Ukraine - Venezuela Relations
Diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Venezuela were established on the 29th of September, 1993.
The Ambassador of Ukraine to Venezuela is concurrently the Ambassador of Ukraine to Brazil, Y.V. Bohayevky (diplomatic credentials were presented to the President of Venezuela, U. Chavez on the 25th of September, 2002).
The responsibilities of the Ambassador of Venezuela to Ukraine (concurrently) from 1997 to 2000 were carried out by the Ambassador of Venezuela to the Russian Federation, Jose Francisco Sukre Figarella. At the present time Venezuela is working on accrediting the Ambassador of Venezuela to Poland to be the new concurrent Ambassador of Venezuela to Ukraine. Both parties are working on installing an Honorary Consul of Ukraine, which would substantially activate the development of bilateral relations and encourage the operative resolution of organizational matters. The Venezuelan side has already declared a candidate for this position. First contact on the level of foreign services of both countries was the visit to Venezuela of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine on the 25 to 27th of April, 1999. He was hosted by President U. Chavez and met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the leadership of the National Congress.
To continue the agreements reached during this visit, in July of that same year, a working visit to Ukraine by the Venezuelan First Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs X. Valero Bricenio took place. He was accompanied by representatives of various government agencies and private companies from the petroleum producing and refining industries. Negotiations were held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at the Ministry of Economics with regard to the further development of cooperation.
In the framework of the 53rd session of the General Assembly of the UN (2001), a working meeting took place between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries which concluded that there was a need to further the treaty-legal base for encouraging direct contact between entrepreneurs of both countries.
Important meaning for the development of bilateral relations must be given to the meeting between the Presidents of Ukraine and Venezuela, L. Kuchma and U. Chavez in September of 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa during the UN Summit on Sustained Development. During this meeting the Ukrainian side declared its readiness to cooperate with Venezuela in the industrial and technological sphere, especially in the supplying of machine building and assistance in the renewal of transportation and energy supply infrastructure. President U. Chavez showed interest in cooperation with our country in the petroleum and natural gas industries. He also proposed the working out of a joint mechanism of cooperation with priority directives. The President of Ukraine invited U. Chavez to Ukraine and declared his readiness to accept a Venezuelan delegation, on a high level and on the level of working visits to agree on prospective projects of bilateral cooperation.
During the visit to Caracas by the Ambassador to Brazil, 23-25 of September, 2002, for the presentation to President U. Chavez of diplomatic credentials of the Ambassador to Venezuela (concurrent), a wide spectrum of issues was reviewed regarding the development of bilateral cooperation. During discussions with the Ukrainian Ambassador, the President of Venezuela voiced his satisfaction with the negotiations with the President of Ukraine, L.D.Kuchma in Johannesburg and assured his willingness to realize the agreements which were reached, especially the creation of an intergovernmental mechanism for the support of bilateral trade. Meetings also took place between the Ambassador of Ukraine and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, mangers of various departments of the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with the Vice-Minister of Industry and Trade and the Chairman of the Permanent Commission on Foreign Policy of the National Assembly.
A very promising example in bilateral cooperation and trade is the project in Venezuela of an assembly production facility for Ukrainian tractors from "Pivdenmashzavod", which was started in 2001. Ukrainian agricultural technology received high grades from local commodities producers and also from President U. Chavez, who in January of 2002 personally took part in the presentation of three Ukrainian tractors to the new owners. Unfortunately, because of both objective and subjective circumstances the project has not achieved its full potential. The greatest perspective in trade between the two countries is firstly machine building, of which the production of equipment and pipelines for the national petroleum and natural gas industries, the production and equipping of the energy complex and also shipbuilding is foremost.
The volume of bilateral trade to date has not met the potential possibilities of both countries. In 2003, one observed certain increases of Ukrainian export by 1.7 times (14,857 million USD), with a small volume of import, which was 5.13 million dollars. In the first half of this year the volume of bilateral trade added up to 4,753 million USD with a positive balance for Ukraine of 4,752 million USD.
The majority of Ukrainian exports consist of ferrous metals - 73% of the total exports; energy related materials, petroleum and equipment for its transport -21.6%; boilers, machines, apparatus and mechanical devises - 3.8%. Imports are only represented by two positions: India-rubber, gum-64.6% and commodities bought in port-35.4%. Today the legal -treaty base consists of only two documents: The Memorandum of Joint Understanding Regarding the Implementation of a Consultative Mechanism Between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, which was agreed to in April of 1999, and the Treaty of Friendly Relations and Cooperation between the two countries (signed on 13th of November, 2001). The following 7 documents are being reviewed by both sides: Trade and Economic Cooperation, Joint Protection of Investments, The Creation of a Mixed Intergovernmental Commission Regarding Trade, Economic and Scientific-Technological Cooperation, The Joint Recognition of Educational Credentials, Non-Visas for Carriers of Diplomatic and Official Passports and the Convention for Avoiding Double Taxation. Cooperation of the two countries in the cultural sphere presently finds itself in its beginning stages. There is a potential here for development because of the presence of approximately two thousand ethnic Ukrainians in Venezuela, of which certain representatives are well-known to the leadership of the country. Not taking into account that the development of Ukrainian - Venezuelan relations are in a state of active building, there exist real possibilities for mutually beneficial partnerships of both countries in many different fields and spheres which are in the national interests of both countries.
