One year ago in Madrid Ukraine and 16 NATO members signed a Charter on Special Partnership, and NATO Secretary General Javier Solana visited Kyiv and Dnipropetrovsk on its first anniversary.
Before and after his visit, there was much talk in Kyiv about Ukraine's intention to establish close technical and military cooperation with the Alliance, but the details have not been made public. Solana declared that his visit is a "joyous event" and that he "just wanted to visit Ukraine once more."
The Ukrainian National Defense Council Secretary Volodymyr Horbulin declared after the meeting with Solana, that Ukrainian participation in NATO's Science in the Name of Stability Program will make it possible for Ukrainian science to overcome its crisis. The development of military and technical cooperation means new orders for Ukraine's military industrial complex. In addition, it was announced that work had begun with NATO on the acquisition of new technologies and research. No further details were given.
President Leonid Kuchma expressed hope after the meeting with Solana that cooperation between Kyiv and Alliance will extend beyond the framework of military issues and the Partnership for Peace Program. Parliament Speaker Oleksandr Tkachenko also spoke out in favor of expanding cooperation with NATO.
Photo by Valery Miloserdov, The Day:
Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksandr Kuzmuk and NATO Secretary General Javier Solana: "We are going down the right path".







