NEWSBRIEFS (02/26/06)

NEWSBRIEFS

Yushchenko on Ukrainian language

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko congratulated Ukraine's citizens on the occasion of International Mother Language Day on February 21, the presidential press service reported. The president said in his address to the nation that the Ukrainian language is re-emerging as the language of a big European nation. "The Ukrainian word is spoken with dignity and on the world's highest rostrums. It is admired and worshipped," he remarked. "I am convinced that a nation respecting its language can respectfully treat the languages of their neighbors. Ukraine has become a home to many nationalities. We understand that we are responsible for our country's linguistic diversity and ready to preserve and develop the cultural peculiarities and distinctiveness of our citizens. It ensures Ukraine's social harmony and democratic development," the president's greeting said. In accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine, the Ukrainian language is the state language, but Russian and other minority languages are guaranteed free development, use and protection. The law on languages guarantees the right of all citizens to petition state and other entities in their native languages. (Ukrinform)

Pynzenyk did not resign post

KYIV - Ukrainian Finance Minister Viktor Pynzenyk has not submitted his resignation, but has gone on an "election holiday," the Finance Ministry's press service officially stated on February 16. "Finances Minister Pynzenyk officially went on leave until the end of the election campaign", the official statement said. That morning, some news agencies, referring to the Finance Ministry sources, reported that Mr. Pynzenyk had submitted an application for resignation in the period between February 13 and 16 to Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov, explaining that he disapproved of the mechanism for the settlement of Ukrainian-Russian gas issues. The resignation was confirmed also by some politicians, in particular, by the minister's election bloc colleague Volodymyr Filenko. Prime Minister Yekhanurov, on a visit to Poland, has confirmed that Mr. Pynzenyk is on holiday leave. (Ukrinform)

Poland acts on pipeline project

WARSAW - Polish Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz and his Ukrainian counterpart, Yurii Yekhanurov, on February 16 in Warsaw signed a joint declaration on government assistance to the Odesa-Brody-Plock pipeline project, Interfax reported. Mr. Marcinkiewicz said the project will be a part of Poland's energy security strategy and that within the next two months the Polish government will take all necessary measures to ensure the venture is profitable. Mr. Yekhanurov said the agreement opens the way to stop within 90 days the pumping of oil toward, rather than away from, the port in Odesa. The extension of the Odesa-Brody pipeline to Poland is meant to help transport Caspian crude oil to Europe and to aid Poland in diversifying its energy supplies. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Replacement sought for RosUkrEnergo

KYIV - Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov said on February 16 that the government is seeking an agreement with Russia in order to replace the Swiss-based company RosUkrEnergo as the intermediary in the current deal to ship Russian gas supplies to Ukraine, Interfax reported. Mr. Yekhanurov said he has sent a request to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and that, if the Russian side also finds RosUkrEnergo unsuitable, "we are anticipating its replacement with pleasure, and Gazprom would be the best replacement." U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst the same day expressed surprise that RosUkrEnergo was playing a significant role in such an important agreement, adding that the United States views it as a suspicious organization. According to open data, RosUkrEnergo's revenue in 2005 was around $3 billion, and yet its staff consisted of just 12 employees. "It would be better if this $3 billion were in the coffers of Ukraine or Russia," Mr. Herbst said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Russian fleet to be gone by 2017

SEVASTOPOL - Ukrainian Defense Minister Anatolii Hrytsenko said on February 16 in Sevastopol that Russia's Black Sea Fleet will not remain in Ukraine after 2017, Interfax reported. Mr. Hrytsenko, who was attending a Ukrainian naval ceremony for a new Ukrainian-made corvette, a small anti-submarine ship, added that the withdrawal of the Russian fleet should be a planned action that "will not cause damage to the combat capacity of the fleet" and "will settle social and economic issues." However, Viktor Yanukovych, Ukraine's former prime minister and the leader of the popular Party of the Regions, said the same day that Ukraine will improve its relations with Russia after the March 26 parliamentary elections and "make a carefully weighed decision on the Black Sea Fleet." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv seeks invitation to NATO summit

KYIV - First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Anton Buteiko said on February 16 that NATO members will soon receive a letter from Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko expressing Ukraine's hope of being invited to join the alliance's Membership Action Plan at a meeting between Ukrainian and NATO officials in Sofia in April, Interfax reported. Mr. Buteiko said Ukraine, if invited, will be ready to implement the first stage of the plan this autumn. He also noted that Ukraine hoped to be invited to become a full-fledged NATO member at the alliance summit in 2008. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Former convicts on candidates' lists

SYMFEROPOL - Minister of Internal Affairs Yurii Lutsenko told a press conference in Symferopol on February 17 that 45 former convicts have been found among candidates who are running for the Crimean Verkhovna Rada. Mr. Lutsenko said it is not only his right, but also his duty under the law, to inform citizens about persons who had conflicts with the law, who were convicted or amnestied for their misdeeds, who served sentences or whose sentences were formally extinguished, who are running, en masse, for the Crimean Parliament. (Ukrinform)

NSA, NASA consider flights to moon

KYIV - The National Space Agency (NSA) of Ukraine and the United States' NASA are planning unmanned flights to the moon to explore the planet's natural satellite, NSA Director General Yurii Alekseyev told a press conference in Kyiv on February 17. According to Mr. Alekseyev, the moon flights will rely on Ukraine's carrier rocket Dnipr, which is the civilian version of the ICBM RS-20 Voyevoda ("Warlord"), known in the West as the SS-18 Satan. The Dnipr's maiden launch was performed in 1999 from Kazakhstan's Baikonur space center. To date, several launches have been performed of the booster to place 19 satellites into orbit. According to the NSA director general, space exploration within the framework of the Earth-Moon-Mars system is among the NSA's new strategy priorities. (Ukrinform)

Ukraine to set up info centers abroad

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko on February 20 signed a decree commissioning the establishment of cultural-information centers within Ukrainian diplomatic missions abroad. The centers are to promote the development of international cooperation between Ukraine and host states in the spheres of culture, education, science and technology, tourism and sports, and disseminate information about Ukraine. Mr. Yushchenko also charged the centers with the function of familiarizing foreign citizens with the history and culture of Ukraine, promoting study of the Ukrainian language and maintaining contacts with the local diaspora to promote satisfaction of its cultural, language, information and other demands. According to various estimates, some 7 million to 10 million ethnic Ukrainians live outside Ukraine. (Ukrinform)

Regular flights link Lviv to Madrid

LVIV - Regular passenger flights were launched between Lviv and Madrid on Feburary 18. The maiden flight was performed by a YAK-40 plane, which belongs to the company Lvivski Avialiniyi (Lviv Airlines). The company's weekly flights between Lviv and Madrid are quite affordable as tickets cost $345 (U.S.) (excluding airport charges). Ukrainian experts believe the new route will be rather popular among passengers who visit their relatives in Spain and Ukrainian nationals who either work or study in Spain. Lviv Airlines also has regular passenger flights to and from Moscow, Rome and Lisbon, and charter flights to many countries. (Ukrinform)

Visas extended for foreign students

KYIV - The U.S. Department of State has extended the length of time prior to a program's start date during which foreign students may be issued student visas. This is one of the elements of the recently announced Rice-Chertoff Joint Vision that will enhance border security while streamlining security processes and facilitating travel for visitors to the United States, Ukrinform reported on February 17, citing the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine. Students applying for initial-entry F-1, F-2, M-1 and M-2 visas may now be issued those visas up to 120 days before their academic program start date (as compared to 90 days under previous regulations). J-1 and J-2 visitors may be issued visas at any time before the beginning of their programs. These changes apply only to initial-entry students. Continuing students may apply for new F or M visas at any time, as long as they have maintained their student status and their Student and Exchange Visitor Information (SEVIS) records are current. As part of the joint vision announced by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, this change reflects an ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety of U.S. citizens and U.S. visitors by keeping U.S. borders secure, while also taking significant steps to ensure that U.S. doors remain open to those seeking to visit, study or conduct business in the country. (Ukrinform)

Yulia urges challenge to gas deal

KYIV - Yulia Tymoshenko said on February 17 that the Ukrainian-Russian gas deal that raised the gas price to $95 per 1,000 cubic meters is contrary to "Ukrainian legislation and international standards," Interfax reported. "Under former agreements, the Ukrainian state has every legal reason to continue buying gas at $50 [per 1,000 cubic meters]," Ms. Tymoshenko said, adding that President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine should dispute January's deal at the Stockholm Court of Arbitration. Reuters reported that Ms. Tymoshenko told journalists on February 20 that she could rebuild an Orange Revolution coalition with Mr. Yushchenko if he renounced the January gas deal. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Shamshur meets with Rep. Gallegly

WASHINGTON - Newly appointed Ukrainian Ambassador Oleh Shamshur continues to meet with key figures on Capitol Hill. On February 15 he visited office of Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), who chairs the House Subcommittee on Europe and Emerging Threats. They discussed the coming 20th anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster, including preparation of a special congressional resolution dedicated to this tragic date. Mr. Gallegly assured the ambassador of his full support and awareness of the political importance of this issue. Thanking the congressman for his initiative, Ambassador Shamshur underscored the relevance of holding congressional hearings on Chornobyl. Also discussed was the political situation in Ukraine in the context of the upcoming parliamentary elections. (Embassy of Ukraine)

Ternopil-Buchach metropolitan dies

TERNOPIL, Ukraine - Metropolitan Vasylii (Bondarchuk) of Ternopil and Buchach, a hierarch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), passed away at the age of 81 on January 21. With the blessing of Patriarch Filaret, head of the UOC-KP, the burial liturgy took place on January 24 with Metropolitan Yevsevii (Politylo) of Rivne and Ostroh presiding. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

| Home Page |