President Victor Yushchenko held a press conference today in Davos, according to the President`s press-office.
First of all President expressed assurance that Ukraine will be admitted to the WTO during organization’s General Council meeting in Geneva on February 5-6. “I hope that we can find indisputable reasons [for that] so that February 5 became a grand day for Ukraine”, - he said.
V. Yushchenko also informed that during his yesterday meeting with the WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy all technical questions of Ukraine’s WTO membership were resolved.
Speaking about Party of Regions blocking the Verkhovna Rada’s work in response to recent intensification of dialogue with NATO President urged party’s members to be logical.
Emphasizing that Ukrainian side’s actions in this question fully meet the legislation, President reminded that the law on national security of 2003, which by the way received positive votes of the party of regions, directly foresees Ukraine’s membership in NATO. “I now appeal to the Party of Regions to be logical; the nation should be able to understand this political force’s logics”, - he said, adding that today’s Party of Regions "behavior may be regarded only as populist".
V. Yushchenko also informed that after returning from Davos he wants to hold a meeting with political forces represented in parliament. The meeting’s aim shall be preparation of the Verkhovna Rada joint statement proving that the letter to NATO Secretary General of January 11 fully complies with legal norms.
“I have an advise to the opposition: your opinion may be different from that of the government, yet you must respect Ukrainian legislation and the right of the majority to adopt certain laws which comply with this legislation”, - said V. Yushchenko.
President also advised not to speculate on the subject of national referendum on Ukraine’s membership in NATO, saying that it is not yet an issue of current importance.
“This question shall be of the agenda only in years”, he said.
