The Fifth Continent

High on the agenda of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma’s visit to Berlin was granting Ukraine market economy status, the prospects of relations with an enlarged EU, and lending support for Ukraine’s WTO membership. As is clear from Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s statements, the coming presidential elections and the political reform in Ukraine were of special interest to the German side.

The “spy scandal” trumped up just on the eve of the visit had laid an unfavorable information background for the fifth Ukrainian-German summit. The President has twice commented on the accusations made by Valery Kravchenko, ex-security officer at the Ukrainian embassy in Germany, who told Radio Deutsche Welle he had proof that the Ukrainian government sanctioned political surveillance of opposition politicians during their foreign visits. At first Pres. Kuchma said the officer had made what he called an absurd claim. Then he added, “Why should Ukraine do this in Germany if oppositionists come over and make statements that can be read in the press?” He also said what Ukrainian secret service officers Mykola Melnychenko and Valery Kravchenko did was in no way a rare occurrence because “in Soviet times hundreds of functionaries, especially KGB operatives, went abroad... But you know that Ukraine is today shedding what has remained of such a Soviet monster as the omnipresent KGB,” the Ukrainian President said. Meanwhile, in another interview with Deutsche Welle on February 20, Mr. Kravchenko denied he had been driven by mercenary considerations in his revelations. To tell the truth, he did not sound very convincing. It is not clear, for example, why the general chose to make an official statement just when his return papers had already been signed...

“We emphasized we were interested in Ukraine being a stable, democratic, and law governed state. Leonid Kuchma explained very minutely the essence of Constitutional changes,” Mr. Schroeder said. According to the chancellor, it is up to Ukraine to chose its form of government. “We were pleased to hear that President Kuchma is not going to run for president in the coming elections - this was the result of our discussions,” Mr. Schroeder announced. Asked if he views Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych as the single Centrist candidate in the 2004 elections, Pres. Kuchma said, “I am not a tsar, we are not the Russian Empire, I am not handing my office down to anybody. There will be elections, so let all those willing to take part in the elections compete. The one who enlists the broadest public support will be the president.”

Mr. Schroeder also promised Berlin’s support in granting Ukraine market economy status. “Germany will see to it that Ukraine be granted market economy status as soon as proper conditions are created,” said the chancellor at the end of the fifth Ukrainian-German summit. Pres. Kuchma in turn thanked the head of the German government for supporting Ukraine’s aspiration to integrate with Europe, obtain market economy status, and join the World Trade Organization. The Ukrainian president said this status and WTO membership would “solve many problems Ukraine faces owing to the EU enlargement.”

Meanwhile, the chancellor announced that trade turnover between Ukraine and the European Union would not be curbed after the EU enlargement. “European markets are not closing, the EU has free markets,” he noted, adding that the new EU members will be interested in importing Ukrainian goods.

Pres. Kuchma in turn remarked on the high quality of the fifth Ukrainian-German summit. “What especially pleases us is that today we have practically no differences on any issues.” Incidentally, it was revealed on February 20 that the Ukrainian and German governments had signed an agreement on financial cooperation. Berlin is to allocate 14 million euros to fund projects aimed at developing farms, issuing rural loans, and helping small and medium businesses to use power more effectively. In a goodwill gesture, the president of Ukraine presented the chancellor with two albums of engravings taken away from Dresden’s art gallery during World War II. The chancellor thanked Ukraine for this what he called a “wonderful gesture.”