Goncharov G. The development of intergovernmental relations between Ukraine and Great Britain in 1991 – 2005

The object of study – history of relation of Ukraine and Great Britain. The purpose of study is reconstruction of development of interstate cooperation of Ukraine and Great Britain in political, military, economic and cultural spheres during 1991 - 2005, finding-out of a situation and tendencies of development both separate spheres of bilateral Ukraine-British cooperation, and all system of the interstate relations of two countries as a whole with definition of its efficiency and prospects of the further development. The methods used in the research are: problem-chronological, historical-genetic, historical-typological, historical-comparative. The practical value of work consists in use of conclusions and actual material of the dissertation for preparation of generalizing and special works on a history of diplomacy and international relations of Ukraine, for creation of general and special educational courses, tutorials and manuals on a history of the international relations of the newest period, and also for the further research of the Ukraine-British cooperation. The dissertation is the first comprehensive research into the history of intergovernmental relations between Ukraine and Great Britain in 1991 – 2005. It is based upon previously little-known documentary sources from archives of Ukraine’s eight state establishments, the sources being supplemented by a large number of informational materials. The main focus of this research work is the development of bilateral cooperation between the highest governmental bodies and authorities, appropriate ministries, departments and state institutions of the two countries. The comprehensive study into the most important areas and forms of intergovernmental relationship in political, military, economic and cultural spheres has made it possible to understand and elucidate the character, content and main results of Ukrainian-British intergovernmental cooperation. It is argued that the low level of such cooperation is predominantly caused by two key factors: firstly, by Ukraine’s contradictory home and foreign policies conflicting with its ultimate strategic objective – officially declared course for European integration, secondly, by Ukraine’s place among the strategic priorities of British foreign policy.