Closing statements by Al Gore, Leonid Kuchma (06/01/97)

FIRST PLENARY SESSION OF U.S.-UKRAINE BINATIONAL COMMISSION

Closing statements by Al Gore, Leonid Kuchma

Following are the texts of remarks by Vice-President Al Gore and President Leonid Kuchma (speaking through an interpreter) at their joint press conference on May 16 at the Old Executive Office Building.

VICE-PRESIDENT GORE: Thank you very much. It is a great honor for me to participate in this signing with President Kuchma, and it has been an honor to participate with him all day today in the inaugural meeting of our U.S.-Ukraine Binational Commission.

We have just concluded a very substantive, frank, and very friendly meeting with President Clinton about the work of the first session of our Binational Commission, and I would like to briefly review some of the main points that we discussed.

First, we made clear that we have high hopes that our Binational Commission will provide an important and perhaps even historic new means for strengthening and broadening the strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine. Also, we made it clear that we have high hopes that this commission will play an important role in nurturing free markets and free minds, democracy, prosperity and peace for all of Ukraine's citizens.

In foreign policy and security, our commission has begun to lay important groundwork in new areas of defense cooperation, so that our military establishments develop as close partners. And we expect the commission to play a key role in helping Ukraine achieve its goal of integrating into Europe.

We also have begun to forge an even deeper cooperation on non-proliferation, so that together we can keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of those who would use them against humankind.

The world is very grateful that last year Ukraine took the bold and courageous step of completing the transfer of all its nuclear warheads and fulfilled the promise of making Ukraine a nuclear weapons-free state.

I am pleased that earlier today President Kuchma announced an important new decision on the disposition of Ukraine's remaining SS-24s - the last version of former Soviet ballistic missiles, which once carried these deadly nuclear devices. President Kuchma's decision is yet another affirmation of Ukraine's leadership in global efforts to reduce proliferation threats.

And I thank you, Mr. President, for taking this important and historic step.

I am also extremely pleased to announce that the United States and Ukraine have agreed to begin negotiations on an agreement for peaceful nuclear cooperation. Once completed, this agreement will establish the legal basis for cooperation between our two countries in the peaceful and safe uses of nuclear energy, including exports of significant nuclear commodities, such as fuel and reactors, from the U.S. to Ukraine.

Our agreement to proceed with nuclear cooperation is based on the strong non-proliferation commitments and shared goals of the U.S. and Ukraine. We especially welcome Ukraine's assurances that it will not engage in any nuclear cooperation with rogue states or provide any assistance to unsafeguarded nuclear activities. We are very pleased by these developments, Mr. President. And again, on behalf of the United States, I would like to applaud you for your leadership. And I know that the peoples of many nations around the world join in applauding you for your leadership.

In economic cooperation, the commission also was able to make very substantial progress. First, a significant portion of our discussions focused on the need to reinvigorate the reform process in Ukraine and the absolute imperative that foreign investors be properly protected. There still are several serious problems, which have affected American firms seeking to trade with, and invest in, Ukraine. That is why I welcome the specific steps that President Kuchma agreed to take to resolve outstanding business disputes involving U.S. firms, and I urge that their implementation proceed as soon as possible. Our agenda is a full one and is designed to benefit both of our peoples and both of our countries.

I also reiterated our strong view that all possible efforts must be focused on eliminating corruption from public life, and I commended and encouraged President Kuchma to proceed boldly with the sweeping anti-corruption program that he announced earlier last month. I also reaffirmed our intention to support Ukraine's efforts to improve transparency and predictability in trade and investment procedures, including in the areas of ethics, licensing and the enforcement of judicial rulings. In the key sectors of energy and agriculture, the commission has begun to pursue initiatives that will move Ukraine toward energy security and greater agricultural productivity. President Kuchma informed us of the firm steps that he plans to take to privatize grain elevators and other agricultural facilities, to end state-owned agricultural monopolies and to accelerate land reform. We also have begun to map out a strategy for removing barriers to trade and investment so that our business communities can develop partnerships that provide better goods and better jobs to our citizens.

On the American side, our commission came to the conclusion that we will recommend to President Clinton that he declare that Ukraine is in full compliance with the terms of the Jackson-Vanik law and take the necessary steps to proceed toward full graduation under the terms of that law.

We still have much hard work ahead to lock in these gains for the benefit of both our nations. We must be deliberate in our planning, systematic in work and steadfast in our commitment to pursue our goals. This is the first time President Kuchma and I have brought together the committees of our commission in full session, and I'm very pleased to say we're off to an excellent start.

But our challenge now and in the months ahead is to move from words to concrete deeds, and we fully intend to do just that. We have made our plans for monitoring progress, and let me say that I am optimistic about what lies ahead. We've made excellent progress in this meeting, and I look forward to the next meeting of our commission next year in Kyiv and to the many opportunities that our commission offers for our common good. Thank you very much.

PRESIDENT KUCHMA: Thank you. Dear Mr. Vice-President, ladies and gentlemen, the working visit of the Ukrainian delegation that is taking place within the Kuchma-Gore Commission is close to its end. In our view, it has been very fruitful and successful. One more step has been taken along the path of the development of Ukrainian-American relations.

And allow me to express to our hosts, and especially and personally to the vice-president of the United States, Albert Gore, for the hospitality and for the job we have done together. The results of the visit have confirmed the interest of both sides in further broadening and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation in all spheres, in strengthening the principles of our strategic partnership by concrete actions.

It is necessary to stress that the development of all-sided cooperation with the United States of America is the top priority within the whole system of the foreign policy priorities of Ukraine. And it's not surprising, because to fulfill the strategic goal of our country, to integrate it into European structures, the support of such an influential country as the United States of America is of key importance.

We also consider the experience of the United States in the development of a democratic and economically strong country fruitful and very educative for us.

The key event in the program of our visit to the United States was the meeting with the president, William Clinton. The Ukraine delegation has also conducted meetings with the Vice-President of the United States Albert Gore, President of the World Bank James Wolfensohn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Michel Camdessus, with the Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, Sen. Mitchell McConnell and other members of the Congress of the United States.

Useful for us also - and for the development of our trade and economic relations specifically - were the meetings with the presidents of influential American corporations and companies.

I'm convinced that the Ukrainian-American strategic partnership will further develop, based on the principles of friendship and mutual confidence of the nations, and in the interests of the nations of both countries.

Thank you for your attention.

| Home Page |