Tarasyuk outlines Ukraine's contributions in speech before U.N. General Assembly (10/08/00)

Tarasyuk outlines Ukraine's contributions in speech before U.N. General Assembly

by Irene Jarosewich

UNITED NATIONS - The general debates of the 55th session of the United Nations General Assembly began September 18, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Borys Tarasyuk gave the presentation for Ukraine on September 19. Among the points highlighted by Mr. Tarasyuk were Ukraine's participation in the United Nations Millennium Summit, in particular Ukraine's role in initiating the special session of the Security Council, as well as several other ideas that Ukraine proposed, including U.N. regional centers for conflict prevention that will allow for quicker deployment of peacekeeping troops to troubled areas and the establishment of regional centers for ethnic studies, with one such center to be located in Kyiv.

Mr. Tarasyuk summarized Ukraine's involvement in numerous U.N. peacekeeping efforts, as well as the necessity for the United Nations to reform its sanctions policies, which often penalize not only the transgressor country, but unfairly penalize neighboring countries as well. He also called for the enlargement of the U.N. Security Council.

He supported suggestions that the United Nations hold a special summit on the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide, noting that Ukraine also is being adversely affected by this disease.

During his presentation before the General Assembly, as well as during his press conference on September 21, Mr. Tarasyuk reiterated Ukraine's commitment to closing the Chornobyl nuclear power station by December 15, despite the fact that the G-7 countries have not come through with the money that was committed to help ease Ukraine's energy crisis. At a press conference for U.N. correspondents he also noted that, with the closing of Chornobyl, Ukraine will sustain another hit in its chronic energy shortage, and that replacement capacity for the generation of electricity has not yet been brought on-line. International funds pledged several years ago have not yet been given Ukraine to bring on-line nuclear power plants in Khmelnytskyi and Rivne. Both plants are about 90 percent complete.

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