NEWSBRIEFS (08/24/97)

NEWSBRIEFS

Kuchma greets Clinton on birthday

WASHINGTON - President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine sent birthday greetings to President Bill Clinton on August 19 on the occasion of his 51st birthday. Mr. Kuchma wished the American president good health, an ample supply of creativity and great accomplishments in his work. "In Ukraine you are known as a noteworthy political activist of our time, the leader of the most powerful state in the world, which continues to make a significant contribution to disseminating the ideals of freedom, peace and democracy throughout the world," Mr. Kuchma wrote. "We highly value your personal efforts aimed at developing the strategic partnership between our states, creating favorable conditions for strengthening the political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and establishing a civil society and a free market in our country," the Ukrainian president noted. (Embassy of Ukraine)

Russia to observe "Sea Breeze '97"

KYIV - Russia has decided to send observers to a U.S.-Ukrainian military exercise that it earlier described as a threat to its security and to that of the Crimean peninsula, Interfax and ITAR-TASS reported. Ukrainian Chief of Staff and First Vice Minister of Defense Oleksander Zatynaiko said Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeiev has approved the participation of Russian observers in the "Sea Breeze '97" exercise, although Moscow continues to oppose the maneuvers. Naval forces from Turkey and Bulgaria also will participate in the exercises, which are taking place at the end of this month in the western part of the Black Sea. Greece, Georgia, Romania and Italy are sending observers. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine to reduce gas consumption

KYIV - Ukraine, the biggest consumer of Russian gas, plans to cut Russian gas imports by 20 percent over an unspecified period, said Mykhailo Kovalko, head of the State Oil and Gas Committee. Ukraine also plans to modernize its private distribution system. "Ukraine aims to reach gas consumption of 76 billion cubic meters in 1998," Mr. Kovalko said. A government group chaired by Vice Prime Ministers Anatolii Holubchenko and Serhii Tyhypko has been working since last month on a new, more competitive gas distribution scheme which in 1995 was handed to several private gas traders. Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko said there would be tenders for rights to distribute gas and traders would be obliged to pay for licenses, from which Ukraine hopes to raise $1 billion in fees. (Reuters)

CIS summit postponed yet again

MOSCOW - The next meeting of CIS heads of state will take place on November 20 in Chisinau, Interfax reported on August 15. At the last summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States in late March participants agreed tentatively to convene again in June, but no definite date was set. In late July the press service of the CIS Executive Secretariat told Interfax that the next CIS summit would take place in the Moldovan capital in late September or early October. Nezavisimaya Gazeta on August 16 quoted President Boris Yeltsin's press secretary Sergei Yastrzhembskii as saying that one of the topics of discussion at the November summit will be space research in the CIS states. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine may supply turbine to Iran

KHARKIV- Foreign Affairs Minister Hennadii Udovenko on August 18 said Ukraine is considering a proposal by Turboatom, a Kharkiv-based factory, to supply a turbine for a reactor Russia is building in Iran," Interfax reported. Mr. Udovenko was speaking during a visit to that eastern Ukrainian city. Mr. Udovenko said he will study a draft contract under which Turboatom would supply a 1,000-megawatt turbine for the plant in the Iranian city of Bushehr. He admitted that "fulfillment of the contract could complicate relations with our partners." The U.S. and Israel have argued that the plant could help Iran develop nuclear weapons. In April, Israel's Trade and Industry Minister Natan Sharansky said President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine had promised him that Ukraine would not provide Russia with turbines for the Bushehr project or "do anything to help Iran, Iraq, or Libya build weapons of mass destruction." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Military plane crashes in Uman

UMAN - A Ukrainian L-39 military aircraft crashed during a test flight near a military airfield at Uman, some 200 kilometers south of Kyiv on August 14, Reuters reported. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense said the two pilots were killed. An investigation commission has been set up to examine the cause of the crash. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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