Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit - <u>UKRAINE</u><br>Supporting Ukraine on the way to freedom - Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt opens foundation office in Kiew

Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit - UKRAINE
Supporting Ukraine on the way to freedom - Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt opens foundation office in Kiew [printable version]

UKRAINE
Supporting Ukraine on the way to freedom - Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt opens foundation office in Kiew

Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt

Ukraine is on the way to freedom - Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty supports the country on its way. The Foundation Chairman, the Member of the German Parliament Wolfgang Gerhardt confirmed with the official opening of the foundation office in Kiew and during discussions with Ukrainian Ministers and MP´s.

Gerhardt stressed that Ukraine is welcome in the European Union as well as in NATO. The membership is a sovereign decision of the country, and no foreign power has a say, including the big neighbour Russia. However, on the way to the EU and NATO a realistic analysis of the present possibilities has to be made. The European Union is very much taken up with the aftereffects of the fast enlargement process.

After Ukraine entered recently the World Trade Organization a Free Trade Agreement, an extended Agreement for Mutual Cooperation and an Association Agreement are the next logical steps on the way of Ukraine to the European Union. Regarding NATO the Ukrainian membership application may not be considered positively in the Membership Action Plan (MAP) during the Bucarest Summit in April. Nevertheless, the West should offer Ukraine a concrete way for the MAP, with support of the Federal Government, according to the Foundation Chairman.

Foreign minister Ohryzko

In Gerhardts discussions with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Volodymyr Ohryzko, the Vice-Prime Minister for European Integration, Hryhoriy Nemyrya, and the Chairman of the Committee for Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian Parliament (High Councellor), Oleh Bilorus, nuances in the attitude of the "orange" government coalition partners´ towards the schedule for NATO entry became clear. The European Union membership is supported also by the oppositional Party of the Regions of the Ex-Prime Minister Victor Janukovitch. With regard to the admission request into MAP there is a strong controversy in the country, which led, among other things, to a several weeks long blockade of the Parliament activities by oppositional MP´s.

It is all about freedom

Since the beginning of its activity in Ukraine during two years Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty created a positive image of its activitty. In front of approximately 100 representatives of the public life, among them, MPs of all important parties as well as prominent members of reputable Think Tanks and NGOs Wolfgang Gerhardt pointed out the universal importance of freedom in the world-wide activity of the foundation. In Ukraine the importnace of freedom still needs to be pointed out.

In the following discussion about "The State of Freedom in Ukraine" became clear: after "The Orange Revolution" there is a relatively liberal freedom of opinion, but the mass media belong to private owners and they neglect the duty for information supply and are interested in commercial advantages. "The people who suffer under this conditions are actually my colleagues", said Viktoriia Siumar, a prominent Ukrainian radio journalist and engaged supporter of a mass media environment, which strengthens the democratic development of the country.

Also the political institutions of greatest importance and especially the judicial system do not fulfill sufficiently their social obligations. The liberal parliamentarian and attorney Micola Caterintchuk, chairman of the European Party and known as courageous fighter against the election frauds during the Orange Revolution, criticized the dominance of individual economic interests under its colleagues, the absence of a generally recognized agenda in the parliament and the uncontrollable tendency to physical violence in the parliament. The corruption in the state authorities as well as in the jurisdiction does not disappear, the access of the normal citizens to the courts is made quite difficult for them. Despite the developing free market structures there is too much economic power concentrated in the hands of the oligarchy. Besides this, the country´s tax system patronizes unlawful personal priveleges.

However, Ukraine remains the only former Soviet Union state, alongside with the Baltic states, which made a successful attempt to change its political system. Along with that, a relatively free public discussion is permitted in the country. "We to have secure our way to freedom in terms of foreign policy with the NATO membership“, meant the politics resercher Olexij Haran from the prestigeous Mohyla University in Kiev. He reminded of Konrad Adenauer, who was the engine behind Germany´s entrance into NATO despite the unfavourable public opinion at that time. "We need politicians, who do not orientate themeselves on the majorities, but create convincing realities".

Manfred Wichmann