Ukraine-NATO Cooperation is Getting Stronger

KYIV, Ukraine, February 26, 2011 - NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen praised Ukraine's
participation in a number of NATO missions. Rasmussen made this statement
during his two-day visit to Ukraine."I would like to sincerely thank Ukraine
for its participation in NATO missions at Balkans, Afghanistan, and
maintaining maritime security. These missions strengthen peace and
stability," said Rasmussen at the meeting with Ukrainian leader Viktor
Yanukovych.

The current scope of Ukraine's cooperation is quite large.
Since 1996, Ukraine has sent a significant number of servicemen to Kosovo,
Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2010, Ukrainian corvette Ternopil participated in
NATO's Operation Active Endeavour for the fifth time. On top of
that, Ukrainian peacemakers are currently stationed in Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary General mentioned that the Alliance does not
impose on Ukraine's decisions to be a part of any alliance and respects
Ukraine's non-aligned status. He made a special note that he was happy "to
visit a country, where people have a high privilege of expressing their
thoughtsfreely."

Currently, Ukraine takes practical steps in reorganizing the
Ukrainian Armed Forces, in order to create a professional army by 2015. NATO
supports the reform process in Ukraine and has agreed to continue providing
expertise and resources for it to continue. As of today, NATO assists Ukraine
with social adaptation and re-qualification of the dismissed former military
personnel, and with management of the consequence caused by the defense
reform. NATO is also eager to assist Ukraine and Poland in providing security
at the upcoming EURO 2012 the two countries will host.

Ukraine has set a course towards conducting a dialogue with
NATO during the presidency of Leonid Kuchma (1994-2005). His successor Victor
Yushchenko (2005-2010) nurtured the idea of Ukraine becoming a NATO member,
but it wasn't supported by the majority of the population. Ukraine,
therefore, kept its non-aligned status. In the recently enacted law on
Domestic and Foreign Policy, signed by the President-in-office Viktor
Yanukovych, Ukraine is to continue on having a constructive partnership with
NATO.

NATO-Ukraine relations were formally launched in 1991, when
Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (now the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council). The 1997 Charter on a Distinctive Partnership, which
established the NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC), has become the formal basis
for NATO-Ukraine relations.

For more information, please contact Maryna Khorunzha +380443324784
news at wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine