NEWSBRIEFS (12/22/96)

NEWSBRIEFS

New bishop to be installed in Kyiv

LVIV - Bishop Mykhail Koltun will be installed as exarch of the Kyiv-Vyshhorod Exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church on Sunday, December 22. He had been nominated for the post during the Synod of Bishops meeting held October 14-21, in Lviv; the nomination was approved by the Vatican on November 13. The installation will be conducted by Bishop Lubomyr Husar, auxiliary bishop to Major Archbishop Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky. Bishop Husar had served as Kyiv-Vyshhorod exarch until his most recent appointment as auxiliary to the primate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church. Invited to the installation ceremonies were: all bishops of the UGCC, Papal Nuncio Antonio Franco, as well as Roman Catholic bishops and the administration of President Leonid Kuchma. Bishops of Ukrainian Orthodox Churches in Ukraine were informed of the ceremonies. (Press Office, Archeparchy of Lviv)

Rukh holds first party conference

KYIV - The first party conference of Rukh, the Popular Movement of Ukraine met on December 14-15 in Kyiv and unveiled its pre-election program for 1997. The party also called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine. One part of the program calls for the integration of Ukraine into the European Union and NATO, while another section focuses on fighting poverty. Rukh called on other Ukrainian democratic and reformist parties to unite against the left. A total of 490 delegates from 26 local party organizations, more than 30 Ukrainian Parliament deputies, and guests from abroad attended the conference. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Russia releases Ukrainian crew

KYIV - The Ukrainian ship Almaz, which was detained by Russian border guards in Georgia on December 4, was released along with its crew on December 13, Ukrainian radio and international agencies reported. The captain of the vessel remains in custody under suspicion of smuggling. The Russian Security Service said the captain had been accused of smuggling foodstuffs and drinks in August and is expected to be charged with similar activities in the next few days. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Boris Pastukhov admitted that Russian border guards had violated certain rules by not informing the Georgian authorities of the detention, adding that he wants the case to be closed. In a briefing, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Hennadii Udovenko said the case is closed, but that talks would continue over the captain's detention. Statements by both Russian and Ukrainian officials indicate that they do not want the incident to lead to a deterioration in Russian-Ukrainian relations. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Parliament passes new privatization law

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada passed a new version of an enterprise privatization law on December 11, reported UNIAN. According to the law, all Ukrainian citizens can purchase state property, but employees enjoy preferential treatment in acquiring shares in enterprises where they work. The law bans privatization of the property of the armed forces, underground mineral deposits, water resources, radio and TV transmitters and channels, pipelines, distilleries and weapons-producing enterprises. The law allows Ukrainian citizens, foreigners and persons without citizenship, along with Ukrainian and foreign corporate entities, to purchase shares in privatized companies. Property that belongs to the armed forces will be subject to corporatization, with the state retaining 51 percent of the shares. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Commission to investigate Libyan deal

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada set up a special commission to look into The Washington Times report alleging that Ukraine was selling missiles and arms to Libya. The commission is to investigate the source of the allegations and dispel doubts over Ukraine's adherence to international embargoes. Volodymyr Horbulin, chairman of the Council of National Security and Defense, said a special investigation had proven the charges were groundless, and a document to that effect was signed by all relevant Ukrainian military chiefs. In a meeting with the U.S. State Department, Mr. Horbulin said no documentary evidence concerning the Libyan deal was produced. He said the White House would soon publish its own findings over the charges, and hoped it would not affect the U.S. Congress' dispersment of aid to Ukraine. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Ukrainian deputies fight over red flag

KYIV - People's Deputy Volodymyr Moiseyenko placed a small red flag at his table in Ukraine's Parliament to commemorate the former Soviet Constitution Day on December 5. A scuffle broke out between nationalist and communist legislators as nationalist legislators attempted to shred the small red flag and communist deputies came to the aid of their colleague. Deputy Moiseyenko stated that he does not recognize the Constitution of independent Ukraine. Parliament Chairman Oleksander Moroz warned Mr. Moiseyenko that if he persisted, he would be charged with an anti-constitutional act. (OMRI Daily Digest)

World Bank approves new loan

KYIV - The World Bank approved a $300 million loan to Ukraine for its coal sector reforms, Reuters reported on December 11. The loan will be dispersed in two equal tranches. It has a 17-year maturity and a five-year grace period, and was made at the bank's standard interest rate for dollar loans. Ukraine's coal sector reform program spans eight years. The same day, Ukrainian radio reported that the head of the national agency for reconstruction and development, Roman Shpek, signed a memorandum with the European Union on funding for 1996. By the end of the year Ukraine will have received $40 million under the program for financing state structure reform, economic restructuring, private sector development and non-nuclear energy projects. (OMRI Daily Digest)

Correction

In last week's Newsbriefs, the title of patriarch was misplaced in an item about Orthodox unity. The correct titles are: Patriarch Filaret of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Kyiv Patriarchate and Metropolitan Volodymyr Sabodan of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church - Moscow Patriarchate.