Brussels, 26/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - On the occasion of the EU Troika meeting (currently composed of the Foreign ministers of Portugal and France, Commissioner Patten and "Mr. Cfsp", Javier Solana) with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Boris Tarasjuk, on Tuesday, the Council Presidency handed the work programme by which the EU intends, over the coming six months, turning the EU's "common strategy" towards Ukraine into concrete measures and actions.
Adopted at December's European Council in Helsinki, this common strategy (the EU's second, following the one for Russia, adopted at the June 1999 European Council) aims at strengthening bilateral relations with Ukraine in a wide range of sectors, seeking to create a genuine "strategic partnership". The Portuguese Presidency's action plan contains a large number of concrete measures in sectors as varied as:
- support for Ukraine's democratic and economic transformation process (the launch of several projects, co-funded by the Tacis programme, is planned);
- economic reforms: promote legislative alignment regarding rules of competition, financial services, standards and certificates, tax policy, etc.;
- stability and security in Europe: opening of a political dialogue on topics such as disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, the export of conventional weapons, providing Ukraine with the possibility of aligning itself with EU declarations made in the context of Cfsp, etc.;
- cooperation in the field of the environment, energy and nuclear safety (notably by supporting implementation of the G-7 Memorandum of Understanding on the closure of Chernobyl in 2000);
- cooperation in the realm of justice and home affairs: sending missions of Community experts to Ukraine to analyse the current system for combating organised crime, the trafficking in human beings, money laundering, etc., and to make recommendations aimed at improving the system;
- stepping up cooperation in the framework of the EU's future enlargement eastwards. It is, notably, a question of helping Ukraine join the WTO, making better use of trading possibilities with the EU, better implementation of rules governing international trade, improving the investment climate in Ukraine, etc..
