NEWSBRIEFS (03/08/98)

NEWSBRIEFS

Albright to visit Ukraine

WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright will travel to Ukraine, Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Canada, departing from Washington on Thursday, March 5. The twofold purpose of her trip is to maintain close relationships with strong European allies, especially in light of diplomatic developments in Iraq and to nurture the U.S. relationship with Ukraine. During her visit to Kyiv she will meet with President Kuchma. Secretary Albright told the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee on March 4 that she will go to Kyiv with a "strong message of friendship but also of warning." The secretary must certify to the committee that Ukraine is responding satisfactorily to complaints by U.S. businesses in Ukraine. If that progress is not satisfactory, the $225 million in aid due to Kyiv next year will be halved. Secretary Albright also said she will press Ukrainian officials to halt the sale of turbines needed for an Iranian nuclear reactor being built with Russian help. (U.S. Department of State)

President Kuchma visits Siberia

MOSCOW - President Leonid Kuchma flew from Moscow to Kemerovo Oblast in Siberia on February 27. He spent two days meeting with the oblast's governor, Aman Tuleev, and his administration, signing several trade agreements. Kemerovo will ship coking coal, rail tracks, chemical and electrical engineering goods to Ukraine and will receive cars and buses, light industry goods and foodstuffs. President Kuchma told business leaders in Kemerovo on March 1 that Ukraine lost $3 billion in trade with Russia in 1997 but said agreements signed with President Boris Yeltsin on February 27 in Moscow ended the "trade war" between the two countries. President Kuchma also visited relatives and his sister's grave in the village of Berezovskii. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Chornobyl chief protests EBRD rejection

KYIV - Serhii Parashin, the director of the Chornobyl nuclear plant, on February 27 protested the decision by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development not to help fund the construction of two new reactors that would facilitate the permanent closing of Chornobyl. The EBRD decided last week to not fund eight of 13 projects proposed by Ukraine and approved by the Group of Seven industrial nations in 1995. Mr. Parashin said the decision was a "serious political loss." The EBRD's decision cripples Kyiv's hopes of closing Chornobyl by 2000. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Date set for visit of Pope John Paul II

KYIV - Pope John Paul II has agreed to visit Ukraine at the invitation of the Christian-Democratic Party. The news was revealed February 24 by the party head, Vitalii Zhuravskyi, during a visit to the Vatican. The date of the visit has already been agreed upon, but will be announced later. Mr. Zhuravskyi stressed the importance of the pope receiving an invitation from the President. (Eastern Economist)