Development of strategic partnership with the USA is one of the priorities of Ukrainian foreign policy.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Volodymyr Rybak stressed this during his meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the USA to Ukraine John Tefft on Friday.
The leaders of the country, he said, highly appreciate the level of practical cooperation between Ukraine and the USA, in particular in such spheres as defence and security peacekeeping, nuclear safety, energy and food safety, science and technologies, education and culture. “I am convicnced that Ukrainian-American relations have great potential,” said Volodymyr Rybak.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada appreciated the dynamics of development of relatopns between Ukraine and the USA at the present stage. “The intensity of contacts at the high and highest political levels proves mutual interest of our countries in strengthening relations of strategic partnership,” he stressed. “The meeting of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych with the President of the USA Barack Obama last year during the Seoul Nuclear Safety Summit, as well as in the course of work of the 67th UN General Assembly in September last year allowed the leaders of our countries to exchange opinions on key issues of the agenda of bilateral cooperation, as well as determine priorities of its prospective development.”
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada stressed that in 2013 the leaders of our state will concentrate on cooperation in a number of issues that pose challenges and threats both for Ukraine and the USA. Among them Volodymyr Rybak named cooperation on energy security, strengthening non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and taking joint coordinated steps to overcome the results of global economic recession. “These items constitute the agenda of our bilateral relations for 2013,” he said.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada stressed also that Ukraine considers this year’s presidency in OSCE as a real possibility to make its contribution to strengthening security and stability in the region. “Ukraine is in the centre of all-European processes and as a non-aligned country can play a constructive and uniting role in security dialogue that is taking place on the OSCE platform,” he stressed.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada stated also further extension of bilateral cooperation in trade and economic sphere and investments. Volodymyr Rybak said that both parties show great interest in strengthening their presence on national markets of Ukraine and the USA and increasing investment activities of business circles representatives.
The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada believes that the most promising areas in this context are agriculture and energy sector. “Global food crisis and importance of reinforcing the principles of global energy safety with the background of global economic recession demand active attempts in intensification of cooperation in the abovementioned areas,” he stressed.
Volodymyr Rybak said also that Ukraine welcomes such leading American companies as Chevron and ExxonMobil to the national energy market and is ready to develop cooperation in the sphere of leading energy technologies, in particular those connected with shale gas development.