Deputy Director General,
Centre for International and Comparative Studies,
at the Conference
“On the Way to Europe: Spanish Experience”
Interrnational Centre of Political Studies,
Kiev, December 17, 2008
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First of all I’d like to thank the International Centre of Political Studies and personally its Director, Ms. Olga Shumylo, for this excellent and very useful discussion with our Spanish friends.
His Excellency Ambassador of Spain Mr. Gil Catalina, while speaking today, mentioned one of the main problems Ukraine faces in its relations with Europe – the “Europe doesn’t want us” –attitude.
I think the Ambassador was completely right, and moreover, this attitude has widely spread in Ukraine in the recent years.
What does it stem from? I think the reason is simple and obvious – we actively seek counsel from Europe, our diplomacy regularly tours the European capitals.
But we do not follow the advice that we hear from the Europeans. We take for granted good words and drop out what is unpleasant for our ears.
I remember when in the year 2002 the official delegation of Ukraine went to Madrid for the consultations on the European integration. Our host from the Spanish side was at that time one of the most prominent Spanish diplomats and politicians, H.E. Mr. Ramon de Miguel, State Secretary for the European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We expected pleasant words about the European vocation of Ukraine; instead we heard words that sounded forthright and not so diplomatic.
He said as follows, more or less: “Your chances to be accepted by the EU depend on how you behave in your region. If you will have problems with Russia, Europe will not defend you. If you wage a confrontation with Russia, we can not stand on your side. But if you maintain good relations with Russia, if you play the role of the bridge between the EU and the Russia, using your position in the Slavic world, than Ukraine will be of interest to you, than you will be considered a value to Europe”.
Those words became a cold shower for all, for me as well. But as time passed by, it became more and more evident that what Mr. Ramon de Miguel had said, was the way of thinking of the majority of the European leaders. Now they say publicly what six years ago was a kind of revelation to the Ukrainian diplomacy.
Even today we heard Ambassador Gil Catalina say that Ukraine should do two things first: clear up its internal mess, or, as Ambassador has diplomatically put it: “to put an end to the chronic political crisis”, and to do its part in building “constructive and good-neighbourly relations with Russia”.
And here comes the second major problem of the Ukrainian foreign policy, which is relevant as well to the Ukrainian politicians, to the expert society, and to the media. Señora Rosa Masagué, journalist from “El Periodico de Catalunya”, told us today that at the time of the Spanish referendum on joining NATO, Spanish media “lost their innocence” due to great pressure from the government. Well, I would say that the Ukrainian media have not still lost their innocence simply because the population support in Ukraine of the NATO membership is so low, that nobody would care about such referendum in Ukraine.
But the problem, and I would say, a very dangerous trend, remains: our politicians, our mass media listen only to those in Europe who say good words about our policies and label leading European politicians, sometimes, in a very arrogant way. I’ve read, for example, about Angela Merkel being “a puppet of Cremlin”, about Berlusconi being a clown, about Nicolas Sarkozy as the follower of Molotov and Ribbentrop. All this was said and written simply because those leaders were not eager to grant to Ukraine, in its current state of disorder, the NATO Membership Action Plan.
I may agree that today’s Europe is not an ideal place. Sometimes it could be selfish, sometimes overburocratized, sometimes not enough open to the outer world. But if we want to improve Europe’s behavior, Ukraine should first become a part of it. And to become a real part of Europe, Ukraine should accept today’s Europe as it is, should accept its rules, not only written, but also the unwritten, informal rules of behavior. If we want to be a part of Europe, we must learn how to become a reliable partner to the leading European democracies, or, at least, listen to what they are saying to us.
Thank you.
