[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 30, Number 47 (Monday, November 28, 1994)]
[Pages 2426-2430]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Joint Summit Statement by the Presidents of the United States and 
Ukraine

November 22, 1994

    On the occasion of his State visit to the United States on November 
21-23, 1994, Leonid D. Kuchma, President of Ukraine, met with William J. 
Clinton, President of the United States, to open a qualitatively new 
stage in the growing U.S.-Ukrainian partnership aimed at furthering 
bilateral and multilateral cooperation on a broad range of issues 
between the two countries.
    The Presidents renewed their shared commitment to broaden the 
bilateral democratic partnership into which the two countries have 
entered. President Clinton underscored the importance the United States 
attaches to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of 
Ukraine. In this context, President Clinton assured President Kuchma 
that the United States will continue to give high priority to supporting 
Ukraine in its efforts to achieve genuine economic independence, its 
transition to a market economy and its integration into the global 
economic system.

Bilateral Relations

    In keeping with their commitment to strengthen bilateral relations, 
President Clinton and President Kuchma signed the Charter of American-
Ukrainian Partnership, Friendship and Cooperation. The Presidents 
praised the Charter as the framework for developing closer relations 
over the coming years. President Clinton noted in particular Ukraine's 
valuable contribution to this new framework by its momentous decision to 
accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is an historic 
step forward on the road toward strengthening the international nuclear 
weapons nonproliferation regime and global security and stability.
    The Presidents inaugurated this new framework of bilateral relations 
by signing an Agreement on Cooperation in the Exploration and Use of 
Outer Space for Peaceful Purposes and agreed to work closely to ex- 

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plore additional bilateral cooperative space-related opportunities in 
the future. They noted that this process had begun with a U.S.-Ukraine 
discussion of Ukraine's interest in the commercial launch market.
    Both Presidents expressed their determination to broaden bilateral 
cooperation in a range of new areas. During the visit, the two 
governments brought into force a bilateral customs cooperation agreement 
and announced their intention to conclude negotiations on a bilateral 
civil aviation agreement. The Presidents recognized the threat that 
organized crime and corruption pose for reform and expanded business 
activity in Ukraine, and they agreed to cooperate in combating crime and 
promoting the rule of law as an essential safeguard of social stability 
and civil and human rights. The Presidents will encourage exchanges 
among Ukrainians and Americans in the fields of science, technology and 
education. The Presidents, noting the valuable role of culture in 
bringing nations closer together, voiced support for wide-ranging 
cultural contacts between the United States and Ukraine. Both Presidents 
also recognized the importance of health care for the well-being of 
their people, and President Clinton announced that the United States 
would provide Ukraine hospital equipment, medical supplies and 
assistance with health programs.
    The Presidents intend to maintain frequent high-level bilateral 
contacts to assure timely and effective implementation of activities. 
President Kuchma invited President Clinton to make an official return 
visit to Ukraine at the earliest convenient opportunity. President 
Clinton accepted this invitation with pleasure.

Economic Cooperation

    The Presidents agreed that market-oriented economic reform provides 
the surest path to Ukraine's economic revival and its integration into 
the world economy. President Clinton reaffirmed full U.S. support for 
the reform policies recently adopted by President Kuchma's government 
and its conclusion of an IMF Systemic Transformation Facility program. 
President Kuchma outlined plans for accelerating the process of economic 
reform. These plans include intensifying structural reform efforts to 
encourage competition through enhanced macroeconomic stabilization and 
increased privatization. President Clinton commended President Kuchma 
for his leadership on economic reform and encouraged him to work toward 
early completion of negotiations with the IMF on a stand-by program. He 
stressed the importance of Ukraine's reform measures and the United 
States' readiness to support Ukraine in their implementation.
    President Clinton announced that the United States would provide 
$200 million in new assistance to Ukraine in Fiscal Year 1995. Of this 
amount, $103 million will finance technical and economic assistance 
activities. The remaining $97 million will provide balance of payments 
support, consisting of $72 million in an energy sector grant and $25 
million in USDA concessional food credits, as provided in agreements 
signed by the two Governments during the State visit. When combined with 
$3 million of pharmaceuticals and other commodities from Fiscal Year 
1994, the United States will provide $100 million in balance of payments 
support in the next few months to reinforce Ukraine's IMF program.
    This United States economic support is in recognition of Ukraine's 
major initiative to launch a comprehensive economic reform program. This 
support is in addition to the $350 million in economic assistance 
committed to Ukraine in March 1994, the major part of which will take 
effect once reforms have begun. The Presidents reviewed the progress 
made in the implementation of economic assistance programs for Ukraine 
and agreed to work together to accelerate delivery and ensure the full 
disbursement of all current and previous commitments, as well as the 
effectiveness of these programs.
    President Kuchma expressed appreciation for United States leadership 
in mobilizing international support for Ukraine, particularly the prompt 
United States response to the Ukrainian request for balance of payments 
support. Looking to the future, President Clinton reaffirmed United 
States commitments made at the Washington donor session and the Winnipeg 
G-7 conference in October and his intention to continue the

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United States' leading role in encouraging international support for 
Ukrainian reform.
    The Presidents recognized the important contribution the private 
sector can make to Ukraine's economic prosperity through expanded trade 
and investment. President Clinton welcomed Ukraine's ratification of the 
bilateral investment treaty and noted that the Western NIS Enterprise 
Fund has now opened its offices in Kiev. President Kuchma expressed the 
hope that the U.S. Senate would ratify the treaty at an early date. The 
leaders emphasized the importance of privatization if expanded 
cooperation between American enterprises and an emerging private sector 
in Ukraine is to begin in earnest.
    On November 21 President Kuchma and members of his government 
participated in an OPIC-sponsored business conference which reviewed 
investment opportunities in Ukraine. Both Presidents agreed that there 
was enormous potential for private sector cooperation in developing key 
sectors of the Ukrainian economy. They specified, in particular, 
agriculture and food processing; pharmaceuticals and medical equipment; 
energy, including fossil and environmentally sound and safe nuclear 
power; aerospace, consistent with international obligations; civil 
aviation; telecommunications; environment and defense conversion.
    The two leaders noted that the first session of the Joint U.S.-
Ukrainian Commission on Trade and Investment is meeting during the State 
visit to discuss ways of promoting business cooperation and removing 
barriers to expanded trade and increased investment in Ukraine. The 
Commission is discussing the tax, legal and regulatory changes that 
Ukraine will need to adopt to support private business activity. 
President Clinton recognized the special circumstances facing economies 
in transition, such as Ukraine's, which seek to expand export markets, 
and offered to consult with the U.S. Congress on appropriate ways of 
reflecting this in U.S. trade legislation. The Presidents noted that 
expanded trade will be critical to the success of Ukrainian economic 
reform and agreed to make the expansion of trade and investment a 
priority in their economic cooperation efforts.
    The Presidents also agreed to work toward expanding economic 
cooperation within a multilateral framework and to promote Ukraine's 
integration into the global economy. President Clinton reaffirmed the 
United States' support for Ukraine's accession to the GATT/WTO, and 
noted that the United States is providing assistance to the Ukrainian 
government to support this process. The United States is also chairing 
the working group in Geneva overseeing Ukraine's accession.
    The Presidents noted that the resolution of Ukraine's energy 
problems would have an important and positive impact on Ukraine's 
economic recovery. President Kuchma welcomed the United States' decision 
to provide part of its special balance of payments assistance in the 
form of an energy sector grant. Both leaders reviewed the progress that 
has been made in implementing cooperative programs aimed at the 
restructuring and reforming of Ukraine's energy sector and improving 
nuclear reactor safety. President Kuchma informed President Clinton of 
the recent agreement Ukraine reached with IAEA on the application of 
IAEA safeguards to all nuclear materials, except those for nuclear 
propulsion, utilized in Ukraine.
    The Presidents agreed to continue to work together for the full 
implementation of the G-7 Naples Action Plan, and recognized that this 
will require G-7 cooperation and assistance. President Clinton drew 
attention to the significant resource commitments made at Naples, Corfu 
and Winnipeg and to the importance of receiving early assurances that 
the Chornobyl reactors would be shut down in accordance with the G-7 
Action Plan. President Kuchma assured President Clinton that Ukraine 
takes seriously the international community's concerns about the 
continued operation of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant. He expressed 
Ukraine's readiness to work with the G-7 nations in the implementation 
of the Naples Action Plan, noting that its successful implementation is 
connected with a series of measures, including preparing the closure of 
the nuclear reactors, minimizing the social impact on the plant's 
personnel, and ensuring that sufficient economically-priced electricity 
is available to meet Ukraine's domestic needs. He also stressed

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the importance that Ukraine places on improving the stability of the 
shelter installed over the damaged reactor. Both Presidents agreed on 
the need for further close work in the G-7/Ukraine Task Force to ensure 
the future closure of Chornobyl, as envisioned in the G-7 Action Plan, 
as an integral part of a comprehensive solution to Ukraine's energy 
problems.

Defense and Security

    The Presidents expressed satisfaction with the accomplishments and 
pace of implementation of the January 14 Trilateral Statement signed by 
the Presidents of the United States, Ukraine, and the Russian 
Federation. In addition, they renewed their commitment to international 
efforts to reduce sharply the threat and proliferation of nuclear 
weapons.

    President Clinton congratulated Ukraine on its decision to accede to 
the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the historic 
renunciation of nuclear weapons which it represents and reaffirmed the 
U.S. commitment to provide security assurances to Ukraine in connection 
with its accession to the NPT by signing a Memorandum on Security 
Assurances on the margins of the Budapest CSCE Summit.
    The Presidents look forward to early entry into force of the START-I 
treaty and agreed that the Lisbon Protocol Signatories should exchange 
instruments of ratification on the margins of the Budapest CSCE Summit. 
Both Presidents reiterated their views that the START-I treaty would not 
only serve the mutual interests of both countries, but also would serve 
to strengthen global peace and stability.
    Both Presidents agreed to work closely to ensure the timely 
implementation of Nunn-Lugar programs intended to facilitate the 
dismantlement of strategic offensive arms and the security of nuclear 
weapons, achieve our joint non-proliferation objectives, and help in the 
conversion of Ukraine's defense industries. The Presidents agreed on the 
importance of identifying as soon as possible programs of assistance 
under the Nunn-Lugar program, using the $75 million allocated to Ukraine 
out of Fiscal Year 1995 Nunn-Lugar funds. Both acknowledged the progress 
that had been made to date, noting in particular the utility of U.S. 
deactivation assistance, procurement of missile fuel storage tanks and 
the imminent completion of a U.S.-Ukraine communications link. The 
Presidents also recognized the significant contribution of the fourteen 
Western countries and the European Union in providing $234 million of 
dismantlement and related assistance for Ukraine.
    The Presidents discussed the evolving European security structure. 
They agreed that this process should be managed in a manner that 
strengthens the stability and security of all nations of Europe. As a 
tangible example of Ukraine's overall importance in European security 
and the U.S. commitment to expanded Ukrainian cooperation with NATO, 
President Clinton announced that the United States would make funds 
available to Ukraine under the Warsaw Initiative to support Ukrainian 
participation in the Partnership for Peace. The funds will contribute to 
Ukraine's ability to promote the objectives of the Partnership.
    The two leaders announced that the two countries had agreed to move 
forward with a $600,000 International Military Training and Education 
Program to assist in the professional development of Ukraine's armed 
forces. The Presidents also pledged to continue to expand military and 
defense contact programs designed to assist Ukraine in the restructuring 
of its defense establishment which is now under civilian leadership for 
the first time. In addition, the sides announced that Ukraine will host 
a U.S.-Ukraine combined peacekeeping training exercise late next spring. 
In the area of defense industry conversion, President Clinton informed 
President Kuchma that the United States would continue to provide 
assistance to U.S.-Ukraine joint ventures and would seek new partners 
for the important work of defense conversion.
    The Presidents noted the importance of proceeding with defense 
industry conversion priorities and the need to expand opportunities for 
trade and investment in high technology industries. They also 
underscored the importance of the bilateral U.S.-Ukraine Memorandum of 
Understanding on the Transfer of Missile Equipment and Technology signed 
last May 13. The Presidents

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also recognized the importance of broader international cooperation in 
ensuring reliable control over exports of sensitive materials and 
technology. President Clinton expressed the hope that Ukraine would 
become a member of the MTCR at an early date and reiterated that the 
U.S. would support Ukraine in achieving this goal. They agreed to work 
together toward Ukraine's full participation in a successor regime to 
COCOM. President Clinton was pleased to note that a Science and 
Technology Center, funded by the United States and other donors, will 
soon begin operations in Ukraine and that this would assist Ukraine in 
redirecting the work of former defense scientists and engineers to 
civilian purposes.

Diplomatic Endeavors

    Consistent with the new stage of bilateral relations, the Presidents 
also underscored the importance of ensuring that the diplomatic missions 
of both countries be fully capable of conducting their operations 
without hindrance. With this in mind, the Presidents announced the 
exchange of diplomatic notes to lift employment restrictions on 
diplomatic personnel and their families. President Clinton also used 
this occasion to welcome Ukraine's newly appointed Ambassador to the 
United States, Yuriy Shcherbak, to Washington, D.C.