NEWSBRIEFS (02/18/01)

NEWSBRIEFS

Leaders seek to quell 'destructive forces'

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma, Prime Minister Viktor Yuschenko and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Ivan Pliusch on February 13 issued a joint statement pledging their determination to use "all legitimate means" to quell the current political unrest and "destructive forces" in the country, Interfax and ITAR-TASS reported. According to the three leaders, Ukraine is witnessing "an unprecedented political campaign with all the signs of a psychological war." They also say the recently created Forum for National Salvation is not seeking salvation for the nation but "for themselves from political bankruptcy and oblivion ... [and] criminal responsibility." The statement warns that "the attempts to stir up passions and use methods of provocation to deepen the split in society and prompt the use of force by the authorities constitute a real threat to national security." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma speaks with Financial Times

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma told London's Financial Times on February 10 that he had no role in the death of independent journalist Heorhii Gongadze. "I can swear on the Bible or on the Constitution that I never made such an order to destroy a human being. This is simply absurd," he noted. President Kuchma said the tapes provided by his former bodyguard, Mykola Melnychenko, are a montage of different conversations recorded "probably" in his office. "Maybe the name Gongadze came up in conversations, I don't remember. But I give you my honest word, I did not even know this journalist," Mr. Kuchma said. He said the tape scandal was staged by a "well-organized force" with "a great deal of money and capabilities," adding that "I completely reject the idea that this was done on the level of states, that it was the Americans or the Russians." (RFE/RL Newsline)

EU envoys raise media, Gongadze case

KYIV - A delegation from the European Union led by Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh discussed the media situation in Ukraine and the investigation of the Gongadze case with President Leonid Kuchma on February 13, Interfax reported. Foreign Affairs Minister Anatolii Zlenko said the interlocutors agreed that it is necessary to "conclude the investigation in the Gongadze case ... and focus on the search for the guilty." Ms. Lindh said: "It is very important that conditions for the media in Ukraine are improved and that the fate of journalist and regime critic Gongadze is finally clarified. The Gongadze case must be seen as a test of the democratic development in Ukraine," the Associated Press reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

MD asks for asylum in Great Britain

KYIV - Surgeon Valerii Ivasiuk has asked for asylum in Great Britain, Interfax reported on February 13, quoting the London newspaper Independent. Dr. Ivasiuk was involved as an expert in the identification of the decapitated body that is believed to be that of missing journalist Heorhii Gongadze. Dr. Ivasiuk repeatedly contradicted in public the statements of Procurator General Mykhailo Potebenko that the body cannot be unambiguously identified as Mr. Gongadze's. The physician told the British newspaper that following his public pronouncements, officers of the Security Service of Ukraine threatened to arrest him and suggested that his life is in danger. Dr. Ivasiuk, who previously was a national deputy representing Rukh, left for Great Britain last month, leaving his wife and two children in Ukraine. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Forum wants to annul accords with Putin

KYIV - The Forum for National Salvation will seek legislative invalidation of the agreements adopted during President Leonid Kuchma's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Dnipropetrovsk, Interfax reported on February 13, quoting National Deputy Taras Stetskiv. According to Mr. Stetskiv, the Kuchma-Putin talks signaled Ukraine's "unambiguous reorientation toward Russia." He added, "A serious step was made toward [Ukraine's] capitulation to the Russian partner, primarily in the economic sector." Legislator Oleksander Hudyma said the Kuchma-Putin accord to couple both countries' electricity grids threatens Ukraine's "national energy security system." And Deputy Yurii Kostenko noted that President Putin's visit to Dnipropetrovsk intended to pull Ukraine into a "military-political union" with Russia. Foreign Affairs Minister Anatolii Zlenko commented later the same day that political issues were not discussed in Dnipropetrovsk. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin says ties have improved

KYIV - In an interview with Ukrainian television in advance of his meeting with President Leonid Kuchma on 12 February, Russian President Putin said that the two of them "managed to do the main thing last year - we changed the quality of relations." He continued, "I think this was one of the main achievements of Russian diplomacy last year," ITAR-TASS reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Zhirinovsky urges defense of Kuchma

MOSCOW - The vice-chairman of the Russian Duma, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky, told Interfax on February 12 that Russia should do everything possible to support the victory in Ukraine of "pro-Russian forces" and help Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma beat back opposition groups supported by "Western special services and political centers." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma orders removal of Soviet symbols

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma's office announced that the Soviet symbols which still appear on many buildings in Ukraine will gradually be removed, in accordance with a new presidential decree. The decree said the symbols will be removed during reconstruction of the buildings. (Associated Press)

Patriarchate opposes papal visit

MOSCOW - A spokesman for the Russian Orthodox hierarchy told Interfax on February 14 that the Church remains opposed to a visit by Pope John Paul II to Russia or Ukraine. The spokesman said that Roman Catholic missionary activity since the fall of communism and disputes over church property in western Ukraine must be discussed and solutions found before a visit would be acceptable. (RFE/RL Newsline)

OSCE studies language issues

KYIV - Having studied the problems of the Russian language in Ukraine and that of the Ukrainian language in Russia for a year, OSCE High Commissioner For Ethnic Minority Issues Max van der Stoel said he cannot understand what is the essence of the mass media reports on the oppression of the Russian language in Ukraine. Some facts from the thus far confidential report have been reported by Radio Liberty. Mr. Van der Stoel said that two-thirds of TV and radio programs in Ukraine are broadcast in Russian. The numbers of Russian language magazines and newspapers have increased by 20 and 25 titles, respectively. There is no reason to speak about the reduction of Russian-language programs at secondary schools. The number of Russian schools has indeed decreased, but this does not apply to the regions, where Russian is the main language spoken. Half of the Ukrainians name Russian as their language of communication, and one-third of schoolchildren are being taught in this language. Hence, Europe cannot understand Russia's hints about mythical oppression of the Russian language in Ukraine. (BBC Monitoring)

GUUAM summit is postponed

KYIV - The summit of GUUAM member-states (Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova) scheduled to take place in Kyiv on March 6-7 has been postponed at the request of Moldovan President Petru Lucinschi, Interfax reported on February 8. That decision was reached during telephone conversations between Mr. Lucinschi, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev, the agency added. Meanwhile the GUUAM member-states will hold a conference on small and medium-size businesses on February 27 in Brussels in an attempt to encourage foreign investment, Caucasus Press reported on February 9. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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