NEWSBRIEFS (08/29/99)

NEWSBRIEFS

Sixty years since Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact

TALLINN - Estonians, Latvians, and Lithuanians on August 23 marked both the 60th anniversary of the pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that cost them their independence and the 10th anniversary of the Baltic Way, the 600 kilometer human chain that extended from Tallinn through Riga to Vilnius. The chain marked a boost in the Baltic States' efforts to recover their freedom. Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, who arrived in Tallinn on August 23 to meet with Estonian officials, took part in the celebrations, Baltic News Service reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kommersant closure sparks denials

MOSCOW - The recent closure of the newspaper Kommersant-Daily, for alleged violation of fire safety regulations, has sparked charges and denials that Moscow Mayor Luzhkov, or others, shut down the newspaper for political reasons. The newspaper's director-general, Leonid Miloslavskii, said he does not have proof that Luzhkov was responsible, but he added he is "totally sure" that people around the mayor were behind the move, Reuters reported on August 23. Mayor Luzhkov responded that such claims are "absolutely absurd." But the temporary closure of the newspaper may already have had an impact on how it will act in the future. Andrei Vasilev, the new editor, said tha his "newspaper should report about, but not become part of 'intramural media infighting'," according to ITAR-TASS. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Mrs. Gorbachev may undergo transplant

MOSCOW - Raisa Gorbachev, who is currently being treated for leukemia at a German hospital, may soon undergo a bone marrow transplant. The Moscow Times on August 20 cited Russian Public Television as reporting that the sister of the patient, the wife of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, will be the donor. Mrs. Gorbachev is reported to be feeling "slightly better" after the initial phase of chemotherapy but will continue that treatment for two to three weeks, DPA quoted her doctor as saying. Meanwhile, "Moskovskie vedomosti" reported in its August issue No. 32 that her sickness may be attributed to radiation exposure during her youth. She was born and spent almost 20 years in Rubtsovsk, Altai Krai, just 100 kilometers from a site where the Soviet Union began nuclear testing in the 1940s. Radiation levels there were the same as those in the "alienation zone" following the 1986 Chornobyl nuclear accident, according to the publication. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Who's proud to be Ukrainian?

KYIV - The Social Monitoring Center has conducted a poll in eight oblasts - Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Luhansk, Lviv, Odesa, and Simferopol - surveying the attitude of Ukrainians toward their country's independence, UNIAN reported on August 19. The poll showed that 46 percent of respondents were positive about Ukraine's independence, 38 percent were negative, eight percent remained indifferent, and eight percent could not make up their minds. In addition, 46 percent or respondents were proud to be citizens of independent Ukraine and 40 percent were not. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma blames woes on foreign 'shocks'

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma on August 17 said Ukraine's economy is not sufficiently protected from "outside shocks," which cause economic instability in the country, the Associated Press reported. He cited acute gasoline shortages in Ukraine this summer as the latest example of such instability, adding that those shortages were provoked by world oil price hikes. The same day, the government reported that the country's economy shrank by 2.9 percent in January-July, compared with the same period last year. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine, Moldova sign border treaty

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma and his Moldovan counterpart, Petru Luchinschi, meeting in the Ukrainian capital on August 18, signed a treaty defining the border between the two countries. Under a protocol attached to the treaty, Ukraine will control an eight-kilometer section of the Odesa-Izmail road, as well as the strip of land on which that part of the road crosses Moldovan territory. In exchange, Moldova will receive a 100-meter strip of land along the Danube River, thus obtaining access to the Black Sea and the possibility of building an oil terminal. The two sides also signed agreements aimed at boosting trade and customs cooperation. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Crimean Tatars may get new housing

KYIV - Crimean Tatars will soon have the possibility to build their own homes, as the state legislature approved providing non-interest bearing loans for Tatars. Each loan is to be issued for 10 years and the funds are distributed by the State Committee for Nationalities and Migration. Some support seems to be coming from President Leonid Kuchma, as he promised to push the Crimean Tatar issue for discussion in the Verkhovna Rada. (Eastern Economist)

Chief judge: 35 sentenced to death

KYIV - In the first half of 1999, 35 people were sentenced to death in Ukraine. The news was announced by the head of the Supreme Court, Vitalii Boiko. All 35 were sentenced to death in accordance with the "premeditated murder under aggravating circumstances" clause of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. He said that because of the moratorium on the death penalty currently in force in Ukraine, the sentence will not be carried out. However, there is confusion in the field of statistics, something that Judge Boiko himself commented on, adding that the confusion needs to be eradicated. Figures issued by the Justice Ministry on August 3 indicate that 71 people were sentenced to death in the first six months of this year. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Nation's health continues to worsen

KYIV - The condition of the nation's health continues to worsen despite the measures that have been taken for last 13 years since the Chornobyl disaster. That is the view of Volodymyr Korkach, vice-chairman of the Emergency Ministry's medical department. Speaking on August 10 he said that at present 82.1 percent of adults and teenagers are ill, and 73.1 percent of those under age 14 are ill. Moreover, 86.9 percent of liquidators who were involved in the Chornobyl clean-up operation are sick as well. In the course of the first seven months of this year, 270,000 children who suffered from the Chornobyl catastrophe underwent health rehabilitation programs. (Eastern Economist)

Canadians nursing an information need

EDMONTON - The translation from English to Ukrainian of nurses' guides, reference books, video materials and other types of the latest information on health care is being carried out in a joint project between the Ukrainian Canadian Women's Association of St. John's Cathedral, and Grant McEwan Community College, it was announced on August 5. The project is estimated at $100,000 (Canadian) and will provide assistance to 350,000 nurses and 110 medical educational institutions in Ukraine. (Eastern Economist)

Chornovil memorial fund created

KYIV - On the initiative of Atena Pashko, widow of Rukh leader Vyacheslav Chornovil, an international memorial fund has been founded on August 5 in his honor. Rukh leader Hennadii Udovenko's press-center stated that the fund statutes were discussed and Ms. Pashko was elected president at the founding meeting. (Eastern Economist)

Moscow State U. to open in Sevastopol

KYIV - "Ukraine has no objections to Moscow State University opening a branch in Sevastopol," said First Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Oleksander Chalii. During a Foreign Affairs Ministry meeting, Ukrainian and Russian experts stressed the undesirability of politicizing this issue by certain Russian officials, which they say would only create tension and complicate the process of setting up the institution. They also discussed mechanisms for accrediting and legitimizing the branch in accordance with Ukrainian law, including mutual recognition of diplomas. In turn, the Russian delegation expressed willingness to foster the opening of branches of leading Ukrainian universities in Tiumen and other major pockets of Ukrainian settlement on Russia's territory. (Eastern Economist)

Hotels need equipment to raise ratings

KYIV - The State Tourism Committee revealed on August 10 that only four hotels in Ukraine, the Yalta and Oreanda hotels located in Yalta, Crimea, and the Kyivska and Zhovtneva located in the capital have a four-star rating. The remaining 1,400 hotels in Ukraine have not yet been rated, but will be rated by October 1. The main problem for hotels in Ukraine is the lack of necessary equipment. According to the committee experts, Ukraine does not have any hotels that can command a five-star rating. (Eastern Economist)

Antonov flying high with steady clients

KYIV - In 10 years of cooperation, the Antonov Aviation Design Bureau and the company Air Foil have transported over 200,000 tons of cargo, according to Antonov General Engineer Petro Balabuiev. The joint project uses the AN-124-100 Ruslan cargo plane, which fills a considerable niche in the global cargo air transport market. Regular clients include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Loral, NASA, Siemens, Volkswagen and General Electric. For example, Lockheed Martin concluded a long-term contract to transport large-sized parts of satellites and rockets in the U.S., and between the U.S. and Europe and China. (Eastern Economist)

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