Investment climate remains concern for US ambassador.
America’s sixth ambassador to Ukraine drew on U.S. history when examining Ukraine’s rugged and evolutionary path towards developing a democracy.
In a June 29 interview with the Kyiv Post, John F. Tefft evoked America’s ups and downs. Those include a Civil War that almost split the country in half and centuries before civil rights were secured for all citizens.
“[U.S. Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton was here a year ago and she spoke about ‘the road’ to building a democracy and spoke…of our own humility when it comes to democratic development,” Tefft said.
Ukraine is now, however, “backsliding” on the road to democracy and the U.S. diplomat said he has made it clear in private to officials at the highest level and in public that Ukraine must strengthen the “fundamental factors” of democracy.
Tefft cites progress in creation of strong civil society groups in Ukraine
He also expressed concern for the appearance of selective justice being pursued against former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko as well as other members of her former government.
“We have disagreements [with the Ukrainian government] that there is backsliding,” Tefft said, citing the U.S. State Department’s June 24 statement that referred to the trial against Tymoshenko as “politically motivated” and “undermining the rule of law.”
However, Tefft refrained from speculating about whether the 2012 parliamentary election would be considered free and fair should Tymoshenko or any other major opposition figure be kept off the ballot.
U.S.-Ukrainian officials have a history of open and candid dialogue. Tefft described the bilateral relationship as “very complicated,” productive and yet “sometimes worrisome.”
The Wisconsin native acknowledged that Ukraine has made great progress in 20 years as a nation, but stressed the importance of having a free and democratic press, a judicial system that’s free and independent. In short, rule of law is “at the core of all parts of society,” he said.
The government clearly “knows where we stand on these things,” and has spent more than $1.6 billion since independence on programs from the U.S. Agency for International Development to help Ukrainians build their nation.
Drafting a new criminal procedure code and a new election law ahead of the 2012 parliamentary election are items of keen interest. Next year’s parliamentary election is “critical to the future,” Tefft said.
Tefft emphasized Ukraine’s progress in building a civil society.
“There are a lot of effective organizations here, people who aren’t afraid to speak out on a whole range of issues, and I’m not talking about politics and media,” Tefft said. “If you look at what some of the people who work on HIV/AIDS, or trafficking of women, these are people who speak their minds and who have taken a leading role in society.”
Both sides have made progress in energy cooperation. The U.S. Geological Service will help Ukraine map some of its shale and other kinds of natural gas. He’s hopeful that the laws passed by Ukraine’s parliament will boost the domestic energy sector’s development “whether it be offshore drilling in the Black Sea, capturing coal methane in eastern Ukraine, or shale.”
The investment climate remains a concern for Tefft, who has had to run interference for American companies with mixed success. “We’ve had things we’ve been told ‘no’ on, but then later when we pushed, they move forward on them,” Tefft said. “It’s a continuing process.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].
