“After six months of implementation of the NATO-Ukraine Action Plan and Target Plan for 2003, would you comment on the progress the Ukrainian government has made in this direction?”
“Implementation of these documents has made considerable progress. We can feel this at all levels: both at the governmental and the social level. This is evidence that all strata of Ukrainian society are very interested in the issue. I feel that the signing of the Action Plan created a critical mass that has made progress possible. However, after six months it is too early to discuss in detail the progress made, since the results will be officially discussed late this year. Nonetheless, the past six-seven months have seen the active implementation of these documents. It was so active that it kept both Ukraine and NATO busy. Scores of sessions and meetings of joint NATO-Ukraine taskforces have been scheduled under the Target Plan. Recently, the Joint Taskforce on Science and Environmental Protection met. May saw a session of the Joint Taskforce on Economic Security in Brussels. A ministerial session of the Joint Taskforce on Defense Reform will be held in October. Experts preparing the session of the Joint Taskforce on Arms will soon visit Ukraine.”
“At the last ministerial meeting of NATO member states and partners, some critical remarks were made concerning Ukraine’s implementation of the Target Plan. What were they?”
“We believe that quality is most important when it comes to implementing the Target Plan, especially with respect to Euro- Atlantic integration. It is not easy to achieve perfection, since the plan has to be implemented within a limited time frame. It will take months to draw lessons from the first Target Plan and prepare the one for 2004. That this document is not compulsory and was signed on Ukraine’s initiative should also be taken into account. The NATO Membership Action Plan is discussed by groups of NATO experts, and its implementation is compulsory. The main thing is not to merely tick off the items on a control chart. We must understand how certain things have been done, discuss the mistakes made, and try to avoid them in future.”
“Would you comment on Yevhen Marchuk’s appointment as Defense Minister?”
“We never officially comment on appointments in any ministries. I believe it is an internal affair of the country. I can say that we have been working with Mr. Marchuk for a long time and know him, and he knows us. I think it always helps when two sides know each other well.”
“When do you think Ukraine will be ready to move from the Action Plan to the NATO Membership Action Plan?”
“Here a lot depends on the quality of the performance Ukraine shows NATO member states. I will repeat the words of the NATO Secretary General and all representatives of the NATO member states. Ukraine has still not applied for NATO membership. We must confine our efforts to the implementation of the documents that have been approved and discuss the problems that arise in the process of implementation, which will help us understand how NATO standards can be achieved. We’d do better to concentrate on this than speculate about specific dates.”
“US Ambassador Carlos Pascual said recently that, depending on how the presidential elections are held in Ukraine, it is not ruled out that in 2006 Kyiv will be able to apply for NATO membership and join the alliance in 2008. Do you share his opinion?”
“As a representative of NATO structures that keep to the principle of consensus in our work, I cannot comment on statements by representatives of NATO member states. Every country is entitled to its own opinion. I can only explain what all NATO members agree on. The NATO Secretary General stressed at the Washington meeting in May that NATO supports Ukraine’s aspirations to join Euro- Atlantic structures and believes that Ukraine is an important partner with whom we will continue our cooperation. And we will support Ukraine in its aspirations for Euro- Atlantic integration. This was stressed in the communiquОs of the Madrid meetings of foreign ministers and the Brussels meeting of defense ministers.”
“Recently, twelve NATO members signed a protocol of intent to use the Ukrainian An 124-100 planes. Why has the signing of the Memorandum on Strategic Air Transport been delayed?”
“As far as I know, talks are underway between experts of the alliance and Ukraine. The delay has been caused by the need to review some important aspects.”
“Are there possibilities for cooperation between the Ukrainian military-industrial complex and NATO members? If not, what are the obstacles to such cooperation?”
“Cooperation in the military-industrial complex is based on the relations among NATO members. The alliance itself does not play a major role in this. However, the Joint NATO-Ukraine Taskforce on Armaments will meet later this year. Without doubt, it will be interesting to learn about the conclusions this session will make. It should be stressed that the issue of armaments was raised for the first time only this year as part of the Target Plan.”
“According to public opinion polls, in the past two years public trust in NATO has not increased much. Is it due to the lack of information or any other factors? What should the Ukrainian leadership do to increase public trust in NATO?”
“I get the impression that trust in NATO is growing. Recent opinion polls of the Razumkov Center suggest that 24% of the population support Ukraine’s NATO accession. A few months ago this figure was 19%. Something similar happened in Poland, where opinion polls showed that a mere 30% of the population would vote to join NATO. This is all a matter of public information policy. I believe the best advocates of Ukraine’s NATO and EU accession are the Ukrainians themselves. We do not want to propagate this idea, because ultimately the Ukrainians will have to choose for themselves. Joining the alliance is a difficult decision. You make it once and for all. This means a transformation of society. It’s our task to provide as much information as is needed to help people make a choice based on clear judgment and not emotion. To this end, we hold more seminars on NATO and distribute more information materials. We also translate more materials into Ukrainian to make information in the Ukrainian language more accessible. We welcome the intention to create a NATO-Ukraine social information center, which we will support. There is an unofficial consensus among public organizations to proceed in one direction to carry out the country’s democratic choice. I believe the role of this center will be decisive in that it will distribute, convince, and show. This is not only about words, but also about the future welfare of the Ukrainians and Europe as a whole. Call me an idealist, but I think we are witnessing the integration of all democratic forces, and Ukraine will not remain on the sidelines.”
