NEWSBRIEFS (03/27/05)

NEWSBRIEFS

Kyiv continues anti-corruption drive

KYIV - Hennadii Moskal, the deputy chief of Ukraine's Internal Affairs Ministry (MVS), announced that criminal charges have been filed against 12 former deputy heads of oblast administrations and 58 heads of raion administrations. All of the suspects are accused of bribe-taking and "exceeding their authority," Interfax reported on March 22. Mr. Moskal also stated that the head of former President Leonid Kuchma's property office, Ihor Bakai, who is believed to be in hiding, has been indicted on seven criminal charges, among them defrauding the state. The Ukrainska Pravda website on March 23 posted a listing of his allegedly fraudulent dealings, which included transferring ownership of a state-owned multi-million-dollar dwelling used by Mr. Kuchma as his winter dacha to an offshore company after Viktor Yushchenko won the presidential election. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Poroshenko sacks security official

KYIV - Petro Poroshenko, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, said President Viktor Yushchenko had "good reasons" for removing the deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU, Oleksander Skybynetskyi, Interfax reported on March 22. Mr. Skybynetskyi was appointed by Mr. Yushchenko to be first deputy of the SBU in February. Mr. Poroshenko went on to say that if anyone disagrees with the president's decision, that person can resign. This remark was made apparently in reference to Oleksander Turchynov, the chief of the SBU, who complained he had not been informed of the decision. Mr. Poroshenko told Interfax cryptically that "anyone with access to state secrets should be able to analyze the reasons for [Skybynetskyi's] removal." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ukrainian president in Turkmenistan

ASHGABAT - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko arrived in Ashgabat on March 22 for two days of talks with Turkmen President Sapurmurat Niazov, Interfax reported. The main topic of discussion will be continued Turkmen supplies of natural gas to Ukraine. Ukraine is heavily dependent on Turkmen gas and imports 36 billion cubic meters annually. In January Turkmenistan raised the price of gas by 32 percent and now charges $58 per thousand cubic meters. The current purchasing contract with Turkmenneftegaz ends in December 2006. As of January 2007 Ukraine will need to buy Turkmen gas from Gazeksport, a subsidiary of Russia's Gazprom, which signed a 25-year contract to purchase most of Turkmenistan's gas production. Mr. Yushchenko was also scheduled to discuss arms sales to Turkmenistan. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Oblast wraps up vote fraud probe

ZHYTOMYR - Prosecutors in the Zhytomyr Oblast have ended their investigation into election rigging during the presidential election in 2004 and indicted eight individuals, whose trials are either over or still in progress, UNIAN reported on March 22. One man was convicted of voting 11 times for Viktor Yanukovych using absentee ballots and fined 1,000 hrv ($189). In another instance, the court tried the head of a regional election commission who allegedly falsified the vote count and declared that Yanukovych had won in the district, when in fact the winner was Viktor Yushchenko. The defendant was found guilty and sentenced to five years in prison, which was later commuted to one year of probation. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Putin mends fences with Kyiv ...

KYIV - Russian President Vladimir Putin met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko, in Kyiv on March 19, an RFE/RL correspondent reported. It was Mr. Putin's first visit to Ukraine following last year's Orange Revolution that lifted Mr. Yushchenko to the presidency in a dramatic battle against Moscow-backed presidential hopeful Viktor Yanukovych. "Our meeting today demonstrates our common desire to see our bilateral relations be constructive," President Yushchenko told journalists. "Widening our bilateral cooperation will depend in large part on how successful we are in forming a Single Economic Space," President Putin said. "I am convinced that if we can effectively implement this idea, it will give our countries more opportunities for developing trade and mutual investments in order to strengthen the competitiveness of our economies." Apart from the Single Economic Space, both leaders discussed a common gas transportation project, the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, common energy projects, border issues, military and technical cooperation, the Transdniester conflict, and humanitarian and cultural issues. (RFE/RL Newsline)

... invites Ukraine's PM to Moscow

KYIV - Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko has said Russian President Vladimir Putin invited her to pay a visit to Moscow during their meeting in Kyiv on March 19, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported on March 21. According to Ms. Tymoshenko, the visit will contribute to developing cooperation between both countries on the level of state leaders and governmental commissions. According to Interfax, President Putin assured Prime Minister Tymoshenko that Ukraine's participation in the planned Single Economic Space with Russia, Belarus and Kazakstan would not contradict Kyiv's aspirations to join the European Union. Russian prosecutors reportedly issued an international arrest warrant for Ms. Tymoshenko last year, suspecting her of bribing Russian Defense Ministry officials when she headed Ukraine's Unified Energy Systems in 1995-1997. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Prosecutor comments on missiles

KYIV - The Ukrainian Procurator General's Office dismissed as untrue in a March 18 statement a Financial Times report on the same day that quoted Procurator General Sviatoslav Piskun as saying that Ukraine exported 18 cruise missiles to Iran and China in 2001, Interfax reported. According to the statement, the missiles in question were smuggled out of Ukraine without official approval. The Security Service of Ukraine, the statement adds, has launched a criminal case against V. Yevdokimov, director of the Ukraviyazamovlennia company, who is suspected of involvement in the smuggling. Japan and the United States reportedly said they are worried by what appears to have been a significant leak of technology from the former Soviet Union's nuclear arsenal. The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv noted that it is "closely monitoring" the investigation and wants the findings of a secret trial made public. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Ecumenical patriarch invited to Kyiv

KYIV - Following a request by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, State Secretary Oleksander Zinchenko paid a visit to Istanbul, Turkey, on March 15 to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Mr. Zinchenko delivered a personal message from the president, in which Mr. Yushchenko thanked the patriarch for his constant attention and sympathy toward Ukraine and invited him to visit Kyiv. At the same time, Mr. Zinchenko stressed that the patriarch and his Church command unquestionable authority and deep respect in Ukraine. Patriarch Bartholomew stressed his special respect and sympathy for Ukraine and its people. He informed Mr. Zinchenko of his readiness for regular personal contacts with the Ukrainian president. Both sides stressed the importance of the state providing conditions for the harmonious development of all denominations and Churches in Ukraine, as well as the state's special role in the process of establishing and strengthening interdenominational peace. Other important issues of Church and secular life were discussed during the meeting. The Ukrainian delegation headed by Mr. Zinchenko received a blessing from the patriarch for good deeds in the name of Ukraine. (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

Rada votes to reduce armed forces

KYIV - The Verkhovna Rada on March 17 voted overwhelmingly to support a presidential bill reducing Ukraine's armed forces by 40,000 people to 245,000 people (180,000 servicemen and 65,000 civilians) by the end of 2005, UNIAN reported. The bill also cuts the term of compulsory military service to 18 months in the naval forces and 12 months in the land forces. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Reprivatization policy outlined

KYIV - Viktor Yushchenko told the March 18 issue of Kommersant-Daily that the government will offer to allow the current owners of dishonestly privatized companies to pay an additional sum to the government to close the gap between purchase prices and "real market prices." If the owners reject, the government will propose their companies for new tenders to find new buyers. Mr. Yushchenko stressed that metallurgical giant Kryvorizhstal, which was bought in 2004 by oligarch Rynat Akhmetov and Viktor Pinchuk at a price widely regarded as dubious, will unconditionally be put up for a new tender. Referring to the prospect of Russian investments in Ukraine, Mr. Yushchenko said, "I've told [Russian businessmen] straightforwardly, 'I will do my best to make your life in Ukraine better than in Russia.'" (RFE/RL Newsline)

President seeks reconciliation of veterans

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko on March 16 urged Ukrainian war veterans who fought in the Soviet army and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) in World War II to sign a "declaration of mutual understanding," Interfax reported. "We have reached an understanding with everyone, [including] Poland and even Japan. We only have failed to find mutual understanding between ourselves," Mr. Yushchenko said at a meeting with war veterans. The nationalist UPA fought for Ukraine's independence against Nazi Germany, the Soviet Army and Polish anti-Nazi guerrillas during World War II. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yushchenko upbeat about his health

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko told journalists in Kyiv on March 16 that doctors found ways to evacuate dioxin from his organism two months ago, Interfax reported. "Now I have to undergo examination only once every three to four weeks to establish the degree of dioxin evacuation," he added. Mr. Yushchenko said his doctors believe that his recuperation rate is great. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Channel 5 now all news

KYIV - Channel 5, whose positive coverage of the opposition played a key role in the Orange Revolution, relaunched itself on March 14 as an all-news outlet, the English-language Kyiv Post newspaper reported on March 17. Previously, Channel 5 provided hourly news coverage mixed with music videos, movies, and travel and entertainment features. The channel plans to hire up to 100 more journalists, cameramen and technical personnel. Channel 5 is co-owned by Petro Poroshenko, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council. (RFE/RL Newsline)

No guarantees given to Kuchma

KYIV - Speaking in an interview to Western journalists, President Viktor Yushchenko said on March 16 that he had given no guarantees to Leonid Kuchma with regard to the Gongadze case. According to the president, he is against any political persecutions, including his opponents' persecutions. Mr. Yushchenko reiterated his stand that all citizens are equal before the law, and every citizen who violated the law must be brought to justice. Mr. Yushchenko noted that, if investigators have some questions to former high-placed officials about the Gongadze case, these questions must be asked. Only an investigation will establish a person's liability, the president stressed. (Ukrinform)

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