Presidents of Ukraine, Lithuania sign Joint Declaration

President Victor Yushchenko of Ukraine and President Valdas Adamkus of Lithuania signed a Joint Declarations of the Heads of States.

The Declaration stresses that close ties between Ukraine and Lithuania have reached strategic partnership level.

The Declaration reads as follows:

"We, President of the Republic of Lithuania Valdas ADAMKUS and President of Ukraine Victor Yushchenko met in Vilnius on 12 May 2008, to discuss the issues of mutual importance.

Noting with satisfaction that close relations between the Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine have evolved into strategic partnership,

Emphasizing that Euro-Atlantic values and principles, in particular democracy, respect for individual rights, rule of law and freedom, underpin our partnership,

Recognizing the affinity of our national European identities and values, as well as shared historical and cultural heritage,

Expressing the mutual satisfaction with the considerable success achieved through the chosen path of democratic and free market reforms,

Reiterating mutual aspirations to enhance comprehensive cooperation between the two countries at bilateral, regional, European and Euro-Atlantic levels,

We declare:

1. Genuine partnership of the Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine on such matters as energy security and European and Euro-Atlantic integration, contributes to a successful promotion of our shared values and interests, benefiting our region and the Euro-Atlantic community as a whole. The parties acknowledge the strategic importance of this partnership and commit to develop it further.

2. The bodies of bilateral cooperation - Council of Presidents, Intergovernmental Council of Cooperation with its Commissions, Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine serve the interests of the two nations and therefore should further develop and intensify their activities.

3. Lithuania commends the visible progress made by Ukraine in implementing the political, economic, legal, defence and security sector reforms, as noted in the Joint evaluation report on implementation of the Ukraine-EU Action Plan. The progress will play an important role in further advancing Ukraine`s European and Euro-Atlantic aspirations and contribute to continuing support of concrete perspectives of Ukraine`s European integration. The Republic of Lithuania and Ukraine will undertake efforts to the effect that the EU takes into account Ukraine`s position on crucial issues of the substantive contents of the New Enhanced Agreement between Ukraine and the EU, in particular, related to Ukraine`s EU membership ambitions as well the clauses that will ensure the upgrade of relations between Ukraine and the EU to the level of political association.

4. The Bucharest decision by NATO Heads of State and Government regarding Ukraine`s and Georgia`s future membership in the Alliance is an important step which will lead to a strengthened NATO and enhanced security of both the Allies and the whole Euro-Atlantic area.

5. Lithuania pledges to support granting NATO Membership Action Plan for Ukraine in the next ministerial in December. In the meantime we stand ready to assist Ukraine in its efforts to inform its public on the current tasks and agenda of the Alliance, and continue cooperation with Ukraine in the framework of the Intensified Dialogue and NATO-Ukraine Action Plan, in the fields of NATO`s and other international missions and operations, particularly with respect to Ukrainian participation in Lithuanian-led PRT in the Ghowr province of Afghanistan.

6. The finalisation of Ukraine`s accession into World Trading Organization is a significant move which has paved the way for negotiations on FTA with the EU. Lithuania and Ukraine believe that a deep and comprehensive FTA will boost the flows of foreign investments, expand the export, give new opportunities and will lay the foundations for cooperation in trade, investment, services, transport, energy, customs, competition policy, and other fields.

7. Improvement of terms of trade and investment is a common goal, especially in consideration of European investors` growing interest in Ukraine`s markets.

8. The Agreement on Visa Facilitation and Agreement on Readmission between Ukraine and the EU is an important step in promoting people-to-people contacts and enriching the cooperation between the EU Member States and Ukraine. Visa free travel is a desired longer-term goal for both Parties; therefore, they will undertake efforts for launching the respective dialogue between Ukraine and the EU in the nearest future.

9. Lithuania and Ukraine will further promote secure energy supplies and transparency in the energy sector, as well as integration into the European energy market and joint participation in energy projects, and will increase consultations in seeking ways to promote alternative energy sources and "green" technologies.

10. Both countries wish to cooperate on further development of the transport corridor between the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea regions, and the expansion of geography of this transport corridor in Caucasian-Caspian and Scandinavian-Western European directions, fully benefiting from concrete projects, such as combined transport train "Viking".

11. Lithuania and Ukraine note the importance of adhering to international law, principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and good neighborly relations in the settlement of so called "frozen" conflicts in Europe. The parties expressed concern over recent decisions by the Russian Federation to upgrade the status of relations with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which put into question the territorial integrity of Georgia and escalated the tensions in the region. The parties called on the Russian Federation to revoke the announced plans in relation to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both an integral part of Georgia. Lithuania and Ukraine share the view on the importance to increase effectiveness of the negotiating formats to find lasting settlements to the "frozen conflicts".

12. Lithuania and Ukraine share the commitment to pursue strategic cooperation in promoting and consolidating democratic values and freedoms in the region, which is the key to a peaceful, stable and more prosperous Europe and its neighbourhood. The parties believe that democratic transformations in Belarus, which belongs to European family of nations, will allow the country in the future to take advantage of numerous benefits of expanded cooperation between Belarus and the EU. Lithuania and Ukraine agreed to co-operate in advancing the relations with the Republic of Moldova and to assist Moldova on its way to European integration. The parties noted the importance of arrangements, recently reached by Ukraine and Moldova, to complete demarcation of the Ukrainian-Moldovan state border, including its Transniestrian segment, with the involvement of the EU experts. Cooperation on the regional level, particularly in the framework GUAM and Black Sea synergy, Council of the Baltic Sea States and others, is instrumental in order to consolidate joint efforts.

13. The Parties shall consolidate the efforts to commemorate the victims of totalitarian regimes, including Holodomor and repressions against peaceful population in Lithuania and Ukraine, as well as other Central and Eastern European countries, and will provide continuous reciprocal support for the evaluation of the crimes of totalitarian regimes in multilateral fora.

14. Lithuania and Ukraine will cooperate in disseminating among the broader audiences of the region of the information about and lessons learned from the success achieved through democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe.

Done in Vilnius, on 12 May 2008 in two copies, each in Lithuanian, Ukrainian, and English, all the texts are authentic."