Primakov travels to Kyiv to lay groundwork for (02/04/96)

Primakov travels to Kyiv to lay groundwork for

by Marta Kolomayets
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin is expected to finally visit Ukraine on April 4-5, Ukraine's President Leonid Kuchma said during his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov in Kyiv on February 1.

During the course of his meeting with the newly appointed Russian foreign minister, President Kuchma pointed out the need for "speeding up negotiations and settling outstanding issues to ensure the success of a very important visit," reported Interfax-Ukraine.

Mr. Primakov, 65, who was appointed Russia's Foreign Minister by President Yeltsin after the dismissal of Andrei Kozyrev from that post last month, came to Kyiv on the invitation of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Hennadiy Udovenko to discuss preparations regarding President Yeltsin's visit, which has been more than 18 months in the making.

However, during a press briefing late on January 31, the two foreign ministers seemed to have a different approach to the conditions for the impending visit.

"We proceed from the premise that the Black Sea Fleet problem will not be an obstacle to the visit of President Yeltsin," said Mr. Udovenko at the Foreign Ministry. "The link is not that strong as the process is already in progress," said the Ukrainian diplomat, referring to headway made in BSF negotiations last June, when the two presidents met in Sochi.

The Russian foreign minister, however, told reporters that "Russia's position remains the same: the issue of the Black Sea Fleet should be resolved before President Yeltsin's visit to Ukraine."

According to Interfax-Ukraine, Mr. Primakov believes that regular meetings between the two heads of state, such as the recent discussions in Moscow during the CIS summit, give every reason to hope that the fleet problem will be resolved even before President Yeltsin's visit to Kyiv.

News of the dismissal of Adm. Eduard Baltin, the commander of the Black Sea Fleet, by Russian Defense Minister Pavel Grachev, will also "bring about a relaxation of tensions which emerged in the leadership of the Black Sea Fleet," said Ukraine's Foreign Minister Udovenko.

The Black Sea Fleet press center reported that Adm. Baltin had been relieved of his duties by presidential decree on January 27, and ordered to turn his duties over to the fleet's deputy commander, Vice-Adm. Gennadiy Suchov, within a 10 day period.

Answering questions regarding the signing of a treaty of friendship and cooperation between Ukraine and Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Dubinin, who traveled to Kyiv with Mr. Prymakov, told reporters that the largescale agreement "has been prepared for signing from the very first to the very last page - and this was confirmed by President Yeltsin last April."

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yevhen Marchuk confirmed that he saw no obstacles to the signing of a comprehensive treaty between Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Mr. Primakov, a native of Kyiv, was originally scheduled to spend a full day in Kyiv on February 1, but cut his stay short, leaving in the early afternoon. Officials of Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said that he was returning earlier to celebrate Russian President Yeltsin's 65th birthday, which fell on February 1.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Udovenko, who was invited by Mr. Primakov to visit Moscow before President Yeltsin comes to Ukraine, had one wish for the Russian leader on his birthday: victory in the presidential elections in Russia scheduled for June.

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