Schroeder Saw Ukraine’s European Prospects
Federal Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder, who visited Kyiv on December 6 to hold Ukrainian-German consultations on the highest level, started with calling the bilateral relationships “traditionally good” and thanking the Ukrainian government for returning the so-called Bach archive, which had been surrounded by so much speculation.
Chancellor Schroeder was escorted by an impressive delegation: the ministers of internal affairs and finance, state secretaries, and representatives of the Ministries of Internal Affairs, Justice, Environmental Protection, Agriculture, and the Economy. This alone was evidence that the issues discussed in the consultations were more than serious and related to practically the whole spectrum of the bilateral relationship. Incidentally, it was announced during the talks that Germany will transfer to Ukraine equipment to enhance its border infrastructure worth a total of DM 300,000. This was done in order to lessen the difficulties that will inevitably arise with implementing the Schengen regime along Ukraine’s borders with Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia after their entering the European Union. The relationships between Ukraine and the EU and NATO were a separate topic of negotiation. Major attention was devoted to discussing the opportunities for jointly combating terrorism. No wonder: it was due to the September 11 events in the USA that the consultations, which were initially to be held in mid September in Yalta, were postponed to early December and their term shortened from two days to one.
Chancellor Schroeder is the first leader of a major Western country to visit Kyiv this year. The reasons for such coolness between Ukraine and the West are common knowledge. Schroeder’s visit became a signal that the West as a whole does not intend to apply any policy of isolation to Ukraine, as it has recently done toward Belarus. Nevertheless, it is obvious that issues not so pleasant for Kyiv, like “certain shortcomings in the transformation of the society,” as German Ambassador to Ukraine Dietmar St Я demann put it diplomatically on the eve of the meeting, or the freedom of press and expression, were also among the main subjects. Germany, for its part, promises assistance in overcoming expenses.
The consultations ended as successfully as they could under the circumstances. Moreover, President Kuchma announced for the first time that Ukraine “will go to NATO to the extent we are allowed.” Mr. Schroeder replied that Ukrainian cooperation with NATO was going in the right direction. Mr. Kuchma also said there was no alternative to Ukraine’s choice in favor of the European Union and expressed the hope that Ukraine would become an associate member well before his presidential term expired. Yet, he admitted that Ukraine would not join the EU during neither his nor his successor’s presidency.
Chancellor Schroeder noted diplomatically that Ukraine was constantly moving toward the EU, with full membership as its ultimate goal, and that Germany was supporting Ukraine’s steps toward Europe, although “this is a long- term process.” He had assured earlier that Germany would be Ukraine’s sincere and fair partner on this road. According to the chancellor, signing the associate membership agreement is within the European Commission’s competence. But it is the Ukrainian government that must take steps in this direction. In his words, both Ukraine and Germany would like the European Commission to map out specific guidelines for associate membership.
Among the concrete results is an agreement for the Hermes Company to resume credit insurance. The insurance was suspended for failure of LONOS to clear its debt, which in turn made Ukraine less investment- friendly. Germany also became the first member state of the Paris Club of creditors to reschedule its share of Ukrainian debts to the club, having signed an agreement to that effect in July. Both sides also reached an agreement on training Ukrainian managerial staff in Germany and on more intensive cooperation between their law enforcement bodies.
The German media have highly appreciated the results of Mr. Schroeder’s visit to Ukraine, Bohdan OSADCHUK reports from Berlin. Unlike in the past few months, reports are this time full of cautious and moderate optimism in the meeting’s businesslike and calm tone without polemical tirades against the Ukrainian leadership. According to participants, Mr. Schroeder fulfilled his mission with characteristic ease and elegance, bypassing critical problems and positively reacting to Ukrainian aspirations about European Union membership. What helped the chancellor was the short duration of his stay in Kyiv: this made it possible to concentrate on the key points of the relationship. The federal chancellor’s office also notes that, although it was not a groundbreaking visit against the backdrop of traditionally good relations, it still was more than mere protocol routine.
Obviously, Mr. Schroeder’s visit, although it did not and could not make any radical changes, put an end to almost a year-long period of relatively mild diplomatic isolation of Ukraine. It depends on Ukraine itself what the new period will bring. As is known, Mr. Schroeder did not evade the subject of the March parliamentary elections, which is also significant.
