UKRAINE: Ukraine's elections next month will create a new spirit of unity, foreign minister Boris Tarasyuk tells Deaglán de Bréadún, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
Divisions among the leadership of the 2004 "Orange Revolution" would be healed after the country's forthcoming parliamentary and local elections, Ukrainian foreign minister Boris Tarasyuk predicted during an official visit to Dublin yesterday.
There was a major split when the government of prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko was dismissed by president Victor Yuschenko last September.
But Mr Tarasyuk told The Irish Times in an interview: "The parts of the 'Orange team' which are going into the elections separately will reunite and the result after the elections will have the 'Orange team' get together in coalition to form the majority in the future parliament and be entrusted with the formation of the government."
During his brief visit he paid a courtesy call on President McAleese as well as meeting Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern and other Cabinet members.
Asked to characterise Ukraine's relationship with the Russian Federation, Mr Tarasyuk said it was "a normal relationship with, sometimes, disputes". Commenting on the recent dispute over gas supplies, he said it was "mainly because of the Russian company, Gazprom, demanding in the form of an ultimatum to increase the prices five times for gas delivered to Ukraine".
"Certainly we could not accept such a demand because it might have destroyed our economy. It looked like pressure and intimidation. But finally the two companies, Ukrainian and Russian, managed to forge a deal."
More recently, Russia has imposed a temporary ban on imports of Ukrainian dairy and meat products which also hit European Union products which are delivered via Ukraine.
"Like the gas ultimatum," he said, "this was an unexpected gesture from Russia."
The Russians said the ban arose out of concerns about safety and quality, but these were dismissed as "groundless" by Mr Tarasyuk, who claimed the measure was based on "political motivations" aimed at influencing the internal situation in Ukraine ahead of the March 26th vote. The elections will be monitored by Irish diplomats, among others.
Asked to comment on the decision by Ukraine's justice authorities that a hearing on the 2000 murder of dissident journalist Georgy Gongadze be held partially in camera, he pointed out that, "like in Ireland" there was a separation of powers and there could be no "intrusion" by the executive into court procedures. "At the same time we do share the concern that the trial, by the decision of the judges, has been transformed into in-camera hearings."
On the issue of joining the European Union, he said: "Ukraine has a realistic chance to become a member by 2015."
This would depend on the existing member states, including Ireland, and that was one of the reasons for his visit to Dublin. But Ukraine was not going to be a "beggar" in its relationship with the EU.
A partnership and co-operation agreement would expire in 2008, as would the existing EU-Ukraine action plan and he looked forward to a new framework agreement which Ukraine saw as a "European agreement on association with a clear perspective of membership".
Already there was a lifting of all visa requirements for EU citizens wishing to visit Ukraine.
Meanwhile, there was an "intensified dialogue on membership issues" with Nato. Until December 27th last, Ukraine had 1,600 military in Iraq and suffered 18 deaths in the conflict.
The contingent now stood at some 40 officers and instructors assisting the emerging forces of the new Iraqi government.