Mudriyevska I. The formation and development of Ukraine's cooperation with the Visegrad Group countries (1991-2013).

The author investigated on a wide range of sources and scientific literature the formation and development of Ukraine's cooperation with the Visegrad Group countries during 1991-2013. It has been set the author periodization of interstate relations between Ukraine and the Visegrad Four countries in the format V4 + 1 and bilateral level. It has been analyzed Ukraine's cooperation with the Visegrad Group countries in the format V4 + 1 in the political and military sphere, defined prospects in the energy sector. It has been proved that an important factor of cooperation in the political area is the support of the Visegrad Group countries the European aspirations of Ukraine. The support of Ukraine on the international scene is advantageous for the Visegrad Four countries from a standpoint of providing themselves with a strong and stable neighbor. Also the Visegrad Group countries are interested in cooperation with Ukraine to position themselves as countries which play an important role in the implementation of EU's Eastern policy. It has been investigated that the most active initiators of cooperation with Ukraine are the Republic of Poland and Hungary in the format V4 + 1.