President Viktor Yuschenko has urged member states of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) not to yield to outside influence in forming their opinion about Ukraine.

Viktor Yuschenko gave his opinion in an interview with the International Herald Tribune (the United States).

Yuschenko said Ukraine continued active diplomatic consultations with all partners from NATO. Ukraine sees that some member states of NATO still doubt about expediency of Ukraine's membership of NATO and even about expediency of granting the NATO Membership Action Plan to Ukraine, Yuschenko said.

"I would like to advise them not to base an opinion about Ukraine on stereotypes of the past or, moreover, under influence from outside," Yuschenko said.

Yuschenko stressed that the displeasure of third countries cannot be a direction for NATO to deny Ukraine its membership. The position of Russia against the expansion of NATO has formed long ago.

"We remember about the first wave and the second wave of the NATO expansion in 199 and 2004. Then there were also excited disputes and appeals against 'interference in the zone of Russian interests,' but they did not prevent NATO's admission of new members," Yuschenko said.

Yuschenko is concerned over the policies of dual standards from Russia in the issue of security and aggravation of rhetoric when this concerns the right of sovereign Ukraine to decide its security policies independently.

According to President Viktor Yuschenko, Ukraine has been convincing its Russian partners to change its categorical position with taking into consideration the current conditions.

"It is not worth blocking natural and irreversible processes. Let us look for agreement and develop beneficial, open, and sincere dialogue on questions of security," Yuschenko said.

Yuschenko noted that NATO is interested in Ukraine, while Ukraine has made a long path of reform to come closer to standards of NATO.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, President Viktor Yuschenko has said Ukraine has done everything to join the NATO Membership Action Plan in December.

The security adviser to Germany's federal chancellor, Kristof Hoisgen predicted that NATO member-countries would deny MAP to Ukraine in December.

On April 3, NATO's Bucharest summit participants decided to consider Ukraine's joining the MAP in December 2008.