NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer(R) and Ukraine's new prime minister Yuriy Yekhanurov attend a press conference at the headquarters of NATO in Brussels Oct. 7, 2005. (Xinhua photo)

BRUSSELS, Oct. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will help Ukraine to speed up its reform to join the military alliance, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on Friday.

    "NATO will be determined and committed to assisting Ukraine," Scheffer told a press conference here after meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov.

    He made a three-point statement on Ukraine's accession -- NATO's door "remain open" to Ukraine, Ukraine should perform it reforms, and NATO will offer help in Ukraine's reforms.

    However, the NATO chief decline to map out a timetable for the accession, saying the process is a "performance-based process," which is decided by Ukraine itself.

    Yekhanurov, who is on his first visit to the NATO headquarters since taking office just weeks ago, reaffirmed Ukraine's ambition for membership.

    He described Ukraine's relations with NATO as "very stable" and promised to "do all it takes" to bring Ukraine in the organization's fold.

    Later this month, Scheffer will lead a delegation from all the NATO member states to visit Ukraine.

    In addition, a NATO defense ministers' meeting will be held in Vilnius of Lithuania later this month to discuss the military reforms of Ukraine.    Enditem