President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko, on meeting in Kiev March 24, 2005:

Confirm the centuries-old benign relationship between the people of Georgia and Ukraine;

Express full respect to all fighters for independence of Georgia and for Ukraine, whose efforts in achieving independence and sovereignty are everlasting;

Declare that the last parliamentary and presidential elections in both countries displayed an ultimate striving for freedom, democracy, honest and just governance and introduce a new kind of prospect for deepening bilateral cooperation;

Based on common views on almost all issues and foreign policy priority trends, declare a strategic relationship between Georgia and Ukraine based on the articles of the Carpathian Declaration, which underlines the sides' common views on the development of state and society.

These relations are long-term and are based on both countries' belonging to Europe and the Euro Atlantic space, and on their shared commitment to establishing democratic values in all aspects of state and social life.

In this view, the common key goal is to integrate Georgia and Ukraine into the European Union and NATO, and for that both parties declare full support for each other.

The sides consider that achievement of this strategic goal requires coordination of policies in the following areas:

- Immediate reconciliation of "frozen conflicts" in the regional neighborhood by condemning separatism, by consistent and steadfast protection of basic rights and freedoms of all people in the conflict zones, based on widely recognized democratic principles and strategies.

- Demilitarization of the Black Sea region, by following regulations adopted under the framework of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty and the OSCE.

- Utilization of the transit potential of both countries, reliable as energy carriers from providers to consumers, and diversification of this supply in Georgia and Ukraine, as key elements of national security policy for both countries.

- Development of GUUAM, a post-Soviet intergovernmental union of the countries striving towards Europe and NATO membership, as a priority.

- Restoration of the Baltic-Black Sea stability axis and cooperation, with the participation of the EU and NATO members, as well as newly independent states.

- Reinforcement of humanitarian partnership and promotion of the countries' cultural expansion into civilized Europe.

The sides declare that neither the essence of this declaration nor its single part is directed against any third party. The document expresses the will of people of Ukraine and Georgia to bring the relations to strategic nature, spread common values and achieve joint goals.

Signed in Kiev on 25 March, 2005 with two copies in Georgian and Ukrainian.

Both texts are equally valid.

Communications Office
of the President of Georgia