By Sarah Collins - 26th February 2008
Ukrainian politician Boris Tarasyuk has accused the EU of showing “a kind of restraint” in its bilateral relationship with his country.
He told the Parliament Magazine that although Ukraine has abolished visa requirements for all EU citizens entering Ukraine, this has not been met with "reciprocity" by the EU.
"There is a political will to pursue this course on the Ukrainian side, but what is needed is the political will on the EU side. On the EU side there is a kind of restraint as to a non-visa regime for Ukrainian citizens," he said.
Tarasyuk, who is chair of Ukraine’s European integration committee, was meeting on Tuesday with officials of the European parliament as part of the EU-Ukraine joint parliamentary committee on cooperation.
Twice foreign minister of Ukraine, Tarasyuk said that his country’s objectives are “very clear”: becoming a member of both the EU and Nato. But although he has found support within the European parliament, other EU institutions have not been as forthcoming.
"Unlike the European parliament, the council and the commission haven’t yet agreed on the common objective, which is to prepare for membership.
"The European parliament is much more perceptive to Ukraine’s European vocation and much more perceptive to the prevailing public opinion in European member states.
"Consistently, public opinion polls conducted in the countries of the EU prove that the majority – some 55 per cent – are supporting Ukraine’s EU membership."
Tarasyuk, also chair of the People’s Movement of Ukraine, says that he sees EU membership for Ukraine within the next 10 years.
“Based on the experience of neighbouring countries of central and eastern Europe, the process may take some seven to maximum 10 years. This is my guess. This depends how quickly we set up the joint agenda.”
Regarding Ukraine’s Nato membership, Tarasyuk said the issue was “highly politicised”.
In the beginning of February, Russia threatened to point missiles at Ukraine if it agreed to host a US missile defence system as part of its drive towards Nato membership.
“Despite the rumours and speculation, I think the relations between Ukraine and Russia are developing. Year after year the trade volume is being increased,” Tarasyuk said.
But he did admit that regarding energy, the Russian-Ukrainian relationship had hit a difficult patch.
“At the end of 2005 and beginning of 2006 our relations on gas supply and transit entered a very troublesome period and Ukraine for the first time experience the new quality of Russia, which started to use gas as a tool for foreign policy.”
However, he commended his colleagues, prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and president Viktor Yushchenko, for reaching a final agreement with Gazprom earlier this month.
It means the elimination of an intermediary supplier, the Swiss-registered and part-Gazprom-owned RosUkrEnergo, from the complex process of supplying Russian and central Asian gas to Ukraine.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.