UKRAINE EXPECTS A GREEN LIGHT TO JOIN THE NATO ALLIANCE IN 2008, KIEV'S FOREIGN MINISTER BORIS TARASYUK SAID FRIDAY, ACCORDING TO DPA. "UKRAINE'S STRATEGIC FOREIGN POLICY OBJECTIVE - THAT IS TO JOIN NATO - IS IRREVERSIBLE," TARASYUK TOLD REPORTERS AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE 26 NATO MEMBER STATES MEETING IN THE BULGARIAN CAPITAL. TARASYUK SAID HE HOPED NATO WOULD LAUNCH A "MEMBERSHIP ACTION PLAN" WITH UKRAINE IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR. SUCH A BLUEPRINT WOULD BE THE FIRST STEP IN KIEV'S DRIVE TO JOIN THE ALLIANCE. BUT THE UKRAINIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ADMITTED HIS COUNTRY HAD "A LOT OF HOMEWORK" TO DO BEFORE IT COULD JOIN NATO. THIS WAS ALSO UNDERLINED BY NATO SECRETARY GENERAL JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER WHO SAID THE MEMBERSHIP PROCESS IS "PERFORMANCE BASED." STRESSING THAT THERE WAS NO TIMETABLE FOR UKRAINIAN MEMBERSHIP, SCHEFFER SAID: "WHEN UKRAINE IS READY, NATO IS READY."
