Ukraine needs to restore national missile shield, enhance cooperation with NATO - National Security and Defense Council chief
KYIV. Aug 17 (Interfax) - Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksandr Turchynov underlines that Kyiv needs to develop military-technical cooperation with NATO and views restoration of the country's missile shield as a priority.
"All in all, Ukraine decided in 2015 and the first half of 2016 on a strategic vision of development of the national security system and the sector of security and defense. Its legal and regulatory framework has by and large been formed. Certain strategic goals of the reform are being achieved. So, the first stage of reforming the national security and defense system is done," Turchynov wrote in his article titled "Ukraine's National Security: Challenges and Priorities", which was published in the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada's newspaper Holos Ukrayiny (The Voice of Ukraine) on Wednesday.
The reform of the national security and defense system has been supported by the majority of Ukrainian citizens and Ukraine's foreign partners, primarily, NATO member states, he said.
"The cooperation with NATO is being enhanced and the alliance's standards are being consistently introduced in the Ukrainian sector of security and defense. We, together with the partners, have created six new trust funds. Experts from NATO member states have now started to take part in the processes of developing the sector of security and defense. We are developing military-technical cooperation with these nations. The NATO summit in Warsaw made a decision to approve a complex aid package for Ukraine," Turchynov said.
The development of the Ukrainian defense sector has been given a powerful impetus to turn into one of priority sectors of the national economy and the National Security and Defense Council has determined main areas of the sector's prospective development and the targets in procurement of modern weapons and military equipment for the Ukrainian army and other national military forces, he said.
"Restoration of the Ukrainian missile shield should become an unconditional priority, as well as enhancement of artillery systems combat potential and reinstatement of a reliable air defense, ammunition production, development of telecommunication systems, automated troop command and control systems and of intelligence," Turchynov said.