NEWSBRIEFS (10/29/06)

NEWSBRIEFS

PM announces gas deal with Russia

KYIV - Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych said at a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Fradkov, in Kyiv on October 24 that Ukraine in 2007 will receive at least 55 billion cubic meters of imported gas for no more than $130 per 1,000 cubic meters, Ukrainian and international media reported. "Negotiations are concluding in Russia .... As soon as the executives arrive in Ukraine, they will show these contracts," Interfax-Ukraine quoted Mr. Yanukovych as saying. This 55 billion cubic meters of Central Asian gas, along with 20 billion cubic meters of gas extracted domestically, will reportedly be sufficient to meet Ukraine's needs in 2007. All of the gas imported by Ukraine is supplied through the Swiss-based RosUkrEnergo intermediary and is bought by UkrGasEnergo, RosUkrEnergo's joint venture with Naftohaz Ukrayiny. Now Ukraine pays $95 per 1,000 cubic meters of a Turkmen-Russian gas mix supplied by RosUkrEnergo. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Russian PM talks about NATO, WTO

KYIV- Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said in Kyiv on October 24 that the issue of gas supplies to Ukraine was not discussed at his meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, adding that these talks are being handled by companies, primarily Gazprom and Naftohaz Ukrayiny, Interfax-Ukraine reported. "Considering the advanced character of Russia's relations with the [World Trade Organization] and the desire to build a strategic bilateral economic [Russian-Ukrainian] relationship, we should certainly consult with each other more often and synchronize our countries' WTO negotiation processes," Mr. Fradkov said. The Russian prime minister noted that "strategic cooperation" between Russia and Ukraine means "having a special relationship of trust [and] sharing mutual priorities both in foreign and domestic policies as well as at the bilateral level." Mr. Fradkov also stressed that Ukraine's NATO bid "must not harm Russia." (RFE/RL Newsline)

Doubts about gas price, volume

KYIV - Volodymyr Saprykin, an energy expert from the Kyiv-based Razumkov Center, suggested to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on October 24 that the price Ukraine will have to pay for imported gas in 2007 may be higher than $130 per 1,000 cubic meters. According to Mr. Saprykin, out of the 42.5 billion cubic meters of Turkmen gas contracted for Ukraine, RosUkrEnergo will take some 16 billion cubic meters as payment for its transit service, thus leaving Kyiv with a resulting gas shortage. "As of today, we lack the knowledge of the price and the volume of Russian gas that has to be supplied to Ukraine next year. Without Russian gas, [Ukraine] will not hold its balance [between gas needs and gas imports]," Mr. Saprykin said. "Therefore, $130 is not the final and the highest price point. In other words, I think it is necessary to expect an [additional] accord between Gazprom, RosUkrEnergo, and Naftohaz Ukrayiny," Mr. Saprykin asserted. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Does deal include political concessions?

KYIV - Ukrainian First Vice Prime Minister Mykola Azarov on October 24 denied media reports claiming last week that the Ukrainian government was ready to make political concessions in gas negotiations with Russia, Interfax-Ukraine reported. "This is all nonsense. Normal talks are in progress. They primarily focus on economic issues," Mr. Azarov said. Russia's Kommersant suggested on October 25 that Moscow had set a number of political conditions for Kyiv in exchange for the gas price of $130 per 1,000 cubic meters. According to the Russian daily, Moscow pushed for holding a referendum by Ukraine on the country's accession to NATO, which could apparently put the idea of Ukraine's NATO bid on the back burner for an indefinite time. Kommersant also alleged that Moscow demanded that Kyiv should promise to continue importing Turkmen gas exclusively via Russia and to keep its tariffs for Russian gas transit unchanged. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Will OU return to coalition talks?

KYIV - Justice Minister Roman Zvarych from the pro-presidential Our Ukraine bloc said on October 23 that President Viktor Yushchenko's speech at the Our Ukraine People's Union party congress last week made him believe that the bloc might decide to resume its talks on forming a ruling coalition with the Party of the Regions, the Socialist Party and the Communist Party, Ukrainian media reported. "From what I heard [from the president], I realized that he doesn't rule out the possibility to find points of mutual understanding with the political forces of the Anti-Crisis Coalition. Consequently, I think these decisions might occur this week," Mr. Zvarych said. On the other hand, Raisa Bohatyriova from the Party of the Regions told journalists the same day that the ongoing "process of crystallization and purification of [Our Ukraine's] political platform" may lead to renewed coalition talks between Our Ukraine and the ruling parties. "We may be seeing the beginning of a new political plan of the Ukrainian president aimed at finding a stable competitive force rather than an opposition," Ms. Bohatyriova added. The Our Ukraine People's Union is expected next month to hold a second round of its last week's congress to elect new leaders and revise its statute. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Tarasyuk expects U.N. to act on Famine

KYIV - Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk said on October 24 that he expects the United Nations to recognize the Famine of 1932-1933 as a genocide and that the recognition should come during the General Assembly session in the fall of 2007. Speaking at a press conference, he said that Ukraine expects an appropriate resolution to be adopted by the U.N., adding that the Ukrainian delegation is currently working on preparing a document for the General Assembly to review in the coming year. He said he expects the majority of states to approve Ukraine's proposal, but noted that there will be some delegations that will be against recognizing the Famine as a genocide. "The Foreign Affairs Ministry prepared a whole series of actions in order to broaden the world community's knowledge about this tragedy of the Ukrainian nation," Mr. Tarasyuk said. In his speech to the General Assembly on September 25, Mr. Tarasyuk called on U.N. member-states to recognize the Holodomor as a act of genocide directed against the Ukrainian nation. (Ukrayinski Novyny)

Law on Famine-Genocide to be proposed

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko plans to propose that the Verkhovna Rada pass a law recognizing the Famine of 1932-1933 as an act of genocide directed against the Ukrainian nation, according to the president's press service, which released an announcement on October 23. The president's intention is to propose this law before November 25, when Ukrainian will observe a Day of Memory for Victims of Famines and Political Repressions. On October 12 it was reported that the president had set up an organizational committee to prepare and conduct commemorations of the memorial day. The committee is headed by Ivan Vasiunyk, first assistant head of the Presidential Secretariat, and Vice Prime Minister Dmytro Tabachnyk. (Ukrayinski Novyny)

Holocaust Museum cites cooperation

WASHINGTON - The Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) have prolonged their cooperation agreement for another five years. During the signing ceremony, the director of the museum, Sara Bloomfield, thanked Ukraine for bringing cooperation in the field of exchange of historic documents to a "truly stellar level." Ukraine can serve as a showcase for other European countries, she said. The SBU's archive director, Serhii Bohunov, and the head of the SBU Information Department, Valerii Holod, stressed that over the last five years Ukraine has shared with the United States more than 150,000 files on the history of the Holocaust. Both sides expressed their hope of maintaining the current level of cooperation in years to come. (Embassy of Ukraine to the United States)

Hrytsenko, Tarasyuk stay on

KYIV - Defense Minister Anatolii Hrytsenko said on October 18 that he and Foreign Affairs Minister Borys Tarasyuk will remain in Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych's Cabinet, Ukrainian media reported. Mr. Hrytsenko was speaking shortly after President Viktor Yushchenko's meeting with the ministers delegated to the government by Our Ukraine and appointed by him personally. Under the Constitution of Ukraine amended in December 2004, the president is obliged to appoint the defense and foreign affairs ministers. "The two ministers appointed by the president are working and will continue to work. There will be no resignations," Mr. Hrytsenko said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Lutsenko to remain in Cabinet

KYIV - Internal Affairs Minister Yurii Lutsenko told a news conference in Kyiv on October 19 that, due to a request from President Viktor Yushchenko, he decided to remain in the Cabinet of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainian media reported. Mr. Lutsenko confirmed Our Ukraine leader Roman Bezsmertnyi's announcement earlier the same day that he, following an earlier request from the president, tendered his resignation along with four other ministers belonging to the Our Ukraine quota in the Cabinet. "My decision [to remain in the Cabinet] has been supported by the prime minister and the Verkhovna Rada head," Mr. Lutsenko added. That same day, Mr. Yanukovych assured journalists that the withdrawal of the four Our Ukraine ministers will not provoke a government crisis. "The resignation procedure for the ministers representing the Our Ukraine bloc requires this question to be discussed in Parliament. I think in the next few days we will select candidates for future ministers from members of the [ruling] coalition," Mr. Yanukovych said. (RFE/RL Newsline)

Reforms and Order joins Yulia's bloc

KYIV - The Reforms and Order Party has decided to join the Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc, which remains in opposition to the ruling coalition, Interfax-Ukraine reported on October 20, quoting party leader Viktor Pynzenyk. Mr. Pynzenyk was finance minister in the previous Cabinet of Yurii Yekhanurov. The Reforms and Order Party, formed in 1997, joined the Our Ukraine bloc after the 2002 parliamentary elections but went into the March 2006 parliamentary elections in a bloc with the Pora Party. The ROP-Pora Party bloc failed to overcome the 3 percent voting threshold that qualifies for parliamentary representation, gaining only 1.47 percent of the vote. (RFE/RL Newsline)

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