4th annual YES meeting gather a record breaking number of participants

Number of participants of the 4th annual meeting of Yalta European Strategy organization reached a record breaking 170 persons.

Meeting is opened today, June 28, in the conference room of Kyiv "Premier palace" hotel and continues its work on June 29-30 in, traditionally, the Livadia palace, Great Yalta.

In the work of YES meeting will take part politics, public figures, businessmen and diplomats from the countries of the EU, USA and Russia. In particular, participants of the 4th meeting are 42nd President of the USA William J. Clinton, federal chancellor of Germany (1998-2005) Gerhard Schröder, President of Poland (1995-2005) Alexander Kwasniewski, PM of Slovenia Yanez Janša.

Stephen Byers, British MP and head of the Board of YES thinks that a key factor of the Yalta meeting's success is that it gives a unique opportunity to have a wide discussion on important issues of the Ukraine-EU relations at the high level. "High-level European leaders participating in the meeting may discover a new country and appreciate Ukraine's high potential. They have an opportunity to meet Ukrainian leaders, have a talk and develop recommendations concerning necessary reforms. It is very important part of the project". Meeting's work is covered by 68 licensed mass media.

As reported, 4th annual YES meeting is focused around discussion of today's relations between Ukraine and the European Union and Ukraine's prospects related to its accession to EU in compliance with a strategy developed by YES experts "Agenda - 2020", prospects for improvements to be made within Ukrainian economics in view of holding EURO-2012 Cup, improvement of investment climate, security of energy supply, commercial and economic relations between Ukraine and EU and also current political situation in Ukraine.

June 29-30 the site of YES (www.yes-ukraine.org) and the site of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation(www.pinchukfund.org) host a direct Internet broadcasting of the meeting plenary sessions - June 29 from 15.00 to 19.15, June 30 from 9.00 to 10.30 and from 14.30 to 18.00.

YES is an independent organization, which brings together high-level participants in Ukraine, and internationally: policy-makers, business leaders, thinkers, researchers and journalists.

The YES Board includes competitive public and political figures from Europe - Dr. Mario David - Member of Parliament, Portugal, Vice-president of the EPP, Alexandr Kwasniewski - President of Poland (1995 - 2005), Founder of YES, Victor Pinchuk, Marek Siwiec - Member of the European Parliament, Alexander Rahr - Programm Director, Körber Center, German Council on Foreign Relations, Jean-Pierre Saltiel - President (1998-2004), Rothschild Conseil Internationa, Stéphane Fouks - CEO France of Euro RSCG Worldwide. Rt. Hon. Stephen Byers - Member of Parliament, UK; Chairman of the Board of YES.

The annual YES summits in Yalta have become the leading informal high-level forum focused on discussing and development of political recommendations. In 2006, the YES experts developed an analytical document "Agenda-2020", representing a step-by-step strategy for Ukraine's accession to the European Union in 2020.

YES was created at the initiative of a Ukrainian businessman and public figure, Victor Pinchuk in spring 2004.