Worldwide Tragedy Forces Corrections
As we know, Federal Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schroeder has canceled all foreign trips scheduled for this week, following the September 11 events in the United States. For this reason, he suggested to Leonid Kuchma that the Ukrainian-German intergovernmental consultations, slated for September 18-19, be postponed to a later date. “I hope that, when the two sides meet in October, they will fix specific dates for intergovernmental consultations,” German Ambassador to Ukraine Dietmar Studemann, told a press on September 14. According to him, not only fixing the date of consultations will be on the agenda.
Ambassador Studemann, just back from Germany where he had consultations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, thinks that, given the importance of the tragic events that occurred in the US on September 11, topics of bilateral relations, although still important, recede to the background. In his opinion, the development of bilateral relations is only possible against the backdrop of a sound global order. But when the foundations of this global order have suffered a blow, everyone else is threatened. And now, according to him, it is only natural that the leaders of many states are discussing measures which could help restore trust among the people, forestall new horrors, and find answers to the question why this could happen. Only after this, Ambassador Studemann believes, can we revert to the problems of bilateral relations. Incidentally, the German ambassador believes the tightened security, which he personally experienced at the Berlin airport, should not tell affect issue of visas to Ukrainian citizens because this procedure is already subject to stringent control.
As to intergovernmental consultations themselves, Ambassador Studemann thinks this form has proven its usefulness and efficacy when decisions made at the highest level sometimes fail to reach sector ministries and agencies responsible for their implementation. As we know, the fourth series of Ukrainian-German consultations envisaged not only direct negotiations between Messrs. Kuchma and Schroeder but also the meetings of intergovernmental work groups on issues of foreign policy, agriculture, cultural, economic, international security, and military technical cooperation (including aviation), internal affairs, and justice, including organized crime control, nuclear safety, and environmental protection.
Answering a question about the possible participation of the Ukrainian armed forces in forming the European rapid deployment forces, Ambassador Studemann made it clear that Germany is taking an ambiguous stand: not being a EU member, Ukraine cannot play a direct part. But the EU is now studying the possible options (for example, at the decision- making level) for Eastern European nations, including Ukraine, to be involved in this process.
In addition, Ambassador Studemann said he was sure Ukraine needed assistance in the implementation of specific projects. Thus terminating the German government’s program of aiding Ukraine (to expire in 2003) without any proposals about its continuation in any form would not be conducive to the development of long-term cooperation. The ambassador believes that Germany should launch a general political debate, not just bilateral discussions, to make this issue more pivotal. The new program itself could be funded from various sources.
