NEWSBRIEFS (04/02/00)

NEWSBRIEFS

PM: NBU discredited from within Ukraine

KYIV - Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko told the newspaper Fakty (March 23 issue) that a series of publications in the Western media about the alleged misuse of International Monetary Fund loans by the National Bank of Ukraine was initiated and financed from Ukraine. "It seems to me that there are no greater masters than Ukrainians in creating problems for their own country. I think that after some time, the names of those who created this problem will become known. Their names are no big secret," Mr. Yuschenko noted, without mentioning any names. He said that during the period 1995-2000 Ukraine paid foreign creditors more than it had obtained from the IMF and the World Bank. Therefore, he argued, the NBU could not misuse IMF loans, which were intended for servicing the country's foreign debt. (RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report)

Elections to fill vacant Rada seats

KYIV - The Central Election Commission announced on March 17 that parliamentary elections will be held in 10 constituencies on June 25. In nine of those constituencies, the elections are intended to fill seats left by deputies who have died or accepted government posts (Ukraine's legislation does not allow individuals to hold a government post and at the same time be a member of Parliament). Among those who gave up parliamentary seats are Ivan Kyrylenko (agrarian policy minister), Yurii Yekhanurov (first vice prime minister) and Yulia Tymoshenko (vice prime minister). Elections in constituency No. 221 in Kyiv will be held for the fourth consecutive time (the previous three ballots were declared invalid). There are currently 440 deputies in the 450-seat Verkhovna Rada. (RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report)

Record foreign trade surplus noted

KYIV - According to the State Statistics Committee, Ukraine had a foreign trade surplus of $2.34 billion in 1999 - the highest figure since the country gained independence in 1991. However, foreign trade turnover last year was only $28 billion, down $4.5 billion from the year of the Russian economic crisis, 1998. (RFE/RL Poland, Belarus and Ukraine Report)

U.S. greets Putin on his election

WASHINGTON - U.S. President Bill Clinton on March 27 congratulated Vladimir Putin on his election as president of Russia and at the same time urged him to advance economic reform, step up the fight against crime and corruption, and join the United States in a "broad common agenda of international security, including arms control, non-proliferation, and regional peace and stability," Reuters reported. With regard to Chechnya, President Clinton stressed the need to launch "impartial and transparent investigations of reported human rights violations" and provide "prompt and full access for international organizations and the press." U.S. Vice-President Al Gore also welcomed Mr. Putin's election, saying "we look forward to working with him." Asked if he is concerned about reports that Mr. Putin plans to enlist former KGB agents to combat corruption, Mr. Gore replied, "No. I hope he succeeds." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma hails Putin's election

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine on March 27 congratulated Vladimir Putin on his election as Russia's president, adding that he expects the "further strengthening and all-round development of strategic partnership relations" between Kyiv and Moscow, Interfax reported. Ukraine's former president, Leonid Kravchuk, said Russia under Mr. Putin is not expected to "fundamentally" change its relations with Ukraine, but he added that Mr. Putin may follow a "more tough and pragmatic line" with regard to Kyiv. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin popular among Russians abroad

MOSCOW - In casting their absentee ballots in the March 26 presidential election, Russian citizens living in Ukraine, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan voted to support Vladimir Putin at a higher rate than in many regions within Russia. For example, according to preliminary data, Mr. Putin won 86.3 percent of votes in Crimea, Ukraine, 69.5 percent of votes in Belarus, and 80 percent of votes of Russians living in Kyrgyzstan, Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported on March 28. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Coast guard fires on Turkish vessels

KYIV - Ukrainian coast guard on March 22 opened fire on four Turkish fishing boats, sinking one vessel, killing one fisherman and wounding another, Interfax reported. The agency said the Turkish fishermen were poaching in Ukraine's territorial waters. According to Interfax, fire was opened after the Turkish boats ignored warning shots and one vessel tried to ram a Ukrainian boat. The Ukrainian coast guard took aboard all the 18 people from the sunken boat and seized the other Turkish vessels. Pavlo Shysholyn, chief of the Ukrainian Border Guard, told Ukrainian Television that the Ukrainian side fired after "the Turkish ships ... maneuvered dangerously, threatening our border guard ships." Reuters quoted a Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman as saying on March 23 that Ankara is seeking information about the incident. On March 27 Ukraine's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Oleksander Maidannyk said that Turkish fishermen are threatening "to occupy Ukraine's territorial waters with 500 ships or go fishing under Panama's flag" in response to the incident. Mr. Maidannyk added that Kyiv has received such a report from Ankara but he did not name the source. He said Ukraine could set fishing quotas for Turkish fisherman in order to resolve the problem of what Kyiv sees as widespread poaching by Turkish fishermen in Ukraine's territorial waters. According to the minister, Kyiv could earn $3 million to $4 million annually from such a deal. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Legislators accused of corruption

KYIV - The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has submitted to the Parliament materials allegedly showing that six national deputies have been involved in corruption, Interfax reported on March 24. Three deputies are from the Green Party, one from the Hromada Party, and two are independent. SBU Chairman Leonid Derkach did not give details of the case against the legislators but said that under current law they would be held only administratively, not criminally responsible. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Naftohaz head resigns citing blackmail

KYIV - Ihor Bakai, head of the Naftohaz state-run company, resigned on March 24, citing "purely political" reasons for his step. Mr. Bakai said he stepped down due to "groundless and impertinent political blackmail" from both Ukraine and the West, but he declined to say which Western countries wanted his ouster. He added that Naftohaz has been made a scapegoat for the shortage of gas in the country and has been forced by the government to conclude a gas supply contract with Gazprom, which increased Ukraine's gas debt to Russia by $500 million this year. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Workers protest government policies

KYIV - Some 2,000 people picketed the government building in Kyiv on March 24 in a protest organized by the All-Ukrainian Union of Workers, Interfax reported. The protesters demanded that the government lower the prices for bread, cancel the recent hikes in tariffs for public transportation and utilities, and ensure the timely payment of wages and pensions. They also demanded that the government cancel the April 16 constitutional referendum, revoke its agreements with the International Monetary Fund and sever Ukraine's relations with NATO. At the rally Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko called for a boycott of the referendum. (RFE/RL Newsline)

PM to consider coalition government?

KYIV - Minister of the Economy Serhii Tyhypko said on March 21 that Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko has not rejected proposals to create a coalition Cabinet of Ministers that would include representatives of the parliamentary majority, Interfax reported. Such a proposal was voiced at a meeting between the majority coordination council and Ministers Yuschenko and Tyhypko the previous day. Mr. Tyhypko added that parliamentary caucuses have made no specific proposals about candidates for Cabinet posts. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine, Russia sign documents on fleet

KYIV - Russian Admiral Vladimir Kuroedov and Oleksander Belov, vice-chairman of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council, signed seven agreements on the Russian Black Sea Fleet, based in Sevastopol, the Associated Press reported on March 16. The documents regulate issues connected with the fleet's debt for port facilities, schooling for Russian sailors' families and housing for retired officers. They also provide for Ukraine's monitoring of the fleet's military activities. The fleet owes Ukraine some 40 million hrv ($7.24 million) for various facilities and repair work. One of the documents provides for writing off this debt with Russian gas supplies to Ukraine. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Tkachenko holds out for name change

KYIV - Former Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander Tkachenko said he will not join the deputies group Solidarnist. However, he added that he would join if it was renamed the Peasants-Workers or Workers-Peasants group. He says he does approve of Solidarnist's activity, but cannot agree with its name. (Eastern Economist)

Slovakia imposes visa restrictions

BRATISLAVA - The Slovak government decided on March 15 to impose visa restrictions on Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and Cuba, the TASR news agency reported. Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda said the move is aimed both at protecting Slovakia's labor market and decreasing the number of illegal migrants in the country. Ukraine announced that it will take reciprocal action. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Tripartite environmental pact signed

DEBRECEN, Hungary - Representatives from Hungary, Romania and Ukraine gathered in the eastern Hungarian city of Debrecen to sign an agreement to prevent environmental pollution. Under the protocol, each country will list potential sources of risk to the environment. The three countries are also to cooperate with the International Danube Commission and a special European Union task force set up after a cyanide spill from a Romanian gold mine in January spread through several European rivers. The representatives also discussed a second spill in Romania, which released heavy metals pollution into the Tisza River last weekend. The Romanian representative said that a new wave of heavy metals pollution reported by Ukraine on March 14 did not result from yet another spill but rather from the leak reported earlier. (RFE/RL Newsline)

NATO, Russia renew ties

MOSCOW - For the first time since NATO's bombing campaign in Yugoslavia last year, NATO and Russia met at the ambassadorial level in Brussels on March 15. According to a NATO communiqué, the 19 NATO ambassadors and their Russian counterpart, Sergei Kisliak, "reiterated their determination to cooperate closely in all areas, including the protection of Kosovo's minorities." Among the topics discussed were arms control issues, including the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. The next such meeting is scheduled for April 12. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine has uncompetitive image

KYIV - Ukraine has a negative image in the international arena, concluded experts of the Ukrainian Center for Economic and Political Studies. Ukraine placed 58 in a ratings of competitiveness, followed by Russia, which was in last place. In the rating of 161 open economies, Ukraine placed 124th, behind Georgia, Armenia, Russia, Moldova and the Baltic states. Ukraine was 21st in corruption. (Eastern Economist)

Lease canceled on Lazarenko home

KYIV - The Ukrainian government canceled the lifelong lease on ex-Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko's prestigious home in Puscha-Vodytsia near Kyiv. The lease was signed in October 1997 by Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko on orders from President Leonid Kuchma. (Eastern Economist)

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