afghanistan for (inaudible) of civilian personnel? Thank you. TRANSLATOR: The first question was the co-operation of NATO in the continuing defence reform and the security reform in Ukraine is very important. So Mr. Prime Minister are you going to continue those reforms and will there be any budget support for the reforms. YANUKOVYCH: These reforms will be continued and the necessary financing will be there. DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I can answer you that any further Ukraine participation in the ISAF operation of NATO in Afghanistan linking it perhaps to the activities by other NATO allies is of great importance and will be another sign of Ukraine 's (inaudible) participation. So I would make a strong a plea indeed and the Prime Minister has touched upon the subject of Ukrainian participation in Afghanistan in this sense. Q: Secretary General a question on Afghanistan . The United States and Poland have announced additional troops. Is that already sufficient to meet the present shortcoming? And the other question would be how much is... considering the difficulties in getting the necessary commitments, how much is all of this a test for NATO's credibility? DE HOOP SCHEFFER: I was in touch late last night with the Polish Defence Minister Sikorski who is in Washington as you know. I think the Polish decision is a very important one. We're talking about a battalion here. As was said yesterday in the media, in other allies there is also still an ongoing discussion, so I think in this respect we are doing well. The question is always we can do more with more forces, so you'll never see a Secretary General say well here I am as a 100 percent happy man. But this is, as far as the need for extra forces is concerned, a very important step. Let me on the other hand tell you that the Operation Medusa west of Kandahar is going extremely well. With the forces we have, we can do what we want to do. That will be the case. But it is important this Polish decision to answer the quests put by the NATO military authorities, supported by me, for more forces in Afghanistan . And I've stated many times before that this is a very important operation for NATO; it is NATO's first priority and we are doing well. MODERATOR: I'm afraid that's all we have time for. Q: When can we have the referendum on NATO membership in Ukraine ? What year? YANUKOVYCH: So the time will show because this referendum can be carried out only when political and economic reforms will be carried out in Ukraine when the life standard in Ukraine will grow one day, well-being of people will grown and then we'll be able... then we'll be ready to carry out this referendum. So the time will show. |
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