Kuchma Seeks Help in Baku and Tbilisi from Russian Energy Winter
President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine said it was an “absolutely correct” decision to put this country on the list of UN Secretary General’s friends, joining the US, France, Germany, Russia, and Great Britain to help settle the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict. As Mr. Kuchma, who had paid an official visit to Georgia on March 15-16, said, “Ukraine is really a friend of Georgia and is ready to do its utmost to speed up the peacemaking process in Abkhazia because it is truly aware of the importance of solving this problem.”
In this respect, the first thing Ukraine suggested is holding a new meeting of Georgian and Abkhazian confidence building delegations on its territory, in Yalta. Similar meetings have been held earlier in Greece and Turkey.
Many observers regard the relations between Georgia and Ukraine as an example of pragmatic cooperation. Mr. Kuchma came to back his Georgian counterpart who will have to face elections on April 9. At the same time, regional cooperation fully meets the interests of Kyiv. “Ukraine has fallen twice into an energy crisis over the past two years: Russia stops supplying energy resources in the most sensitive time, in the period of seasonal farming work,” Mr. Kuchma said addressing a press conference last Wednesday. “And each time Azerbaijan comes to our rescue, but all roads go through Georgia.”
Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan are the key links of the Eurasian corridor. In addition to Moldova and Uzbekistan, this is also GUUAM, an organization created to implement economic projects of mutual interest. “We discussed military matters least of all,” Eduard Shevardnadze said at the press conference. In his words, there is “too much noise” about GUUAM, which the analysts think has been caused by Russia’s preoccupation with being surrounded by a certain belt of states that, to put it mildly, do not entirely trust the Kremlin.
Statements on cooperation with NATO made during the visit can also be regarded on this plane. “Ukraine is prepared for partnership with NATO in all directions, but so far there is no question of joining the alliance,” Mr. Kuchma said. Caution also permeates his statement that “Proceeding from the existing realities, statements about Ukraine’s NATO membership could do this country more harm than good.” The hint about where the harm could come from is all too obvious.
In his turn, Mr. Shevardnadze confirmed his stand that Georgia will knock on the alliance door in 2005. At the same time he said, “NATO is unlikely to become an effective European-scale organization without close and fruitful partnership with Ukraine.”
