NEWSBRIEFS (09/29/96)

NEWSBRIEFS

Kostenko says reactor No. 4 could explode

KYIV - Ukrainian Environment Minister Yuri Kostenko said radiation releases at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant indicate that a dangerous chemical chain reaction is taking place inside the sarcophagus-encased reactor No. 4, Ukrainian and Western news agencies reported on September 24. Mr. Kostenko said that spent nuclear fuel inside the enclosed reactor is undergoing chemical reactions that could cause further radiation increases or an explosion at any time. Releases of radiation were recorded at reactor No. 4 on September 12 and 16. An examination of the exterior of the sarcophagus did not reveal what had caused the radiation releases; an internal examination is not possible. Similar unexplained increases in radiation had occurred at reactor no. 4 in June 1990 and January 1996. The environment minister said that the latest releases of radiation prove that the planned construction of a new sarcophagus is not sufficient to contain radioactivity and that Ukraine must consider removing the spent fuel. He once again complained that Kyiv has not received any of the funding promised by the Group of Seven industrial states to shut down Chornobyl. (OMRI Daily Digest)

NATO developing 'super' PFP program

HELSINKI - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is developing a "super" Partnership for Peace program for those countries not invited to join the alliance in the first wave of its expansion. The new "PFP Plus" would aim to boost military cooperation and political contacts between NATO and non-members of the alliance. U.S. Ambassador to Finland Derek Shearer estimated that 15 to 20 of the current 27 participants of the PFP program, including Russia, could join the "super" group. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Parliament chair cracks down on deputies

KYIV - Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksander Moroz has threatened to appeal to the Kyiv City Court to strip the mandates of those people's deputies who have failed to give up their government or private-sector jobs. Mr. Moroz said he will follow through on his threat if deputies fail to quit their second jobs by September 20 and has informed the employers of the 32 deputies of his intentions. Meanwhile, a new faction called Constitutional Center has registered in the Ukrainian legislature. The new faction, headed by Mykhailo Syrota, calls itself "progressive and reformist," and plans to work on legislation aimed at implementing Ukraine's new Constitution. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Kuchma outlines crime-fighting program

KYIV - Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma outlined a four-year program to combat crime in Ukraine. The program provides the legal, technical and organizational conditions to carry out the administration's crime-fighting plan. In related news, Ukrainian agencies reported on September 18 that bombs exploded in two shops owned by Akar Ltd. in downtown Sevastopil. There were no reported injuries. In another development, a popular correspondent for the weekly current affairs television show "Pisliamova" was beaten and robbed on September 14. Volodymyr Skachko, the program's chief political reporter, suffered bruises and cuts when several youths forced their way into his apartment, tied and gagged him, and ransacked his flat. (OMRI Daily Digest)

New consulates to open in Latin America

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada has decided to open consulates and diplomatic representations in Uruguay, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia and Columbia. Deputy Foreign Minister Volodymyr Khandohy said those Central and South American countries could become economic partners for Ukraine, and are potential markets for Ukrainian goods such as machinery, chemical products, military hardware, airplanes, equipment for port facilities, and energy storage and transport facilities. The Verkhovna Rada has also ratified an agreement on friendship and cooperation with Brazil. (OMRI Daily Digest)

More on Kuchma-Gore Commission

KYIV - Four joint committees will be established within the framework of the newly created Kuchma-Gore Commission for bilateral cooperation, said Volodymyr Horbulin, secretary of the National Security Council of Ukraine, at a press conference held in the Ukrainian capital upon his return from a visit to Washington. The four bodies are: the Committee on Foreign Policy, co-chaired by First Deputy Anton Buteiko; Committee on Economic Cooperation, co-chaired by Viktor Pynzenyk; Defense Committee, co-chaired by Deputy Defense Minister Vasyl Sobkov; and the Committee on Trade and Investment to be co-chaired by Foreign Trade Minister Serhiy Osyka and Director of the National Reconstruction and Development Agency Roman Shpek. The Ukrainian officials will co-chair the four bodies along with U.S. representatives, who will be named after the U.S. presidential elections. (Kyiv Press Bureau)