NEWSBRIEFS

U.S. congratulates Yushchenko

WASHINGTON - The U.S. State Department on January 20 congratulated Viktor Yushchenko on his election as president of Ukraine in a message posted on its website (http://www.state.gov). "We congratulate President-elect Yushchenko on his historic victory and wish him all success for his term in office," the message read. "We also congratulate the Ukrainian people for the courage they displayed in standing up for their democratic rights. The United States stands ready to strengthen its cooperation with Ukraine and looks forward to working closely with Ukraine's new president." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Lukashenka offers congratulations

MIENSK - President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on January 20 congratulated Viktor Yushchenko on his election as Ukraine's president, Belapan reported, citing the presidential press service. "Belarus knows you as a prominent statesman and experienced politician," the Belarusian president said in his message. "I hope that you will contribute to the expansion of Belarusian-Ukrainian cooperation and the strengthening of the good-neighborly relations between our countries." This was the second congratulation Mr. Lukashenka sent to Kyiv on the occasion of the Ukrainian election. On November 23, 2004, Mr. Lukashenka congratulated Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych on winning the November 21 presidential run-off despite the lack of a final tally in that vote. (RFE/RL Newsline)

NATO secretary general sends congrats

BRUSSELS - The secretary general of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, on January 20 congratulated the president-elect of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, with the following message: "Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your election as President of Ukraine. I am confident that the trust the Ukrainian people have placed in you will provide a mandate to enact far-reaching political and economic reforms benefiting all citizens and all regions of Ukraine. I am also certain that under your leadership the special relationship between Ukraine and the alliance will gather further momentum. I wish you every success in facing the challenges that lie ahead. Please be assured that NATO stands ready to support your government's efforts to implement the ambitious common goals and principles that underpin our deepening relationship. I am sure that our close cooperation will yield important results. I am very much looking forward to working with you." At the invitation of the Ukrainian authorities, the secretary general was to represent the alliance at the presidential inauguration ceremony. (NATO)

Tymoshenko upbeat about her chances

MOSCOW - Yulia Tymoshenko, who was designated by President Viktor Yushchenko as Ukraine's acting prime minister, said in an interview with the Moscow-based Izvestia on January 26 that she will be approved in her post by the Verkhovna Rada with "many more" votes than the minimum 226 necessary for this procedure. "I have spoken with virtually all parliamentary forces; they are ready to back me," Ms. Tymoshenko said. She said the new government's key priorities will be to change Ukraine's taxation system and to reduce the shadow economy. "The main problem right now is not how to divide [government] posts," President Yushchenko said. "The basic question is where we are to find so many honest, patriotic, and devoted ... professionals in order to fill the posts that will be vacated by the old team." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Two major allies in line for posts

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko said at a news conference in Moscow on January 24 that Socialist Party leader Oleksander Moroz and Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs head Anatolii Kinakh, who pledged their support for him following the first presidential election round on October 31, 2004, will be rewarded with posts in Ukraine's government and "other power bodies," Interfax reported. "We have come to an agreement in consultations with them, and you will soon [see this agreement reflected] in my personnel decrees," Mr. Yushchenko said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

EU courts Ukraine with new action plan

BRUSSELS - European Union High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner have drawn up a 10-point addendum to the three-year EU-Ukraine Action Plan, taking account of pressure to respond to Ukraine's elevated expectations in the wake of the Ukrainian presidential election, an RFE/RL correspondent in Brussels reported on January 24. Ms. Ferrero-Waldner's spokeswoman Emma Udwin said the chief additions to the action plan include offering Ukraine market-economy status and stating clearly that upgrading the current Partnership and Cooperation Treaty with Ukraine is possible in the long run. However, Ms. Udwin emphasized that the added list does not amount to a full review of the action plan, which already includes plans for making it easier for Ukrainians to obtain visas. Solana told the European Parliament on January 24 that a new type of agreement with Ukraine will be put in place in early 2008. Meanwhile, Ms. Ferrero-Waldner told the European Parliament on January 25 that the European Union should not rush into "premature steps" to bring Ukraine into the 25-member bloc, Reuters reported. "Let us be realistic: a lot has to be done by Ukraine," she added. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yanukovych calls for end to protests ...

DONETSK - Speaking on Donetsk-based Ukraina television channel on January 20, former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, who lost the December 26 presidential election to Viktor Yushchenko, called on supporters protesting in tent camps in some cities of eastern Ukraine against the Yushchenko victory to dismantle their tents. "Today we are entering a new stage of our struggle that will require different means," the Ukrainska Pravda website quoted him as saying. "Let us dismantle our tent camps and begin a new stage of our political struggle that requires no less perseverance and courage." Mr. Yanukovych suggested that he may file a legal protest with an international court against the Ukrainian Supreme Court's January 20 decision to confirm Mr. Yushchenko's victory. "We will certainly try to appeal [against the Supreme Court ruling]," Mr. Yanukovych said. "But we should realize that Europe will not defend our choice." (RFE/RL Newsline)

... predicts hard times for Yushchenko

DONETSK - Viktor Yanukovych said on Ukraina television on January 20 that it will be very hard for President-elect Viktor Yushchenko to find a "common language" with the millions of voters who supported the prime minister in the presidential election, the Ukrainska Pravda website reported. "It will [also] be difficult for him to build relations with Russia," Mr. Yanukovych noted. "And with Europe, too. What can he propose? The orange lawlessness for export?" Mr. Yanukovych predicted that his party will win the parliamentary election in March 2006 and form a new government. "The orange horror won't last long, we will [soon] remember it as a [mere] nightmare." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yanukovych meets with Putin

MOSCOW - Former Ukrainian Prime Minister and pro-Moscow presidential candidate Viktor Yanukovych, who lost the presidential race to Yushchenko, arrived on January 23 in Moscow for talks with Russian politicians, RosBalt and Regnum reported that day, citing a "source within the administration of the Ukrainian president [Viktor Yushchenko]." In Moscow, Mr. Yanukovych reportedly met on January 23 with President Vladimir Putin, presidential administration chief Dmitrii Medvedev, and Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov. Mr. Yanukovych reportedly discussed his new role as leader of the opposition. He also reportedly asked Mr. Putin "to be tough" during forthcoming talks with Mr. Yushchenko and not to introduce "double citizenship" for residents of Ukraine, according to RosBalt's source. (RFE/RL Newsline)

UNIAN prints power-sharing accord

KYIV - The Ukrainian news agency UNIAN on January 20 published details of a coalition deal signed in July 2004 by Our Ukraine leader Viktor Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the eponymous opposition bloc, on their concerted efforts in the presidential election campaign and the distribution of government posts after an anticipated Yushchenko victory. Under the deal, Mr. Yushchenko pledged to nominate Ms. Tymoshenko for the post of prime minister, as well as use "the force of his moral authority" and "a balanced personnel policy" to persuade the Verkhovna Rada to approve her nomination. Oleksander Turchynov, Ms. Tymoshenko's partner in her bloc, confirmed that the deal was made. The deal also stipulates that 55 percent of the government and state administration cadres will be selected by Our Ukraine and 23 percent by the Tymoshenko Bloc. "The [remaining] 22 percent of posts is reserved by the founders of the coalition for ensuring the formation of a new parliamentary majority," UNIAN quoted from the Yushchenko-Tymoshenko accord. Mr. Turchynov said the priority for the bloc is to have Ms. Tymoshenko installed as prime minister. "We are aware that after the appointment of prime minister, the percentage quotas [mentioned in the deal] are to be revised, taking into account the interests of those political forces that will form and support the government," Mr. Turchynov told UNIAN. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Tymoshenko comments in Moscow daily

MOSCOW - Yulia Tymoshenko, a staunch political ally of Ukrainian President-elect Viktor Yushchenko, published an article on what Russia should expect from the Yushchenko presidency in the January 11 issue of Moscow-based Viedomosti daily, one of Russia's leading business newspapers. Ms. Tymoshenko wrote that the Yushchenko entourage has unsuccessfully tried to get in touch with the Kremlin since the spring in order to deter the Russian presidential administration and President Vladimir Putin from taking "ill-considered" steps toward Mr. Yushchenko. According to Ms. Tymoshenko, Russia's strategic interests will not suffer from Mr. Yushchenko's presidency. She pledged that Mr. Yushchenko will propose new investment possibilities for "responsible" Russian capital in Ukraine, including in the military-industrial sphere. Ms. Tymoshenko also assured Viedomosti readers that under the Yushchenko presidency the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking Ukrainians in Ukraine will in no way be restricted. "I do not rule out that in the medium term Ukraine may become a member of NATO," Ms. Tymoshenko wrote. "However - jointly with Russia. My personal view is that Ukraine and Russia cannot find themselves in qualitatively different, let alone hostile to each other, defense [alliances]." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Lukashenka: no revolutions

MIENSK - Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said while attending an Orthodox Christmas service in the Holy Spirit Cathedral in Miensk on January 7 that there will be no revolutions in the country, Belapan reported on January 8, quoting the presidential press service. Mr. Lukashenka's assertion reportedly came in response to a letter from Orthodox clergy who called on him to preserve peace and stability in Belarus. "They draw my attention to what has happened in Ukraine," Mr. Lukashenka said. "I want to assure you that our country, the generations that live in our state, have exhausted the limit of wars and revolutions. I ask you to remember this and not to return to this subject. There will be no pink, orange, or banana revolutions in Belarus." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yushchenko expresses condolences

KYIV - President-elect Viktor Yushchenko has expressed condolences to the families and relatives of eight Ukrainian soldiers who were killed and six who were injured when a bomb exploded during a munitions-clearing operation in Iraq on January 9, Yushchenko's official website (http://www.yushchenko.com.ua) reported on January 10. Mr. Yushchenko pledged to personally see to it that "all social obligations" of the state to the casualties and their families are fulfilled. Mr. Yushchenko's press service said that he will tackle the pullout of Ukrainian troops from Iraq as soon as he is installed as president. The pullout of the 1,600-strong Ukrainian military contingent from Iraq, which was endorsed by a vote in the Verkhovna Rada in December, was one of Mr. Yushchenko's campaign pledges. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin on relations with Kyiv

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin said after a meeting with Ukrainian Parliament Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn in Moscow on January 8 that he hopes the "electoral rhetoric in Ukraine will be replaced by a pragmatic attitude" following the bitterly disputed presidential election that appears to have ushered reformists into power there, NTV reported. Mr. Putin added that Ukraine is an irreplaceable partner in terms of trade, and the two countries have ties on many levels. Mr. Lytvyn also met with Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov and Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov during his visit, which was timed to coincide with Orthodox Christmas celebrations. Mr. Mironov reportedly expressed admiration for Mr. Lytvyn's "wise and self-possessed" stance during the Ukrainian election standoff, strana.ru reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin and Kwasniewski confer

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin spoke with his Polish counterpart, Aleksander Kwasniewski, by telephone on January 8 about bilateral and international relations, ITAR-TASS reported the same day. The two presidents also discussed upcoming Polish commemorations, which Putin is scheduled to attend, to mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the notorious Auschwitz death camp. The conversation was their first since the Russian president criticized his Polish counterpart on December 23 over reported comments by Mr. Kwasniewski on the Russian role in the Ukrainian presidential election. The Kremlin press service noted that the Polish side initiated the latest contact, according to ITAR-TASS. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Expert on Kyiv-Moscow relations

MOSCOW - Vyacheslav Nikonov, the president of Politika foundation, told TV-Tsentr on January 24 that Viktor Yushchenko made his first trip to Moscow for pragmatic considerations. First he would like to pacify the Russian-speaking southern and eastern parts of Ukraine which voted for his main opponent, Viktor Yanukovych. Second, economic ties with Russia are a top priority for Mr. Yushchenko, as up to 60 percent of Ukraine's foreign trade is with Russia. Therefore, Russia is a big factor in Ukrainian economic growth, Mr. Nikonov said. In the same vein, the appointments of Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister, Petro Poroshenko as secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, and Oleksander Zinchenko as Ukrainian state secretary are also for economic reasons, as all three are key businesspeople who have personal business interests in Russia, Mr. Nikonov concluded. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Lukashenka on Bush's inaugural address

MIENSK - Addressing the Belarusian Security Council on January 21, President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said U.S. President George W. Bush's call to expand freedom worldwide is "soaked in blood and smelling of oil," Reuters and Belapan reported. "It appears that they are prepared to offer something to the entire world," Mr. Lukashenka said. "Suppose someone or other didn't really want such freedom, soaked in blood and smelling of oil?" Mr. Lukashenka's words came one day after President Bush in his inauguration speech vowed to fight against "rulers of outlaw regimes" and "support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world." Earlier last week, Condoleezza Rice, President Bush's nominee for secretary of state, listed Belarus along with Cuba, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Iran and North Korea as "outposts of tyranny." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Russian leader on Ukraine's experience

MOSCOW - Russia officially sent Federation Council Speaker Sergei Mironov to the inauguration of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Kyiv on January 23, while two former leaders of the Union of Rightist Forces, Boris Nemtsov and Anatolii Chubais, came on their own initiative, Russian media reported on January 23. Mr. Nemtsov said that "the Ukrainian experience is invaluable for Russia" and that "if Ukraine succeeds, Russia also will have a chance to manage it," uteri .ru reported. He added that the inauguration of Mr. Yushchenko is an "historic day for Ukraine and the whole Slavic world. ... We are witness to the birth of a new Ukrainian nation." Meanwhile, Mr. Yushchenko said on the eve of his visit to Moscow that he will offer President Vladimir Putin "a new format of negotiations for deepening our relations," ITAR-TASS reported on January 23. (RFE/RL Newsline)

UOC-MP on letter to Constantinople

KYIV - The press service of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) on January 5 demanded that the Single Fatherland organization correct false information saying that a group of UOC-MP priests authored a letter asking Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople to create parishes in Ukraine. The UOC-MP press service also demanded that an apology be made to the priests, who were mentioned by name by Single Fatherland. According to the UOC-MP press service, the Revs. Petro Zuyev and Andrii Dudchenko, and Deacon Andrii Hluschenko said they are not the authors of the letter to the patriarch of Constantinople, nor did they sign it. The office of the Kyiv Metropolitanate of the UOC-MP asked other information agencies and publications to refrain from politicizing Church life, and spreading unconfirmed and provocative information, and asked them to be unbiased in their commentaries. [A news item about the letter to Patriarch Bartholomew disseminated by the Religious Information Service of Ukraine was published in the January 9 Newsbriefs section of The Ukrainian Weekly. RISU explained that it was one of the first to post the information about the letter to Patriarch Bartholomew on its website, saying it was a statement from UOC-MP faithful. As the authors of the letter said in a telephone conversation, none of them is a clergyman and the letter was the initiative of several laypeople.] (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 30, 2005, No. 5, Vol. LXXIII

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