President, PM Agree To Make 2007 Action Plan

Following a meeting with the Prime Minister and Rada Speaker last night, President Yushchenko announced that they had agreed to create a working group that will meet on February 14-15 to create an “action plan of political, social and economic initiatives” for 2007. According to Yushchenko’s press service the plan would include proposed amendments to the constitution and serve as a roadmap for the country’s development in 2007 that would unify the position of the President and the government in line with the “Universal of National Unity” they signed in August. Nick Piazza: Given the general failure of both sides to follow through on the agreements made in the Universal, it’s not clear how effective this meeting will be as far as healing the rift between the President and Prime Minister. The Presidential press service claims the meeting will unify Ukraine’s foreign policy goals, and propose amendments to the Constitution to streamline the work of the government and President as well as tackle sticky issues including the land code, but much of this looks like wishful thinking.  However, the willingness of Yushchenko and Yanukovich to open dialog on these issues is certainly a step in the right direction.