VZCZCXRO9375
PP RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHNO #0410 1921602
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 111602Z JUL 07
FM USMISSION USNATO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1040
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/USNMR SHAPE BE PRIORITY
RUEHNO/USDELMC BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY

UNCLAS USNATO 000410 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL NATO UP
SUBJECT:  NATO-UKRAINE COUNCIL MARKS TENTH ANNIVERSARY JULY 
9 
 
REF: A. SYG'S OPENING REMARKS (E-MAILED TO EUR/RPM) 
     ¶B. NUC AMBASSADORS' JOINT STATEMENT (E-MAILED TO 
        EUR/RPM) 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY:  On July 9, the 27 members of the 
NATO-Ukraine Commission (NUC) met in Ambassadorial session at 
NATO headquarters to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 
signing of the Charter on a Distinctive Partnership which 
established the NUC.  Allies commended Ukraine's 
contributions to all NATO's operations and said it is 
Ukraine's choice whether and when to take its relationship 
with NATO to the next level.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Opening the NUC Ambassadors meeting, NATO SYG de 
Hoop Scheffer noted that Ukraine is the only Partner nation 
that contributes to every one of the Alliance's ongoing 
operations, re-affirmed NATO's open door, and stressed that 
the future of NATO-Ukraine relations is "in the hands of 
Ukraine's people and their elected leaders" (REF A). 
Ukrainian Ambassador Kostiantyn Morozov frankly addressed the 
struggle to reach an intenral consensus on Ukraine's future 
direction.  Still, while political processes wrestled with 
that fundamental question, he stated that ten years of 
cooperation with NATO had been "of geopolitical significance" 
and had introduced "qualitatively new mechanisms" to 
Ukraine's security and defense structures.  Morozov 
acknowledged the U.S.-led Trust Fund for the elimination of 
excess small arms and light weapons, munitions, and MANPADS 
in Ukraine.  He looked forward to deepening integration with 
NATO, "up to the level of membership," stressing that "no 
political forces have rejected membership as a strategic 
goal." 
 
¶3. (SBU) Reflecting the importance of a decade of 
cooperation, all 26 Allies, as well as the SYG, Morozov, and 
the Chairman of the Military Committee, briefly took the 
floor.  Their most common themes were:  appreciation for 
Ukraine's troop contributions; respect for its handling tough 
questions through democratic political processes; 
commitments to continue helping with its defense and security 
sector reforms; and assurances that NATO would "go as far as 
Ukraine is willing to go" toward membership (in the words of 
Contact Point Embassy Slovakia's Ambassador).  The NUC 
Ambassadors issued a Joint Statement (REF B). 
 
¶4. (SBU) Ambassador Nuland noted that in ten years NATO had 
gotten a lot from its cooperation with Ukraine, and 
vice-versa.  Ukraine's contributions to peacekeeping were not 
limited to NATO-led operations, but included UN missions in 
Liberia and Lebanon, and the coalition in Iraq.  She noted 
that the one millionth surplus weapon to be destroyed with 
U.S. funding would be part of the NATO Trust Fund for 
eliminating small arms and light weapons in Ukraine.  She 
urged free and fair elections this fall, stronger democratic 
institutions, and an active public information campaign to 
provide the people "an accurate picture of NATO" to shape 
their decision.  "Only you can decide Ukraine's future with 
NATO; our door is open," she concluded. 
NULAND