U.S., Ukraine Sign Defense Cooperation Plan for 2001

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
(Public Affairs)
Washington, D.C. 20301

December 5, 2000

U.S. AND UKRAINIAN DEFENSE MINISTRIES SIGN ANNUAL PLAN OF COOPERATION

Today at NATO headquarters in Belgium, U.S. Secretary of Defense
William S. Cohen and Ukrainian Minister of Defense Olexander Kuzmuk
signed an annual Plan of Cooperation between the United States
Department of Defense and the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Building
on the first plan, signed in 1993, this bilateral plan sets out
defense and military cooperation activities between the two countries
for 2001.

In 2001, cooperation between the defense ministries is designed to
meet mutually agreed upon goals in eight main focus areas, including
interoperability, force professionalization, civil-military affairs,
defense structuring and resourcing, and military technical
cooperation.

Engagement activities and U.S. assistance will specifically meet
Ukrainian goals set out in its Defense Reform and Restructuring Plan
through 2005. The Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, the hallmark
program of our engagement since 1993, will continue with activities to
assist Ukraine with eliminating weapon systems covered by START as
well as the infrastructure for weapons of mass destruction.