News Conference

by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk
following the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council in Foreign Ministerial Session

Arseniy Yatsenyuk (Ukrainian Foreign Minister) : Thank you Secretary General. 

It seems to me that NATO-Ukrainian Commission was very fruitful. 

We had an open discussion regarding all kinds of dialogue between Ukraine and NATO.  We have a lot of things to do.  But a lot of things have been done both by NATO and by Ukraine. 

The first and probably one of the most positive messages is that this year we shall celebrate the 10th anniversary of the chart between NATO and the Ukraine.  And actually the prime minister, the president and the prime minister invited NATO to celebrate this anniversary in Kiev.  These could be the first sign of speaking in one voice. 

Talking about some peculiarities of our informal discussion, first I briefed... I briefed members of the commission on matters of Ukrainian support to NATO-led operations and mission including ISAF and Afghanistan, KFOR in Kosovo, NTM-1 in Iraq and Operations Active Endeavour in the Mediterranean.

We envision our action plan as a pace and as a road map for Ukrainian reforms.  In the nearest future, an annual target plan will be enacted by the Ukrainian government and actually ascertain by NATO members.  And it has to be a clear road map how Ukraine would implement and development its reform.

If we're saying NATO, we're not talking only about the security matter and we're not talking about the military matter.  It's a matter of complicated reforms in Ukraine and we have to stick to these reforms.  I mean social standards, economic reforms, budget deficit, administrative and judicial reforms and actually military developments or military reform within Ukraine.  We are doing quite well.  We are doing quite well.  And I look forward to our intensified cooperation with the NATO. 

Ukrainian law remains unchanged in terms of European...  EuroAtlantic integration.  So we hope that Ukraine will do its utmost to reinforce integration.  

Thank you.