On May 28, the day of Russia-NATO summit in Rome, Italy’s L’Unita published an interview with Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma containing a number of fundamental statements. The new level of relations between Russia and NATO will provide an impulse to developing European and Euro- Atlantic integration processes in the fields of security and defense, considers the president. “Ukraine intends to proceed with its active immediate participation in these processes,” he said. “We believe creating the Russia-NATO Council will become an extremely important contribution to building a stable, peaceful, and united Europe.” In the president’s view, creation of the Russia-NATO Council on May 28, 2002, in Rome will become “one of the highest points in bringing the alliance and Russia together.” Simultaneously, intensifying military cooperation between NATO and Russia is not the main result of this process, he stressed.
President Kuchma noted that Ukraine has always seen NATO as “one of the major components in building a united Europe,” while the alliance’s internal reform, adopting new members, and deepening relations with partner countries has always been welcomed and supported by Ukraine as strengthening and broadening peace zone and stability in the Euro-Atlantic space. “Today we are convinced of the accuracy of our projections and believe it correct to broaden them and enter a qualitatively new stage in the relations between Russian Federation and NATO,” stressed Ukrainian head of state. Speaking about Ukraine’s participation in this process, Mr. Kuchma recalled that according to the results of the recent Ukraine-NATO commission meeting in Reykjavik on the level of foreign ministers a decision was made on considering proposals to intensify and broaden Ukraine’s relations with the alliance. Specific decisions on this occasion will be approved during the Ukraine-NATO summit in Prague this November, Mr. Kuchma noted.
The president also believes that current trends in relations between Ukraine and NATO or European Union offer new opportunities for reaffirming Ukraine as a democratic and economically developed European state. He expressed this opinion in response to a question on whether Ukraine and Russia were competing to obtain a special role in relations with NATO and Europe. Mr. Kuchma said, referring to Europe’s historical experience, that one has to be very careful choosing one’s mode of international behavior in one sphere or another. “If competition is an absolutely necessary condition for securing economic movement, in the sphere of political relations it is important to repulse even the smallest temptation for rivalry,” he said.
Recall that after making a political decision to integrate with NATO, the next step is joining Membership Action Plan (MAP).
