KYIV. Nov 25 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukrainian Defense Minister Volodymyr Shkidchenko has approved an individual partnership program between Ukraine and NATO for 2003.
The program is "a key instrument for the implementation of certain tasks in security and defense," the Ukrainian Defense Ministry press service told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
"It should be noted that representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces had taken part in 89 out of 141 planned events of this year's individual partnership program by October 1, 2002, and in 108 extra events within the framework and "in the spirit" of the NATO Partnership for Peace Program," the source said.
Strong Resolve, Cooperative Partner, Cooperative Nugget, Combined Endeavor, Sorbet Royal and Cooperative Adventure Exchange exercises are among these events, he said.
The individual partnership program between Ukraine and NATO for 2003 was worked out through summing up proposals made by Ukrainian arms of service, departments of the Defense Ministry's central administration and General Staff. These bodies are taking part in cooperation with NATO in the framework of the Partnership for Peace program.
According to the source, the number of events envisaged by the program is higher than this year and amounts to 191.
UAH600,000 (USD18,840) is tentatively reserved for financing the events in the framework of the program in Ukraine's national budget.
Developers of the program paid much attention to the following cooperation spheres: standardization and compatibility, military exercises and related events (planning conferences, seminars), military education and personnel training, studies of foreign languages.