11/14/2002 | Неуравновешенный Майданец

The truth, and nothing but the truth, please!

Excerpt from Nov. 13 State Department Press briefing about Kolchuga

QUESTION: Richard, where do you stand on your contacts with Ukraine now that a senior Ukrainian official has said they are not in a position to tell you everything about the Kolchuga deal because there are some things that are state secrets that they can't reveal?

MR. BOUCHER: Well, first, you'll remember that our experts team has given Ukrainian authorities a list of questions that remain outstanding and we're still awaiting answers to these follow-up questions. We were disappointed that the team did not receive full cooperation and transparency that was promised by Ukrainian authorities when they invited us to send a team to investigate the Kolchuga question. Of course, we'll have to factor in that cooperation and the team's findings into US bilateral relations and their policy review.

We remain broadly committed to a robust relationship with Ukraine and a strong NATO-Ukraine partnership, but obviously these things and the cooperation has to be taken into account. They promised us full cooperation transparency. We continue to hope that Ukraine will follow through on that commitment by providing access to material and information as well as to answering these questions in full.

QUESTION: So you haven't gotten answers and you also haven't finished your review of your policy towards Ukraine and specifically, towards President Kuchma?

MR. BOUCHER: Excellent summary. Yes.

QUESTION: Okay. You say you continue to hope. Have they told you that they will answer these questions, these follow-up questions that you have or have told you like this guy is saying that, sorry, we won't be there or something because we can't tell you.

MR. BOUCHER: I don't know what, exactly, they've said. They have not answered the questions in full, answered the questions and we still look for them to do that.