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27 May 1998
For immediate release
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PRESIDENT KUCHMA TO PROMOTE CLOSER TIES WITH EUROPE DURING HIS VISIT TO GERMANY
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma will urge closer ties between Ukraine and Western Europe during his forthcoming two-day visit to Germany. Oleksandr Slipchenko, head of the European and American Department at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, told a news conference on May 16, that Ukraine sees Germany as an important member of the European Union and aims to develop bilateral relations in all spheres. He disclosed that Germany is Ukraine's third largest economic partner after Russia and the UnitedStates, with a 1997 trade turnover exceeding $1.7 billion. Mr. Slipchenko expressed hope that President Kuchma's talks in Germany will speed up economic cooperation with Germany. According to him, President Kuchma will meet with Germany's Chancellor Helmut Kohl and other officials.
UKRAINIAN-NATO COMMISSION TO MEET IN LUXEMBOURG
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry delegation will take part in the meetings of the Ukrainian - NATO Commission and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council in Luxembourg on May 29. The meetings will be attended by the foreign ministers of NATO member states, Ukraine and Russia. As Ukrainian Foreign Ministry officials disclosed at a news briefing on May 26, participants in the meetings will discuss a broad range of issues involving the deepening of a distinctive partnership relations between Ukraine and NATO. Other issues expected to be addressed include appointment of the head of NATO's information service in Ukraine, the creation of a crisis consultation mechanism, and measures aimed at boosting trust and preventing conflicts in the Euro-Atlantic region. The issues of cooperation between Ukraine and NATO, as well as cooperation between NATO and Russia, are also on the agenda of Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov's ongoing visit to Ukraine.
OSCE : AGREEMENT ON POLITICAL RESOLUTION OF TRANSDNIESTER CONFLICT NOT IMPLEMENTED
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe's envoy to Moldova told a meeting of the OSCE's Permanent Council in Vienna on May 26 that the Odes agreement on political resolution of the Transdniester conflict was not being implemented. The agreement was reached between the president of Moldova and the leader of the Transdniester region through the mediation of Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE. The OSCE envoy accused the leaders of Transdniester of blocking a decision concerning the presence of Ukrainian military observers in the relevant security zone on the pretext that the number of Ukrainian observers have not been agreed. The OSCE envoy also drew attention to efforts to collect signatures for calls for Transdniester to join the Russia-Belarussian union. According to him, this fact, as well as calls for the Transdniester's Russian -Belarussian Assembly to be granted an observer status if more than half of the region's adult population vote to endorse it, violate the statute of the union, which stipulate that only internationally recognized nations can join it.
S.GRINEVETSKY APPOINTED HEAD OF ODESSA REGIONAL ADMINISTRATION
Serhiy Grinevetsky, the former deputy head of the Odessa Region Administration was appointed head of the Odessa Region Administration. This decision was made public on May 26, at a meeting of senior officials of the Odessa region and districts administrations, which was chaired by Prime Minister Valeriy Pustovoitenko. Mr. Pustovoitenko is presently on a working visit to the Odessa Region and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER APPOINTED ODESSA’S ACTING MAYOR
Prime Minister Valeriy Pustovoitenko presented Odessa’s acting mayor, Deputy Prime Minister Mykola Beloblotskyi, on Monday, May 26. Mr. Beloblotsky was appointed by May 26 presidential decree to enforce law and order in the city pending new elections. Mr. Pustovoitenko expressed concern over the present situation in the city, particularly the crime rate.
RUSSIA TO OPEN CONSULATE IN KHARKIV
Russia's Consul-General Gennady Safonov told a new conference in Kharkiv on May 26 that Russia intended to open a consulate in Kharkiv. The new consulate's functions will cover the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Luhansk, and Sumy regions. The consulate will begin full operations on June 8, but will be open from June 1. According to Mr. Safonov, the consulate will protect the interests of Russian citizens within the framework of Ukrainian legislation and facilitate the development of trade, economic, legal, ecological, scientific, diplomatic, and information ties between Ukraine and Russia. Mr. Safonov said some of the issues involving change of Ukrainian and Russian citizenship would now be handled by the consulate.
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