NEWSBRIEFS (03/29/98)

NEWSBRIEFS

Kuchma urges youth to vote

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma urged young voters to go to the polls on March 29 to counterbalance the votes of older, conservative citizens, Reuters reported on March 21. Mr. Kuchma said, "our task is to ensure" that young people will vote, adding they are the greatest supporters of progressive policies. Pensioners make up nearly one-third of the Ukrainian population and are the main supporters of the Communist Party, which is leading in all opinion polls. The president also criticized centrist parties for not uniting to form one bloc. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Two politicians injured in shootings

KYIV - Two candidates for the Verkhovna Rada were injured in separate attacks on March 24, Reuters reported. Vasyl Koriak, mayor of Lubny, was seriously injured when his car was attacked by gunmen. Mr. Koriak, a member of the Social Democratic Party - United, is running for a seat in Parliament. In the Black Sea port city of Sevastopol, Vasyl Kalytiuk, a top official in the Crimean branch of the Social Democrats, also was shot at while driving his car. He suffered light injuries. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yeltsin, Chernomyrdin phone Kuchma

KYIV - Russian President Boris Yeltsin and former Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin each called President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine on March 23 to discuss the changes in the Russian government, ITAR-TASS reported. Mr. Kuchma said President Yeltsin stressed that foreign policy and bilateral relations will not change, while Mr. Chernomyrdin expressed his appreciation for the Ukrainian president's role in developing closer relations. The Ukrainian president, for his part, thanked Mr. Chernomyrdin for his efforts in bringing to fruition the long-term economic program recently signed in Moscow. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Airline to pay relatives of crash victims

KYIV - The Ukrainian airline Aerosweet announced on March 18 that it will pay some $7 million to the families of Greek passengers who died in a crash last December near Thessaloniki, ITAR-TASS reported on March 18. At least 69 people died in the crash, and relatives of the victims have demanded compensation, even though a report on the cause of the crash has not been completed. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Poland, Ukraine to boost economic ties

WARSAW - Delegations to the Consultative Committee of the Presidents of Ukraine and Poland agreed on March 17 to increase economic relations, an RFE/RL correspondent in Warsaw reported. After a two-day meeting in Warsaw, the sides released a joint statement that revealed plans for the creation of a transport corridor between the Black and Baltic seas. The talks were chaired by Secretary Volodymyr Horbulin of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and Marek Siwiek, who heads the Polish National Security Office. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Thousands march against Lukashenka

MIENSK - An estimated 10,000 people took to the streets of Miensk on March 22 to mark the 80th anniversary of an independent Belarusian state and to protest against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. The crowd began marching toward the presidential palace but was stopped by police. A few dozen protesters were detained after minor skirmishes with police but were later released. Semion Sharetskyi, former chairman of Parliament and leading opposition figure, said Mr. Lukashenka can remain in power only "through the strengthening of his authority and [through] a state monopoly and militarization of the economy." The demonstration was authorized. (RFE/RL Newsline)

EU officials threaten to withdraw support

KYIV - A European Union delegation in Kyiv has threatened to withdraw support for Ukraine's entry into the World Trade Organization unless it repeals tax breaks granted to Korean automaker Daewoo, Agence-France Presse reported on March 10. Kyiv granted a 10-year exemption to Daewoo on profits and customs duties after it formed a joint venture with Ukrainian automaker AvtoZaz in September 1997. It also recently put restrictions on the import of used cars to Ukraine. The EU said such actions violate the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and World Trade Organization regulations, and has threatened Kyiv with sanctions if it fails to rescind the measures. (RFE/RL Newsline)

EBRD releases money for Chornobyl

KYIV - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development said it is sending some $30 million (U.S.) to the Chornobyl Shelter Fund, which will oversee urgently needed repairs on the sarcophagus covering the fourth reactor at the Chornobyl nuclear plant, Reuters reported on March 17. The bank said the fund has received pledges of $387 million from 18 countries to fund the costs of repairing the sarcophagus. (RFE/RL Newsline)