22.05.2005
In 10 Years Ukraine Will Be the EU Member
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Pavel Simonov, AIA Russian section
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Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Boris Tarasyuk gave a large interview to Azeri Zerkalo newspaper after his visit to Baku. He spoke in it of the new priorities in Ukrainian foreign and energy policy. Tarasyuk paid particular attention to the issue of Ukraine's relations with EU and CIS.
New Priorities
The main object of Kiev's foreign policy is now protection of rights of the Ukrainians abroad, the Minister Tarasyuk told. For this purpose a special body, with headquarters in Kiev, was created. Its affiliates function within Ukrainian embassies in the countries "having a large number of Ukrainian citizens".
Minister also mentioned that after the change of leadership, in the beginning of this year, "the accents in Foreign policy were changed". An important element of the latter is now "promotion and protection of democracy".
Relations With the EU
"Our aim is the accession to the EU", Boris Tarasyuk said. According to him, after the election of Victor Uschenko as president, the relations between Kiev and Brussels were activated to a large extent. As to perspectives of these relations, the Minister told: "We expect that in a near future Ukraine will acquire the status of a free market economy. We started negotiations with the EU about the liberalization of visa regime for the Ukrainian citizens. We expect that during this year Ukraine will be accepted into the World Trade Organization. That will open a way to realization of the idea of free trade between the EU and Ukraine".
To Minister's estimation, Ukraine will enter the EU "in the ten coming years".
Energy Security
Boris Tarasyuk told that Ukraine's requirements of gas are provided by the import from Russia and Turkmenistan. The biggest part of consumed oil in Ukraine is also received from Russia. As a consequence, Kiev stays in permanent energy dependence. This is particularly sensed during the last days, after Russia aborted its oil shipments to Ukraine. This provoked a shortage of oil-products in the country.
According to the Minister, Ukrainian government is currently making efforts to end energy dependence on Russia. "Part of these efforts are the understandings about signing the agreement on strategic partnership with Azerbaijan in the sphere of oil supplies", the Minister Tarasyuk said. He also mentioned that the cooperation between two countries will concern oil production and transportation. "We have a great advantage in all that concerns the transportation of the Caspian oil to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, using Odessa-Brody pipeline", the Minister claimed. On the other hand, he admitted that Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline "to some extent is a competitor of the project on oil transportation via Ukraine to Europe". Official Kiev hopes that the future augmentation of oil extraction volume will somehow allow exploiting Odessa-Brody pipeline. "Moreover, the EU is interested in realization of this project", the Minister stressed.
Attitude Towards Uzbekistan Events
On behalf of the last events in Uzbekistan, Ukrainian Foreign Minister said: "We were alarmed by the use of force and the numerous victims. Internal political problems cannot be resolved by force. Such problems should be resolved at the negotiating table. Ukraine stands for the peaceful settlement of similar problems, and for the engagement of international community in this process. We are ready to assist the normalization in Uzbekistan, if the parties address us with a relevant appeal".
The Minister stressed that Kiev is ready to send its troops with a peacekeeping mission to the conflict areas on the territory of the former USSR, including Karabakh.
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