NEWSBRIEFS (01/29/06)

NEWSBRIEFS

Tarasyuk: MAUP activities unlawful

KYIV - On January 23, speaking on national television, Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk strongly condemned the anti-Semitic actions of the Interregional Academy of Personnel Management, known by its Ukrainian acronym as MAUP, in Ukraine. He confirmed that "having exhausted all efforts to convince MAUP leaders to drop their unlawful and wrongful actions," he broke off contacts with the university a year ago. According to Mr. Tarasyuk, "there is no place for any form of anti-Semitism or xenophobia in Ukraine." At the same time the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine issued a press-release accusing MAUP of breaking Ukrainian law. In particular it pointed out persistent non compliance with requirements of state licensing rules for universities, failure to abide with legally binding decisions of the State Accreditation Commission, etc. (Embassy of Ukraine)

Gas deal signing again postponed

KYIV - Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov suggested on January 25 that the signing of accords resulting from the January 4 framework agreement on gas supplies to Ukraine in 2006 between Gazprom, Naftohaz Ukrayiny and the Swiss-based intermediary RosUkrEnergo will be put off again, Ukrainian news agencies reported. Initially the signing was planned for January 21 and then put off to January 25. "It looks today as if the agreements will not be signed," Mr. Yekhanurov said. "Russian experts are currently working in Ukraine but, unfortunately, we are not yet going ahead with the signing," he added. Earlier this week Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov told journalists that the Ukrainian Cabinet had approved a directive on setting up Gazenergo, a joint venture by Naftohaz Ukrayiny and RosUkrEnergo to sell gas to Ukrainian consumers, as stipulated by the January 4 agreement. The joint venture's charter capital is reportedly to amount to 5 million hrv ($1 million U.S.) and will be contributed equally by Naftohaz Ukrayiny and RosUkrEnergo. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Leaflets predict Russian invasion

KYIV - Interfax-Ukraine reported on January 18 that unidentified distributors have been disseminating leaflets in the port of Henichesk near the Azov Sea, predicting a Russian military intervention in Ukraine. The report was confirmed by the Russian newspaper Trud in its January 19 issue. The leaflets, attributed to the Party of the Regions led by former Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, reportedly claim that Russia "has made the decision to bring a limited contingent of Russian troops and special units to Ukraine to establish control over gas pipelines considered vital to Russia." The leaflets also urge locals "to come to the nearest peacekeeping headquarters within the first 14 days of the Russian military operation to provide them with names and descriptions of Orange Movement activists." The Russian Black Sea Fleet has a radar station in Henichesk. Ukrainian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Volodymyr Ohryzko told journalists in Kyiv on January 17 that the Russian Black Sea Fleet had illegally deployed a group of its marines at the radar station in Henichesk, adding that Russian troop movements in Ukraine should be coordinated in advance with Ukraine. According to Trud, the Henichesk marines are armed only with rubber batons. (RFE/RL Newsline)

U.S. lobbyist to help Yanukovych

NEW YORK - The Wall Street Journal, citing a report from Washington Wire, reported "a hush-hush deal," whereby longtime Republican lobbyist Paul Manafort has signed on as a behind-the-scenes campaign adviser for Viktor Yanukovych. Mr. Manafort's U.S. political résumé includes a stint as a top strategist for Bob Dole's unsuccessful 1996 presidential run. (Washington Wire, Wall Street Journal)

Our Ukraine issues appeal

KYIV - The pro-presidential electoral bloc Our Ukraine has appealed to political forces that supported Viktor Yushchenko's presidential bid during the Orange Revolution in 2004 to sign a coalition agreement before the March 26 parliamentary elections, Interfax-Ukraine reported on January 25. "Our potential coalition partners should recognize the president as the leader of an orange coalition," Roman Zvarych from Our Ukraine told the agency. Mr. Zvarych also said Our Ukraine makes the formation of such an "orange coalition" contingent on its partners' readiness to annul the dismissal of Prime Minister Yekhanurov's Cabinet by the Verkhovna Rada on January 10. Our Ukraine reportedly made its coalition offer to the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, the Socialist Party, the Kostenko-Pliusch Ukrainian People's Bloc, and the electoral bloc formed by the Pora youth organization with the Reforms and Order Party. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yushchenko meets with U.S. official

KYIV - On Monday, January 23, President Viktor Yushchenko met in Kyiv with visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Daniel Fried. The parties discussed Ukrainian-American cooperation in the energy sector and energy-saving. According to President Yushchenko, U.S. technical assistance is very important in drawing out Ukraine's energy-saving strategies. The meeting also dealt with bipartite trade-economic cooperation. U.S. delegation members reassured Ukrainian officials of the United States' active work toward signing the bipartite protocol Ukraine needs to join the World Trade Organization. (Ukrinform)

Yekhanurov meets with Fried

KYIV - Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov and U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried discussed gas supplies to Ukraine and the country's accession to the World Trade Organization while meeting in Kyiv. The Cabinet's press service told Ukrinform on January 24 that the prime minister said agreements with Russia ensured uninterrupted gas supplies in winter and gradual transition to market pricing in payments for fuels. Mr. Yekhanurov also stressed that Ukraine has managed not only to defend its interests, but also to prove its image of a reliable transitnation for Europe. Speaking about joining the WTO, the Ukrainian prime minister stated the United States is Ukraine's key partner in negotiations on the matter and aired his hope that a bipartite protocol on reciprocal access to markets of goods and services will be signed shortly. Ukraine hopes to join the WTO by July. (Ukrinform)

President offers stabilization plan

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko on January 23 proposed what he called a "plan for stabilizing the social and political situation in Ukraine," Ukrainian and international media reported. Mr. Yushchenko was delivering a televised address to the nation to mark the first anniversary of his inauguration. "I consider it necessary to introduce a moratorium on all decisions or actions by the legislature and executive that could lead to instability in Ukraine," Mr. Yushchenko said. He stressed that both branches of power should create all necessary conditions for holding fair parliamentary elections in March. At the same time, President Yushchenko called on the current Verkhovna Rada to appoint new judges to the Constitutional Court, a move blocked by lawmakers for months. "I recognize that from January 1, according to the Verkhovna Rada's decision, a new Constitution is in place. But I do not consider it ideal," the president noted. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Yushchenko pledges national reforms

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko pledged in his January 23 address to the nation to introduce "national reforms" in the health, education and agricultural sectors, as well as in the judiciary. Mr. Yushchenko also stressed that Ukraine's foreign policy priorities remain unchanged, adding that European Union membership is the main strategic goal for Ukraine. "I hope that a new Parliament will invigorate work for bringing Ukrainian legislation in line with European norms and standards. This will accelerate Ukraine's advance toward the EU and NATO," he added. (RFE/RL Newsline)

3.7 million at Christmas services

KYIV - Nearly 33,000 people participated in Christmas services in Kyiv on January 7. Kievpress.info also reported that services were celebrated in 56 churches. In addition, according to information from Ukraine's police, services were celebrated in over 12,000 religious buildings all over Ukraine. Nearly 3.7 million people participated. The regions with the highest attendance were Rivne (932,000 people), Ivano-Frankivsk (390,000), Dnipropetrovsk (300,000), and Lviv (290,000). (Religious Information Service of Ukraine)

President urges pre-election stability

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko on January 22 appealed to political rivals to ensure stability in the country in the ongoing campaign for the March 26 parliamentary elections, Ukrainian and international news agencies reported. Mr. Yushchenko was speaking on Unity Day, the anniversary of the union of eastern and western Ukrainian lands in 1919. "Elections are a sacred matter," President Yushchenko said. "Not for you, but for the voters. The best compliment a politician could possibly pay to his nation is to ensure that our election takes place in political stability." The president said he wants the Verkhovna Rada to back down on its dismissal of Prime Minister Yurii Yekhanurov's Cabinet earlier this month over a controversial gas deal with Russia. (RFE/RL Newsline)

GDP expected to be 2.4 percent

KYIV - According to Minister of the Economy Arsenii Yatseniuk, Ukraine's GDP in 2006 is expected at 2005's rate, that is, 2.4 percent. This is but a tentative forecast, the minister noted on January 23. It will hold true if the mean weighted price for gas fluctuates between $110 (U.S.) and $115 per thousand cubic meters. Mr. Yatseniuk said the Economy Ministry's calculations suggest that the Ukrainian economy will be able to normally function if the price for natural gas is raised to $140 of $150 per thousand cubic meters, but only if this increase is gradual. He said three years would be the optimal period for Ukrainian industries to adapt to higher prices. In forming the 2006 national budget the government proceeded on a 7 percent growth in GDP and 8.7 percent inflation. In January of this year the World Bank worsened its forecast of Ukraine's GDP growth in 2006 from 3.5 percent / 5.5 percent to 1.5 percent / 3.5 percent, largely because of the steep rise in gas prices. In 2004 Ukraine's GDP grew by 12.1 percent from the previous year. (Ukrinform)

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