Victor Yushchenko met yesterday with members of the board of the
international nongovernmental network Yalta European Strategy (YES), President's press office reported.
They presented a strategy of Ukraine’s integration into the
European Union, Agenda 2020. The document says Ukraine may become an EU member
in 2020 if it applies for EU membership in 2011. Its authors believe this time
will be particularly favorable for Ukraine because Poland, its reliable partner,
will be presiding in the European Union then.
The strategy details practical steps taken by the ten new EU
members when trying to meet the requirements for membership and also conclusions
of the authors’ discussions with Europe’s prominent politicians and experts.
Yushchenko characterized the project as a good contribution
to Ukraine’s European ambitions.
During the meeting, he phoned Alexander Kwasniewski, who is a
member of the YES board. Poland’s ex-president expressed his full support for
the project.
The Head of State said Ukraine’s strategic goal “is to join the
EU, not just to be recognized as a European country or a neighbor for
cooperation.”
“We must know what to do with the membership opportunity now to
further formulate our national strategy in this direction,” he said, reiterating
that there would be no changes in Ukraine’s foreign policy “There is no
political force that can revise this course.”
Yushchenko said Ukraine “needs partners on its path to
Europe,” thanking those present for “defending and assuring Ukraine’s interests
in the EU.”
Chairman of the Board Stephen Byers, who is also a British MP,
said their network was eager to become such a partner, “for its members have
much experience they can share.”
He invited the President to attend the fourth annual meeting of
YES, which will take place in Yalta in 2007. Yushchenko accepted the
invitation.
They also discussed preparations for a Ukraine-EU summit, which
is scheduled for October 27 and will be held in Helsinki, Finland. The President
said it was Ukraine’s priority at this stage to implement the Ukraine-EU action
plan, adding that the summit would mainly focus on the initiation of talks to
sign an enhanced agreement.
Deputy Secretariat Chief of Staff Oleksandr Chalyy and the
members of the YES board, Marek Siwiec, Member of the European Parliament,
Alexander Rahr, Program Director/Körber Center, Jean-Pierre Saltiel, President
(1998-2004)/ Rothschild Counsel International, and Victor Pinchuk, YES founder,
attended the meeting.
