News

On October 8, 2010, on the day of the official visit of President Viktor Yanukovych to France, Institute of World Policy in cooperation with Institut Francais des Relations Internationales (IFRI) organized a video conference with Paris.The topic of the videoconference was “Expectations from the visit of President Yanukovych to France”.{1}

The French panel was attended by Philippe de Suremain, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France in Ukraine (2002-2005) and a member of the Scientific Board of Robert Schuman Foundation; Sabine Fischer, analyst of the EU Institute of Security Studies; and Dominic Fean, expert of the Institut Français des Relations Internationales. Director of the Institute of World Policy Alyona Getmanchuk moderated the event.

The videoconference took place immediately after the speech of Viktor Yanukovych at IFRI, which was attended by French members of our discussion. So they could share their impressions about the address of the Ukrainian leader. His statement of the fact that Ukraine continues to pursue the European integration was regarded as the most important element of the President’s speech by French experts.{2}

Ambassador de Suremain shared his assessment of political developments in Ukraine since 2004: “The French had placed high expectations on the Orange revolution. But later events showed that miracles don’t happen”. The diplomat said that for France, Ukraine is undoubtedly a European country. However, “Ukraine, unlike the Baltic States, was late with understanding of its strategic importance in the heart of Europe”, said the Ambassador.

On the other hand, Dominic Fean said that Ukraine had acquired a new meaning for France: “In France, Ukraine began to be understood not just as a country which has complex political and economic relations with Russia, but as a country which is a factor in relations between the EU and Russia”. Analyst said that the Russian factor also determines the relations between the EU and Ukraine.

Experts have touched upon urgent questions that must be solved by the EU and Ukraine in the short term, namely the question of the visa-free regime and the Association Agreement. Ms. Sabine Fischer gave certain arguments in favor of visa-free regime for Ukraine: “The relationship between politicians should not affect free movement of citizens of neighboring countries to the EU.” In turn, Alyona Getmanchuk expressed hope that the Association Agreement project will have successful realization: “French President Nicolas Sarkozy fathered the idea of an Association Agreement for Ukraine, and he is interested in making his ideas work more than anyone else”.{3}
Full version of the videoconference between Kyiv and France