“Ukraine is not a product of the Cold War. Ukraine is an independent and sovereign state, which has the full right to define its own security policy. And this is in accordance with the policies of the North-Atlantic Alliance”, said Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko at a news conference held jointly with NATO’s secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, after the sitting of the NATO-Ukraine Committee on Friday, 4 February. “Yesterday we got a categorical text for the future adhesion. No country objected”, said the Ukrainian President specifying he was not naïve and realized the obstacles he had to overcome, Info-Prim Neo’s correspondent accredited at the NATO summit reports from Bucharest. According to Yushchenko, it is for the first time when the application to join NATO has been made by a country having survived the Communism. The President says he is happy with the compromise attained and was glad to hear the speeches at the reunion. “All the speeches I listened to underlined Ukraine’s security level. We are the only state participating in all NATO’s operations without being members, what means we are committed to the European and Euro-Atlantic values”, said the head of the Ukrainian state. Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has reiterated NATO’s discourse as to Ukraine and Georgia is a firm one. “We agree the result of yesterday’s consultations ( 3 April – e.n.) is a categorical statement. It’s not the question of a singular event: it’s a step within a process. The two countries will become members of NATO”, the secretary general has pointed out. De Hoop Scheffer has avoided commenting analysts’ opinions that NATO would have yielded to Russia by refraining from including Ukraine and Georgia into the MAP (Membership Action Plan) at this summit. “Can there be any misunderstanding in our statement that the two countries will become NATO members? Is there ambiguity in the declaration of the heads of states and governments? Certainly there are conditions to meet, but the message is a very clear one”, concluded the official, specifying the first steps in this regard are going to be made in December at the level of foreign ministers. “Sometimes, more years are needed. We must have patience for Ukraine to become a NATO member”, President Viktor Yushchenko added. On Thursday, April 3, the NATO Council announced Georgia and Ukraine would become members when they met all the adhesion conditions. It is for the first time in NATO’s history when the phrase ”if they meet the conditions” was replaced by “when they meet the conditions”.