UKRAINIAN PRISM: FOREIGN POLICY 2015 Contents Introduction ...................................................................................... 2 Methodology of Research .............................................................. 3 Foreign Policy of Ukraine in 2015 ............................................... 11 Key Partners United Kingdom ...................................................................................17 Canada ................................................................................................. 23 China .................................................................................................... 27 Poland ...................................................................................................31 Germany .............................................................................................. 35 Romania ............................................................................................... 39 USA ......................................................................................................43 Turkey .................................................................................................. 47 France ...................................................................................................51 European Integration Visegrad Group ................................................................................... 55 Energy Community ............................................................................. 59 EU ........................................................................................................63 Baltic States .........................................................................................69 Eastern Partnership ............................................................................. 73 International Organizations United Nations .....................................................................................77 Council of Europe ................................................................................81 OSCE .................................................................................................... 87 NATO ....................................................................................................91 Russian Federation ........................................................................ 95 Regional Cooperation Asia-Pacifc Region .............................................................................101 Middle East ........................................................................................107 Latin America ......................................................................................111 CIS .......................................................................................................115 Sub-Saharan Africa .............................................................................119 Black Sea Region ................................................................................125 Multilateral Initiatives International Security ........................................................................129 Nuclear Non-proliferation ..................................................................133 Climate Change ...................................................................................137 Human Rights ....................................................................................141 Public Diplomacy ...........................................................................147 Economic Diplomacy ....................................................................153 Summary table of the foreign policy evaluation in 2015 .....157 Recommendations on Ukrainian foreign policy agenda in 2016 ................................................................................161 Authors ............................................................................................ 168 On Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” ......................170 On Friedrich Ebert Foundation ................................................. 171 Dear friends, We are pleased to present you the frst issue of the annual analytical paper "Ukrainian Prism: Foreign Policy 2015", which was created by the team of "Ukrainian Prism" For- eign Policy Council in partnership with the Regional Representation of Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Ukraine together with some independent experts. Our initiative is called to evaluate the progress in the implementation of the foreign policy of Ukraine during the last year. Using the system of objectively measured indi- cators, we have identifed not only success stories, but also the directions and certain aspects of foreign policy activities that need more attention, some corrections, and sometimes even radical change of approaches. Henceforward, annual ranking of for- eign policy of Ukraine directions will provide experts and practitioners with relevant, dynamic, and wholistic picture of foreign policy achievements. The achievements of the Revolution of Dignity have become the main impulse and inspiration for our study. The revolution has laid the foundations for new Ukraine, built on the democratic principles of governance. Firstly, civil society in Ukraine has clearly voiced out its will to be an active member of agenda-setting in the country, including in foreign policy sphere. Secondly, the representatives of political parties who came to power have agreed on the absence of alternative to the European and Euroatlantic vector of country development. Thirdly, after Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has reinstated some provisions of the Constitution of Ukraine, taking into account the amendments of December, 8 2004, parliamentary-presidential form of government was renewed and the balance of powers between the state bodies shifted towards the powers of parliament. The new social and political reality can be considered as a reference point in estab- lishing democratic system of foreign relations and diplomatic service, oriented toward national interests. We hope that our study will contribute to the building of proactive, open foreign policy, focused on the interests of the citizens of Ukraine. Hennadiy Maksak, chairman of the Board, Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism" "Ukrainian Prism: Foreign Policy 2015" project lead 2 | Ukrainian Prism: Foreign Policy 2015 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Ukrainian Prism: Foreign Policy 2015 | 3 Research methodology In the course of its own methodology development, the working group of the “Ukrainian Prism” carefully studied experience of the foreign analytical centres in the feld of foreign policy assessment. We gave special priority to the projects of the Eu- ropean Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and the Czech Association for Interna- tional Affairs (Asociace pro mezinárodní otázky, AMO). None of these methodologies is multi-purposed, and their principles directly depend on peculiarities of the object under research. They refect either peculiarities of particular member states in the EU foreign policy (ECFR) or internal aspects of the Czech Republic government (AMO). That is why after the methodological consultations with the ECFR experts, we decided to develop our own methodology taking into account Ukrainian conditions and partic- ular elements of the existing methodologies of the Western colleagues. Our research methodology of Ukraine’s foreign policy takes into account actual foreign policy situation, disadvantages and advantages of the constitutional division of powers in terms of the foreign policy implementation, established political and institutional practices in the feld of international relations, documents of strategic and operational nature in the sphere of foreign policy and security, offcial analytical materials that form the basis for foreign policy position of high-ranking offcials, expert and academ- ic knowledge on optimal models of foreign service, as well as priorities refected in the relevant mass media materials. Although methodologically the research period is 2015, this time there was a certain extension of the period, taking into account that it will be a “zero year” and a starting point to build dynamic foreign policy in subsequent years. Therefore, the following documents were also assessed: offcial policy statements, manifestos, policy docu- ments, strategic documents, institutional forms of cooperation and coordinated efforts in foreign policy implementation, connected with the formation of a new political re- ality in the country in 2014 and rapid change of Ukraine’s foreign policy environment. Foreign policy directions of Ukraine For the assessment, we selected 31 practical directions of the Ukraine’s foreign policy and divided them into the following thematic blocks: • relations with the key partners (USA, Canada, People's Republic of China, Poland, Romania, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Turkey); • European integration (EU, Eastern Partnership, Visegrad Four, the Baltic States, the European Energy Community); • Russian Federation; • Regional cooperation (Black Sea Region, Asia-Pacifc Region, Middle East, CIS, Latin America, Africa); 4 | Ukrainian Prism: Foreign Policy 2015 • International organizations (UN, Council of Europe, OSCE, NATO); • Multilateral initiatives (international security, non-proliferation, climate change, human rights); • Economic diplomacy; • Public diplomacy. Assessment indicators of the Ukraine’s foreign policy in particular directions: Given the above, we developed fve assessment indicators for foreign policy implemen- tation