Leonid HOLOPATIUK: Progress in the Field of Security Increases Partnership Level with NATO
Ukraine has made a new step on the road to Euro-Atlantic integration by participating in the defense-minister-level session of the Ukraine-NATO Commission held in Brussels earlier in December. This was the main topic of the press conference given by Major General Leonid Holopatiuk, chief of the Ukrainian General Staff’s Euro-Atlantic Cooperation Directorate. The Ukraine-NATO Commission discussed the results of Ukraine’s efforts to fulfill the 2003 Target Plan, as well as cooperation plans for 2004. Maj. Gen. Holopatiuk said that, in a speech to his counterparts in Brussels, Ukraine’s Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk had put special emphasis on such matters as restructuring the Armed Forces of Ukraine, introducing democratic civilian control, offsetting the negative consequences of the military reform, particularly, solving the social problems of servicemen and their families, converting military bases, and disposing of surplus munitions. The alliance representatives highly appreciated the Ukrainian military’s efforts to fulfill this year’s cooperation plan, Maj. Gen. Holopatiuk said. He noted at the same time that far from everything depends on the military: more intensive cooperation between Ukraine and NATO is inseparably linked with the democratization of Ukrainian society as a whole. “If there was progress in other fields, similar to that in the field of security, we could raise the question of an entirely different level of partnership,” he stressed. Maj. Gen. Holopatiuk revealed that the 2004 Ukraine-NATO Target Plan includes 207 items to be fulfilled. Comparing the 2003 Ukraine-NATO Target Plan and the future program of cooperation, the directorate chief emphasized that the future target plan would clearly state the responsibility of each division of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry. “We have discussed and written down who is responsible for what,” Maj. Gen. Holopatiuk noted, adding that this only concerns the military-nature undertakings to be executed by the Ministry of Defense. He stressed that the Ukrainian national budget provides specific funds for fulfilling the 2004 Ukraine-NATO Target Plan. Gen. Holopatiuk said the ministry expects to get UAH 8-12 million.
Asked about the prospects and dates of Ukraine joining the alliance, Gen. Holopatiuk said that he as an expert believes it will be quite logical to put Ukraine’s NATO membership on the agenda in the immediate future if the dynamics of our previous cooperation is any indication. “A membership action plan can be the next level of cooperation. We have maintained extensive practical cooperation with NATO, often feeling as if we were more than just partners. A considerable number of Ukrainian Armed Forces’ officers are already Euro-Atlantic-minded,” Gen. Holopatiuk said convincingly.
Major General Holopatiuk went on to tell the journalists about Ukraine’s projected cooperation with NATO in disposing of the surplus ammunition — a point also discussed at the Ukraine-NATO Commission’s session. As he put it, NATO is drawing up a 12-year 75-million-euro project to scrap Ukraine’s surplus ammunition. The tentative project calls for the Ukrainian side to bear over 50% of all expenses, Gen. Holopatiuk said. He pointed out, however, that Ukraine intends to continue talks to have the level of its expenses reduced. “Maybe we will change this ratio,” the he said. He added that Greece and Turkey had agreed to take part in the ammunition disposal project, talks are going on with Germany, and the participation of Britain and the US is not ruled out, either. Gen. Holopatiuk announced that the Ukraine-NATO Commission had duly noted the successful implementation of the project to destroy 400,000 antipersonnel mines in Donetsk. In this connection, both sides will explore the possibility of destroying another 133,000 tons of surplus ammunition and 1.5 million small arms and light weapons.
