Ukraine's Quest for Mature Nation Statehood - Roundtable V

Library of Congress, September 13-14, 2004

View Webcast:

• In English:
  • September 13 Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
  • September 14 Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4
• In Ukrainian: September 13 only Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

Program

The Ukraine's Quest for Mature Nation Statehood Roundtable Series began when a number of Ukrainian and American organizations convened in April of 2000, to consider ways to encourage a more engaged level of dialogue between the U.S. and Ukraine.

These deliberations gave rise to a commitment: to convene an annual conference that would bring together prominent representatives from academia, the private sector and the governments of Ukraine, the United States and Europe, to monitor Ukraine's progress towards fuller integration into the Euro-Atlantic community and stronger bilateral relations with the United States.

Three such events have been held:

• Roundtable I: Ukraine's Quest for Mature Nation Statehood
• Roundtable II: Taking Measure of a U.S. - Ukraine Strategic Partnership
• Roundtable III: Ukraine and the Euro-Atlantic Community
• Roundtable IV: Ukraine's Transition to a Developed Market Economy

The conferences have resulted in improved cooperation between the governments of Ukraine and the United States on matters of mutual benefit. Further, the forums have proven to be a valuable venue for business-to-business contacts resulting in increased trade and investments between Ukraine and the country's largest foreign investor, the United States. Finally, the series has provided an annual forum for think tanks and policy advisors from both countries to discuss 'topics of the moment' that may be of bilateral interest.

Continuing the tradition, Roundtable V: Ukraine's Transition to a Stable Democracy, will take place on September 13 and 14, 2004 in Washington, D.C. This year's conference will focus on evaluating Ukraine's movement, from both a domestic and an international perspective, toward implementing the political reforms necessary to achieve the country's ultimate stated goal: membership in NATO and the EU. The event will be held at a crucial time for Ukraine: one month before the presidential elections and the next big test for the country's democratic institutions.

A veritable Who's Who from the European and American governmental, NGO and private sectors, including Volodymyr Lytvyn, Speaker of the UA Verkhovna Rada, Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Advisor, James Sherr, Senior Fellow, Conflict Studies Research Center, Defense Academy of the United Kingdom/Sandhurst, Janusz Onyszkiewicz, Former Defense Minister of Poland, John McCain, US Senator from Arizona/Chair of IRI and Richard Holbrooke, Former US Ambassador to the UN, have been invited to provide their assessment of the "State of Democracy" in Ukraine.

The gathering will feature twelve panels, run during the course of four regular sessions, four focus sessions, two working lunches and two Conference receptions.