NEWSBRIEFS (07/15/01)

NEWSBRIEFS

Election official urges new law

KYIV - Mykhailo Riabets, the head of the Central Election Commission, told journalists on July 10 that it will be "simply impossible" to conduct next year's parliamentary election campaign under the current election law, Interfax reported. According to Mr. Riabets, neither his commission nor any other body will be able to control the election campaign and prevent mass violations of election procedures since the current election law does not provide for clear-cut election regulation mechanisms. President Leonid Kuchma has already vetoed three election bills passed by the parliament this year. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma once again vetoes election law

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma has vetoed a bill providing for the election of 335 parliamentary deputies under the proportional party-list system and 115 in single-mandate constituencies, Interfax reported on July 5. It was Mr. Kuchma's third veto of the Verkhovna Rada's attempts to amend the current election law, which calls for electing 225 deputies from party lists and 225 deputies in single-mandate constituencies. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kuchma slams national deputies

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma on July 11 said some Ukrainian lawmakers and politicians intentionally discredit the country in the international arena, Interfax reported. "No one speaks more abominably about Ukraine than Ukrainian politicians," Mr. Kuchma noted. The president added that Ukrainian legislators are more concerned with their own well-being than lawmaking. According to Mr. Kuchma, parliamentary groups are paid "millions of dollars" for voting on some bills. "The deputy's pay is only pocket money. They get their basic pay in greenbacks," Mr. Kuchma said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Chernomyrdin warns Kyiv on neutrality

KYIV - Russian Ambassador to Ukraine Viktor Chernomyrdin told Moscow's Nezavisimaya Gazeta on July 11 that Ukraine can play the role of a "regional leader," Interfax reported. Mr. Chernomyrdin noted, however, that Ukraine's "neutral status may essentially undermine [Kyiv's] strategic interests" and lead to a situation in which the role of such a leader is assumed by "other countries." The Russian ambassador said he does not understand "those Ukrainians who are lobbying for the policy of economic isolation of their country from Russia." And he added: "I doubt whether Ukraine will be able to find an alternative to the Russian market in Europe, Asia or Latin America." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Polish foreign minister visits Ukraine

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine on July 9 met with Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, Ukrainian Television reported. Mr. Kuchma expressed his satisfaction with the pace of the Ukrainian-Polish dialogue at all levels. Mr. Bartoszewski responded that the wish to promote Ukrainian-Polish relations is mutual. He also told journalists that Ukraine should take advantage of the international political climate, which is extremely favorable for the country to step up integration with the West, PAP reported. Mr. Bartoszewski noted that irrespective of the result of the September 23 parliamentary elections in Poland, Warsaw's policy toward Kyiv will not change. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Poland has not yet agreed to pipeline

KYIV - Polish Foreign Affairs Minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski said in Kyiv on July 9 that Warsaw has not yet made a final decision to support construction of a Russian gas pipeline bypassing Ukraine, RIA-Novosti reported. He said that the Polish government is also considering other routes that would link Ukraine more closely with Western Europe. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine, Moldova seek to resolve problems

KYIV - Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatolii Kinakh and his Moldovan counterpart, Vasile Tarlev, declared in Kyiv on July 9 that their countries are ready to resolve a number of serious problems in trade and economic cooperation, Interfax reported. In response to Ukrainian Transport Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko's warning that Kyiv will ensure "rigorous parity" in cross-border shipments if Chisinau fails to ratify the Moldovan-Ukrainian border treaty, Mr. Tarlev said that the Moldovan Parliament will soon ratify the pact. Both sides also pledged to simplify border control by establishing joint border checkpoints. Mr. Tarlev promised that Moldova will replace a triple customs control procedure on a railroad line that thrice crosses the Ukrainian-Moldovan border with a single customs check. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine to export electricity via Moldova

KYIV - Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatolii Kinakh and his Moldovan counterpart, Vasile Tarlev, on July 10 agreed to deliver Ukrainian electricity through Moldovan territory to Mediterranean countries, Interfax reported. The two sides signed five bilateral accords, including on customs cooperation and cooperation between business organizations. Mr. Tarlev pledged to pay off some $900,000 in railroad transport debts to Ukraine and to decrease railway tariffs for Ukrainian cargo loads through Moldova to the Ukrainian port of Reni. Meanwhile, Russian-Ukrainian talks about the coupling of both countries' power grids - which was agreed on in February by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and Russian President Vladimir Putin - have ended in deadlock. According to ITAR-TASS, Kyiv does not want to lift restrictions on Russian electricity supplies or discuss commercial terms of Russian electricity transit through Ukraine to third countries. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Economy minister is appointed

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma has appointed Oleksander Shlapak as economy minister, thus filling the last vacancy in Prime Minister Anatolii Kinakh's Cabinet, Interfax reported on July 10. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Shlapak was vice minister of the economy. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine, Tajikistan sign accords

KYIV - Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and his Tajik counterpart ,Imomali Rakhmonov, on July 6 signed 12 documents on bilateral cooperation in economy, trade and science, including a friendship treaty, Interfax reported. The presidents also decided to create a joint economic commission. President Kuchma said Ukraine is ready to develop Tajikistan's rich natural deposits, while President Rakhmonov noted that Tajikistan is interested in cooperation in the energy, agricultural and aluminum industry sectors. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rada OKs amnesty for 35,000 convicts

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on July 5 passed an amnesty bill providing for the release of some 35,000 convicts from prison, Interfax reported. The bill, which applies mainly to women and those convicted of non-violent crimes, was adopted as a prelude to celebrations of the 10th anniversary of Ukraine's independence on August 24, 1991. According to official data, there are some 227,000 prisoners in Ukraine. (RFE/RL Newsline)

NATO-sponsored exercise held in Odesa

ODESA - Some 1,500 officers from 12 countries on July 6 started the NATO-sponsored exercise Sea Breeze 2001 in the Black Sea port of Odesa, the Associated Press reported. The exercise - which includes three stages of computerized, sea and coastal training involving seven Ukrainian vessels, a U.S. Coast Guard ship and a Turkish landing ship, as well as military planes and helicopters - was to continue through July 16. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Romania protests Ukrainian drilling

BUCHAREST - The Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry on June 19 protested an announcement by Ukraine that it intends to start drilling in search of oil in the vicinity of Serpents' Island in the Black Sea, Romanian Radio reported. The ministry drew attention to the fact that, when signing the bilateral treaty between them in May 1997, both sides agreed to refrain from exploiting mineral resources in the disputed area around the island until the dispute is solved via negotiations. (RFE/RL Newsline)

New Russian tariff hits Ukraine hardest

MOSCOW - The Russian government has introduced a 30 percent tariff on potato and corn starch to protect domestic producers, a levy that will hit Ukraine more heavily than any other country, RIA-Novosti reported on July 9. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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