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July 21, 2009

Biden: US Committed to 'Strong and Prosperous' Ukraine
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=257A8FE:A6F02AD83191E16068E1C6E7CB5AB55BF47489ACC27D21EE&
 
Vice President Joe Biden spoke in Kyiv, at start of three-day mission to
Ukraine, Georgia 
Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko, right, looks on as US Vice
President Joe Biden waves during their meeting in Kyiv, 21 Jul 2009U.S.
Vice President Joe Biden says the United States is committed to a strong
and prosperous Ukraine, and he says U.S. moves to reset relations with
Russia will not come at Ukraine's expense. Biden spoke Tuesday in the
Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, at the start of a three-day mission to that
country and a second former Soviet republic, Georgia. Speaking alongside
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, Biden said the United States
strongly supports Ukraine's right to choose its alliances. He also
welcomed its decision to move toward alignment with the Euro-Atlantic
community. Russia has voiced strong opposition to Ukrainian efforts to
join NATO. It says the potential presence of the Western military
alliance on its borders would be an intrusion into its traditional
sphere of influence. The U.S. vice president also meets Tuesday with Mr.
Yushchenko!
 's political rival, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, to discuss ways to
deepen bilateral ties. He was expected to encourage both the prime
minister and the president to end months of political feuding that has
brought governance in the country to a virtual standstill. The vice
president visits Georgia Wednesday and Thursday for talks with President
Mikheil Saakashvili. He also will meet with opposition leaders who have
been holding non-stop, but dwindling, protests in downtown Tbilisi
trying to force him to resign. On Monday, Mr. Saakashvili announced a
series of election reforms, including the direct election of mayors and
more opposition access to public television. He has refused to heed the
opposition's demand that he step down before his term ends in 2013. 

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.


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