Pennsy senator sees importance of Ukraine (09/26/99)

Pennsy senator sees importance of Ukraine

by R.L. Chomiak
Ukrainian American Coordinating Council

WASHINGTON - Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) said he sees Ukraine not only as an important geopolitical country, but as an important American partner in efforts to curb nuclear arms proliferation.

He came to this conclusion after visiting Ukraine as part of a seven-country tour in August, as member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its Foreign Operations Subcommittee.

The senator visited Kyiv, Symferopol, Sevastopol and Yalta on August 15-18, according to David J. Urban, his chief of staff, who accompanied the Pennsylvania legislator on the trip. Mr. Urban characterized the Ukraine leg of the itinerary as "three informative and pleasant days" that included an overnight stay at President Leonid Kuchma's Yalta retreat.

Mr. Urban spoke about the visit last week with Ihor Gawdiak, president of the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, and this writer, director of the UACC's Washington Office.

Sen. Specter first visited Ukraine in 1981; this latest trip in August was his second. The changes he noticed, said Mr. Urban, really impressed the senator.

Mr. Urban noted that in his meetings with President Kuchma; Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko; Volodymyr Horbulin, secretary of National Security and Defense Council; and Oleksander Chalyi, vice minister of foreign affairs, Sen. Specter urged the Ukrainian leaders to institute a good tax code and improve Ukraine's business environment.

He added that the senator spent time with Mr. Horbulin, discussing the Sea Launch project. Ukraine, with its Zenit rockets, is a member of that international consortium whose goal is to send communications satellites from a platform on the Pacific Ocean.

Sen. Specter noted that Ukraine's rockets, designed to carry nuclear warheads, now are being used for peaceful purposes, and with its renunciation of nuclear weapons Ukraine is in good position to promote nuclear non-proliferation among countries that seek these weapons or are building them.

While Sen. Specter was urging Ukraine's leadership to push through reform legislation Mr. Urban said the senator also understood that not much will happen in this sphere until the presidential elections scheduled for October 31.

In Kyiv, the senator also had a meeting with the Jewish leaders and came away satisfied that Jewish religion and culture are thriving in Ukraine, said Mr. Urban. He added that Sen. Specter would no doubt make another trip to Ukraine soon, if only to spend some time researching his roots: the senator's mother comes from Luhansk and his father from a place in Ukraine that is listed in family documents as "Batchkurina." (There is a town called Bachkuryne, about 30 miles northeast of Uman, where Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav, the 19th century spiritual leaders of Hasidic Jews, is buried.)

In addition to Ukraine, Sen. Specter's business trip included the Netherlands, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Kosovo and Italy. While this trip was still in the planning stages Ukraine's ambassador to the U.S., Anton Buteiko, and representatives of the Action Ukraine Coalition suggested that Ukraine be put on the itinerary. The Action Ukraine Coalition comprises the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council, the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation and the Ukrainian Federation of America.

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