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http://www.russiajournal.com/news/index.shtml?nd=14111#n14111 Russia Journal July 11, 2002 NATO's Robertson encourages Ukraine -"The world today is facing new challenges and NATO today is becoming a guarantor of security not only on the European continent, but of international security in general." -"NATO is ready is to go as far with Ukraine as Ukraine is ready to make the necessary structural changes and reforms that move it closer to NATO," Robertson said. KIEV, Ukraine - NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson praised Ukraine's contributions to regional security and peace in meetings with leaders Tuesday, but said it was still premature to discuss the issue of whether the former Soviet republic will join the alliance. "We are not talking about a ... membership application at the moment, but we are talking about a much more intensified program of work and this will intensify the relationship between NATO and Ukraine," Robertson said. Boosting ties with Europe has become Ukraine's top foreign policy priority, and President Leonid Kuchma and Foreign Minister Anatoliy Zlenko pressed Robertson and the 19 permanent members of NATO's governing political body, the North Atlantic Council, for support in Ukraine's bid to enter NATO ahead of a November NATO-Ukraine summit. After waffling for years between allegiance to Russia and the West and maintaining an official policy of neutrality, Ukraine declared its intention to seek membership in the alliance in May after Moscow signed an agreement bringing it closer to the alliance. "The world today is facing new challenges and NATO today is becoming a guarantor of security not only on the European continent, but of international security in general," Kuchma said. Robertson and NATO ambassadors encouraged Ukraine's hopes of eventual membership in NATO, but urged patience and realism in its ambitions. Robertson said deeper cooperation has been hindered by the Ukrainian parliament's delay in ratifying the NATO-Ukraine security agreement. Kuchma said parliament's reluctance is a thing of the past after a new parliament was elected last year. "The parliament of today is not the parliament Ukraine had a couple of years ago... and that is why our path (to NATO) will be much easier," he said. Robertson pledged to assist Ukraine in its courtship of NATO, but the rate of Ukraine's progress "will depend primarily on ... determination to proceed with necessary reforms." Western and Ukrainian experts have said the country must press ahead with stalled economic reforms, shore up domestic support, bolster civilian control of the armed forces and trim the army's ranks before all 19 NATO members will accept Ukraine. "NATO is ready is to go as far with Ukraine as Ukraine is ready to make the necessary structural changes and reforms that move it closer to NATO," Robertson said. Otherwise, he said "NATO's efforts will simply be a waste of everybody's time, and energy and money." Robertson is to travel to the eastern Donetsk region Wednesday to observe the destruction of some 400,000 land mines before he departs. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Sign up for SBC Yahoo! Dial - First Month Free http://sbc.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
