KIEV, July 24. /ITAR-TASS/. NATO Parliamentary Assembly Chairman Hugh Bayley, who is in Kiev on a visit, said on Thursday that NATO membership for Ukraine was not on the agenda yet.

The NATO official said in an interview to Ukrainian parliamentary television Rada that Ukraine was a very important partner of the alliance. The country participated in many NATO programs and helped NATO in peacekeeping operations, but NATO membership was not on the agenda for the time being.

It was for Ukraine and its people to decide, he said, adding Ukraine had not applied for NATO membership.

He also said NATO policies toward countries that met criteria to join the alliance remained open.