NEWSBRIEFS

Austria ready to help investigation

KYIV - Austria's Justice Ministry is ready to assist Ukraine in investigating the circumstances of President Viktor Yushchenko's poisoning, according to a spokesman for the ministry, speaking in Vienna on February 9. If asked, the Austrian party may provide for questioning witnesses, he said. At the same time, the ministry's spokesman noted that the government couldn't force Rudolfinerhaus, a private clinic, to submit Mr. Yushchenko's medical records to Ukraine's public prosecutor. These are the medical documents that Ukrainian Procurator General Sviatoslav Piskun wants to obtain during his visit to Austria, reported Deutsche Welle. Mr. Piskun left Kyiv on February 7 for a three-day working visit to Austria. He was scheduled to meet with the Austrian justice minister and other Austrian officials. Mr. Piskun also planned to meet with his Austrian counterpart in regard to the Yushchenko investigation. (Interfax-Ukraine)

Rice congratulates Tarasyuk

KYIV - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice congratulated Borys Tarasyuk on his appointment as Ukraine's foreign minister. On February 6 Dr. Rice and Mr. Tarasyuk had a phone conversation, the press service of Ukraine Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. Dr. Rice assured her Ukrainian counterpart of her intention to have close cooperation and expressed hope that the new foreign minister will actively take part in such cooperation. The two parties discussed the agenda of contacts between U.S. President George W. Bush and Ukraine's President Viktor Yushchenko. Mr. Tarasyuk invited Dr. Rice to visit Ukraine. (Interfax-Ukraine)

A pledge to create public TV

ZHYTOMYR - President Viktor Yushchenko told journalists in Zhytomyr on February 8 that the new Ukrainian government's policy will be oriented toward creating a competitive media environment in the country, Interfax reported. "We will not spare effort, time or finances to create such an environment," Mr. Yushchenko said. The president said the government will support the recently announced project to create a "public television" channel in Ukraine, but he advised against the liquidation of the state-run UT-1 and UT-2 channels. "The main thing is that the project [of a public television channel] should not imply losing the first [UT-1] and second [UT-2] channels," Mr. Yushchenko said. "They should not become some sort of technical victims [of the public-television project]." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Unofficial capital to be legalized

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko told journalists in Kyiv on February 8 that he is ready to legalize unofficial capital in order to reduce the shadow economy sector in Ukraine, Interfax reported. "We are ready to go for capital amnesty and fiscal amnesty, but in return we want to reduce the shadow economy," Mr. Yushchenko said. He said the government will do its best to make the national budget deficit-free and will revise its policy on free economic zones, which he described as "black holes" in the economy. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Iraq pullout slated for "near future"

KYIV - Ukrainian Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk told journalists in Kyiv on February 8 that the government will announce the pullout of the Ukrainian military contingent from Iraq "in the near future," Interfax reported. Mr. Tarasyuk added that President Viktor Yushchenko will consult Washington, as well as the authorities in Baghdad before the pullout starts. "Ukraine's military presence [in Iraq] is gradually to be reduced and to be replaced with instructors, diplomats and businessmen," Reuters quoted Mr. Tarasyuk as saying. "I plan to visit Iraq in order to examine the situation." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukraine may receive $88 M in aid

KYIV - U.S. President George Bush has proposed to Congress a draft budget for 2006 envisaging $88 million of aid to Ukraine. President Bush's proposal requests the highest amount of assistance among CIS countries for Ukraine. Georgia is likely to receive $67 million, Russia - $48 million, Belarus - $7 million, with Turkmenistan getting $5.5 million, the Voice of America reported. President Viktor Yushchenko's election as Ukraine's president will provide broad opportunities for economic and democratic reforms in Ukraine, labeled a "state of strategic importance," according to the draft budget. The U.S. is planning to help the new Ukrainian government and to encourage its program of reforms. (Interfax-Ukraine)

Government probes arms sales

KYIV - A government probe into illegal weapons sales by officials loyal to former President Leonid Kuchma has led to secret indictments or arrests of at least six arms dealers accused of selling nuclear-capable missiles to Iran and China, a high-ranking intelligence official said on February 4, according to the Associated Press. The deals with Moscow-allied states violate international non-proliferation treaties. The Security Service of Ukraine launched an investigation of the case involving Iran and China on February 14, 2004, but the probe was not publicized until this week, when National Deputy Hryhorii Omelchenko wrote to newly inaugurated Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko to ask him to pursue a full investigation. Mr. Omelchenko made his letter available to The Associated Press. Mr. Yushchenko has promised to investigate illegal arms sales, including a U.S. allegation that his predecessor approved the sale of a sophisticated Kolchuha radar system to Iraq. Mr. Kuchma has denied the allegations. (Associated Press)

Foreign minister is introduced

KYIV - While introducing newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk to the Foreign Ministry staff on February 8, President Viktor Yushchenko stressed that European integration is the country's strategic course, Interfax reported. He added, however, that in order to take this course, Ukraine first needs to resolve its problems in its relations with Russia, which he called Ukraine's "eternal strategic partner." He added, "We cannot go to Europe with three or four valises of problems with Russia." Speaking about Ukraine's integration with Europe and potential EU membership, Mr. Yushchenko said it is a policy "not for one year," adding that "the answer to the question of when Ukraine will become an EU member is in Kyiv, not in Brussels." The president said he is fully convinced that Mr. Tarasyuk will be able to ensure the implementation of all Ukrainian foreign-policy interests. (RFE/RL Newsline)

SBU to tackle corruption and crime

KYIV - While presenting the newly appointed chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Oleksander Turchynov, to the SBU staff on February 8, President Viktor Yushchenko said he wants the SBU to focus primarily on fighting corruption and crime in the state, Interfax reported. "This is your sacrosanct duty - begin with the customs service and police," President Yushchenko said. "My goal is to have specific results by December. ... Begin with three or four cases that are known to all people. I'm sure that several successful investigations regarding embezzlement of public funds will help prevent thousands of wrongdoings." The previous day Mr. Yushchenko said that the appointment of Mr. Turchynov was a "very successful decision," explaining that "Turchynov is a well-known public politician, a kind of detonator, who will not let anyone feel safe. On the other hand, he will act fairly and openly, which is the main thing to restore people's trust in the work of [the SBU]." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Privatization deals to be reviewed

KYIV - Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said on February 8 that the government has requested that the Procurator General's Office examine all privatization deals made in the country in the past, Interfax reported. "This examination will be concluded by February 14, and the Procurator General's Office (PGO) will be able to provide the government with a full picture of how legally the privatization was conducted," Ms. Tymoshenko said. The prime minister added that the PGO has already appealed to the Supreme Court against a decision of the High Economic Court of October that acknowledged the controversial privatization of the Kryvorizhstal metallurgical giant as lawful. (RFE/RL Newsline)

New Cabinet takes over

KYIV - Following the approval of Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister and the appointment of a new Cabinet of Ministers by President Viktor Yushchenko on February 4, 357 deputies endorsed the Cabinet program presented earlier by Ms. Tymoshenko in the Parliament, Ukrainian media reported. The vote gave the Tymoshenko Cabinet immunity from no-confidence motions for a year. During its first working meeting on February 5, the Cabinet decided to annul last year's highly controversial privatization of the Kryvorizhstal steel mill, Ukrainian media reported. Kryvorizhstal, the country's largest metallurgical plant, was sold for $800 million to political allies of former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, Viktor Pinchuk and Rynat Akhmetov, despite much higher bids from foreign investors. "[The decision] means that we have started the process of returning Kryvorizhstal to the state," Interfax quoted Ms. Tymoshenko as saying. She added that the details of the government's decision on Kryvorizhstal will be given in a separate press release. Simultaneously, the prime minister stressed that there will be no mass reprivatizations in the country. (RFE/RL Newsline)

President to install new oblast chairs

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko on February 7 left Kyiv for Sumy, his native region, to present the newly appointed chairman of the Sumy Oblast to the regional administration staff, Interfax reported. State Secretary Oleksander Zinchenko and Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk accompanied the president on the trip. On February 4, following the appointment of new ministers to Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko's Cabinet, President Yushchenko signed decrees replacing with loyalists 24 chairmen of Ukrainian regions and the head of the Sevastopol City Administration. Kyiv Mayor Oleksander Omelchenko, a Yushchenko ally during the Orange Revolution, retained his post as head of the Kyiv City Administration. (RFE/RL Newsline)

SBU chief vows to solve high-profile cases

KYIV - The newly appointed chief of the Security Service of Ukraine, Oleksander Turchynov, pledged that investigations on all cases that have not been solved or have been hushed up will be brought to a logical end. "All high-profile cases, all issues that have been pigeonholed or hushed up for a long time must be brought to their logical end," Mr. Turchynov told journalists after he learned about his appointment on February 4. "There will be no cases that will be dropped or that will be impossible to investigate," he said. Mr. Turchynov said he is not going to make any radical changes in the operations of the Security Service for some time. "Before making radical changes, it is necessary to thoroughly study all the nuances of the agency's operations and only then make some proposals," he said. The fight against crime and corruption and protection of the people's security will be priorities for the service, he said. "I believe the law enforcement and security agencies will start a new life with today's appointment, and every citizen should feel this," he said. (Interfax-Ukraine)

A "government of people's trust"

KYIV - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has said the new Cabinet that was endorsed by the Parliament on February 4 can be called "a government of people's trust." He told reporters following the first Cabinet meeting that "The new government has been made up of the leading players who represent various political forces." The No. 1 problem in Ukraine is corruption, and the new team is determined not only to defeat this problem but also "develop a system for making healthy public decisions that will serve the nation," he added. Meanwhile, the Cabinet unanimously approved a program of activity titled "Meeting the People." (Interfax-Ukraine)

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, February 13, 2005, No. 7, Vol. LXXIII

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