Archives: Новини

Stephan De Spiegeleire, a senior analyst at the HCSS Centre for Strategic Studies, presented the project.Article available in Ukrainian only.

Institute of World Policy held the second a Media Club on November 2, 2010.Leading Ukrainian journalists who deal with foreign policy issues had an opportunity to hold a discussion with Pawel Koval, member of the European Parliament and Co-Head of the Parliamentary committee for cooperation between Ukraine and EU. The highlight of the discussion held in Media Club was Brussels – Kyiv relations within the context of local elections and future Summit EU-Ukraine.
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Institute of World Policy and International Centre for Policy Studies have held a conference “A New Foreign Policy for Ukraine: Final Results for 2010”Ukraine’s prominent experts and diplomats have discussed the effectiveness of the project which IWP and ICPS had presented at the beginning of the year. Within the framework of the research leading Ukrainian experts on international relations have prepared the recommendations for the incoming President on Ukraine’s policy in the following spheres: security, regional partnerships, energy and environmental security, relations with Russia, the USA and the EU. IWP and ICPS directors Alyona Getmanchuk and Vira Nanivska expressed their views at the event. Other experts reported on the realization of their recommendations by the Ukrainian government: Serhiy Solodkyy assessed the President’s steps with regard to Russia, Tetiana Sylina – with the EU, Volodymyr Kravchenko – with Georgia and Romania, Viktor Zamiatin – with Poland, Ildar Gazizzulin – on energy policy. People’s Deputy of Ukraine, ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasiuk attended the event, too. He highly praised the realized project and expressed regret for its partial implementation by the Ukrainian authorities. IWP director Alyona Getmanchuk stressed the necessity to continue the monitoring of governmental foreign policy actions and present their assessment at public events and in the media. “Expert activity makes the authorities more accountable, more attentive to the recommendations coming from civil society representatives,” she concluded.
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The first Media Club that took place at the Institute of World Policy on October, 28 was dedicated to the relations between Russia and Ukraine.The Guests of the event were representatives of the Embassy of Russian Federation to Ukraine: Counsellor-minister Vsevolod Loskutov and Counsellor for economic affairs Alexey Urin. Ukrainian prominent journalists had an opportunity to have a conversation with Russian diplomats.{1}
The Guests of the Media Club pointed out that since the new Ukrainian President was elected Ukrainian-Russian relations have acquired a «new quality». Mr. Loskutov used as an argument the fact that the meetings of representatives of two states are being «less and less formal» nowadays. In this context he also informed the Presidents of Ukrain and Russia are to meet in Moscow on November, 26 during the session of the Ukrainian-Russian Interstate Commission. {3}

Answering the question what is the reason for two presidents to meet so frequently, Mr. Loskutov explained that there are too many problems piled up in recent years. «Contacts between presidents, Prime ministers mean a normal situation for countries that are considered to be strategic partners. We have the same close dialogue with Germany, France, USA, Italy. And it is a normal situation. Abnormal situation is one when two presidents meet each other from time to time or don’t meet at all», Russian diplomat summed up.

Being asked to explain Russian position on possible cooperation between Ukraine and Venezuela in oil trade, Mr. Urin emphasized that this is the sovereign right of Kyiv, but national interests of Russian federation should be considered as well. «If there are certain agreements about oil transit between Belarus, Ukraine and Venezuela – let them be. One, however, should remember to refer to interests of the third party, Russia in our case», Russian diplomat claimed. «There are some important commercial and technological issues we have to deal with. Nobody puts political obstacles on that way, but one should consider the reality», Mr. Urin pointed out.

He also mentioned that Russia has no intention to abandon the implementation of the «South Stream pipeline» project. «This is the issue of obligations and wills. We have lots of contracts on «South Stream construction». We can’t just reject it because of any third party and change everything in one day», diplomat underlined. One should recall that Kyiv insisted on Russia abandoning gas transportation project, which involved a construction of seagoing pipeline in the Black Sea, passing-by Ukraine.

Institute of World Policy plans to host Media Club sessions twice a month. The main goal of these events is to contribute to the better understanding of international relations by Ukrainian citizens and to make the decision-making process in foreign policy more transparent, what will facilitate European and Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine. Project is supported by the Slovak Agency for International Cooperation (SlovakAid).
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Today, on October 22, 2010, representatives of leading Georgian NGOs visited Institute of World Policy.During the meeting Chairman of IWP Supervisory Board Victor Shlinchak and IWP Director Alyona Getmanchuk informed the guests about the activities and objectives of the Institute. They also discussed cooperation between Ukraine and Georgia within the framework of the Eastern Partnership.

Georgian experts dedicated special attention to the issue of visa liberalization. They were especially interested in the experience of Ukraine in the effectiveness of the Visa Facilitation Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, as Georgia is currently negotiating with the EU on its own VFA.

Georgian NGO’s visit to Kyiv was a joint project of Europe House Georgia and PAUCI.
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Full version of the videoconference between Kyiv and Paris.This article is available only in Ukrainian.
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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

During the meeting, issues of current relations between NATO and Ukraine, NATO and Russia, and a number of issues related to relations with NATO, were discussed.In particular, the discussion “Civil Society and Security Sector Reform in Ukraine within annual national plan” had taken place.

The meetings on the international level was also attended by the director of Institute of Social Transformation Oleg Soskin, vice president of the Atlantic Council of Ukraine Oleg Kokoshynskiy, president of the Civil League Ukraine-NATO Sergei Dzherdzh, director of the Institute of Strategic Studies Vadim Karasev, director of the School for Policy Analysis Oleksiy Haran, international expert of the Fund One World Balanutsa Alexander, director of Civil Society Institute Anatoliy Tkachuk, director of the Foundation for Democratic Initiatives Iryna Bekeshkina, chairman of the Monitoring Committee of Press Freedom of Crimea Volodymyr Pritula, expert of security policy studies group Jaroslav Matyychyk, Director of Open Ukraine Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, expert of the Razumkov Center Michael Mishchenko.

Press conference with Deputy Director of the Institute of World Policy Serhiy Solodkiy and Executive Director of the Institute OASK Oleg Bondarenko in “GLAVCOM”This article is available only in Ukrainian.

On 16 September 2010 IWP held an expert discussion on the topic “Decentralization of Foreign Policy: Spanish experience for Ukraine”.The event was realized as a part of the project “Foreign Policy Administration in the European Union and Post-Soviet Countries” and supported by the Open Society Institute. {2}The project is aimed at studying best European practices of foreign policy decentralization and making recommendations for Ukraine.
Kateryna Zarembo, IWP analyst, moderated the discussion and presented the first working paper of the project “Spain: Unity in diversity”.
The event was opened by IWP deputy director Sergiy Solodkyy. Mr Solodkyy pointed out that the discussion was a part of a larger project which the Institute is carrying out. He stressed that at that initial project stage expert feedback was especially important and would undoubtedly influence and enrich the final document.
Kateryna Zarembo, IWP analyst and project manager, named three reasons for discussing foreign policy decentralization in Ukraine. {4} Firstly, Ukraine’s regions have diverse geopolitical interests and lack capacity to realize them, which brings about social unrest. Secondly, the regions of Ukraine are not ready for European integration, as they are poorly involved in the decision-making in the country. In its turn, the European Union is active in engaging the regions of all Member States in the decision-making process through a special pan-European body – the Committee of Regions. Thirdly, the Ukrainian regions take little part in the EU cross-border cooperation programs, meaning that the valuable funds for regional development are missed.
Antonio Ramos, consul of the Kingdom of Spain in Ukraine, provided his feedback to the report and shared his views on decentralization. {3}In particular, he pointed out that responsible cooperation between the central government and regions in foreign policy sphere is possible given the political will: “If a country has a common aim, which is shared by the authorities at different levels, then decentralization works”.
Representatives of the Secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction of Ukraine, local authorities, leading Ukrainian experts and media took active part in the debate.{1}
You can download the full version of the report here.