Ukrainian Warship Successfully Completes its Participation in NATO'S Anti-terrorist Operation

KIEV, Ukraine, December 29, 2010 - Ukrainian corvette Ternopil has participated in NATO's
Operation Active Endeavour for the fifth time. The Operation was launched for
the first time by the Alliance after the 9/11 terrorist attack and aims to
detect and deter terrorist activity in the Mediterranean Sea region. Ukraine
was the first amongst non-member states to join the operation.

"The trip was of great importance for our country. Ukraine has
once again demonstrated its due execution of its international obligations;
that it is a country which sees to stability in the region of Mediterranean
and Black Seas, and proves its eagerness to combat terrorism," stated
rear-admiral Yuriy Illyin.

Ukraine's President Kuchma has set Ukraine's course towards
conducting a sufficient dialogue with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The next Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, 2004-2009, nurtured the idea
of Ukraine becoming NATO's member. However, this notion was not supported by
most Ukrainians. Therefore, Ukraine kept its non-aligned status. In the
recently enacted law on Domestic and Foreign Policy, signed by the
President-in-office Viktor Yanukovych in 2010, Ukraine is to continue on
having a constructive partnership with NATO.

The corvette's crew participated in surge operations, helping
to monitor civilian shipping, collecting and analyzing information on
suspicious vessels and accompanying ships carrying important cargo. It took
part in 5 patrolling shifts in the different areas of the Mediterranean Sea.

Next year Ukraine will send its warship Lutsk to aid the
Operation. In addition to Ukraine, Morocco and Israel offered physical assets
for 2011.

Under the programme, NATO forces have hailed over 110000
merchant vessels and boarded 160 suspect ships. By conducting these maritime
operations against terrorist activity, NATO's presence in these waters has
benefited all shipping traveling through the Straits. The increased NATO
presence has also boosted the Alliance's security cooperation programme with
countries in the wider Mediterranean region - Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan,
Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

NATO-Ukraine relations were formally launched in 1991, when
Ukraine joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (now the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council). In 1994, it became the first of the Commonwealth of
Independent States to join NATO's Partnership for Peace programme. The
alliance now consists of 28 independent member countries and cooperates with
a range of countries.

For more information, please contact Maryna Khorunzha +380509151565
news at wnu-ukraine.com, Project Manager at Worldwide News Ukraine