Ukraine’s Participation in Regional Cooperation

An important component in Ukrainian foreign policy is arranging regional forms of cooperation. The purposeful putting forward of Ukrainian interests within the efforts of regional groupings makes possible step-by-step movement toward European integration and helps draw Ukraine into broad participation in the political and economical processes which take place in East Central and Southeast Europe.

Ukrainian diplomacy ensures sound and effective participation in regional instruments of cooperation, especially within the frameworks of the Central-European Initiative, Black Sea Organization for Economic Cooperation, and Council of Baltic Sea States. Participation in these associations should promote the development of multilateral interactions with the member states and positively influence the advance of Ukraine along the road of market reforms.

A promising form of regional cooperation stems from the consultative forum of five states — Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Moldova (GUUAM) — which was created as a result of the active development of the multilateral cooperation among these countries. The harmony of their positions in most issues of international cooperation and a strategy for further development makes possible a productive coordination of efforts intended to attain stated goals by combined action.

Ukraine actively participates in implementing the Pact on Stability in Southeast Europe, thus favoring the post-conflict rehabilitation of the countries, which suffered from the Kosovo crisis.