The Sitting of Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council was held in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

In the sitting took part the People´s Deputies of Ukraine, representatives of NATO Parliamentary Assembly, executive power branches, diplomatic corps, public organisations.

In the course of the meeting the participants discussed: the issues on the priorities of the foreign policy of Ukraine; reformation of the security and defense sphere in Ukraine and cooperation with NATO; policy of NATO and Ukraine public diplomacy; Euro-Atlantic perspectives of the relations with Ukraine.

Opening the sitting, Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, declared that Ukraine will remain a reliable partner of NATO, strictly observing the principles of consistency and predictability of its foreign policy. "Today, when the relations between Ukraine and NATO are free from superfluous politicization, we can focus on the consistent implementation of the agreements, using the whole range of tools of relations between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization determined by the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership and the Declaration to Complement the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership", the Head of the Parliament stated.

The Head of the Parliament drew attention to the importance of The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the development of cooperation with NATO. "Even brief survey of the action plan on implementation of the Ukraine-NATO annual national program impresses by the objectives facing the Ukrainian Parliament to provide legislative support of cooperation. I will make a point: these objectives are not merely of bilateral cooperation character, but of national significance", V.Lytvyn stated. 

The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine emphasised that the adoption of the Law "On adoption of the Order of the President of Ukraine on admission of foreign military elements to the territory of Ukraine in 2010 for participation in multinational exercise", is only the first parliamentary step towards determination and implementation of priority tasks. 

Mykola Tomenko, the Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine declared that within the Parliamentary level the relations and cooperation with NATO "today are quite constructive." In particular he stated that it can be proved by "uneventful and agreed adoption in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine the decision on admission of foreign military elements to the territory of Ukraine in 2010 for participation in multinational exercise." M. Tomenko also has positively evaluated the adoption by the Government of the Program on Execution of the National Program of Cooperation Ukraine-NATO for 2010.

Deputy Chairman of NATO Parliamentary Assembly Assen Agov emphasised that Ukraine is supposed to decide itself, what development of the relations with NATO there would be. Though, he appreciated the positive steps on the way of execution of the Annual National Program of Ukraine-NATO Cooperation for 2010 that today is built out of 5 chapters.

The participants of the meetings emphasised that the main principle of the foreign policy of Ukraine is supposed to be the European integration, in the light of the future EU membership. Main target for today is the completion of the negotiations regarding the conclusion of the Treaty on Association that presupposes free trade zone. Its implementation facilitates the negotiation process on EU entering.

It was also declared that "visa-free dialogue" issue is for today extremely necessary for Ukraine. On the present stages it is essential to strictly define the list of criteria and measures, implementation of which facilitates this dialogue and in future will enable Ukrainian citizens to visit EU countries without visa registration.

It was emphasised that on the bilateral level Ukraine needs the whole capacity of the cooperation with Russia and USA and other strategic partners, based on the mutual interest and common values and profits.

In the course of the sitting it was declared that the main aim of Ukrainian-Russian cooperation is the development of the constructive, friendly relations within the level of real strategic partnership. Mutually profitable cooperation with Russian Federation will facilitate the formation of amiable conditions for renovation and increase of the Ukrainian economics.

The attention was also pointed to the fact that in the course of the relations of Ukraine with the United States of America our state is aimed at the active interaction and new level of essential not only declarative strategic partnership, in particular at the expense of the realization of the principles of the Charter on Strategic Partnership between two states. Ukraine is also interested in the American support of the system of economic reforms and cooperation with international finance institutions.

Furthermore, the meeting participants emphasised that the policy of non-aligned country of Ukraine, do not alter the priorities of our state regarding participation in the improvement and development of the system of collective security, continuance of the constructive dialogue with NATO and other military and political organisations.