Yanukovych approves program of Ukraine-NATO cooperation for 2012

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has approved the annual national program of Ukraine-NATO cooperation for 2012. A decree to that effect, No.273/2012 of April 19 was posted on the official Web site of the head of state on Thursday, Apr.19.

"Ukraine will continue its constructive partnership with the alliance, as stipulated by the Ukrainian law on the principles of domestic and foreign policy, on all the issues identified by respective bilateral documents, which are of mutual interest, in compliance with the principles enshrined in the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership between Ukraine and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which was signed on July 9, 1997, and in the Declaration to Complement [the Charter] dated August 21, 2009," reads the document.

In addition, the decree states that in order to ensure the maximum effectiveness of constructive partnership with NATO on issues that are of common interest, the implementation of the annual national programs of Ukraine-NATO cooperation will continue.

"The implementation of the annual national program of Ukraine-NATO cooperation for 2012 will promote the continuation of domestic reforms in the sphere of security, defense, economy, law and other sectors, taking into account the experience in implementing respective programs in 2009-2011. The program meets the objectives set out by the Ukrainian president regarding wide-ranging domestic reforms, as well as the fundamental principles of the activities of the Ukrainian government," reads the document.