(March, 21, 2003)

Dear journalists!

Ladies and gentlemen!

I would like to make several points of principle concerning events that are occurring in the world and in Ukraine.

Yesterday President of Ukraine Mr.Leonid Kuchma in his television address clearly stated our state’s position concerning situation in Iraq.

It was noted that this position remains both categorical and constant: we are against any war.

The 20^th of March, 2003 will go down to history of diplomacy as a grim date.

Lasting attempts of the world community to avoid war in the Middle East did not produce results.

The United States and the Great Britain have begun a military operation with purpose of disarming Iraq and changing the political regime in this country.

Influence exercised by the United Nations Security Council, the highest instance of international law, on the course of events appears to be limited.

The situation on the international arena may be described as extremely intense and difficult to forecast.

Guarantees of securing peaceful life of millions of people have been called into question.

Authority of the United Nations, which throughout the post-war period served the basis of the global political order, has been called into question.

Prospects of economic development on the global scale, as, in principle, the system of global security as such, have been called into question.

Discussions concerning situation in Iraq have not bypassed Ukraine either.

We are extremely concerned with dangerous succession of events in the Middle East and are well aware of the consequences they may have for the world community.

At the same time, we are trying to use our best efforts for these consequences not to affect development of our state.

I am convinced that under present conditions two key aspects come to the foreground.

First and foremost - lives of those people living in this region are at stake.

We call on coalition forces to do the utmost to minimize number of civilian casualties.

Any war is an extreme political means.

And it is not only death, it is also living in extreme conditions.

But the worst scenario would be to see hundreds and thousands of civilian victims.

Stemming from this, Ukraine has made the decision to dispatch a battalion of radiation, chemical and biological defense to Iraq’s neighboring Kuwait.

I know that for the President of Ukraine, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the Supreme Council it was a difficult decision to take.

But I am convinced – this decision is the only right and adequate one.

Our soldiers are sent to the Middle East solely with a peaceful mission.

It is the mission to rescue lives, not to take part in hostilities.

And I would not like this issue to become a coin of exchange in our internal political struggle.

The present-day situation is such that one cannot afford to stick one’s head in sand.

Ukraine had to take a clear position.

And we have made our choice.

It also applies to the second political issue, which we count to be most pressing today - restoration of the United Nations Organization’s authority.

The situation in Iraq has gone so far that is inadmissible to waste time on looking for those right and wrong.

All efforts should be directed at minimizing humanitarian consequences and political losses incurred by all the mankind.

There is only one way of doing this – to have the issue returned to the United Nations.

The political vocation of this organization is to solve most acute conflicts.

Therefore, we rejoice the fact that the United Nations does not relieve itself from the responsibility for further succession of events.

All sides of the conflict should lend their ears to the Secretary General and the United Nations Security Council that right at this moment should speak out with all clearness and responsibility.

On the other hand, the world should draw necessary conclusions from the present situation.

The fact that efforts exercised by the Security Council during last months could not prevent war should not be construed as a political verdict to the United Nations.

Rather, in my view, they should become a political stimulus for reforming the Security Council.

Adaptation of this key tool of securing peace to modern challenges has to become the priority objective for the short-term perspective.

So, in our opinion, agenda of the world community at the present stage should look as follows:

Preventing humanitarian catastrophe - stabilization of situation in Iraq - reforming the UN Security Council – strengthening the system of international security.

Ukraine is ready to take an active part in all stages of this political circuit, which is of essential importance for global development.