LETTER TO THE EDITOR (08/25/96)

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A pledge to continue assistance for Ukraine

Dear Editor:

As the Congress formulates the fiscal year 1997 foreign aid package, I wanted to make you aware of some issues of importance to the Ukrainian American community addressed in this bill.

Ukraine has taken major steps in recent years to implement political and economic reforms, and I am pleased that the Senate's version of the fiscal year 1997 foreign aid bill would provide $225 million for Ukraine. The Senate has recommended that these funds be used in the following ways.

Nuclear safety: The Senate has recommended funding to help ensure that the tragedy that occurred at Chornobyl a decade ago is never repeated. The bill would provide $25 million to help Ukraine decommission the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and $50 million to improve the safety at Ukraine's nuclear reactors.
Minimizing the effects of Chornobyl: Ukraine continues to be heavily burdened by the effects of the Chornobyl disaster. To minimize these effects the Senate has recommended $5 million to diagnose and treat children suffering from cancer and other illnesses resulting from Chornobyl's radiation. It would also provide $5 million for a land and resource management institute to identify nuclear contamination at Chornobyl.
Agriculture: Agriculture comprises approximately 60 percent of Ukraine's economy and U.S. support is crucial to strengthening this key sector. The U.S. contributed $7 million to this sector in fiscal year 1996, and for next year the Senate has recommended a substantial increase to $35 million to aid the development and privatization of Ukraine's agricultural sector.
Small business initiatives: The Senate's bill would also provide $5 million for a small business development project. This program would help Ukrainians to organize small business enterprises and is modeled after similar programs in Israel and Russia.

The House of Representatives' version of the bill does not specify these amounts. Rather, it would provide a lump sum of $590 million to Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia, Russia and the new independent republics of the former Soviet Union. Be assured that I will do all I can to ensure that the Senate's funding levels for Ukraine are included in the final version of the bill.

As a member of the Senate appropriations subcommittee, which makes initial recommendations about our foreign aid spending, and a member of the conference committee, I will continue working to secure adequate assistance for Ukraine.

As always, I value and welcome the input of the Ukrainian American community. I know how valuable these resources are for Ukraine's development.

Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg
Washington