Address of Kostiantyn Hryshchenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine during the parliamentary hearings * * * "Foreign policy of Ukraine as an instrument of ensuring national interests of the state: achievements, realities and prospects" Before I proceed with realities, prospects and achievements of the foreign policy of Ukraine, I would like to make two important, to my mind, statements. The first statement deals with the character of contemporary international policy, which substantially differs from those stereotypes and conceptions that are current in our society. The contemporary foreign policy is not only talk in the corridors thing and even not only the large network of contacts between politicians and relations between the states. It is a tangle of political issues, economy, culture, science, and a great number of other factors. Under existing conditions foreign policy стр. 3 of Ukraine is a concern of both diplomats and all branches of power, all public offices, public organizations and other institutions which today are competent actors on the international scene. Diplomats make a team weathering a ship in the sea of global policy. But we build and we load this ship together. The second statement deals with the notion "national interests". I am for the wide sense of this term. It includes strengthening of economic positions, cultural expansion, and absolute orientation to the innovative development. It is another argument in favor of the fact that the successful foreign policy can become reality only on condition of consolidation of all elements of state authority in Ukraine. Now we will elaborate on the way traveled during our independence. I think, we can keep time of systemic and purposeful activity of Ukraine in the international relations from 1993, when the first major program document in this sphere was adopted-Basic Directions of Foreign Policy. I will remind that this document lists the top ... Читать далее