Germany's foreign minister notes Ukraine's role in European security (08/03/97)

Germany's foreign minister notes Ukraine's role in European security

by Khristina Lew
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - German Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Affairs Minister Klaus Kinkel traveled to Kyiv on July 29-30 with a delegation of 30 businessmen to discuss expanding German-Ukrainian investment relations and meet with Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma, Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko and Foreign Affairs Minister Hennadii Udovenko.

During a joint press conference with Mr. Udovenko on July 30, Mr. Kinkel reiterated that, because of its geographic location, "Ukraine is a very important country to us and to Europe" and that it plays a "huge role in assuring the security of Europe."

Germany has been a strong supporter of Ukraine's drive for democratic and market reforms, and was instrumental in drafting the European Union's Plan of Action for Ukraine that was adopted in 1996. Vice-Chancellor Kinkel emphasized that Germany actively participated in formulating the plan "in order to ensure that Ukraine does not become a buffer zone."

"Germany understands Ukraine's important role in the world," he said, but would not elaborate on Ukraine's prospects for joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. "In terms of security, the issue is to keep a balance between Ukraine and Russia," he said.

Mr. Udovenko emphasized that three factors will guarantee security in Europe: the expansion of NATO, the Ukraine-NATO charter and the Russia-NATO act.

Mr. Kinkel told reporters that during his meeting with the Ukrainian president and the delegation of German businessmen, Mr. Kuchma "assured me positively that the stone that lies on the road to economic reform would be removed."

Germany is Ukraine's third largest trading partner after Russia and Turkmenistan. In 1996 the volume of trade between the two countries grew by 11 percent; in the first quarter of 1997, Ukraine's exports to Germany grew by 34 percent. To date, the level of trade is 2.7 billion DM.

Mr. Kinkel said Germany would consider two proposals put forth by Ukraine: President Kuchma's request that Ukraine become an associate member of the Western European Union and Foreign Affairs Minister Udovenko's motion to create a German-Ukrainian working group on the return of cultural artifacts lost during World War II.

Some Ukrainian artifacts have in fact been returned by Germany to Russia as the successor state of the former Soviet Union. Mr. Udovenko said Ukraine has submitted requests to both Germany and Russia for inventories of what has been returned.

Mr. Udovenko also proposed that Ukraine, Germany and Poland create a "triangle" to explore issues such as illegal immigration, narcotics and stolen cars.

During the course of his two-day visit, Mr. Kinkel met with most members of Ukraine's newly appointed Cabinet of Ministers and Verkhovna Rada First Vice-Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko. He also won assurances from President Kuchma that a dispute with the Lutheran Evangelical community of Kyiv over church property would be resolved.

The German foreign affairs minister toured the NATO Information Center in Kyiv, the disputed Lutheran Evangelical church and the 11th century St. Sophia complex, and cruised the Dnipro River.

Mr. Kinkel last visited Kyiv in 1993.

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