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29 January, 1999
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Statement Of The Foreign Ministry Of Ukraine
On January 27, 1999, the Federation Council of the Russian Federal Assembly considered the bill On ratification of the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation and, unfortunately, decided to defer its approval.
The decision of the Federal Council to defer the approval of the draft law is received with disappointment in Ukraine.
During the consideration of the draft law in the Council, some of the Council members subjugated the ratification of the Treaty to the resolution of other, rather artificially exacerbated, issues in Ukrainian-Russian relations. At the same time, a considerable part of Russian legislators expressed their unconditional support for the ratification of this fundamental political document.
It is believed in Ukraine that a far-reaching Treaty is an indicator of the state of bilateral relations, a pointer of readiness of both the Russian Federation and Ukraine to develop a coequal, mutually beneficial and neighborly cooperation. Realization of the principles embedded in the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership between Ukraine and the Russian Federation will facilitate the resolution of most of the problems in the Ukrainian-Russian bilateral relations, elevate them to a qualitative new level, and create new opportunities for strengthening friendship and cooperation between the two states.
Ukraine hopes that the resolve and desire of the Ukrainian and Russian peoples to live in friendship will soon be reflected in the positive decision of the Federal Council, and mutually beneficial bilateral relations will have a reliable legal basis.
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