The main point on the agenda of the Ukraine-EU Cooperation Council held in Luxembourg last Tuesday was its being the first of its kind. Ukraine was for the first time represented by Premier Pustovoitenko and Foreign Minister Tarasiuk who formally stated the government’s desire to join the Union.
The formal response will take some time in coming, most likely, considering that Ukraine will have to host EU Foreign Commissioner Hans Van der Broeck whereupon Borys Tarasiuk will meet with the EU’s three ministers, after which the final decision could be made in October.
In this context, the main thing is that Ukraine is implementing one of its top foreign political priorities, integrating its foreign political course into the European political process. Here Foreign Minister Tarasiuk is given much credit, and Foreign Ministry sources confirm that the man deserves it.
It is also true, however, that, contrary to the allegations made in Kyiv and other European capitals, there is no evidence of close ties between Ukraine and European Union, let alone any real prospect of this country gaining membership.
Both sides have their grievances. Since the start of this year Ukraine has made several sharp statements (authored by President Kuchma and Foreign Minister Tarasiuk) to the effect that the EU cooperation arrangement — which took effect only this March — is already history and that the European Union actually does not want to see Ukraine as its partner and is almost pushing it into Russia’s embrace; that the TACIS credit-line is “self-financing,” and visa procedures do not help in improving bilateral contacts.
The European Union blames Ukraine for its atrocious economic situation, indefinite status of foreign investors, saying that the road to Europe does not traverse Korea (hinting at the restrictions on used car imports).
These mutual accusations (mostly well motivated) leaves no ground for discussing friendship and partnership. However, in the words of Viktor Nohaichuk, head of Foreign Ministry’s information department, “there are reasons to expect positive shifts in this direction after the Luxembourg meeting.”
After all, the West took the EU membership initiatives on the part of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungary as a bad joke. None has proven its sincerity with any practical moves.






