Great Britain is doing its best for Ukraine to draw closer to the EU in general and “misty Albion” in particular. Both the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian grassroots can feel this support. This was the subject of the first press conference given by Timothy Barrow, the new Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Ukraine, which was held in the press club of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Upholding his predecessor’s tradition, the new ambassador began his speech in Ukrainian.
He noted that the UK is supporting Ukraine’s course toward European integration and would be working with the new government to promote further reforms based on such common values as democracy, human rights, rule of law, and market economy. According to the ambassador, practical support for Ukraine’s European integration aspirations is being provided by various institutions. For example, the UK Department for International Development is carrying out a technical assistance program in Ukraine, valued at 6.5 million pounds sterling. Meanwhile, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Global Opportunities Fund annually provides half a million pounds to implement the United Europe Program in Ukraine.
Trade between our two countries is increasing. In the first quarter of this year British exports to Ukraine reached 90 million pounds, up 83 percent from the same period last year. British imports came to 38 million pounds in the same quarter, registering a 68-percent growth. Ukrainians definitely feel Britain’s support for their opportunities to learn English in Ukraine and to study in the UK. The number of Ukrainians who want to visit the United Kingdom is rising steadily. While the embassy received 31,000 visa applications last year, there were 26,000 applications between January and August 2006 alone. The ambassador had good news for Ukrainians applying for a British visa. From Oct. 1, 2006, applications can be done online. “The principal advantage for applicants is that there will be no need to line up at the embassy, and they can also choose their time and date for an interview,” Mr. Barrow said.
The tone of the British ambassador’s press conference was set by the event that was taking place almost at the same time in Brussels — the negotiations between Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and the EU and NATO leadership. The negotiators were supposed to discuss Kyiv’s insistence that the prospect of Ukraine’s EU membership be included in the future cooperation agreement. The British ambassador, who took part in concluding the current EU-Ukraine partnership agreement, noted in this connection that the EU supports Ukraine’s aspirations for closer cooperation with European institutions.
“We all see Ukraine more closely integrated in the future. We can establish closer links with each other and get to know each other better through practical cooperation. This in fact will lead to full integration,” the ambassador noted. In his view, dialogue and discussions will take place in Brussels, which will promote further practical cooperation.
The British ambassador said that he would work to help Ukraine implement the current Partnership Agreement. In his opinion, this agreement’s clause on a free trade area has not been fulfilled. “During my stay here I would like us to fulfill everything that we have planned,” he said.
Naturally, journalists could not avoid the question of Ukraine’s prospects for adopting the NATO Membership Action Plan (MAP). A few days earlier, Defense Minister Anatolii Hrytsenko said that the prospect of Ukraine switching to the MAP this year depends on Prime Minister Yanukovych. As was to be expected, the British diplomat refused to discuss the activities of specific political figures. He only said that the Membership Action Plan is an invitation to the alliance.
“We welcome closer cooperation with Ukraine. We will respond to the choice that Ukraine will make,” the ambassador noted. He disagrees with the opinion, widespread in some circles, that certain countries do not support Ukraine’s entry into NATO. There is considerable commonality of views and approaches among his counterparts in Kyiv. He believes that Ukraine is fully aware of what we are striving to achieve in Europe and will independently decide on its future.
“Ukraine’s actions in the direction of cooperation will perhaps be the best way to lobby on Ukraine’s behalf. I do not think you need lobbying on the part of the British ambassador here in Kyiv while the prime minister of Ukraine is in Brussels,” the ambassador said.
Discussing military cooperation, the ambassador noted that Britain is not refusing to take part in the Tight Knot exercise canceled earlier this year and will continue its program of military exercises. “We will continue to do so because it is in the mutual interests of both Ukraine and Britain to achieve operational compatibility. Ukraine has large and combat-ready armed forces. There is a great necessity or requirement for military formations that would conduct peacekeeping missions all over the world. By strengthening the operational compatibility of different armed forces, we increase our capability of fulfilling these peacekeeping tasks,” he emphasized.
Asked by The Day what the European Union will look like in 20 years and where its borders will be drawn, the British ambassador said, “I will not hazard a guess as to how big the European Union will be in 20 years. But the policy of admitting new members was and still is one of the most successful political and strategic directions in the European Union’s development.”
