BERLIN, Oct 6, 2008 (AFP) - Ukraine is determined to do 'everything' it can to join NATO as soon as possible, Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko said Monday after talks here with his German counterpart.

'Membership of NATO for Ukraine is a central issue for us,' he told reporters. 'We are going to do everything we can so we can join NATO as soon as possible.'

Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier did not address Kiev's NATO ambitions at the joint news conference.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said last week after talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that it was too soon for NATO to offer a membership action plan (MAP) to Ukraine or fellow ex-Soviet republic Georgia.

A NATO ministerial meeting in December that many predicted would be the occasion for the alliance to extend MAP to Georgia and Ukraine would instead be only 'an initial evaluation', Merkel said.

Last month, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice reiterated Washington's strong support for Ukraine's NATO membership, but did not give a projected timeline.

At an April summit, NATO refused to grant Ukraine and Georgia candidate status due to strong French and German opposition, though leaders agreed on a statement saying 'that these countries will become members' of the alliance.