ALEXANDER BOZHKO: HISTORIC PROCESSES TAKE PLACE IN SOUTH CAUCASUS

News.am
15:40 / 08/21/2009

Question: Mr. Ambassador, what has changed in the South Caucasus,
particularly for Armenia, since the hostilities last August?

Answer: Historical evidence is that wars do not resolve
problems. Rather, they delay solutions, and it is the children
and grandchildren of those unleashing wars that often have to find
peaceful solutions…

No doubt, the five-day war worsened the situation both for the entire
South Caucasus and for each of the countries in the region and the
international community, which now has one more headache. As regards
Armenia, I share Armenian experts’ opinion that the war once more
showed Armenia’s vulnerability – first of all in terms of transport
communication.

Question: What are Ukraine’s interests in this region, as well as the
place of its relations with Armenia in the context of these interests?

Answer: The South Caucasus is one of Ukraine’s foreign policy
priorities both within the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization
(BSEC) and at the bilateral level. It is natural, we understand each
other quite well, have common historical past, though we can show
different attitudes to it.

>>From the practical aspect, economic relations are our top priority.

Judge for yourself, before the crisis we registered steady positive
dynamics in Ukrainian-Armenian trade. Last year the bilateral trade
turnover exceeded U.S. $300mln.

In terms of total trade turnover, Ukraine was Armenia’s fourth
largest partner after Russia, Germany and China, and the second
largest partner in terms of imports.

Armenia is known to conduct foreign trade operations by means of
Ukraine to a considerable extent. The Ukrainian shipping company
Ukrferry is a traditional partner of Armenian forwarding companies. One
more foreign trade route was opened this March: a new terminal was
opened at the port of Kerch, which will save much time for Armenian
export-import operations.

That is Ukraine’s presence in the South Caucasus is mutually
beneficial. It is noteworthy that much more Armenian brandy – the
main component of Armenia’s export – is sold in Ukraine than in
Armenia itself.

With a view to further development of interregional cooperation and
execution of previously signed agreements, the Ukrainian Embassy
in Armenia is working at arranging the visits of delegations from
different Ukrainian regions. Specifically, this autumn we expect a
delegation of the Kharkov region led by Arsen Avakov to visit Armenia.

We are also developing a bilateral political dialogue. In this context,
Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan’s visit to the Crimea last July
was an important event. The Armenian leader participated in the
celebrations of the 650th anniversary of the Armenian monastery Surb
Khach (Holy Cross). During the high Armenian delegation’s visit to
the Crimea, Ukrainian and Armenian Presidents, Victor Yuschenko and
Serzh Sargsyan held a meeting. The two leaders set the priorities of
the short-term bilateral agenda.

I would like to point out the Ukrainian-Armenian cooperation within
international organizations last year. Specifically, on our joint
initiative, the OSCE Foreign Ministers’ Council approved a Declaration
on the 60th anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and
Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Our countries are actively
cooperating under the Eastern Partnership program.

Finally, last November, in Odessa, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture
and Tourism and Armenian Ministry of Culture and Youth Affairs signed
a cultural cooperation program for 2008-2012. The program provides for
the holding of Days of Armenian Culture in Ukraine, Days of Ukrainian
Culture in Armenia, as well as for a number of other activities and
a more active cultural dialogue. We are really lacking it.

This year the Ukrainian-Armenian Intergovernmental Commission for
Economic Cooperation is to meet in Yerevan. I hope the Commission
members will not only analyze the state of the bilateral trade and
economic relations for the previous period, but also exchange their
views on the ways out of the global crisis for our economies.

Question: The Madrid Principles of the Nagorno-Karabakh settlement
provide for a peace-making operation in the region. Does Kiev intend
to apply for participation in the peace-making format?

Answer: Ukraine has a many years’ experience in different peace-making
missions. If Ukraine receives such a proposal, it will thoroughly
consider it.

As far as I know, the Madrid Principles is a draft document. I
has not yet been accepted by the sides or taken effect. So it is
obviously too early to speak of its practical application. I think
when the "principles" turn into an "agreement", the issue of inviting
peace-makers and that of particular countries will be considered.

Question: What is Ukraine’s position on the normalization of
Armenian-Turkish relations?

Answer: Ukraine’s official position was voiced by the Head of the
Press Service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately
after the Armenian, Turkish and Swiss Foreign Offices issued a joint
statement on April 22, 2009.

Specifically, the document says that the sides "have been working
intensively with a view to normalizing their bilateral relations
and developing them in a spirit of good-neighborliness, and mutual
respect, and thus to promoting peace, security and stability in the
whole region."

The Ukrainian Foreign Office also expressed hope that the practical
steps to implement the statement will be crowned with success for
peace and prosperity of both nations and of the entire region.

On my part I would like to add that historic processes are going
on in the South Caucasus now. The normalization of Armenian-Turkish
relations and the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict are of
paramount importance not only for political stability in the region,
but also for the two economies. So we are sincerely interested in
progress in both the negotiating processes, as well as in further
prosperity of friendly Armenia.

Question: Under agreements with Kiev, Russia is going to transfer its
Black Sea fleet from the Crimea to Abkhazia. What impact will it have
on the situation in the South Caucasus?

Answer: Indeed, under intergovernmental documents, the Black Sea
fleet of Russia is to remain in Ukraine until 2017.

I would like to note that Article 17 of the Constitution of Ukraine
prohibits the deployment of foreign military bases in the country. But
our state remains faithful to its international commitments (temporary
deployment of the Russian Black Sea fleet in Ukraine until May 28,
2017) and fully meets the relevant agreements of 1997.

As regards the fate of the fleet, it is Russia’s internal affair,
as you can understand.