PRAVDA< Russia
May 31 2005

Former USSR states aimed to diminish Russia’s role as peacekeeper
05/31/2005 11:08

Russia will have to tackle quite a few problems if Ukraine means to
turn GUAM into an instrument for pursuing its foreign policy

Second inter-parliamentary assembly of GUAM, a group comprising
Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Moldavia, was held in the city of
Yalta last Saturday. The members of the group made fresh statements
about their intentions to join NATO. They also agreed to step up
their cooperation with the EU, OSCE, and NATO. The GUAM members are
planning to join forces for “settling conflicts and fighting against
separatism and extremism.” The implementation of the plans can
diminish the role of Russia as a main peacekeeper in the former
Soviet Union.

Addressing the participants of the assembly, Ukrainian President
Viktor Yushchenko said he was confident that GUAM would play a big
role in the “prosperity of democracy in the Caspian and Black Sea
region.” Lately GUAM has been in “a state of anabiosis”, but its
activity levels are going to rise dramatically from now on, according
to the Speaker of Ukraine’s parliament Vladimir Litvin. Mr. Litvin
promised to create “an area of democracy, sustainable development and
security within the bounds of a unified Europe.”

He pointed out that Ukraine was not going to turn its back on
Ukraine’s friends in the East and South after setting course for the
integration into the European Union. According to him, Kazakhstan,
Turkey, Armenia, and other countries located around the Black Sea,
Caspian and the Baltic Sea may as well join the GUAM project “that
looks promising.” Russia and other key players of the region will be
also involved because in a world of economic globalization “you
should be a part of the game, otherwise decisions will be taken for
you by somebody else.”

Russia will have to tackle quite a few problems if Ukraine means to
turn GUAM into an instrument for pursuing its foreign policy. Ukraine
was unusually persistent in recent talks with Russia for the
demarcation of the Azov-Kerch water area and the Black Sea.

Russia objects to demarcation of the Kerch Strait on the basis of
Soviet-era administrative boundaries. Russia would lose control over
two thirds of the Kerch Strait in this case. Consequently, Russia
would have to pay political and financial costs. Kiev accused Moscow
of applying double standards to the issue. Ukraine reminded Russia
that the latter requested to acknowledge the former internal Soviet
boundary as a state border between Russia and Estonia in the Gulf of
Narva and the Gulf of Finland. Ukraine has been pressing for the
demarcation of the Kerch Strait in a similar way “in line with the
international law.”

“An algorithm of the Ukrainian foreign policy has not yet shaped up,”
said Victor Nebozhenko, a Ukrainian political analyst. Ukraine is
unlikely to become a top player in the anti-Russian game because of
the high percentage of ethnic Russians living in Ukraine, according
to Mr. Nebozhenko. Speaking to Vremya Novostei, Mr. Nebozhenko said
that Ukraine was putting pressure on Russia in the talks on the Kerch
Strait demarcation in an attempt to resolve the issues relating to
the Transdniestre region, an huge area rife with murky business deals
and smuggling going on in close proximity to the Ukrainian borders.
“Ukraine is extremely interested in getting Russia’s help for
resolving the Transdniestre issue,” said Mr. Nebozhenko.