Borys Tarasyuk
Encyclopedia
Borys Ivanovych Tarasyuk is a Ukrainian politician. He has twice served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs
of Ukraine. He is from Zhytomyr Oblast
. Tarasyuk studied international relations and international law at National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv
, and graduated in 1975. Besides Ukrainian
, he is fluent in English, French and Russian.
In 1995 – 1998 he was ambassador in Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Ukraine representative in NATO.
He become foreign minister for the first time from 17 April 1998 until 29 September 2000. He later broke with President Leonid Kuchma
, and became a foreign relations adviser to Viktor Yushchenko
, the main opposition candidate in the 2004 presidential elections
. After Ukraine's Orange Revolution
, Tarasyuk became foreign minister again on 4 February 2005, and served in the Cabinets of Yulia Tymoshenko
, Yuriy Yekhanurov
, and Viktor Yanukovych
. Tarasyuk favors Ukrainian integration with the European Union
.
Tarasyuk was formally dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada
on 1 December 2006. He disputed this dismissal in Kyiv Shevchenkivskyi
district court, and on 5 December parliament's decision was reversed on the grounds that it violated Ukrainian law. On the same day, Yushchenko issued a decree that Tarasyuk must keep his job.
Despite this court order and presidential decree, he was not allowed to enter cabinet
meetings and this caused political conflict based on interpretations of amendments to Constitution
. On 30 January 2007 Tarasyuk announced his resignation.
(IEAC), a political action committee
established to campaign for NATO- and European Union
memberships in Ukraine. The group is funded by Western donations
and is open about its goals. The IEAC' logo juxtaposes the flag of Ukraine
with the logos of NATO and the European Union. However, polls cited by Tarasyuk show that only between 18% and 22% of Ukraine's population support NATO-membership.
The Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation has influenced Ukraine state policy in the past. For example, a report produced by the Institute titled Trilateral Plan for Solving the Transnistrian Issue recommended changes to the customs regime relating to Transnistria. Less than five weeks after the report's publication, the recommendations were implement and signed into law. Ukraine-Transnistria border customs conflict
followed on 3 March 2006. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE), the European Union
, and the United States backed the legislation, while Russia opposed it.
Borys Tarasyuk has been decorated with highest state awards of Argentina, Brazil, France, Lithuania, Portugal, Sweden and Venezuela.
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Ukraine. He is from Zhytomyr Oblast
Zhytomyr Oblast
Zhytomyr Oblast is an oblast of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Zhytomyr.-History:The oblast was created as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic on September 22, 1937....
. Tarasyuk studied international relations and international law at National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv
Kiev University
Taras Shevchenko University or officially the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv , colloquially known in Ukrainian as KNU is located in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It is the third oldest university in Ukraine after the University of Lviv and Kharkiv University. Currently, its structure...
, and graduated in 1975. Besides Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
, he is fluent in English, French and Russian.
Career as foreign minister
Tarasyuk served as deputy of foreign minister from 9 March 1992 till 16 September 1995.In 1995 – 1998 he was ambassador in Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Ukraine representative in NATO.
He become foreign minister for the first time from 17 April 1998 until 29 September 2000. He later broke with President Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Kuchma
Leonid Danylovych Kuchma was the second President of independent Ukraine from 19 July 1994, to 23 January 2005. Kuchma took office after winning the 1994 presidential election against his rival, incumbent Leonid Kravchuk...
, and became a foreign relations adviser to Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Yushchenko
Viktor Andriyovych Yushchenko is a former President of Ukraine. He took office on January 23, 2005, following a period of popular unrest known as the Orange Revolution...
, the main opposition candidate in the 2004 presidential elections
Ukrainian presidential election, 2004
The Ukrainian presidential election, 2004 was held on October 31, November 21 and December 26, 2004. The election was the fourth presidential election to take place in Ukraine following independence from the Soviet Union...
. After Ukraine's Orange Revolution
Orange Revolution
The Orange Revolution was a series of protests and political events that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005, in the immediate aftermath of the run-off vote of the 2004 Ukrainian presidential election which was claimed to be marred by massive corruption, voter...
, Tarasyuk became foreign minister again on 4 February 2005, and served in the Cabinets of Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
, Yuriy Yekhanurov
Yuriy Yekhanurov
Yuriy Ivanovych Yekhanurov is a Ukrainian politician who was Prime Minister of Ukraine from 2005 to 2006 and Minister of Defense in from 2007 to 2009...
, and Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
. Tarasyuk favors Ukrainian integration with the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
.
Tarasyuk was formally dismissed by the Verkhovna Rada
Verkhovna Rada
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine is Ukraine's parliament. The Verkhovna Rada is a unicameral parliament composed of 450 deputies, which is presided over by a chairman...
on 1 December 2006. He disputed this dismissal in Kyiv Shevchenkivskyi
Shevchenkivskyi Raion
Shevchenkivskyi Raion is an administrative raion of the city of Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. It was established on April 4, 1937...
district court, and on 5 December parliament's decision was reversed on the grounds that it violated Ukrainian law. On the same day, Yushchenko issued a decree that Tarasyuk must keep his job.
Despite this court order and presidential decree, he was not allowed to enter cabinet
Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine
The Cabinet of Ukraine is the highest body of state executive power in Ukraine also referred to as the Government of Ukraine...
meetings and this caused political conflict based on interpretations of amendments to Constitution
Constitution of Ukraine
The Constitution of Ukraine is the nation's fundamental law. The constitution was adopted and ratified at the 5th session of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine on 28 June 1996. The constitution was passed with 315 ayes out of 450 votes possible .Other laws and other normative legal acts of Ukraine...
. On 30 January 2007 Tarasyuk announced his resignation.
Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation
Borys Tarasyuk is the founder of the Institute for Euro-Atlantic CooperationInstitute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation
The Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation is a political action committee based in Ukraine. It was founded by Borys Tarasyuk as foreign minister of Ukraine, for the stated purpose of campaigning for NATO and European Union membership of Ukraine. The group is funded by Western donations and is...
(IEAC), a political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
established to campaign for NATO- and European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
memberships in Ukraine. The group is funded by Western donations
Dollar Diplomacy
Dollar Diplomacy is a term used to describe the effort of the United States—particularly under President William Howard Taft—to further its aims in Latin America and East Asia through use of its economic power by guaranteeing loans made to foreign countries. The term was originally coined by...
and is open about its goals. The IEAC' logo juxtaposes the flag of Ukraine
Flag of Ukraine
The flag of Ukraine is the national flag of Ukraine. The national flag was officially adopted for the first time in 1918 by a short-lived Ukrainian People's Republic. At that time the commonly used yellow–blue flag had already turned into blue and yellow and sported a trident in the upper left...
with the logos of NATO and the European Union. However, polls cited by Tarasyuk show that only between 18% and 22% of Ukraine's population support NATO-membership.
The Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation has influenced Ukraine state policy in the past. For example, a report produced by the Institute titled Trilateral Plan for Solving the Transnistrian Issue recommended changes to the customs regime relating to Transnistria. Less than five weeks after the report's publication, the recommendations were implement and signed into law. Ukraine-Transnistria border customs conflict
Ukraine-Transnistria border customs conflict
The Transnistria border customs issue started on March 3, 2006, when Ukraine imposed new customs regulations on its border with Moldova on the Transnistrian region by declaring that it will only import goods from Transnistria with documents processed by Moldovan customs offices, as part of the...
followed on 3 March 2006. The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
(OSCE), the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, and the United States backed the legislation, while Russia opposed it.
Academic degrees and awards
- 2005 State Order "For Merits", I Grade
- 2002 Doctor Honoris Causa of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv
- 1999 State Order "For Merits", II Grade
- 1996 State Order "For Merits", III Grade
- 1992 Diplomatic Rank of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
Borys Tarasyuk has been decorated with highest state awards of Argentina, Brazil, France, Lithuania, Portugal, Sweden and Venezuela.