NEWSBRIEFS (12/09/01)

NEWSBRIEFS

Russia seeks to invest in Ukraine

MOSCOW - Speaking in Moscow at a meeting of the Russian-Ukrainian Intergovernmental Economic Commission on December 4, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasianov said Russia has a keen interest in taking part in major privatization projects in Ukraine in "complete accordance with local legislation," Prime-TASS reported. In addition to joint ventures in the energy sector, Russia seeks to invest in Ukrainian aviation, transport and agricultural machinery production, Mr. Kasianov said. In response, his Ukrainian counterpart, Anatolii Kinakh, said Kyiv supports the creation of more joint financial and industrial groups between the two countries. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukrainian, Croatian presidents meet

KYIV - Following talks in Kyiv on December 3, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and his Croatian counterpart, Stipe Mesic, confirmed their will to contribute to combating global terrorism and pledged to enhance bilateral economic cooperation, Ukrainian media reported. The two sides signed accords on improvements to international road transport, rebuilding of bridges over the Danube River, and cooperation in the military and technical field. Mr. Kuchma assured Mr. Mesic that the CIS does not stand in the way of Ukraine's integration into the European Union. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukrainian gold, currency reserves up

KYIV - Ukrainian National Bank official Serhii Yaremenko told the UNIAN news agency on December 3 that the country's net gold and currency reserves have increased to $3.15 billion. Mr. Yaremenko noted that the liquid reserves now stand at $3.04 billion, which is $1.5 billion more than at the beginning of the year. He also revealed that the NBU's net international reserves (the sum by which its assets exceed its liabilities) stood at $1.3 billion as of November 29. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine to supply gas masks to U.S.

KYIV - Ukraine will supply 2 million gas masks to the United States, Ukrainian Television reported on December 3, citing sources in the Cherkasy chemical fiber factory where gas masks are produced. The United States displayed interest in Ukrainian gas masks after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The United States will reportedly pay $20 for each mask. The price of one gas mask in Ukraine is 38 hrv ($7.20) The contract must be implemented by May 2002. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ministry says it will protect journalists

KYIV - The newspaper Holos Ukrainy reported on December 1 that the Internal Affairs Ministry's directorate in Cherkasy Oblast has taken "unprecedented measures" to protect local journalists. According to the Cherkasy police department, every editorial board and every local correspondent working for a national paper "will permanently be protected by the heads of the Ukrainian Internal Affairs Ministry's directorate in Cherkasy Oblast, the chief of the ministry's special services, and the ministry's district and city directors." Thirty-six journalists in Cherkasy have already received protective aerosol gases from law-enforcement agencies, while the police department is pledging to issue permits that would allow members of the media to carry guns that fire rubber bullets. (RFE/RL Newsline)

NTV-Ukraine goes on air in January

KYIV - Ukrainian media mogul Vadym Rabynovych has announced that a new television company, NTV-Ukraine, will go on the air in January 2002, Interfax reported on November 30. Mr. Rabynovych said 90 percent of the company's staff will be made up of Ukrainians and 10 percent of Russians. "The new channel will be an information channel, the policy of [Russia's] NTV will be preserved, this is the main thing. We will select topics together when we do the news. We consider ourselves the junior partner of the Russian [NTV television]," Mr. Rabynovych said. He also said NTV-Ukraine will be bilingual, but added, "Making a new television program, we know that 99 percent of Ukraine's people want to watch Russian channels and read Russian newspapers." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Security service raid targets editor

KYIV - Representatives of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted a search of the home of Oleh Yeltsov, the editor of the website "Criminal Ukraine" (http://www.cripo.com.ua/) during the evening of November 26. They presented a court order allowing the search and informed Mr. Yeltsov that the raid was being carried out in order to "prevent the release of confidential information." After the search, the editor's computer was disabled. Mr. Yeltsov's website recently began posting Ukrainian translations of articles from "RFE/RL Crime, Corruption and Terrorism Watch." (RFE/RL Crime, Corruption and Terrorism Watch)

Poland delays visa curbs for neighbors

BRUSSELS - The European Union's chief negotiator Jan Truszczynski said in Brussels on November 28 that Poland will not meet its commitment to introduce EU-style visas for Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians in 2001 because the meager national budget cannot afford the costs that would be incurred in opening new consulates and hiring more diplomatic personnel. "The introduction of visas is an enormous task. In 2000 Poland was visited by 5.9 million Belarusians, 2.75 million citizens of Russia, and 6.1 million Ukrainians, while our consulates all over the world issued [only] 185,000 visas the same year," the PAP news agency quoted Mr. Truszczynski as saying. The agency said Poland's EU negotiators unofficially suggest that Warsaw will introduce visas for Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians in 2003, shortly before Poland's anticipated accession to the EU in 2004. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin offers Ukraine free-trade zone

MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin announced after meeting on November 28 with his Ukrainian counterpart, Leonid Kuchma, who was in Moscow for the meeting of CIS leaders, that the two countries have agreed to sign a treaty on establishing a "free economic zone" within the next six months, the RIA-Novosti news service reported. Ratification of Russian-Ukrainian accords last summer stimulated the development of trade relations between the two countries in many areas. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Picketers seek higher minimum wages

KYIV - Several thousand people representing the Ukrainian Federation of Trade Unions, the Communist Party and other organizations picketed the Parliament building on November 29 to demand that lawmakers increase the minimum wage and public education funding in the budget draft they are currently debating, Inter television reported. The trade unions want the minimum wage to be established at 165 hrv ($31) per month in January-June 2002, and increased to 183 hrv beginning on July 1, 2002, while the government and the deputies suggest that the 2002 minimum wage should be 140 hrv. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine to export 7 M tons of grain

KYIV - Ukraine will export some 7 million tons of grain from this year's record harvest by July 2002, the UNIAN news agency reported, quoting Agriculture Minister Ivan Kyrylenko. Ukrainian companies have already exported around 2 million tons of grain and concluded contracts to export 4.5 million tons more. According to the minister, Ukrainian exports are limited only by the capacity of its ports and railways. The main customers buying Ukrainian grain are in the Middle East and the Far East (North Korea). (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine to buy stake in chemical giant

YEREVAN - Representatives of Ukraine's Inter-Kontakt recently visited Yerevan to discuss the possibility of acquiring for 6.6 billion drams (some $12 million) a 51 percent stake in the Nairit chemical plant that produces chloroprene rubber, according to the Arminfo news service, as cited by Groong. Inter-Kontakt has expressed its readiness to invest some $22 million in the plant in order to increase annual output from 10,000 tons to 25,000-30,000 tons. Nairit's debts for the first six months of 2001 alone amount to over $7 million. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Havel against Russia in NATO

PRAGUE - Czech President Vaclav Havel, speaking in the Senate on November 27, listed Albania, Croatia and Serbia as potential future candidates, but said he is opposed to Russian membership in NATO. Mr. Havel said any attempt to integrate Russia into NATO would hurt the identity of the alliance and turn it into "just another boundless institution, a new OSCE or a new United Nations." NATO, he added in an obvious allusion to recent statements made by British Premier Tony Blair, that Russia should be allowed to join the Atlantic alliance, "cannot casually offer membership to somebody [just because of] momentary harmonic relations." (RFE/RL Newsline)

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