[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
[June 5, 2000]
[Pages 1099-1100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Signing a Ukraine-United States Joint Statement in Kiev, 
Ukraine
June 5, 2000

    Thank you very much. Mr. President, Mr. 
Prime Minister, leaders of the government, 
leaders and Members of the Rada, leaders of the court, distinguished 
citizens. I am delighted to

[[Page 1100]]

be back in Ukraine and delighted to be again with President Kuchma to 
work on our strategic partnership, because the success of Ukraine as a 
free and prosperous nation is very important to the United States.
    Of course, succeeding in the future requires learning from the past. 
I am very proud and moved to be here today--this is World Environment 
Day--for this historic announcement by President Kuchma that the final reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear 
powerplant will be shut down and the entire plant closed forever on 
December the 15th. This is a hopeful moment. It is also a moment when we 
remember those who suffered as a result of the accident there.
    The President and I agreed that we can 
grow our economies and protect the environment and public health at the 
same time, and so we must. I am pleased to announce that the United 
States will pledge $78 million for the Chernobyl Shelter Fund to contain 
radiation from the destroyed reactor, and another $2 million to expand 
efforts to improve safety at Ukraine's other nuclear powerplants.
    The President and I also discussed his 
plan for economic reform. He and his team have an economic plan that can 
put Ukraine on a path towards sustainable growth and much higher living 
standards. President Kuchma has moved to give his people their own land, 
to reduce government bureaucracy, to promote entrepreneurship. He has 
taken recent steps to enhance Ukraine's protection of intellectual 
property rights and the rule of law. And these things improve the 
climate for investment in Ukraine and will attract more investment 
dollars from the United States and other places across the world.
    In that spirit, I am pleased to announce a new 5-year, $25-million 
business development program for small and medium-sized businesses in 
Ukraine to help them participate in the growing economy.
    Finally, I want to take another important step today. Because of 
Ukraine's strong efforts to prevent missile proliferation, I am 
announcing our decision to eliminate commercial space quotas and open 
the door to expanded U.S. cooperation with Ukraine's space program. This 
decision will have a positive, long-term impact on Ukraine's economic 
prospects, creating more high-tech jobs and positioning Ukraine to be a 
leader in a cutting-edge area of 21st century commerce. It will also 
enhance the ability of American companies to compete in space. This 
represents the kind of high-level partnership our countries can look 
forward to as we enter the new century together.
    Thank you very much, Mr. President. It's 
been a good day.
    Thank you.

 Note:  The President spoke at 5:20 p.m. in the White Room at Mariinskiy 
Palace. In his remarks, he referred to President Leonid Kuchma and Prime 
Minister Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine.