NEWSBRIEFS (12/26/93)

NEWSBRIEFS

UNESCO to mark anniversaries

KYYIV - At a press briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine's delegation to UNESCO reported on the work of the 27th general conference of the United Nations body. UNESCO approved Ukraine's proposal to include three anniversaries on the list of those to be celebrated in 1994-1995. These are the 100th anniversary of the birth of filmmaker Oleksander Dovzhenko, the 200th anniversary of the death of philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda and the 400th anniversary of the birth of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky. (Respublika)

River shipping company is privatized

KYYIV - Western and Ukrainian experts have praised the privatization of the state river shipping company Ukrrichflot as a bright spot amid the chaos of Ukraine's economic crisis. "In five years of experience in Eastern Europe, I have never met authorities so devoted to the privatization of a company they ran," said Mario Gobbo, senior banker of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, at a press conference in November. The EBRD is overseeing the changeover at Ukrrichflot, the first privatization of a large-scale enterprise in Ukraine. Thus far, 50 percent of the firm's shares had been sold to Ukrainian citizens and firms, as well as foreign investors. Plans call for 75 percent of the shares to be distributed publicly. Ukrrichflot employs 12,000 people and owns 647 ships. (Reuters)

Ukrainian envoy visits Samarkand

KYYIV - Volodymyr Smietanin, Ukraine's ambassador to Uzbekistan, has been traveling around the country. He recently visited Samarkand and Shakhrisabz, touring local enterprises and meeting with regional leaders. He and Uzbek leaders discussed concrete proposals for economic cooperation between enterprises in Ukraine and Uzbekistan. (Respublika)

Crimean businessman enters race

KYYIV - Speaking at a news conference here on December 2, Yuriy Kolesnikov, a prominent Crimean businessman, accused Ukraine's central government of ignoring Crimean developments and the peninsular authorities' insistence on establishing their total control over the peninsula. Mr. Kolesnikov also announced he intends to enter the Crimean presidential race. Mr. Kolesnikov, the president of the Crimea-Continental joint-stock company, also unveiled a business plan, which could supply the Ukrainian countryside with natural gas. (Interfax-Ukraine)

British center to open in Odessa

ODESSA - A British cultural Center will open in Odessa at the state university, British Ambassador Simon Hemans said during his trip to this port city in early December. The center will promote English culture and language and a specialized library will be formed. "We think that studying English will help Ukrainian businesspeople, scientists, and cultural representatives in establishing contacts with their foreign colleagues, speed up Ukraine's return to the progressive paths of economic development," said the ambassador. (Interfax-Ukraine)

Trilateral pact on Chornobyl evacuees

MINSK - An agreement between Russia, Ukraine and Belarus on mutual payments for resettling people evacuated from the Chornobyl zone was signed here on December 8. Citizens of all three countries now have the status of resettlers and can choose places of residence. They are guaranteed all civil rights and monetary compensation for travel expenses. (Interfax-Ukraine)

Hromada to prepare "rescue plan"

KYYIV - On the eve of new elections, a political organization called Hromada has been created. During a press conference on December 8, its leaders said they intended to provide the government with a "rescue plan," which would include preferential incentives for exporters, "civilized" privatization, economic restructuring, curbs on inflation and efficient social protection for the populace. (Interfax-Ukraine)

Government explains ban on credits

KYYIV - The Cabinet of Ministers and National Bank of Ukraine on December 9 explained their actions banning the issuance of credits by commercial banks. These measures, they explained, were caused by the need to immediately mobilize funds for the population's social protection after the Parliament raised minimum wages and pensions. The government and NBU justified their decision as an attempt to harness inflation and uncontrollable growth of cash inflow. Commercial banks are allowed to issue credits within the debt limits as of December 4, including interbank credits, to repay for earlier issued credits, forwarding them primarily as payment for electric power and purchase of hard currency. (Interfax-Ukraine)

Ukraine, Moldova sign cooperation pacts

KYYIV - Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk and Moldovan President Mircea Snegur signed agreements on mutual cooperation here on December 13. The documents included: "On Legal Assistance in Civil and Criminal Cases," "On Labor Activities and Social Protection of Ukrainian and Moldovan Subjects Working Abroad" and "On Trade and Economic Cooperation." (Interfax-Ukraine)

Parliament must act on credits

KYYIV - The chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, said decisions concerning credits, emission, etc., must be approved by Parliament in 1994, because the situation may get out of hand. Mr. Yushchenko said the state budget deficit is about 9.5 trillion karbovantsi. In his opinion, "radically restrictive policies" must be initiated to help with the deficit. (Interfax-Ukraine)

Russian minister on relations with Ukraine

MOSCOW - Russia's first deputy foreign minister, Anatoliy Adamishin, said in a December 17 interview with Interfax that Russia's efforts to maintain good relations with Ukraine require "meticulous work" because of the nuclear disarmament problem. Mr. Adamishin said it would be "inadmissible" to use the strong showing of ultra-right forces in Russia's parliamentary elections to justify fear of an aggressive Russian foreign policy. He noted that such thinking could be used in Ukraine to rationalize its maintenance of nuclear weapons. (RFE/RL Daily Report)

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