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Michel DUREY: “NATO is not an organization that recruits countries”

03 October, 00:00
MICHEL DUREY

What does NATO think of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych’s recent visit to the alliance’s headquarters and his statement that Kyiv is in no rush to join the NATO Membership Action Plan? Is Brussels disappointed that Ukraine failed to seize the opportunity to embark on a higher level of relations with the alliance? What is NATO’s attitude to the new stage of Ukraine-NATO relations, as proclaimed by the Ukrainian prime minister? Has any progress been made in informing the Ukrainian public about the world’s largest defense bloc? The answers to these questions are revealed in the following interview with Michel Duray, director of the NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine.

“Ukraine and NATO have solid, close, and mutually beneficial relations. The question of the quantity and quality of cooperation as part of the NATO-Ukraine Special Partnership Charter raises no doubts whatsoever. The Brussels meeting was useful. Both sides confirmed that they would continue an intensified dialogue and use all the instruments that this format furnishes to implement the Action Plan and the annual Ukraine-NATO Target-Oriented Plan. This plan allows Ukraine to benefit from the alliance’s expertise and furthers the Ukrainian people’s aspirations to build a modern democratic society based on viable and accountable institutions of defense and security.

“During the meeting we appreciated Ukraine’s participation in NATO’s peacekeeping operations and Kyiv’s desire to take part in the Active Endeavor exercise in the Mediterranean. The Ukrainian side confirmed its intention to remain an important provider of security, including in Afghanistan, which is our top priority. I believe that all the NATO countries were satisfied with these statements and intentions.

“NATO’s secretary-general has repeatedly said that NATO is keeping its doors open to Ukraine, but, after all, the decision to integrate must be made by the country wishing to join the alliance. NATO is not an organization that recruits countries. During this meeting it was very important for us to see that both sides are committed to continuing cooperation and work in the top-priority directions, especially in the field of security reforms, which is part of the Target- Oriented Plan.”

“Is it possible that by missing the chance to join the NATO Membership Action Plan, Ukraine will in fact just be running in place?”

“Our doors will remain open. Membership is Ukraine’s choice. We are open; we are in favor of stable relations with Ukraine. People should also be aware that NATO is continuing to transform as an organization. So it would be better to see what the alliance is like today and what processes are helping it to develop instead of concentrating too much on Ukraine-NATO relations. One must look at what is going on in Afghanistan and the Mediterranean and how global security influences the alliance’s transformation. It seems to me that up to know there has been a lot of talk here about Ukraine and NATO and very little about NATO as an organization. Maybe people will get a better understanding of what NATO is if we talk more about the alliance than about Ukraine’s accession to this organization.

“That is why I am convinced that new challenges and the new transformation of NATO should be explained. This issue will be discussed at the Riga summit, an event reserved for members only, without any partners participating. I think it will also be very important to highlight the conclusions of this summit, given the challenges of the security sector in the Euro-Atlantic area.”

“Was there disappointment at the Brussels meeting or were some NATO members relieved to see that Ukraine missed its chance to embark on a new stage of relations — the Membership Action Plan?”

“I do not think that our relations should be looked at through the prism of emotions. I believe they should be looked at through the prism of national interests. I saw no disappointment. On the contrary, we received signals that our relations remain close and that information campaigns about NATO should be initiated. And we assess Ukraine’s actions by deeds, not by words. We were told that Kyiv would continue reforming and democratizing the security sector. We are watching the results with interest. Within the framework of Intensified Dialogue, NATO and Ukraine have come to terms about joint principles and goals in the political, economic, military, defense and security sectors. We agreed to adopt concrete measures on the road to achieving these goals. There have been no changes here on our part.

“We received positive signals concerning this — we were assured that the process of reforms in Ukraine will be continued. I think this is very important. As for joining or not joining, this should be decided by political consensus in Ukraine. In any case, this is not a fast process: what really matters here is the process rather than the result, which was proved by the experience of each country that joined NATO.”

“In Brussels Prime Minister Yanukovych said that Ukraine needs a positive image of NATO. Do you believe that the Ukrainian government will work to improve NATO’s image in Ukraine?”

“We shall see. These words were definitely said. On our part, we are ready to help your government fulfill its plans by furnishing our information. We are a friend of Ukraine, and Ukraine is a friend of NATO. As friends, we will continue discussing these intentions and observing their implementation.

“I also hope that your parliament will play an important part in informing Ukrainians about NATO. Above all, I mean the subcommittee on informational coverage of European and Euro-Atlantic integration of the Parliamentary Committee for Euro- Integration. I think that if the middle class is voting today for Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration, this reflects the real situation. The greater the progress of economic reforms, the larger the middle class will be, and the better the people of Ukraine will live. I’d like to remind you that in all NATO countries the middle class accounts for at least 50 percent of the population. The better the progress of reform, the more the public will understand and support strategic cooperation and, finally, accession to the alliance, which will ensure greater stability for Ukraine.”

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