Ukraine's non-aligned status set out in the law on the principles of home and foreign policy, its geographical location and unique potential are creating prerequisites for the state to be an active player on a continental scale, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Andriy Kliuyev has said.
In an article for the Dzerkalo Tyzhnia (Mirror Weekly) newspaper, he wrote that the National Security and Defense Council should become the center able to accumulate information about challenges to Ukraine, anticipate all of the scenarios and quickly offer a solution in the interests of the country.
"There are a lot of such challenges and risks. Against the backdrop of the ongoing world financial crisis, global food problems and the escalation of competition for energy resources, a whole number of processes envisage potential threats and certain opportunities for Ukraine," Kliuyev said.
He said: "We must take into account the aggravation of the situation around Iran and an increase in the conflict potential in the Middle East and North Africa, the growth of the geopolitical and geo-economic influence of China and other emerging countries. Also, we are talking about a delay in the process of European integration, a tense situation around the pan-European missile defense system, and integration projects in post-Soviet countries."
Kliuyev said that Ukraine should more actively cooperate with its neighbors in dealing with complex issues of bilateral relations not only in economics, but also in other areas, particularly in the field of the legal formalization of joint borders, and more confidently defend its own interests in various spheres, including in the humanitarian sphere.
