by Eugenij Pashchenko,

senior lecturer of Kiev university,

President of "Ukraine-Croatia" society

("Visti z Ukraini", No. 33(1790), 12-18th of August, 1993)

At the international congress in Rome one of the foreign delegates, developing the idea of nuclear disarmament and nonviolence, in spirit of vague notions about Ukraine, blamed for it in aggressiveness and arrogant intentions to be the third nuclear state of the world. Ukrainian representative Sergej Golovatij, with his oratory, explained to the audience why and from whom Ukraine should be defended with its centuries-old experience of "fraternal unity", which resulted in total eradication of national consciousness. In response to his speech a delegate from Russia, a former teacher of Marxist sciences in Leningrad university, required to S.Golovatij to apologize for insults as if they inflicted on "Russian people".

All those events were on the background of storming XXXVI congress of the Transnational Radical Party, which took place in Rome. This party is unusual: its ideas carried out of frames of narrow national interests. It strives to pay a world attention to its ideals, which are universal and that is why it is called transnational.

Its radicalism manifests in striving to eradicate such evils as national hatred of nationalities within one country and among world countries. The emblem of the party is the Mahatma Ghandi's portrait, who personifies nonviolence. Therefore the Party's Rome center concentrated its attention at the Balkans, the real "pot of evil", where hatred got to be the most serious problem. The root of problem is found in chauvinism with its center in Belgrade, the only European capital, where ardent Bolsheviks combined with the chauvinists of non-Bolshevik origin are leading.

Radicals condemned neo-nazism in Germany and world mafia structures (radicals are for legalization of drugs, which would shattering defeated to narcomafia). Beside Central European and the Balkans regions the Radical Party pays its attention a South Mediterranian direction in which, after breakdown of communist ideas, the new totalitarianism menace to peace is constituted and religious aspect, represented as Islamic fundamentalism in opposite to democracy as well.

It is great intentions but how can they be realized? Nobody finances the party and it strives to be independent. Therefore the congress was decisive: radicals went almost into bankruptcy.

Development of the next events changed situation steep. The Italian society was shocked with the political scandals caused corruption of leading political parties. Hundreds of political leaders found themselves under investigation. On the background of those events Rome radicals looked worthy: nobody could blame them for the illegal taking even though a dollar. Italian society conceives political activity as a rule, therefore the Radical Party's programme and its activity attracted country's attention.

Rome is visited by the mayor of Sarajevo and a member of the party. His speeches over TV were the genuine discovery: Italians got known what was going on in the sequence of "ethnical purge" in the Ex-Yugoslavia at first hand.

Speeches of the party's secretary Emma Bonino, its founder Marco Pannella and adherence to the Radical Party the large army of journalists achieved to maximum effect: thousands of Italians hurried to register in the party which surpassed its record of number and became one of the most mass Italian parties. It means financial stability and possibility to attract an attention of international society to its projects.

More then 150 representatives from "Ex-USSR countries", how West names hitherto our fussy "Euro-Asian area", took part in the congress. There were people looking at each to another, how someone sharply said, "through foresight", for example *** delegation sat beside Azerbaijan delegation, Moldavian delegation sat beside Republic Transnistria delegation etc. How they understood each other the example above illustrated. Italians believe that by means of invitation of the intellectual elite they can create such unity which would be promoted to embodiment of the programme which will solve problems of nations by means of questing of joint interests.

What is the attitude of Rome center of the Radical Party to Ukraine? About it was reported by A.Tamburi at the latest meeting of Moldavian and Ukrainian towns. In the sphere of political activities Ukraine is situated on the first place after Baltic republics. The lasts are considered the most prospective candidates in European follow upon conditions of human rights, rights of national minorities, which cannot be discriminated. After these countries Ukraine stands the next to Europe. Ukraine is a large country as its territory so its number of population. A.Tamburi noted that Ukraine has got no such problems as Russia due to which it difficult to determine, whether it is Europe or Asia. Ukraine both its territory and its historical traditions demonstrates clear signs of European country and therefore in the future the prospects of sequential integration of Ukraine into Europe are very good.

At the same time it states that country has economic problems and deficit of democratic rights. It states also the presence of administration elected in the communist times. To A.Tamburi opinion, we need 10-15 years to liberate themselves from obsolete imaginations and to approach to standards of European countries. "We, radicals, should think together about the realization of influence on the public opinion to order to contribute to Ukrainian approach to "European community", - the Italian guest stressed.

The idea of Ukrainian integration into Europe is not new and has got its numerous adherents. Contact with the Radical Party means not only bringing the European ideas on the Ukrainian ground but also another meaning: the familiarization of European community with Ukrainian aspirations. Such "exit to Europe" has not only educational meaning but also strategical meaning. It is namely deficit of clear imaginations about the true aspirations of Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia badly needs in Europe, when Belgrade began its aggression against those countries. The Rome center of radicals was one of the first centers supported to Croatia and plenary meeting of the Party's leaders took place in Zagreb under bombings.

The concentration of attention to the Balkans is not occasional. Learning the situation carefully the radicals predicted the development of the next events: as soon war has just ended in Slovenia as it transferred to Croatia and then to Bosnia. Now Kossova and Macedonia wait their turn. Comparison of Ukraine with Croatia as well as Serbian chauvinism with Russian is not artificial. "The Balkans reactor" is going to be dangerous in the future and may irradiate by its eruption the Ukrainian territory.

If the Radical party suggests itself as tribune then we need to take it into consideration.

Denunciation of chauvinism and extremism in the solving of national questions, caring out of the ideas of mutual understanding are the actions which give clear idea about the Radical Party realizing its image from such traditional soviet superstitions as "freemasonry", "international intelligence services", "five column" etc.

Ukraine is in urgent need of European integration and Rome, with its numerous Ukrainian cultural wealth and local political centers which sympathize with our country, can and must become such tribune from which anyone can tell the truth about Ukraine.

(translated from Ukrainian)