FOR THE RECORD: Embassy of Ukraine statement on 12 years of independence (09/07/03)

FOR THE RECORD

Embassy of Ukraine statement on 12 years of independence

Following is the text of a statement issued on August 25 by the Embassy of Ukraine in the United States.

On August 24, 2003, Ukraine celebrates the 12th anniversary of its independence. A young member of the European family of nations, Ukraine has been dealing with many challenges on the path towards becoming a country with deeply entrenched rules of democratic governance, a globally competitive business sector and a vibrant civil society.

The past year was marked by formation of the first coalition government and continued economic growth at home, as well as further steps to strengthen Ukraine's positions abroad and deepen its friendly relations with strategic partners, including the United States.

One of the most important accomplishments in domestic politics over the past 12 months is creation of the first coalition government in Ukraine's history. The new government was formed in November 2002 reflecting the current political majority in the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian Parliament. This has created conditions for much more effective cooperation between the legislative and the executive branches of power. The recent approval of the Cabinet of Ministers Work Program by an overwhelming majority of the parliamentary groups and factions is an indicator of the new positive dynamics in Ukraine's domestic politics. Another one is the fact that over 170 laws - of which more than one-half were initiated by the government - have been passed by the Parliament since the formation of the new Cabinet. The presence of a viable coalition government backed by the parliamentary majority has already resulted in the progress with the reform of tax and pension systems, the adoption of the civil and economic codes and will facilitate a faster pace of socio-economic development of Ukraine.

Since the moment of obtaining its independence, Ukraine has been pursuing the policy of integration into European and Euro-Atlantic structures while developing friendly relations with all neighbors. A founding member of the United Nations, Ukraine has always stood for upholding the norms of international law and for strengthening the role of the U.N. in the issues of global security. Ukraine believes that the role of the U.N. is crucial in establishing worldwide socioe-conomic preconditions for peaceful and harmonious development.

As the global community faces many deadly threats, including international terrorism, Ukraine recognizes the need to commit even stronger to the values of peace, liberty and free markets. The formal declaration of Ukraine's intention to join NATO and the country's participation in shaping continental security structures are among the important developments of the recent months. Ukraine has also made progress towards membership in the European Union. The country has achieved stable rates of economic growth and is working to harmonize the Ukrainian legislation with that of the EU in key areas.

The participation of the Ukrainian troops in peacekeeping operations is tangible evidence of the country's readiness to play a role in ensuring peace and stability in the world's troubled areas. Beginning this month a brigade of 1,800 Ukrainian servicemen will serve shoulder-to-shoulder with troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland and other countries promoting peace, security and stability in Iraq. This deployment culmination of the ongoing process of establishing viable partnership ties between the Ukrainian military and counterparts from the U.S., NATO and partner countries. Other examples of cooperation include decisions to open Ukrainian air space for overflights by coalition air forces during the campaign in Afghanistan and dispatching a Ukrainian radiochemical and biological defense battalion to Kuwait during the campaign in Iraq, as well as Ukraine's participation in a series of multinational military exercises.

Besides playing a role in the international peacekeeping missions, Ukraine has a lot to offer to the world. Every year, thousands of specialists from different countries receive higher education diplomas in Ukraine. The country's scientific prowess is successfully applied in international projects like Sea Launch, a commercial satellite launch service. For several decades, Ukrainian companies have been among major suppliers of equipment and technical assistance in infrastructure-enhancing projects in dozens of countries in Central and Southeastern Asia, Africa and the Middle East. In the past few years, Ukrainian producers, especially in the machine-building industry, have managed to increase their presence in these markets. Today, no one is surprised when Ukrainian companies win contracts in India, Turkey, Turkmenistan or Brazil. Ukraine has expertise in the construction of railroads, bridges, plants, oil- and gas-pipelines, refineries, as well as water and electric power supply networks. Ukrainian Antonov cargo airplanes are known to be the best in the world. This extensive potential is now receiving a boost from domestic economic growth, and Ukraine is looking to increase participation in international business projects.

Over the past three years, Ukraine has been reporting positive rates of real output growth. This is an unmistakable sign of the rebirth of the national economy which suffered a protracted fallback in the early and mid-1990s. The GDP grew by 7.5 percent year-on-year by the results of the first six months of 2003. Industrial output went up by 12 percent, exports by 27 percent, bank credits by 17 percent, and personal income by 11 percent during the same period. Meanwhile, the rate of inflation - which amounted to 4.6 percent during the first six months of this year - remains under prudent control of the National Bank of Ukraine. Ukraine is on the verge of becoming a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) - there are reasons to expect this by the end of 2004. The Ukrainian government is actively working towards establishing free-trade zones with the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and, in the longer run, with the EU. Reciprocal opening of markets to trade will provide a further positive impulse to the growing Ukrainian economy. The sound economic policy of the Ukrainian government and the growing dynamism of the economy have been noted by the world's leading rating agencies which recently upgraded Ukraine's credit rating from a "negative" to a "stable" outlook.

The United States has been one of the most valuable economic partners of Ukraine. As of January 2003, there were over 1,000 companies with a share of U.S. capital registered in Ukraine.

Flagship names of U.S. business, including Cargill, Boeing, John Deere, Procter & Gamble, Kraft Foods, AIG and Coca-Cola, are among the most successful foreign companies that operate in Ukraine. The U.S. accounts for the largest share (17.5 percent) in the cumulative foreign direct investment (FDI) in Ukraine which stood at $5.6 billion (U.S.) as of April 2003. The U.S. is also a leading source of portfolio investment in Ukraine (24 percent of the total). As capital flowing from the U.S. to Ukraine grows, the Ukrainian government intends to deepen bilateral economic cooperation through a number of initiatives to improve the conditions for investment and entrepreneurship, including special investment regimes and product-sharing agreements.

Ukraine has been consistently working to strengthen cultural and humanitarian ties with other countries. In addition to the embassy in Washington, there are two other representative offices - in New York and Chicago - working to facilitate travel of persons between Ukraine and the United States. Soon, the office in San Francisco will join in this work. Thanks to the reciprocal bilateral agreement of December 2002, citizens of the U.S. and Ukraine are now eligible to obtain multiple-entry visas for the term of up to five years. U.S. citizens of Ukrainian descent are eligible for the waiver of the visa-processing fee. In 2002 over 45,000 U.S. citizens were issued Ukrainian visas, while the results of the first six months of this year allow expecting an even greater total number of visitors in 2003.

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