Press Availability with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Hryshchenko

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: Thank you very much, Minister. As you, I’m delighted to again be with you this time here in Kyiv; it’s been 12 years since I was last here and in that space of time, let me tell you, my eyes can barely hold the changes I see. I think the people of Ukraine, now after 12 years, have the right to be enormously proud of what they’ve accomplished in terms of a real sense of national purpose and identity and unbelievable economic performance. And so, it’s very heartening for me to see what’s gone on here.

I’m going to have the opportunity to discuss again with my colleague, the Foreign Minister, and certainly with President Kuchma, all these matters. I’m going to be able to thank the President for the courageous decision to support the coalition in Iraq and the valor of your soldiers is simply outstanding.

We’ve got a good economic relationship; we’ve got a good security relationship. We haven’t had as good a political relationship, and I think that we are going to try to find ways to improve that, and to that end, in our discussions with the government, and I’ll meet with opposition leaders, and I’ll make it very clear that the United States desires to have a full range, and a fully productive range, of engagements with our colleagues here in Ukraine.

QUESTION: (AP -paraphrased from translation since English partially inaudible). Mr. Deputy Secretary, you spoke about the Ukrainian forces serving in Iraq. Now that there appears to be some wavering on the part of Spain and Poland about keeping their troops in Iraq, and even in Ukraine, there have been expressed some opinions that Ukraine might consider pulling its forces out of Iraq. I’m interested in knowing your opinion on how important it is for Ukraine to maintain its forces in Iraq and what the U.S. might recommend in this regard.

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: I don’t entirely accept the premise your question. I don’t consider what we see in Spain as wavering. I saw a million Spaniards with their hands raised high against terrorism, and that’s not wavering. The new government can make any decision that it wants; I do note that the incoming leadership is spoken/open? about the possibility of UN Security Council resolutions perhaps affecting their decision. Regarding Poland, I just saw a public announcement of no wavering from Poland. And finally, to Ukraine. Ukraine is not in Iraq as a favor to the United States. Ukraine is in Iraq because it’s judged to be in Ukraine’s interest in this fight against terrorism. So, in terms of the global war on terrorism, I think it’s enormously important that a country such as Ukraine pronounce themselves on the side of the right, of the good, against these terrorists.

QUESTION: (?) follow-up: inaudible…could you clarify the importance of Ukraine’s staying in Iraq? Is that part of your reason for being here?

DEPUTY SECRETARY ARMITAGE: The government of Ukraine will make the decisions on behalf of the people as it feels are appropriate. I was coming to simply thank the government for that and moreover to talk about re-establishing on a better plane our political relationship.