The principal provisions on the Ukrainian
foreign policy are legalized by both the Constitution of Ukraine and Laws in
force. The Verkhovna Rada has adopted "The Basic Directions of Ukraine's
Foreign Policy", which is a basic document outlining priorities for the
Ukrainian state in its activities in the international arena, and the law of Ukraine, "On Ukraine's International Agreements".
Ukraine takes active part in
all the processes taking in both Europe and the world. Ukraine's major task is to revive its European identity that means in the
first place the priority of its integration into European structures, in
particular, the European Union, in strengthening of European and Atlantic
partnership, and active participation in regional initiatives and mechanisms of
cooperation.
Ukraine's full-scale
participation in European integration processes is necessary to gain membership
in the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is also bound up with gaining
broader access to world markets and improving people's lives. Ukrainian
commodity producers have much to offer to the world market.
Ukraine's Europe-oriented
foreign policy does not restrict the development of bilateral collaboration. Of
great importance is the cooperation with Ukraine's strategic partners: the USA, Russian Federation,
Poland, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan. Ukraine will
continue to develop equal and mutually beneficial bilateral relations with
neighboring and other states, in particular, with those of the Middle East, Central and South Asia, and the Asian-Pacific region on
the basis of partnership and openness.
"Basic Directions of Ukraine's Foreign
Policy" clearly make Ukraine's membership in the European communities a
priority goal of its foreign policy, Today, the basis for bilateral relations
between Ukraine and the European Union is laid in the Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement and the EU Common Strategy on Ukraine, in which the EU
recognizes Ukraine's Europe oriented aspirations and welcomes its European
choice. The joint strategy provides a powerful impulse of political support for
Ukraine, favors faster internal transformations within Ukraine and is an
important tool which, alongside the partnership and other agreements,
strengthens the strategic partnership between Ukraine and the EU.
In turn, Ukraine has adopted
internal conceptual documents aimed at safeguarding its European choice. Among
them is the Strategy of Ukraine's Integration into the EU, which outlines the
major priorities for activities of the Ukrainian executive branch bodies until
the year 2007. The National Programme of integration in the EU is a practical
guide formulating specific assignments for the Ukrainian ministries and
departments so that the Strategy is implemented. Economic cooperation is an
important component in the relations between Ukraine and EU. Nowadays, Ukraine has signed a Cooperation Declaration with the countries, which are
members of the European Free Trade Association, opening to Ukraine access to the European economic
space.
Ukraine was among the UN's founders and has
contributed much to giving birth to tills universal international organization.
As a UN member, Ukraine was
elected a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council three times
(1948-1949. 1984-1985. 2000-2001) and a member of the UN Economic and
Social Council four times (most recently in 1993-1995). Ukraine's representatives have been repeatedly elected to executive
positions in the major committees of the General Assembly sessions,
particularly, to chair the UN General Assembly at the 52nd session in 1997.
Today, Ukraine is active in reforming the UN. Our state stands for making the
Security Council's methods more transparent and has advanced and supports an
increased UN Security Council staff by introducing more permanent and
non-permanent members while focusing on the adequate representation of the East
European regional group within the UN. Confirming its peaceful policy by
definite actions, Ukraine
decided to send peacekeeping contingents as part of the UN missions to Lebanon and Congo.
Ukraine is taking an active part in discussing
and settling all urgent issues of international security, and cooperation
within the OSCE region, in particular, in developing an architecture of general
European security and the strengthening stability, following a need to enhance
the role and effectiveness of the OSCE in safeguarding security within the
region in terms of political, military, human, economic, ecological, and other
spheres, and to enhance OSCE's preventive and peacekeeping potential.
Today's cooperation of Ukraine with the OSCE is an example to be followed by
other countries. It is this cooperation in supporting the rights of national
minorities in terms of OSCE's efforts in Ukraine that became the organization's first success in implementing
mission's goals and completely carrying out its mandate.
Ukraine's participation in the Council of
Europe is evidence of its steadfast adherence to its European choice and to the
commonly recognized principles of pluralistic democracy, the rule of law, and
commitment to basic human rights and liberties. As an organic part of the
European cultural originality, Ukraine promotes its development. Ukraine is taking active part in helping the Council of Europe address
social problems, in particular, in support of the rights of national
minorities, combating xenophobia and racial intolerance, environmental
protection, the maintenance of biological ethics, as well as controlling AIDS
and drug abuse.
Ukraine is a participant of a
series of conventions by the Council of Europe, in particular, the European
Cultural Convention, European Framework Convention on Cross-Border Cooperation
among territorial communities or authorities, European Convention on Information
about Foreign Legislation, six Crime Control Conventions, and Framework
Convention on Protecting National Minorities.
Collaboration with NATO, which has already
been underway for six years, is based on Ukraine's national interests and is
determined by the role the alliance plays in maintaining international peace,
stability, security, bettering the overall climate of confidence in the
Euro-Atlantic region, and establishing a new regional system of security in
Europe. This cooperation was legalized by the Charter on Special Partnership
signed in 1997 and the Individual Partnership Program within the Partnership
for Peace Programme.
Ukraine is closely involved in
a great many actions taken in combination with NATO member and partner
countries to address political, military, technical, scientific, economical,
ecological, and civil emergency issues.
Today Ukraine actively cooperates with NATO within the 19+1 format to further
develop mutual relations, improve mutual understanding and compatibility,
implement Joint efforts and collaboration for stronger peace and stability in
Europe, increase trust, and assert European democratic and legal standards to
the benefit of the new united European commonwealth.
An important component in Ukrainian foreign
policy is arranging regional forms of cooperation. The purposeful putting
forward of Ukrainian interests within the efforts of regional groupings makes
possible step-by-step movement toward European integration and helps draw
Ukraine into broad participation in the political and economical processes
which take place in Central and East Europe and South and East Europe.
Ukrainian diplomacy ensures sound and effective participation in regional
instruments of cooperation, especially within the frameworks of the Central
European Initiative, Black Sea Organization for Economic Cooperation, and
Council of Baltic Sea States. Participation in these associations should
promote the development of multilateral interactions with the member states and
positively influence the advance of Ukraine along the road of market reforms. A promising form of regional
cooperation stems from the consultative forum of five states - Georgia,
Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Moldova (GUUAM) -which was created as a
result of the active development of the multilateral cooperation among these
countries. The harmony of their positions in most issues of international
cooperation and a strategy for further development makes possible a productive
coordination of efforts intended to attain stated goals by combined action.
Ukraine actively participates in implementing the Pact on Stability in
Southeast Europe, thus favoring the post-conflict rehabilitation of the
countries, which suffered from the Kosovo crisis.
The diplomatic service of Ukraine is the
branch of government established to put Ukrainian foreign policy into practice,
represent and defend Ukraine's interests in the area of international
relations, and protect its legal entities and citizens abroad. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs is responsible for the day-to-day operations associated with
foreign relations. Within its jurisdiction, the Ministry coordinates the
activities of all the state's participants in the official foreign relations.
Currently. Ukraine has been recognized as an independent sovereign state by 167
countries; of these, 164 have established diplomatic relations with Ukraine. As
of January 1, 2000, 62 embassies of foreign slates, 4 embassy divisions, 14
representative offices of international organizations, and 15 general
consulates were operating in Ukraine. 19 countries are represented by honorary
consuls. The Ambassadors of 51 countries are posted to Ukraine on a
non-resident basis.
Today, Ukraine is represented by diplomatic missions in 65 countries where 87
institutions are at work: 60 embassies, 2 embassy divisions, 4 diplomatic
missions, 13 general consulates, 8 permanent representative offices and
missions for international organizations.
