Yeltsin's visit is postponed again (anyone surprised?) (03/31/96)

Yeltsin's visit is postponed again (anyone surprised?)

by Marta Kolomayets
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - Despite profuse promises and telephonic tête/à têtes with President Leonid Kuchma, it seems that Russian President Boris Yeltsin has postponed his state visit to Kyiv - once again.

Since President Kuchma came to power in July 1994 - over 20 months ago - President Yeltsin has pledged to come to Ukraine in order to sign a treaty on friendship and cooperation, but has canceled his plans, often at the last minute.

Indeed, with presidential elections slated for June in Russia, and with the real threat of Communists ascending to power there, most Ukrainian political observers agree that it would serve Ukraine well to sign an agreement with Moscow while President Yeltsin is still at the helm.

While he had been scheduled to arrive in Ukraine on April 4, President Yeltsin told Interfax on March 28 that he may have to delay his trip because some issues regarding the Black Sea Fleet have yet to be resolved.

"If the BSF agreements are not included in the treaty on friendship and cooperation with Ukraine, there is no reason to go to Ukraine now," he noted.

Ukrainian presidential press secretary Dmytro Markov told journalists on March 27 that a "possible delay" in the date of the visit to Ukraine by President Yeltsin "would not be a surprise to Kyiv."

Mr. Markov said the visit may be-postponed in connection with "the presidential campaign in Russia." However, Russia's Foreign Ministry responded to this news that very same day saying that it was unaware of any postponement of President Yeltsin's visit to Kyiv, adding that the treaty between Ukraine and Russia had already been drafted and could be signed, although BSF agreements have not been finalized.

According to President Yeltsin, there are only two outstanding issues regarding the fleet; he did not explain which ones are unresolved.

In what was clearly an attempt to resolve BSF problems, Ukraine's Prime Minister Yevhen Marchuk made an unexpected jaunt to Moscow on March 26 to meet with his counterpart, Viktor Chernomyrdin, to discuss the final division of the fleet and its property.

Mr. Marchuk told journalists that day that two draft agreements out of the three outstanding had been agreed upon: the status of the Russian fleet in the Black Sea, and the naval base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

But, upon his return from Moscow, he commented that "a change in dates for Mr. Yeltsin's visit would not be tragic."

According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kryliov, the "toughest issues remain unsettled." Despite a "very thorough examination of the issues, one or two more meetings" may be needed to reach a final agreement, he added.

The Ukrainian leadership has said in the past that the BSF problem would not be an obstacle to the visit of President Yeltsin to Kyiv. However, Russian officials have disagreed, as Foreign Minister Yevgeniy Primakov stated on February 1 in Kyiv during a visit aimed at preparing for President Yeltsin's state visit.

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