NEWSBRIEFS (04/07/96)

NEWSBRIEFS

Kyiv Patriarchate denounces Aleksey II

KYIV - The Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate has condemned statements by Patriarch Aleksey of the Russian Orthodox Church giving his blessing to the Russian-Belarusian union treaty signed on April 2 by Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Russian President Boris Yeltsin. A statement issued by the Kyiv Patriarchate's press office on March 28 rebuked the Moscow cleric "for his intention to take part in the 'solemn' signing ceremony" of the new integration agreement. "The Moscow Patriarchate's participation in the renewal of the empire may lead to unforeseen political and socioeconomic consequences in Ukraine, insofar as the majority of Orthodox parishes in our state remain in the Russian [Orthodox] Church. The so-called Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate is being drawn into a dangerous political game of renewal of empire," the statement added. (Respublika)

Clinton not taking sides in Russian vote

WASHINGTON - In response to U.S. media allegations of a "secret deal" with Russian President Boris Yeltsin, U.S. President Bill Clinton declared that he is not taking sides in the Russian presidential elections, Reuters reported on April 2. On March 27 the Washington Times, citing leaked documents, alleged that when Mr. Clinton met Mr. Yeltsin at the March 13 anti-terrorism summit in Egypt, he had pledged to support Mr. Yeltsin's re-election in exchange for the Russian president's promise to resolve "difficult" bilateral disputes, including one involving U.S. poultry exports to Russia, much of which are produced in the president's home state of Arkansas. Both Russian and U.S. spokesmen have refuted the report, but the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for "leaking" confidential bilateral discussions, and the Clinton administration has opened a Justice Department investigation into how the paper obtained classified information. (OMRI Daily Digest)

"Such a newspaper does not exist"

KYIV - "Such a newspaper does not exist" was the answer received by residents of Poltava Postal Districts Nos. 14 and 21, who sent in subscriptions to the Rukh newspaper Chas/Time. The existence of the popular bilingual weekly, published in the capital, was denied in letters sent to the local post offices by the head of the Poltava Postal Administration. (Rukhpress)

One in three Russians for revival of USSR

MOSCOW - Russian citizens remain divided over the fate of the former Soviet Union. Less than one-third of Russians support the State Duma's March 15 denunciation of the treaty that formally disbanded the USSR. About 40 percent reject the move, believing that the Duma's action will only cause a deterioration in relations with Russia's neighbors, according to government statistical service figures reported by Radio Rossiyi. Also, 46 percent believe that the restoration of the Soviet Union is not realistic and only detracts attention from other problems; 14 percent believe it is a high priority task; and almost a quarter feel it deserves some attention. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Peacekeepers going to Eastern Slavonia

KYIV - The Ukrainian Parliament has agreed to dispatch 500 soldiers to serve as United Nations peacekeepers in Serb-controlled Eastern Slavonia, Reuters reported on March 25. Defense Ministry officials said the troops will be based near Vukovar and equipped with 11 tanks and 16 helicopters. Communist deputies opposed the decision. Ukrainian servicemen have been eager to join U.N. forces in former Yugoslavia, where their wages are substantially higher than the $8 per month they earn at home. Ukraine has about 500 troops in Croatia and another 500 in the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) mission in Bosnia-Hercegovina. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Look out!...Big Mac coming to Ukraine

KYIV - 1996 may go down in history as the year of the "Big Mac Attack." Kyiv Mayor Leonid Kosakivskiy and Karl Fritz of McDonalds Ukraine announced a deal that could see up to seven sets of golden arches start serving countless expatriates and locals American fast food cuisine. According to the mayor and the purveyor, all that must occur for that wondrous Special Sauce and those incomparable beef patties to fall into the hungry mouths of Kyiv babes is the signature of a few pieces of paper, after which the commercial structures involved in the full meal deal will start tearing up the pavement, firing up the fryers, setting up the grills and serving up the fare. The city of Kyiv will collect upwards of $2 million in taxes from each restaurant annually, while some $10 million will be injected into the municipal economy in initial investments. (Ukrinform)

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