The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reiterated that the state would not join the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), informs GHN referring toUKRINFORM.
"For the President and the Government of Ukraine the issue on the accession to CSTO is not on the agenda," Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Dikusarov told reporters.
Dikusarov explained that Ukraine's law on the principles of domestic and foreign policy outlines Ukraine's status as a non-aligned state, hence, Ukraine cannot participate in any military organizations.
The MFA spokesman said that related statements of some politicians should be deemed as an individual opinion of these citizens, but not the state.
As UKRINFORM reported, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in Kyiv on May 18 that Russia is satisfied with the status of Ukraine as a neutral country. But at the same time, he invited Ukraine to participate in the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
On May 28, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostiantyn Hryshchenko in an interview with "2000" newspaper stated that he considers Ukraine's accession to CSTO impossible. Moreover, added Hryshchenko, CSTO did not offer Ukraine to join it officially.
However, Ukrainian NATO opponents have been repeatedly spoken about accession to CSTO.
Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk proposed that Ukraine sign a charter with CSTO, like with NATO, to secure cooperation with the Organization at the political level and join a unified air defense system of the bloc.
