Next Generation to Live in European Union

President Leonid Kuchma has set the goal of Ukraine joining the European Union by 2011. “Let us assign ourselves the task: in the course of ten years we must carry out all crucial transformations in the economic, political, and social fields,” he said on February 8 in Kyiv, addressing top officials of the Cabinet of Ministers, ministries, agencies, the Presidential Administration, and managers of large enterprises. Mr. Kuchma emphasized that Ukraine should attain the following objectives as part of integration in the EU: to be admitted to the World Trade Organization by 2003 and to become an EU associate member by 2004. According to the chief executive, WTO membership is today the “key problem of European integration.” Moreover, “God forbid we ever lag behind other countries on this path,” Mr. Kuchma said, noting he means in particular the Russian Federation. Mr. Kuchma also instructed the audience to bring Ukrainian legislation into line with that of the European Union in order to set up a Ukraine-EU free trade area. In addition, the head of state set the task of establishing a customs union between Ukraine and the EU by 2007 and, subsequently, to join the European Union ‘s currency union. As Mr. Kuchma pointed out, the process should be concluded with a national referendum on admission to the EU, a mandatory requirement of that organization.