UKRAINE: FROM PAST TO FUTURE
In 1991 Ukrainians made a conscious choice in favour of an
independent Ukraine. Nowadays it is very important to take advantage
of an opportunity to build a new country, a democratic and sovereign
Ukraine, a Ukraine of the future. We should try to reform our state for
the sake of the country of this type.
Ukraine is not a political novice on the international arena. We were
one of the co-founders of the UN1
. We have successfully integrated
ourselves into many international structures like the Council of Europe2
the OSCE3
and the WTO4
. At the same time, we continue to look for a
good security model to protect our country and our citizens. Resolving
national security issue and fighting against foreign aggression will be
some of our key tasks in the future.
Another important factor to our success is related to building a
democratic society, in which government and common people are
dedicated to some fundamental principles – the rule of law, openness
and transparency. We need to have an agreement about the kind
of future we want for Ukraine. Young or old, Ukrainian-speaking or
Russian-speaking, Hutsuls or Tatars may have very different attitudes.
However, we need to come together as a nation to overcome many
problems that we faced after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Modern Ukraine can offer a lot to the world. It has a large territory
and one of the largest populations among European countries. There
are many examples of success in farming, business and tourism.
According to one ranking, our country is 33rd in the world for the IT
start-ups at the moment. We have something to be proud of and need
to keep moving forward.
What is more, we need to create a society where members not only
enjoy their rights, but takes responsibility for their house, their town
and their country. We should not expect that somebody will fix our
problems, but should focus on what we can do for ourselves and build
a Ukraine of the future today. In the text, fi nd the words
which mean the following.
1 A person who starts something
(for example, a new business)
together with someone else
2 To change or improve
something that is wrong or
corrupt
3 A beginner or a person who is
new to some work
4 A rule or a law that people
accept
5 A new business or project
6 To join or become a part of
something
7 Freedom from danger or risk
8 Being open and easy to see
9 A destruction or a breakdown
