Kuchma says CIS summit heralds new era in relations among members (04/06/97)

Kuchma says CIS summit heralds new era in relations among members

by Roman Woronowycz
Kyiv Press Bureau

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma heralded a new era in relations between members of the Commonwealth of Independent States after his return from the CIS summit held in Moscow on March 28. He also announced that Russian President Boris Yeltsin had agreed to visit Kyiv in May or June for the signing of a treaty on friendship and cooperation.

The president, speaking in Kyiv on March 31, said the meeting of 12 leaders of countries that were once part of the Soviet Union was an unparalleled success. "Every country got what it wanted," said Mr. Kuchma.

What each country received individually is not clear. However, the leaders agreed to continue to work toward some kind of economic cooperation, the level of which is yet to be defined. They signed papers on developing transportation routes and customs controls among their countries, the formation of joint financial-industrial groups and on the defense of borders.

They also agreed that Russian President Yeltsin should serve one more term as the chairman of the CIS Heads of State Council, even though he has served five terms already in a position that was meant to be a rotating chair. President Kuchma said that, for one more year, Mr. Yeltsin was the right man for the job.

"I think we saw a new and different Yeltsin," said Mr. Kuchma. "Over the last months he has had more time to analyze to what extent the world has changed, and that one country, using whatever force, cannot control change in the world today."

Mr. Kuchma said Ukraine still is not ready to agree to the Concept of Integrated Economic Development, which was signed by most CIS members in January of this year, but that it was not against partial integration. "Our primary concern will always be the national interests of Ukraine. I repeat that it is not important for us to be involved [in the CIS] 100 percent," explained Mr. Kuchma.

During the three-hour closed session of the summit on March 28, Russian President Yeltsin made a surprising acknowledgment to assuage fears that the CIS is merely a vehicle for furthering Russian interests, which undoubtedly pleased many of the leaders. He said the sentiments are "perhaps fair, and I see Russia's share of responsibility clearly."

President Kuchma said that during the meeting all countries, including Russia, agreed that each member-state has its own national interests, priorities and vision of future integration. "In Moscow, as in the rest of the CIS, they have started to deal with the interests of Ukraine, not simply to look at their own interests," said Mr. Kuchma.

"We understand that Russia, being by far the largest and most influential member, must be the unifying force. But its agenda cannot be the CIS agenda," he added.

President Kuchma said he still has problems with the way the CIS has developed, not the least of which is that within the commonwealth informal regional alliances and trade partnerships exist. "This will only result in the ruin of the CIS. I am still for the CIS, I still think that we can do a lot with it," said the president.

The Ukrainian president also said Mr. Yeltsin had given the leaders a briefing on the Helsinki summit and added, "The most important thing is that the president of Russia did not make out NATO expansion to be a tragedy."

Kuchma-Yeltsin meeting

On Saturday, the presidents of Ukraine and Russia met for an intensive round of talks on issues that have kept the two countries from signing a comprehensive treaty on friendship and cooperation. On the agenda were the continuing problems with the division of the Black Sea Fleet and Russian bases in Crimea, compensation for tactical weapons turned over to Russia, the "zero option" settlement of the debts and assets of the former Soviet Union, and the settlement of Ukraine's trade debts to Russia.

President Kuchma said these issues would be further discussed when Russia's Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin visits Ukraine in the next two months, which would be followed by a visit to Kyiv by President Yeltsin for an official signing of the treaty on friendship and cooperation.

This is the sixth time that such a meeting has been announced. When asked if this one would be for real, Mr. Kuchma replied, "It will be when he arrives. We expect him to do so."

On the matter of the Black Sea Fleet, the Ukrainian president said he and Mr. Yeltsin had agreed that the issue of the Crimean fleet should not be the issue that should halt the signing of a treaty. "I do not believe that the Black Sea Fleet is the main detriment to a treaty. It has become the focal point because the opposition has used it to worsen Ukraine-Russia relations," said President Kuchma. "We agreed in Moscow that it is not a conflict, but a disagreement." He said the Black Sea Fleet issue could now be resolved after the signing of the treaty on friendship and cooperation.

He also stated that no one should get their hopes up that the Russian troops in Crimea would soon leave, and he gave a time frame of five to 10 years for their departure once an agreement is reached.

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