Arsenii Yatseniuk: “I don’t see the need to pass a new law on the principles of domestic and foreign policy”

The newly elected head of the Verkhovna Rada Arsenii Yatseniuk is also, at least for the time being, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This means that for a short time he will be keeping his finger on the pulse in both parliament and the ministry. Whom does he see as his successor to the post of foreign minister? What will the Ukrainian delegation bring to the NATO summit in Bucharest? These and other questions are broached in the following blitz interview with Arsenii YATSENIUK.

Mr. Yatseniuk, whom would you want to see as your successor to the post of foreign minister? Experts say that there are two candidates: Volodymyr Ohryzko, your first deputy, and Oleksandr Chaly, deputy head of the Presidential Secretariat, who was once the first deputy of the foreign affairs minister.

“I would like to see in this position the very person whom President Viktor Yushchenko wants to see there.”

What do you think about the proposal for a new law on the principles of Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy? There was much debate around this, particularly last year, when the anti-crisis coalition insisted on adopting a new version of this law.

“This is a very complex question. I have my own answer to it.”

What is it?

“The Verkhovna Rada determines the main objectives of Ukraine’s domestic and foreign policy. I would not want us to formulate a quasi-constitution by means of the Law “On the Principles of Domestic and Foreign Policy.” When this law was first adopted, there were two key factors. First, we didn’t have the Constitution then. If I am not wrong, the first version of the law was introduced in 1993. Second, certain constitutional norms were not defined sufficiently clearly, which sparked a desire to resolve this issue by means of the so-called quasi-constitution. I don’t see the need for a new law. However, the main objectives in our domestic and foreign policy for the current year may be defined in a parliamentary resolution. It will need to be synchronized in time with the annual presidential address on the domestic and foreign situation. Thus, the resolution may be based on the main tenets of the president’s speech. Then it will be a harmonized policy of the head of the state and the supreme legislative body.”

Can we expect that Ukraine’s delegation will go to the Bucharest NATO summit in April 2008 with an application to join the Membership Action Plan (MAP)?

“I hope that we will go to Bucharest with a consolidated position.”

To join the MAP?

“We will go with a consolidated position.”