Ukraine Urges EU To Decide
The number of policemen seemed to exceed that of inhabitants, with ten or so manning every intersection. Some of the streets were cordoned off. Such tight security arrangements done by the rules dictated of late by protesters, in this case antiglobalists drawn to such top-level meetings as though by magnet.
In the past six years the Austrian city of Salzburg, with a population of 140,000, has turned from a resort in the heart of Europe into a political venue. Starting in 1996, it has been a meeting place for heads of state, noted politicians and businessmen convening to participate in the European Economic Summit (previously known as the forum of heads of Eastern and Central European states). The Salzburg summit is actually an offshoot of the World Economic Forum held in Davos, Switzerland, at the beginning of each year (held this year in New York as a tribute to the September 11 victims). Since the top-level meeting in Switzerland is held in summer or early fall, it has become known as the summer Davos. This time it gathered almost 600 VIPs from almost forty countries, including seven presidents from Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Macedonia, Ukraine, Finland, and Croatia, along with four premiers from Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, and Romania. The emphasis was on improving the economic situation in Europe, Russia’s role on the continent, and expanding the European Union.
Previously, some analysts tagged the Salzburg summit a gathering of failures eventually scoring a success. Thus, in 1997 NATO expansion eastward was placed on the agenda. Before that, the Madrid summit had decided that three countries would become full-fledged NATO members in 1999 – the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. That time heads of states left out of NATO’s favor gathered in Salzburg. A similar trend was seen this year. Among the delegates were the Romanian premier and Bulgarian president. Both countries, albeit listed as candidate EU members, were denied admittance in the immediate future (i.e., the 2004 expansion, with ten instead of twelve countries to be granted membership, as planned three years ago). Quite a few noted businessmen and financiers were also in attendance. Owing to resounding scandals in the business world during the year, they gathered to figure out whether any scandal like that involving America’s Enron was possible in Europe.
The Ukrainian president’s presence at the summit was also no coincidence. Despite some attainments in Ukrainian-EU relations (that is, documents signed to date), both sides are faced with a number of problems still to be solved, primarily Ukraine’s admittance to the union. Much as official Kyiv wants it and has tried to do something about it, Ukrainian membership remains only hypothetical. Brussels has more than once advised us to have patience: first let the EU admit those ten countries already promised membership, and then we’ll see... What next? So far Ukraine has not received even the slightest hint at the possibility of full membership in the elite European club currently uniting 15 countries. At the same time, high EU officials have repeatedly declared that Ukraine will be granted special neighbor status after EU expansion program is completed. In other words, Ukraine is being equated with Moldova (with its unpredictable Communist leadership) and Belarus (with its even more unpredictable Lukashenka).
Addressing the summit on September 16 the Ukrainian president focused on EU expansion. “Ukraine regards the completion of this round of expansion in 2004 as a great historical attainment of the European Union,” President Kuchma stressed. Simultaneously, he pointed out that the special neighborhood idea would “rule out the possibility of even raising the matter of our country’s European future for the next couple of years.” Unless Brussels grants Ukraine EU membership, “Europe will silently agree to the existence of a huge gray zone near its own future borders, de facto legalizing new distribution lines set by the European Union on the continent,” he declared, adding that “Even now I wish to state, being fully aware of the consequences, that Ukraine does not consider it worthwhile to sign a renewed basic agreement with the European Union, unless the document defines its membership prospects.” The Ukrainian president further emphasized, “I want to make it perfectly clear that we are not going to Europe looking for a handout.” And then Pres. Kuchma asked those present, “Would this EU expansion have been possible, had the Ukrainian people discarded the idea of independence, thus keeping the Soviet Union from disintegrating?” No answer, but it was obvious. He stressed that Ukraine would preserve “the European dimension of its internal reforms... regardless of the stand taken by the EU.”
The president demonstrated Ukraine’s European aspirations in practice, meeting with European leaders: the presidents of Estonia, Austria, Bulgaria, and Finland. “I would like to stress that President Kuchma is a good friend of mine,” said Austrian head of state Thomas Klestil after meeting with him, noting that it was their sixth meeting within the World Economic Forum framework. It was announced that the Ukrainian chief executive would pay an official visit to Austria in November. Pres. Kuchma stated, in turn, that “Klestil sees Europe through Ukrainian eyes, obviously understanding Ukraine’s place in the future Europe.”
COMMENTARY
Anatoly OREL, head of the presidential administration’s foreign policy department:
Ukraine is making every effort to achieve European and Euro-Atlantic integration. The Salzburg summit played a very important role to this end. It was another opportunity to synchronize watches with the European states. The point is that EU expansion is discussed within the narrow circle of member and candidate member states. At forums such as this one, Ukraine has an opportunity to voice its stand. The question is not whether Ukraine will be a member of the new Europe, but when. We want it to happen sooner. Our main task is to carry out our domestic reforms so as to keep them in conformity with EU standards.
