KYIV. Feb 1 (Interfax-AVN) - Kyiv plans to join NATO in 2008, said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Khandohiy.
"Our goal is 2008, the year of an enlargement summit. A new wave of NATO enlargement is expected in that year. Of course, we would like this tide to bring us into that organization," Khandohiy said at a news briefing in Kyiv on Wednesday.
To this end, Ukraine should work actively, in particular, to bring the dialogue with the alliance to the level of a membership action plan, he said.
Khandohiy said he hopes a Ukraine-NATO commission will gather for a session during an informal meeting between foreign ministers in Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, at the end of April. He predicted that a decision to engage Ukraine in the membership action plan could be made during this session.
Kyiv intends to seek support from NATO members to hold such a session and invite Ukraine to join the membership action plan, he said.
The Ukrainian government committee for European and Euro-Atlantic integration recently endorsed a Ukraine-NATO targeted interaction plan for 2006, which should be approved at the top level within the next few days, Khandohiy said.
At the same time, Ukraine is already carrying out the provisions of this plan, he said.