Kuchma Taps NATO Envoy Tarasiuk As Ukraine's
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INSIDE:• Kyiv spruces up for EBRD convention — page 2. • Buteiko speaks on Ukraine’s foreign policy — page 3. • Svoboda print shop closes down — page 5. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVI HE No.KRAINIAN 17 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 1998 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine ChornobylT 12U years after: Kuchma tapsW NATO envoy Tarasiuk questions of funding are key as Ukraine’s foreign affairs minister by Roman Woronowycz and its envoy to NATO. As such he by Pavel Politiuk sion on a request it has made that the G- Kyiv Press Bureau played a key role in the preparation of Special to The Ukrainian Weekly 7 help finance the completion of con- Ukraine’s special charter with NATO struction of two nuclear reactor com- KYIV — Borys Tarasiuk became that was signed last summer. CHORNOBYL – At 1:24 a.m. on plexes, one near the northwestern city of Ukraine’s third foreign minister on April From 1992 to 1994 Mr. Tarasiuk was April 26, 1986, a failed test at the fourth Rivne, the other near Khmelnytskyi in 17 with his appointment by President vice minister under independent reactor at the Chornobyl nuclear power central Ukraine, that Ukraine says are Leonid Kuchma at a special session of Ukraine’s first foreign affairs minister, station resulted in an explosion, sending needed to replace the Chornobyl plant the Collegium of the Ministry of Foreign Anatolii Zlenko, and headed the radioactive particles into the atmosphere and provide much-needed energy. Affairs. He replaces Hennadii Udovenko Ukrainian delegation in talks with the and contaminating the land for miles President Leonid Kuchma recently who resigned on April 9 to take a seat in U.S. and Russia over Ukraine’s nuclear around, creating a place devoid of life, reiterated that Ukraine would not be able Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada. disarmament. people and a future. to close the troublesome Chornobyl com- President Kuchma and the new minis- The new foreign affairs minister was During the several months that fol- plex if the G-7 reneges on its promise. ter underscored that the Foreign Affairs born in Dzerzhynsk, Zhytomyr Oblast, in lowed more than 100,000 people were Ukraine also has been pressing the Ministry would continue to pursue the 1949 and attended Kyiv State University, evacuated from one of the richest London-based European Bank for same foreign policy objectives that had where he earned a degree in international regions of what was then the Soviet Reconstruction and Development to been established during Mr. Udovenko’s relations in 1975. He began working at Union. They lost their homes and prop- finance construction of the two nuclear tenure. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the erty, and were forced to move to an reactor complexes. “Ukrainian foreign policy will not Ukrainian SSR in 1971. By 1994 he had unknown future. EBRD representatives indicated this change,” said Mr. Tarasiuk. “We will assumed the post of first vice minister Today, 12 years after the worst year that the bank would finance com- continue to do everything possible to for foreign affairs. He spent five years nuclear accident in history, the pletion of the two power plants, but have help integrate Ukraine into European and (1981-1986) at the United Nations, ini- Chornobyl nuclear complex, located delayed a final decision due to concerns European-Atlantic structures and to tially as second secretary and then first about an hour and half from Ukraine’s about safety, the financial soundness of strengthen the country’s independence secretary of the Ukrainian SSR Mission. capital city, continues to operate and the project and doubts that the projected by means of foreign policy.” President Kuchma accepted the resigna- Ukraine continues to live in the shadow $1.2 billion loan could be repaid. Speaking about the diplomatic corps, tion of two more Cabinet ministers on April of Chornobyl. Residents of the contami- Ukraine has stated that it is not satis- Mr. Tarasiuk said “We will make a seri- 21. Gone are Minister of the Economy nated zones are still being resettled, and fied with the demands being place on it ous effort to enhance the professional Viktor Suslov and Minister of Science and millions of others are not sure that the air by the EBRD in exchange for the loan. level in the performance of the whole Technolgy Volodymyr Semynozhenko. they breathe and the water they drink is On April 20 Ukraine’s Minister of system.” Both ministers were elected to Ukraine’s safe. Energy Oleksii Shebertsov said his gov- In a special presentation, President Verkhovna Rada in the March 29 elections. In a 1995 agreement with the Group ernment is not happy with a “number of Kuchma outlined to the collegium his Mr. Semynozhenko won as an independent of Seven industrialized countries provisions” and is looking at alternate ideas on the form Ukraine’s foreign poli- and Mr. Suslov as a member of the Socialist Ukraine pledged to close the Chornobyl sources of funding to complete the two cy should take. “Our foreign policy Party slate. plant by the year 2000 in exchange for reactors at Rivne and the four at should be neither pro-West, nor pro-East, The president’s press secretary, international aid. it must be pro-Ukraine,” said President But Ukraine is still awaiting a deci- (Continued on page 4) Kuchma. (Continued on page 2) Chief among the responsibilities that the ministry should assume, according to President Kuchma, is to develop eco- nomic policies in the international field, Police say currency official including the development of large-scale international economic projects. He also was murdered in contract hit called for “new impulses” in the devel- by Roman Woronowycz opment of relations with the European Kyiv Press Bureau Union. The president told Ukraine’s foreign KYIV — Vadym Hetman, board chair- service to “fill with content” the strategic man of the Ukrainian Interbank Currency relations between Ukraine and the Exchange, and a respected lawmaker who United States. He also underscored the recently failed in his attempt to get re- priority of relations with Russia elected to the Verkhovna Rada, was mur- Most of Ukraine’s government leaders dered the evening of April 22 as he entered attended the special session, including his apartment in Kyiv. Police officials are Prime Minister Valerii Pustovoitenko, calling Mr. Hetman’s murder a paid assas- Cabinet members and National Security sination. and Defense Council Secretary “Judging by the style in which the finan- Volodymyr Horbulin. cial expert was killed, the murderer was a Mr. Horbulin, who is President professional and it was most likely a con- Kuchma’s most trusted advisor, told tract hit,” said Oleksander Zarubytsky, the jouralists after the session of the Foreign head of the External Affairs Department of Affairs Ministry Collegium that the the Ministry of Internal Affairs. appointment of Mr. Tarasiuk should be Mr. Zarubytsky said three theories for seen as another point on a stable continu- the killing are being investigated. “We um of Ukrainian foreign policy. “We are looking into versions associated with don’t need to change the direction of for- Mr. Hetman’s work as the director of the eign policy so much as to change the exchange committee, as well as the pur- tempo,” said Mr. Horbulin. “We need a chase by the exchange of its trading more rigid defense of the interests of house on Kontraktova Square,” said Mr. Ukraine.” Zarubytsky. “The third version is tied to A view of the concrete sarcophagus encasing Chornobyl’s No. 4 reactor. Mr. Tarasiuk, 49, most recently was Ukraine’s ambassador to the Benelux (Continued on page 4) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 1998 No. 17 Kyiv spruces up for convention of EBRD’s board of governors NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS Kyiv says G-7 fails to keep pledge Vitrenko deprived of parliamentary seat by Roman Woronowycz the EBRD Business Forum. Kyiv Press Bureau There, Ukrainian businesses will display KYIV – The Ukrainian government has KYIV – Nataliya Vitrenko, leader of their wares and production capabilities to accused the international community of the Progressive Socialists, has been KYIV — Kyiv is sprucing up. European investors and bankers. And, in an failing to keep an agreement on the shut- deprived of her parliamentary mandate Everywhere there are in freshly painted interesting marketing strategy, potential down of the Chornobyl nuclear plant, by a court in Konotop, Sumy Oblast, buildings and newly re-paved streets. European investors who see something they ITAR-TASS reported. “Our expectations of where she ran for the Verkhovna Rada in Workers are rapidly finishing work on like will be able to get a first-hand look at receiving financial aid from the internation- the March 29 elections, Ukrainian reconstruction projects that have languished the Ukrainian operation immediately, no al community have not been met,” the Television-2 reported on April 20. for years. Hotel rooms have been remod- matter in which region of Ukraine it is agency quoted Vice Minister for Foreign According to the court, Ms. Vitrenko eled. And two historic churches, long located. Affairs Anton Buteiko as saying. Under the gave information about the private life of destroyed, have been rebuilt. “We will have charter flights available so 1995 deal, the G-7 pledged $3.1 billion to her rivals and insulted state officials dur- The flurry of activity is in anticipation of that interested delegates will be able to fly assist Ukraine in closing the plant by the ing the election campaign. The court also next month’s annual convention for the out to the regions,” said Mr. Taranov. year 2000.