NEWSBRIEFS (07/02/00)

NEWSBRIEFS

Lazarenko admits money laundering

GENEVA - Pavlo Lazarenko, currently in detention in the United States, admitted through his Swiss lawyer on June 26 that he laundered $9 million in stolen money through Switzerland, the Associated Press reported. Mr. Lazarenko's confession appears aimed at securing a less harsh sentence from the Geneva court that is trying him on charges of money laundering. "This hearing is the result of negotiations with the defense to find a way out of a tangled case which seemed to be heading toward a dead end," Swiss prosecutor Bernard Bertossa told the court. Mr. Bertossa demanded an 18-month suspended prison term for the former prime minister of Ukraine. Investigators told the court that Mr. Lazarenko is believed to have embezzled a total of $880 million from Ukraine between 1994 and 1997, and that the money passed through more than 80 banks and some $170 million through Switzerland. (RFE/RL Newsline)

OSCE studies Ukraine's Russians

KYIV - OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Max van der Stoel has wrapped up a fact-finding mission in Ukraine of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe aimed at assessing the situation of the country's Russian minority. Mr. Van der Stoel visited Odesa, Kharkiv, the Crimean peninsula and Lviv - the site of recent Ukrainian-Russian tensions caused by the killing of Ukrainian composer Ihor Bilozir. Mr. Van der Stoel has not commented on the results of his mission, pledging only "to carefully study" the information and documents he gathered. The same day he left for Russia to examine the situation of ethnic Ukrainians there. "I have absolutely no grounds to think that the needs of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine are being ignored," Interfax quoted Vice Prime Minister Mykola Zhulynskyi as saying. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Democracies back 'Warsaw Declaration'

WARSAW - More than 100 countries participating in the "Toward a Community of Democracies" conference in Warsaw have endorsed a "Warsaw Declaration" on democratic values and principles. France's delegation refused to sign the document, saying that the debate at the conference "should be considered as only the beginning for such an exchange, but not as a program of action," the DPA news service reported. French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine said the previous day that some Western countries think of democracy as a "religion" that can be spread by means of "conversion" through punitive sanctions. Observers say Mr. Vedrine's pronouncement was veiled criticism of U.S. foreign-policy measures to promote democracy. "We did not come to Warsaw to impose democracy - for that is a contradiction in terms," U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright retorted the next day. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Conference guest list criticized

WASHINGTON - The U.S.-based Human Rights Watch has expressed dismay at what it called one-party states and governments restricting political freedom having been invited to the Warsaw conference on democracy, Reuters reported on June 26. The group cited such countries as Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Azerbaijan, Qatar, Kenya and Kuwait. "The concept of democracy is cheapened when it includes one-party states and governments that get 99 percent of the vote," Kenneth Roth, the group's executive director, said. The sponsors of the conference - the United States, the Czech Republic, Chile, India, Mali and South Korea - advised Peru, Haiti, Kyrgyzstan and Fiji to ignore their former invitations. Kyrgyzstan and Fuji complied, while Peru and Haiti nonetheless took part. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ten new deputies elected to Rada

KYIV - According to preliminary results released by the Central Election Commission, the June 25 by-elections in 10 constituencies resulted in the election of 10 new deputies, Interfax reported. The 450-seat legislature lacked 10 deputies because of the departure of nine lawmakers to work in the government and the death of one in 1998. The newly elected lawmakers include former Economy Minister Serhii Tyhypko, former Health Minister Raisa Bohatyrova, former Naftohaz Ukrainy head Ihor Bakai and Taras Chornovil, the son of former Rukh leader Vyacheslav Chornovil. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Albright receives honorary doctorate

GDANSK - U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright on June 25 visited the Baltic port of Gdansk, the cradle of the Solidarity movement, and paid homage to victims of communism, Reuters reported. "I'm a born Czech, but I wanted to become a Pole because I was so excited about what was happening here [in the 1980s] while my own country was not able to make the kinds of brave steps that the Polish people were taking," Ms. Albright told a gathering at Gdansk University, where she received an honorary doctorate. At the Gdynia docks she underscored Poland's new role as a NATO member by attending a ceremony to launch an ex-U.S. frigate, renamed Pulaski after the Polish American hero of America's war for independence. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukrainian president praises Putin

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma commented on returning from the Moscow summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States on June 21 that Russian President Vladimir Putin "[means] a really new Russia and a new policy," Interfax reported. He added that President Putin's policy is "more pragmatic, understandable and predictable, which serves Ukrainian interests." President Kuchma called the summit's agreement on the plan to introduce a CIS free trade zone "a historic event." In his opinion, the agreement will be implemented within the time frame set by the CIS summit. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Olympic medalist defies head coach

KYIV - World-renowned gymnast Olena Vitrychenko explained her reason for withdrawing from the final all-around competition in the wake of a judging scandal at the European Rhythmic Gymnastics championships held on June 1-4 in Zaragoza, Spain. She claimed the Ukrainian head coach, Albina Deriugina, deliberately lowered her scores while acting as a judge at the event which left the 1997 World Champion in a dismal 19th place. Ms. Vitrychenko added it was an attempt to keep her off the Ukrainian team for the Sydney Olympic Games in favor of the judge's own students. Ms. Vitrychenko's personal coach is her mother, Nina, who declared, "if the head coach of the national team can act this way, maybe that person is not the best head coach." Ms. Vitrychenko won a bronze all-around medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 and was expected by many to compete well in Sydney. (Eastern Economist)

Rada lifts immunity of deputy

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on June 22 voted 229-5 with 65 abstentions to lift the immunity of National Deputy Mykola Agafonov, Interfax reported. The Procurator General's Office suspects Mr. Agafonov of embezzling $24 million in state funds from an agricultural company he headed in 1992-1997. Prosecutors say Mr. Agafonov deposited some of the diverted money into accounts of former Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko, who faces money-laundering charges in the United States. Mr. Agafonov commented that the charges against him constitute "political intrigue" and said he will appeal the Parliament's decision in court. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Germany undecided on Chornobyl aid

KYIV - German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer told journalists in Kyiv on June 23 that his government is undecided on what help to give Ukraine to close the Chornobyl nuclear power station, the DPA news service reported. Mr. Fischer said the size of the German contribution to fix the steel and concrete shelter over Chornobyl's collapsed reactor can be decided only after a G-7 donor conference meets in Berlin on July 5. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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