Ukraine justifies itself concerning arms shipments to Macedonia

Several days ago, PRAVDA.Ru reported that Poland was concerned with Ukrainian arm supplies to Macedonia. Yesterday, this subject was discussed. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry refutes the mass media’s reports that Ukraine’s participation in the November NATO summit in Paris and further relations between Ukraine and NATO depend on stopping military and technical cooperation between Ukraine and Macodonia. “The question about military and technical cooperation between Ukraine and Macedonia does not belong to agenda of Ukraine-NATO relations. The last military supplies to Macedonia were carried out by Ukraine last year, and new supplies are not being planned,” – spokesman for Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Igor Dolgov said.

He also stated that the question regarding arm supplies to Macedonia could not be regarded as a condition for continuing Ukraine-NATO cooperation, because Macedonia did not come under a UN embargo or any other sanctions. Dolgov stressed that Ukraine had carried out consultations for a peaceful settlement to the situation in Macedonia. He recalled that on February 5, Deputy State Secretary of Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Igor Kharchenko, while in Brussels, stated that arms shipments to Macedonia are not being planned.

Alexandr Gorobets PRAVDA.Ru Kiev Ukraine

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/02/26/37558.html