European Commission – Ukraine joint declaration signed in Brussels on 22 March stated the EU intention to finance the modernisation of the Ukrainian Gas Transportation System (GTS). Russia strongly objects the declaration’s implementation. Will EU change the above intentions in order to please Russia?

Ukraine is an important route for the transit of gas to the rest of Europe.  The UK supports the joint declaration signed in Brussels by the European Commission, Ukraine and representatives of the international financial institutions with the aim of modernizing Ukraine’s gas network. This modernization is integral to improving Europe's energy security and is therefore in the interests of both consumers in Europe, and producers, such as Russia. The joint declaration foresees Ukraine undertaking important reforms including enhanced transparency.  Coupled with closer integration into the EU energy market, this will be a welcome step forward.

The European Commission was in close contact with Russia in the run up to the conference; Commissioner Piebalgs met the Russian Energy Minister in Moscow and Russian Energy Shmatko was in Brussels for the conference on 23 March. Since then, both President Barroso and PM Tymoshenko have made clear that third countries (including Russia) would be welcome to provide help to upgrade Ukraine's pipeline network.

 Britain says it supports Ukraine’s EU and NATO aspirations. However, others in the EU, like France and Germany oppose Ukraine’s membership as long as Russia is against it.  Has Britain any means of persuading its European allies?

It’s not for me speak on behalf of other EU Member States. But the UK’s position is clear: we believe that Ukraine, as a European country, should have the right to become a member of the EU as soon as it has met the criteria for membership. So there can be no misunderstanding about where we stand.  In the meantime, it is up to Ukraine to convince those who may be more cautious than us by showing a genuine and consistent commitment to reform and by continuing to be a reliable partner. This is the key to persuading the doubters and unlocking eventual EU membership.  

Obama’s administrations talks about reloading their relations with Russia and some in Washington now say that Ukraine after all not as important for the USA as Russia. Does the change in America’s stance towards Russia mean that Ukrainian Euro-Atlantic chances are getting even smaller?

Again, questions about US foreign policy are best addressed to the US themselves.  But I don’t agree that Ukraine’s prospects for European and Euro-Atlantic integration are diminishing. NATO Allies agreed in Bucharest last year that Ukraine will become a member of the Alliance – an important step. What is important now is for Ukraine to carry out the reforms necessary for eventual membership. And Ukraine’s relationship with the EU continues to deepen, with an Association Agreement about to be concluded.

Do you see any missed opportunities on Ukraine’s part since the Orange Revolution?

Ukraine has made great progress with regard to democracy, media freedom and plurality, especially since the Orange Revolution. I have been struck by the open, lively and competitive political environment that exists in Ukraine now.  But this must not obstruct effective policy-making.  While constant political struggle makes life interesting for ambassadors, there comes a time when the political forces in a country must focus on running the country itself.  That means political process in Ukraine must be inclusive: based on dialogue, co-operation and, sometimes, compromise. Important sections of society will otherwise feel excluded, and the foundations of reform will be weak. An example of what can be realised through consensus and unity is Ukraine’s accession to the World Trade Organisation last year. This was the culmination of years of reform and negotiation. Accession to the WTO would not have been possible without constructive dialogue involving all the major political forces in Ukraine.  

Nationals of many countries from outside EU, including many Latin American nations do not need a visa to enter the UK for tourist purposes. Why does not Britain introduce a similar regime for Ukrainian citizens, given that British nationals do not need a visa to enter Ukraine and given that Britain declares that the state of relations between our two countries is very good?

The UK has just completed its first overall review of its visa regimes and concluded that it is not yet time to liberalise visa requirements with Ukraine. However, the UK keeps its visa regimes under review and does not maintain them where there is no immigration requirement. The UK is currently discussing with Ukraine prospects for facilitating visa access to various categories of travellers.

In your view, will we ever see the perpetrators of Alexandr Litvinenko murder face justice in the UK? Or will this crime be forgotten in order to improve Britain’s relations with Russia?

The UK government remains firmly committed to seeing justice done for the murder of Alexandr Litvinenko. It was a horrifying crime, and securing justice is something we take seriously. The arrest warrant for Andrey Lugovoy remains valid and we continue to press to ensure that he is brought to trial in a UK court.

Engaging with Russia is important for the pursuit of a number of our key objectives, including on the global economic crisis, and in Afghanistan, Iran, and the Middle East. However, we are not returning to business as usual, and we continue to make clear to the highest levels of the Russian government our concerns about their lack of co-operation in the Litvinenko case.

There is a sizeable Ukrainian community in the UK. Are there many Britons living in Ukraine permanently?

We have around 70,000 British visitors to Ukraine each year - the number entering Ukraine to live permanently in 2008 was around 200.  However, it is hard to give a precise number of Britons currently in the country on a long-term basis as they often don't let us know they are here as they don't register with the Embassy.  I would urge all Britons who travel to Ukraine for whatever reason to register with the Embassy.  They can do this via our Embassy website and it only takes two minutes.  This would give us more accurate figures of the number of Britons in-country and would assist us when allocating appropriate levels of resources to our Consular Section which provides assistance to British Citizens in Ukraine.  

How do you regard Ukraine as a person?  Have you made many friends there?  Do you speak Ukrainian?  

I think Ukraine is a terrific country.  It has everything – great people, outstanding geography and landscape, and a fascinating history.  I’m delighted to be here.  I’ve been lucky to make a lot of friends, who have helped me to learn about the country and how it really works – I’d like to thank all of them, and to look forward to meeting others.  And after taking a lesson every week for most of my first year here, I think I can now say that “yes, I do speak Ukrainian” – even thought not nearly as well as I would like to do.  I shall continue to work at it!

England and Ukraine are in the same World Cup qualifying group. Football is extremely important for Britons and Ukrainians. What did you feel when England and Ukraine teams played the game at Wembley on the 1st of April?

I had mixed feelings when I watched the England – Ukraine match in April.  On the one hand, I wanted Ukraine to play brilliantly.  On the other hand, I wanted England to win by as many goals as possible.  I’m enormously looking forward to seeing the reverse leg in Dnipropetrovsk in October.  Football is genuinely something which can bring nations together, with respect for each other, for different traditions and cultures, and for top-class football skills.  I hope all of those will be on display in Dnipropetrovsk, and again I hope that Ukraine will play brilliantly.  

I also look forward to Euro 2012, for which I hope as many teams as possible will qualify from the UK so that we can contribute to a real festival of football here in Ukraine, and in Poland.