[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 23 (Monday, June 12, 2000)]
[Pages 1303-1304]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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

[[Page 1304]]

of the court, distinguished citizens. I am delighted to 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.