Prime Minister Iulia Timosenko met the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, on Tuesday, when the Alliance official stated that NATO supports Ukraine’s efforts to access the Euro-Atlantic structures. The Alliance’s spokesperson, James Appathurai, stated that the meeting has lasted for more than an hour, that there have been approached issues concerning the bilateral collaboration and both counterparts have expressed their wish to strengthen relations between Ukraine and NATO.
“The Secretary General salutes the efforts undertaken by Ukraine in order to strengthen the bilateral relations, whereas a central place is occupied by the strengthening of dialogue and Ukraine’s registration in the Pre-accession Plan.
The two officials have also discussed about the recent letter issued by the leaders in Kiev with the request to examine, on Bucharest summit, Ukraine’s possibility to fulfil the tasks emerging from the Pre-Accession plan.
I would also like to mention the fact that Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, as well as all the Alliance’s members, share Kiev’s ambitions upon the accession into Euro-Atlantic structures”, concluded Appaturay.
In Brussels, Iulia Timosenko, has promised a “gradual” approach upon her country’s accession to Euro-Atlantic structures, an idea which has been rejected by half of the population and by Russia. “This is a very delicate matter. We cannot move forward by revolution, but only gradually”, Timosenko stated before the European Parliament Commission.
