Yushchenko's plan

The Ukrainian military can join the peacekeepers of NATO and the EU in Afghanistan in a meeting of the Covet of the Ministers of Defense of Southeast Europe, in which 21 countries are represented, took place yesterday in Kyiv.

President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, who took part in the meeting, expressed the hope that the question of Ukraine’s accession to the plan of action regarding NATO membership will be considered at the next alliance summit in Bucharest in April 2008.

During the meeting, a decision was made to join Ukraine to the multinational peacekeeping forces of Southeast Europe. This was announced at a press conference by the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Anatoly Gritsenko.

On the eve of the Kiev newspaper Economic Izvestia reported with reference to a source in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine that a draft law on the participation of the Ukrainian military in a peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan will be sent to the newly elected Verkhovna Rada. Anatoly Gritsenko said that at yesterday's meeting this issue was not directly discussed, but added that “different options for expanding the Ukrainian presence (in Afghanistan. -“ Gazeta ”): the participation of staff officers, engineering divisions, medical units.”

And the Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Kuzmuk, said yesterday that, perhaps, "the unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will be delegated to the multinational brigade of the SEEBRIG of the peacekeeping forces of Southeast Europe."

The SEEBRIG team (South Eastern Europe Brigade) is the basis of the multinational peacekeeping forces of Southeast Europe and acts under the auspices of NATO and the EU. From February to August 2006, the brigade performed tasks as part of international forces in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who also took part in this meeting, said yesterday that the United States will not comment on the prospect of placing the American PC system in Poland in connection with the results of early parliamentary elections in this country. Gates expressed the opinion that, regardless of the composition of the new Polish government, the close cooperation of the United States and Poland will continue.

10/22/2007 / Valeria Ovsyanik / Kyiv, the material was published in the "newspaper" No. 198 dated 10.23.2007.