Ukrainian, Polish premiers hail Euro-2012 preparation

KYIV, Sept. 19: Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have said they are prepared to ensure the proper hosting of the Euro-2012 football championship and agreed on the countries’ joint stance on the military conflict in Georgia.

The prime ministers were speaking at a joint news conference broadcast live by the Ukrainian 5 Kanal TV following their meeting in Kyiv today. At the news conference both parties said they are happy with cooperation in preparation to host the football championship.

“Eight months after we started the joint preparation we have entered a normal regime and there is considerably less criticism by UEFA,” Tymoshenko said.

“We were satisfied to hear declarations at this round table that both in Poland and in Ukraine the Euro-2012 is a priority for all political parties and that stability of the project is something obvious and unchanged,” Tusk said. Tymoshenko said that before the official meeting the parties exchanged their views regarding the military conflict in Georgia.

“I want to confirm again that the stance of the Cabinet, the stance of my political party is clear. We support the territorial integrity of Georgia, its sovereignty and we ultimately support the European plan for solving the military conflict in Georgia. I’m convinced that our governments will continue to coordinate our actions, our stance on stabilization of the situation in Georgia and return to the status quo which unfortunately was destroyed by the military conflict,” Tymoshenko said.

“We have similar point of view on regional and global affairs. My opinion and the opinion of Yulia Tymoshenko on the importance of the European proposition as to solving the Georgian crisis are identical. And the key point of this opinion is our joint belief on unconditional necessity to respect the territorial integrity of any sovereign state, including Georgia,” Tusk said.

Tusk said he had no special mission concerning the political crisis in Ukraine but confirmed he brought a message to Ukraine. “Of course, I have brought a certain message, an opinion which is not just my personal opinion but an opinion of the European Union. I presented it to the prime minister and to the president. Euro-2012, the situation in the Caucasus, the future of the eastern partnership and the prospect of EU enlargement; these four big projects demand political stability in the region, in each of our states and in the region,” Tusk said.

Asked by a Polish journalist if she plans to formalize the ad hoc coalition between the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, Party of Regions and the Communists or to go for a snap election, Tymoshenko said she wants to “categorically dismiss existence of any informal coalition between the Party of Regions, Communists and the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc. I want to ask our Polish friends, journalists, political experts and analytical experts not to spread this black political propaganda. I think this information is used to slightly change the layout before the presidential run in Ukraine in 2010.”

“Our political party has believed, believes and will believe that the only correct and absolutely effective coalition for the European path of Ukraine is a democratic coalition that includes the presidential team in Parliament,” Tymoshenko said.

She said her party was shocked when the presidential party “unilaterally withdrew” from the coalition.