Yushchenko is interested in Antarctica

The President of Ukraine Viktor Yushchenko held a meeting with the heads of the delegations and representatives of the Secretariat of the 31^st Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.

"For us the uniqueness of Antarctica is that it is a zone of peaceful international scientific cooperation, world nature reserve and a treasure of primordial beauty," the President said in his speech.

He assured the participants of the meeting that Ukraine strictly observes the Antarctica Treaty and promotes preservation of its neutrality and unification of efforts aimed at its exploration of this natural phenomenon.

The President noted that during the decades the Ukrainian scientists were making their own contribution to the exploration of Antarctica and their activity is very important for the Ukrainian state.

"I would like you to regard Ukraine's participation in exploration of Antarctica as an expression of our responsibility for advance of world's scientific knowledge and development of technologies and environment protection," Yushchenko said.