NEWSBRIEFS (03/30/03)

NEWSBRIEFS

Ukrainian officers arrive in Kuwait

KYIV - A group of 15 Ukrainian officers arrived in Kuwait on March 22 to prepare the deployment of a Ukrainian anti-nuclear, -biological, and -chemical (NBC) battalion, ITAR-TASS reported. The officers will identify measures to be taken to ensure the safety of Kuwaitis and to gather information about the sanitary and epidemiological situation in the area, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry told the news agency. The NBC battalion comprising 432 servicemen will stay in Kuwait for at least six months in accordance with an agreement between the two countries. It will not participate in combat actions and will only provide humanitarian aid. (RFE/RL Newsline)

NBC battalion on the way to Kuwait

KYIV - Two Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft on March 25 began to airlift soldiers and equipment of the Ukrainian anti-nuclear, -biological and -chemical (NBC) battalion to Kuwait, Interfax reported. Within the next few days, two planes with troops and equipment on board are expected to fly to Kuwait every 24 hours, and the IL-76 planes could be replaced by more powerful Ruslan and Mria aircraft. Defense Minister Volodymyr Shkidchenko told journalists the same day that four servicemen of the battalion have refused to go to Kuwait, "owing to different reasons." The Verkhovna Rada approved sending the NBC unit to Kuwait last week. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Former vice PM arrested in grain probe

KYIV - Police have arrested former Vice Prime Minister for Agriculture Leonid Kozachenko on charges of tax evasion and abuse of office, Reuters reported on March 25, quoting Procurator General's Office spokeswoman Polina Bashkina. Ms. Bashkina said Mr. Kozachenko's detention stemmed from an investigation launched earlier this month at the order of President Leonid Kuchma, who is concerned by a deficit of grain and a rise in bread prices in Ukraine. Prosecutors last week said the actual grain crop in Ukraine in 2002 was "significantly lower" than the previously announced 38.8 million tons. (RFE/RL Newsline)

President introduces new Cabinet job

KYIV - President Leonid Kuchma has signed a decree introducing the post of cabinet minister for relations with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Ukrainian news agencies reported on March 25. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kinakh re-elected as party leader

KYIV - The third congress of the Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Party of Ukraine on March 22 unanimously re-elected former Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatolii Kinakh as its leader, Interfax reported. Mr. Kinakh was the only candidate for the post. The congress also adopted a resolution that reads that the main goals of the party are its development as a nationwide movement, protection of national economic and political interests, achievement of worthy and equal integration of Ukraine into the global community, creation of favorable terms for industrial and entrepreneurial activity, the protection of the rights of owners and investors, and transparent market competition. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Rada condemns attack on Iraq

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on March 20 adopted - by a vote of 229 to 5 - a resolution condemning the U.S.-led attack on Iraq, Interfax reported. "The Verkhovna Rada demands that the military actions of the United States, Great Britain and other countries on the territory of Iraq be immediately halted, and all the foreign military formations be withdrawn from this country," the resolution states. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine-NATO target plan revealed

KYIV - The official website of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ukraine (http://www.mfa.gov.ua/) on March 24 published the Ukraine-NATO Target Plan for 2003. The document, which follows the Ukraine-NATO Action Plan adopted at the November 2002 NATO summit in Prague and published in January 2003, maps out specific measures pertaining to political, economic, military, human rights and other areas to be taken by Ukraine in 2003 in its pursuit of NATO membership. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv urges Miensk to ratify border treaty

KYIV - Alyaksandr Vaytovich, head of the Council of Republic of Belarus' National Assembly, visited Kyiv on March 24 and met with President Leonid Kuchma, Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn, Ukrainian media reported. Messrs. Vaytovich and Lytvyn reportedly spoke in favor of the ratification by Miensk of a Belarusian-Ukrainian border treaty. Kyiv ratified this treaty in 1997, while Miensk has made ratification dependent on the repayment of Ukrainian debts to Belarus. Belarus believes Ukraine should pay it more than $100 million, while Ukraine admits to owing no more than $50 million. Mr. Lytvyn told his Belarusian guest that the border treaty's ratification should be separated from economic issues in Ukrainian-Belarusian relations, UNIAN reported. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Pope blesses cornerstone for Chernihiv

ROME - Pope John Paul II has consecrated a stone taken from the tomb of St. Peter the Apostle to be the cornerstone for a Roman Catholic cathedral which is currently being built in Chernihiv, in northeastern Ukraine. It is planned that Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, apostolic nuncio in Ukraine, will bring the consecrated cornerstone to Ukraine on Pentecost, which is the feast day of the Roman Catholic community in Chernihiv. This news was reported on March 21. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Husar addresses faithful on Iraq war

LVIV - Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church (UGCC), on March 21 addressed the clergy, faithful and people of good will, expressing his concern over the Iraq conflict and spiritual situation in the world. He stated that the war in Iraq testifies to the decay of humanity's moral values and called upon everyone to make their contribution towards the restoration of humanity, part of which is also Ukraine, its people, communities and families. "It is impossible to keep peace by armed force. Peace in countries, communities, according to Pope John Paul II, cannot be settled without justice. Only when everybody observes the commandments of God will the earth be a decent place for normal and peaceful life," said Cardinal Husar. In addition, the Greek-Catholic primate called on the faithful to pray for those "who take part in military actions and for those who will suffer from them." (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Voice of Russia beamed across Ukraine

MOSCOW - Moscow-based state broadcaster Voice of Russia on March 14 launched programming on Ukraine's domestic radio channels, the company's director told ITAR-TASS. The "Welcome Ukraine" program will be broadcast in Russian during prime afternoon hours each Saturday on Ukrainian state radio's Channel 3, the news agency reported. Programming will highlight historic ties between Russia and Ukraine, as well as include reports on culture, science and the economies in the two countries. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Kyiv pays off $375 M in foreign debt

KYIV - Ukraine repaid about 2 billion hrv ($375 million) in foreign debt in March, Vice Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mykola Azarov announced at a meeting with the Council of Entrepreneurs of Ukraine in Kyiv on March 13, Interfax reported. Mr. Azarov called this amount "gigantic in a budget," but added, "We paid without any panic, and without concentrating all of our reserves." He also said, "Ukraine's financial position is very strong. We do not need foreign loans and have a balanced budget." Before the 2003 payment, Ukraine was facing $1.53 billion in foreign-debt payments in Eurobonds maturing in March and September, each estimated at $325 million. (RFE/RL Newsline)

| Home Page |