Yushchenko, Cheney: Black Sea countries should join collective security system to guarantee region stability

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Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko discussed three blocks of questions with US Vice President Richard Cheney in Kyiv Friday. He told the press they had touched on the Russia - Georgia conflict, Ukraine - US relations, and political situation in Ukraine.

Yushchenko says "the conflict of August 8 demonstrated that there are security risks in the Black Sea region, so it is necessary to prevent a spread of the threat to other territories". "The events in Georgia encourage us for move efficient moves to settle other frozen conflicts for them not to overgrow into metastases of similar regional hostilities," he said.

The President focused on Ukraine's concern over a possible use of the Russian Black Sea Fleet deployed in Ukraine during conflicts with third countries, "because this would powerfully draw Ukraine into military confrontation".

Yushchenko once again pointed out inadmissibility of Ukraine's recognition of independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, stressing the Georgian developments demonstrated that "the only non-alternative model of reliable protection of territorial integrity" of any country including Ukraine "is accession to the All-European, Pan-European, North Atlantic system of collective security". He noted that NATO's eastward expansion, "the spread of stability and peace zone to Ukraine, is an extra factor of stability in the region".

The President also said the recent visit of US President George Bush to Ukraine gave an impetus to bilateral relations. He called the current dynamic of bilateral trade turnover as great, and expressed confidence that by the end of the year it will reach USD 5.3 - 5.5 billion.

In his turn, Cheney, who arrived in Kyiv from Tbilisi, pointed out the importance of Ukraine's support for Georgia. Russia's invasion and illegal attempt to seize Georgian territory by force call in question its reliability as an international partner of not only Georgia but also of the region on the whole, he stressed.

Cheney emphasized that he had been instructed to deliver to the people of Ukraine a clear message from President Bush confirming his country's intention to strengthen relations with Ukraine both today and in distant future.

The Unites States backs Ukraine's right to develop closer ties of cooperation and security in Europe and on transatlantic space, Cheney said adding the Ukrainians have the right to choose whether they wish to become NATO members or not, and no foreign state may veto this decision.

He also reminded of the Bucharest summit decision on Ukraine's Euroatlantic perspectives, stressing that the decision is still valid.

UKRINFORM