NEWSBRIEFS (06/11/00)

NEWSBRIEFS

Chornobyl to close regardless of funding

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma said on June 6 that the Chornobyl nuclear power plant will be shut down on December 15 even if the G-7 fails to allocate promised funds to reinforce the cover of the Chornobyl reactor that was destroyed in 1986. "I am the president of a great country and I bear responsibility for my words. Everything will be done as I have said," Mr. Kuchma added. Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko noted the same day that the country will need an additional $100 million to pay for conventional fuel to generate one year's worth of electricity to make up for lost capacity when Chornobyl shuts. Experts say closing Chornobyl, making it safe, and compensating for lost capacity may cost more than $2 billion. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Minister gives more info on army cuts

KYIV - Defense Minister Oleksander Kuzmuk on May 31 provided additional information on the army reductions approved earlier that week, Interfax reported. Gen. Kuzmuk said the armed forces will total 295,000 servicemen and 80,000 civilian employees by December 2005. He added that the army's current numerical strength is 310,000 servicemen and 90,000 civilian workers. The armed forces will also reduce its hardware by 400 tanks, 289 aircraft, 189 helicopters, and 11 ships. Gen. Kuzmuk added that the army will acquire a new combat formation called "rapid-response forces." Leonid Poliakov, an independent Ukrainian political expert, told Interfax that the total number of military and civilian personnel is lower than official figures suggest and in fact totals 370,000 to 375,000. "There will be no changes," Mr. Poliakov said, commenting on the announced personnel cuts. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin takes ABM proposal to Rome

ROME - One day after his summit meeting with U.S. President Bill Clinton at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalists in Rome that Russia proposes setting up, "together with Europe and NATO, a common, joint European anti-missile defense system," Reuters reported on June 5. Such a system, he said, would "enable us to avoid all problems linked to the imbalance of force and ... would allow an absolute 100 percent guarantee for each individual European country with the support, obviously, of our U.S. colleagues and partners." Mr. Putin was speaking after talks with Italian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato that reportedly focused on international security. Also on June 5, Yabloko leader Grigorii Yavlinskii, speaking in Moscow, came out in favor of a Russian-European missile defense system that would use Russian defense technology. The S-300 and S-400 air defense systems are of "better quality" than their U.S. analogues, he commented, adding that "Europe admits and understands that." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin meets with Pope John Paul II

ROME - President Vladimir Putin met with Pope John Paul II on June 5 during a 30-minute private conversation that focused on disarmament questions and the international situation, the Vatican told the DPA news service. Mr. Putin did not invite the pope to Moscow, as some Italian media had speculated he would. Adding fuel to those rumors were comments made by the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Aleksei II to reporters the previous day when he noted that he does not rule out a meeting with the pope "in the foreseeable future." Patriarch Aleksei added that such a meeting "shouldn't happen just before the television cameras. It is necessary that it be well-prepared and [that it] bring about concrete results." A Moscow Patriarchate official in charge of relations with the Roman Catholic Church told the Moscow Times on June 6 that while relations between the two Churches have improved lately, the Russian Orthodox Church is still a long way from such a step as welcoming the pope to Russia. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine, Kazakstan to boost cooperation

KYIV - Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and his Kazak counterpart, Nursultan Nazarbaev, have spoken out in favor of boosting bilateral economic cooperation, Interfax reported on June 3. Mr. Kuchma said the prospects for developing cooperation in the energy sector, metallurgy and machine building are good. Mr. Nazarbaev noted that Kazakstan and Ukraine are engaged in no political or economic disputes. He said that next year Kazakstan will complete the construction of the Severokaspii-Novorossiisk oil pipeline, after which Kazakstan "will be able to ensure the operation of Ukraine's refineries." Both presidents attended celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of the town of Dniprodzerzhynsk, Donetsk Oblast, where Mr. Nazarbaev graduated from a vocational school in 1960 as a trained metal worker. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rada rejects privatization of Ukrtelekom

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on June 1 turned down a government-proposed bill to privatize the state telecommunications company Ukrtelekom, Interfax reported. The bill was supported by 222 deputies, just four votes short of gaining approval. The Communist and Socialist factions refused to participate in the vote. The bill called for the state to retain 50 percent plus one share in Ukrtelekom. The lucrative telecommunications company is the most important item in the government's list of firms to be privatized in 2000. Some $500 million in budget revenues is expected to be generated this year from privatization. State Property Fund Chairman Oleksander Bondar said the government next week will submit the bill for another vote. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Armenian, Ukrainian ministers meet

YEREVAN - Armenian Foreign Affairs Minister Vartan Oskanian and Dmitrii Tkach of Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held talks in Yerevan on May 30 on bilateral political and economic relations, which they evaluated highly, cooperation within the Commonwealth of Independent States, and stability and security in the south Caucasus, Groong reported citing Armenian National Television and Armenpress. Mr. Tkach assured Oskanian Kyiv supports Armenia's bid for full membership in the Council of Europe and is prepared to contribute towards resolving the Karabakh conflict. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Conference focuses on WW II crimes

VILNIUS - The fourth session of the International Commission for the Evaluation of Nazi and Soviet Crimes was held at the Lithuanian Parliament on June 1. Prime Minister Andris Kubilius was direct about the role of Lithuanians in the Holocaust: "We must clearly say to ourselves and our children that Lithuanian people participated," he told delegates, adding that "it is the only way to live with one's conscience and the international democratic community," the BNS news agency reported. Mr. Kubilius also warned about the resurgence of extremism in Europe, "and sometimes even in Lithuania," hinting at the resurgence of a neo-Nazi group and the recent political success of radical organizations. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Black Sea countries set up group

KYIV - The naval commanders of the Black Sea region have decided to set up a multinational operational group BlackSeaFor. The main goal of the organization will be search and rescue operations, environmental protection and mine-clearing measures. The group will consist of representatives of all Black Sea region countries. (Eastern Economist)

Grain exports caused rise in bread prices

KYIV - The massive export of grain from Ukraine caused increases in bread prices, stated Kyiv Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko at a meeting organized by the Social Democratic Party (United) to protest bread price increases. He added that, according to the State Customs Committee, "companies Slavutych Agro and Slavutych exported 10,000 and 9,000 tons of grain, respectively," and one of the founders of these companies is SDPU leader Hryhorii Surkis. Mr. Omelchenko stated that the city administration will allocate 6.7 million hrv for bread price discounts for the socially vulnerable population of the city. He noted that Kyiv currently possesses enough grain and flour to bake 800 tons of bread per day and not to set limitations on bread export beyond the city limits. According to specialists, grain reserves are not more than 3 million tons, with the annual need for Kyiv amounting to 350,000 tons. (Eastern Economist)

Green Party starts new program

KYIV - Approximately 6,300 trees have already been planted in the Rivne, Donetsk, Kharkiv and Volyn oblasts, as well as in Kyiv, under the new environmental project Renaissance 2000 initiated by the Green Party. The project targets the protection of air and water, and the recycling of waste. "We plan to plant 2,000 trees in each of 500 towns and villages in Ukraine as a part of this air program with the help of youth and Ukrainian music fans since many show-business celebrities are supporting the project," commented Yevhen Prosvit, head of the Zoloti Vorota broadcasting company. "Although we do not have much government or media support, the project continues and we will start the next part in the fall" added Vitalii Kononov, head of the Greens. (Eastern Economist)

Tatars demand authority, land

SYMFEROPOL - Some 300 Crimean Tatars held a rally in front of the Crimean Parliament building on May 24 to demand the representation of Crimean Tatars in bodies of power on the peninsula as well as the granting of land to Crimean Tatars in the ongoing process of land privatization, Interfax reported. Protesters held posters appealing for the dissolution of the Crimean Parliament and the introduction of direct presidential rule on the peninsula. The rally was held at a tent camp that the Tatars had set up earlier this month. The Crimean legislature reportedly pledged to create a commission to examine the issue of Tatar representation in local bodies of power, but made this promise conditional on removal of the tent camp. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Georgian town rehabilitates Stalin

KHASHURI, Georgia - A statue of Joseph Stalin was unveiled in the west Georgian town of Khashuri on May 7 - more than 40 years after it was dismantled and consigned to storage, ITAR-TASS reported. The restoration of that monument raises to 18 the number of Stalin statues in Georgia, according to the Associated Press. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Non-residents exempt from income tax

KYIV - The Cabinet of Ministers approved the procedure for exempting non-residents' income earned in Ukraine from taxation in accordance with the Ukrainian international treaty on double-taxation. The taxes on incomes of non-residents subject to the provisions of the tax agreement will be paid in the resident's country of residence. Permits for tax exemption will be issued by the local state tax authorities on the request of a non-resident. After a non-resident submits a request, the tax authorities review the information provided regarding their registration and income, as well as eligibility for tax exemption. (Eastern Economist)

Vilnius seeks restitution of Soviet seizures

KYIV - The Lithuanian Parliament on June 6 passed a resolution calling for the restitution of funds seized from private individuals during the Soviet occupation, the BNS news service reported. The resolution, which passed by a 55-2 vote, called on the government to "approach the Russian Federation, as the inheritor of the rights and obligations of the former USSR, and demand repayment of funds confiscated by the Soviet occupation regime as well as of Lithuanian citizens' deposits left in the USSR Central Savings Bank." Another resolution seeking damages from the Soviet occupation, which parliamentary chairman Vytautas Landsbergis drafted, is awaiting debate in the Parliament. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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