Ukrainian delegation in Washington for talks (02/02/03)

Ukrainian delegation in Washington for talks

by Yaro Bihun
Special to The Ukrainian Weekly

WASHINGTON - A ministerial-level delegation from Ukraine on January 27 began a series of meetings with U.S. officials aimed at improving bilateral economic ties.

The delegation, headed by Economics Minister Valerii Khoroshkovskyi, is also meeting with representatives of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as with American businessmen and investors. The priority meetings of the week-long visit are being conducted within the framework of the U.S.-Ukraine Committee on Trade and Economic Development, which includes talks with representatives of the departments of State, Commerce and Treasury, the U.S. Export Import Bank and the National Security Council. The committee is part of a bi-national structure set up under the Clinton administration to improve the economic, political and security relationship between Ukraine and the United States.

The Ukrainian delegation was to have been led by First Vice Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, who also serves as finance minister. A fever reportedly forced him to cancel out on the eve of the delegation's departure from Kyiv.

The senior leadership of the delegation also includes Serhii Yermilov, who heads the Fuel and Energy Ministry, and Oleksander Shlapak, deputy director of the National Bank of Ukraine.

Even though he did not make it to Washington in person, Mr. Azarov, in a by-lined article published in the January 26 issue of The Washington Times, underscored the areas in which Ukraine has tried and will continue to strive to improve its economic and trade relationship with the United States. As examples, he cited the enactment of "some very stringent intellectual property protections" and "open competitive market procedures" in steel and metals exporting (in response to U.S. sanctions against rampant CD piracy and steel dumping practices), as well as "significant strides" in bringing Ukrainian anti-money-laundering laws into compliance with the international Financial Action Task Force guidelines (following the implementation by a number of Western countries of stringent restrictions on financial transactions with Ukraine).

Ukraine welcomes the U.S. government's statements about the need to finally dispense with the Soviet era Jackson-Vanik Amendment restrictions on Ukraine, Mr. Azarov said in the article, but "would like to see a little bit more" in this direction and would like to see Washington elevate Ukraine into the "market economy" country status.

Since bilateral trade is a "two-way street," Mr. Azarov said, Ukraine is ready to "engage in constructive talks" about further protection of intellectual property rights, market access to American poultry producers, and "various problems" experienced by American investors.

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