Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine: Ukraine will remain a Reliable Partner of NATO and will strictly observe the Principles of Consistency and Predictability of its Foreign Policy

Welcoming Address

of Volodymyr Lytvyn, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine

to the Participants of the Session of Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council

(Kyiv, July 5, 2011)

Dear Co-Chairmen,

Dear participants of the session,

Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great honour for me to welcome all the participants of the today´s session, especially our guests parliament members from NATO member states in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. I also welcome representatives of civil society, in particular non-governmental research centers, and foreign diplomats who will participate in the discussions within the Inter-Parliamentary Council.

The Verkhovna Rada is a perfect platform for open debates and comparison of different points of view of five different factions, 13 political parties of the Ukrainian Parliament, and independent experts on the topical issues of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

I will dare to state that for the past year Ukrainian politics has become free of excessive categoricalness and uncompromising attitude, or even of politicking around the character of relations between Ukraine and NATO. The atmosphere of unjustified expectations for an instantaneous membership and steep demands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has calmed down. Holding its doors open, NATO moved to the practice of an extended practical partnership with Ukraine. Such relations are based on two doctrinal documents adopted by Ukraine and NATO last year.  

The Law "On the Fundamentals of Domestic and Foreign Policy" was adopted on July 1, 2010. This Law entrenched the intention of our country as a European non-aligned state to continue development of a meaningful partnership with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. On the other hand, a new NATO Strategic Concept, adopted at Lisbon Summit in November 2010, confirms the intention of NATO to develop partner relations with Ukraine.  These resolutions laid a reliable foundation for a fruitful cooperation with NATO with account for the interests of the parties and strengthening of the European security system.

Let me repeat my opinion which I have expressed at the previous session of Ukraine-NATO Inter-Parliamentary Council last year: Ukraine should avoid a repeated change of its course, as it happened when the course towards Euro-Atlantic integration was proclaimed a priority of its foreign policy, but was later written off.  It is inadmissible to juggle with geopolitical formulations tailored to the changeable moods of the politicians or the public in such important and sensitive doctrinal spheres. The Law "On the Fundamentals of Domestic and Foreign Policy" returned Ukraine to the rails of geopolitical logic of XXI century and its general political line towards European integration.  

It is significant that discussion of such a complicated and sensitive topic in Ukraine has turned into a calm frame without political excesses, lurching of ‘the state boat´ and appeals to ‘the streets.´ Inside politics of Ukraine is characterized by a consistent consolidation of efforts of all branches of power to facilitate fundamental democratic and economic reforms for the public benefit.  In my opinion, the Law "On the Fundamentals of Domestic and Foreign Policy", especially its part on the nature and depth of mutually beneficial partnership with NATO, has become an integral part of these reforms.

I deem necessary to develop cooperation with NATO, strictly observing the fundamental political values of NATO and the European Union, namely, supremacy of law, freedom of speech, and democratic organization of life. At the same time, democracy should be embedded in the economic life, so that every person could realize their potential.

These political principles laid the foundation of our partnership with NATO, especially in the military and defense and security sectors. I believe that this partnership has three important constituents.

Firstly, as a large European state, Ukraine can not stand on the sidelines of a large-scale cooperation in the Euro-Atlantic space, in particular in the process of development of new European security architecture.   

As the relations between Ukraine and NATO no longer have political colouring, we have to focus on consistent implementation of the reached agreements, using all instruments of relations between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization as established by Ukraine-NATO Special Partnership Charter and the Declaration on its complementation.    

Ukraine will remain a reliable partner of NATO and will strictly observe the principles of consistency and predictability of its foreign policy.

Secondly, cooperation with NATO is an important instrument of building Ukraine as a powerful, democratic and developed state. Therefore, we have been successfully implementing the Annual National Ukraine-NATO Cooperation Programs for three years running, considering them as an effective vehicle for internal reforms. Ukraine-NATO cooperation yields best results in such non-military sectors as consistent solution of political, economic and resource issues to meet the needs of state development, corruption counteraction, improvement of cooperation on science and education. It is worth mentioning the high level of trust and mutual assistance between Ukraine and NATO in the overcoming of consequences of emergency situations and technological disasters in Ukraine and other Euro-Atlantic states. 

Thirdly, as an important contributor of international efforts to the elimination of global security challenges, Ukraine has already proved itself to be a reliable partner of NATO. Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization established a fruitful cooperation on the elimination of consequences of emergency situations and technological disasters, and in response to the global security challenges.

Let me remind you that Ukraine remains the only NATO member state that takes part in almost all ongoing basic peace-support missions under the aegis of NATO.   

Dear participants of the session!

Let me draw your attention to the crucial role of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine in the development of Ukraine-NATO cooperation. Even a cursory reading of the Action Plan on implementation of Ukraine-NATO national program for 2011 impresses by the scope and volume of tasks set for the Ukrainian Parliament to support the cooperation. I would like to stress that these tasks do not only bear the bilateral nature of cooperation with NATO, but also affect the state as a whole and are filled with values that guarantee fundamental transformation of Ukraine.

NATO is reconsidering its place and role in the global order of XXI century. At the same time, Ukraine has started to optimize the fundamentals of its domestic and foreign policy. Therefore, I am convinced that discussions during the current session will seek responses to the security challenges faced by the international community, strengthen the atmosphere of mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation between Ukraine and NATO, and foster relations between Ukraine and the countries which you represent.  

Dear colleagues!

I wish you to have fruitful discussions, and use this opportunity to obtain positive impressions from Ukraine.

Finally, I would like to stress that as Ukrainian politicians, we tend to see the problems only, forgetting that the supreme mission of power is to let people organize their life by themselves at least, and arrange favourable conditions to feel as Europeans not only in geographical respect but by the standards and principles of social organization.  

Thank you for your attention.