The Ukrainian Weekly 1999, No.17

www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE:• Switzerland to seek Lazarenko’s extradition – page 2. • Senators question State Department’s reorganizaton — page 3. • Dynamo out of the running — page 11. Published by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association Vol. LXVII HE KRAINIANNo. 17 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 1999 EEKLY$1.25/$2 in Ukraine BalkanT crisis in forefrontUHillary Rodham Clinton honored withW CCRF achievement award on eve of NATO summit by Irene Jarosewich NEW YORK – America’s First Lady, by Roman Woronowycz Hillary Rodham Clinton was honored with Kyiv Press Bureau the Children of Chornobyl’s Relief Fund Lifetime Humanitarian Achievement Award KYIV – Viktor Chernomyrdin, Russia’s on April 19 at The Ukrainian Institute of newly appointed special envoy on the America for her commitment to improving Balkan crisis, met with Ukraine’s President the health of women and children in Leonid Kuchma on April 20, part of a flurry Ukraine, as well as around the world. of political activity in Kyiv regarding the Referring to a poem by American poet Balkan crisis on the eve of the NATO’s Maya Angelou, titled “A Phenomenal 50th anniversary summit to be held in Woman,” CCRF’s Executive Director Washington. Nadia Matkiwsky, introduced the first lady Unlike Russia, which did not plan to as “a woman who stands on her own attend the Washington summit as a protest achievements, a woman of vision and com- against the bombing of rump Yugoslavia by passion and intellectual strength – indeed a NATO (at the last minute it was reported phenomenal woman.” Noting that “a nation that Russia would attend), Ukraine will without healthy children is a nation without attend and has indicated it is taking steps to a future,” Mrs. Matkiwsky thanked Mrs. build consensus on a peace initiative. Clinton for reaching out to help the stricken Mr. Chernomyrdin was appointed by children of Ukraine. Russian President Boris Yeltsin last week to Joining Mrs. Matkiwsky to present the work toward a resolution to the escalating award to Mrs. Clinton was Tanya Vena, situation in Yugoslavia. After meeting with financial director for the foundation. The President Kuchma, he said the two sides first lady was given a 14-inch bronze sculp- had agreed on all substantive matters. ture of the Berehynia (protectress). The “I believe and insist that we should be abstract sculpture of a mother holding a well-informed about the positions of our child with outstretched arms was designed CCRF partners, and I am glad to say that these and cast by an artist in Ukraine. positions are absolutely identical regarding In his message of thanks to the founda- First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton accepts the Lifetime Humanitarian Achievement what we should do,” said Mr. Award from Children of Chornobyl Relief Fund Executive Director Nadia Chernomyrdin the day after his meeting (Continued on page 4) Matkiwsky (center) and the foundation’s financial director, Tanya Vena (right). with Mr. Kuchma, which lasted until 2 a.m. President Kuchma was slightly less exu- berant about the outcome of his discussions with Mr. Chernomyrdin, although he did call them “highly fruitful.” Chornobyl 13 years after: money is the major problem “I fully understand the position of the by Roman Woronowycz Ukraine will fulfill all its commitments to Development, have been bogged down Russian side,” said Mr. Kuchma, explaining Kyiv Press Bureau the G-7. by 74 demands put on Ukraine, which that he agreed any peace proposal must They explain, however, that without include a requirement that Ukraine KYIV – Although the situation around guarantee the territorial integrity of further financing for the completion of revamp its energy sector, still heavily the Chornobyl nuclear power plant is sta- Yugoslavia, as well as grant broad autono- two new nuclear facilities at Rivne and government-dominated, and provide evi- ble and the radioactive fallout that con- my to the Kosovo region and provide for Khmelnytskyi, the remaining nuclear dence that the two new reactors would taminated an extensive portion of the withdrawal of Serbian forces from the reactor at Chornobyl will not be coming generate sufficient cash flow to repay the Ukrainian territory and its population has region. off line anytime soon. loans. somewhat dissipated, experts are not pre- President Kuchma was to have left for “The Chornobyl nuclear power plant Ukraine insists that it can still close pared to say that the threat posed by the the NATO summit in Washington on April will continue to operate until the G-7 Chornobyl by the year 2000, but that the incapacitated reactor No. 4 and the radia- 22 along with an extensive official contin- countries meet their commitments to onus is on the West to make sure that hap- tion it released has gone away. gent, including Foreign Affairs Minister Ukraine,” said President Leonid Kuchma pens. Thirteen years after the largest nuclear Borys Tarasyuk, Defense Minister on April 21. At a meeting with President Kuchma, accident in history, the main reason Oleksander Kuzmuk and National Bank of He noted that, in addition to providing Christian Poncelet, the head of the French Chornobyl remains a problem for Ukraine Chairman Viktor Yuschenko. funding for the completion of a total of Senate, agreed that construction of the Ukraine and the world is money – more At a press conference a day before his six reactors near the cities of Rivne and Rivne and Khmelnytskyi reactors must be precisely the lack of it. departure, President Kuchma made it clear Khmelnytskyi, the West had also agreed completed. Interfax-Ukraine reported that It is money that is needed to finally that he was not going to celebrate NATO’s to provide a nuclear waste storage facility he promised to discuss the matter with the shut down the Chornobyl nuclear facility accomplishments of the last 50 years. in Ukraine. head of EBRD, Horst Koehler, upon his and construct a shelter on the reactor that “I am going to work on serious matters At a summit in Denver in 1997 the return to France. sent huge radioactive plumes over that concern Ukraine,” said President Group of Seven industrialized nations had An even more immediate problem for Ukraine and much of Europe when it Kuchma. In addition to attending several agreed to provide Ukraine the financing the world and Ukraine is to build a cap exploded on April 26, 1986; to build official ceremonies in conjunction with the needed to be able to take the Chornobyl onto the protective concrete shelter in alternative energy-generating sources for NATO anniversary, the president is sched- nuclear facility off line, and Ukraine had which the fourth nuclear reactor is Ukraine, which is heavily dependent on uled to meet with International Monetary agreed to do so by the year 2000. Today encased. The current sarcophagus, hastily Russian oil; and to finance the treatment Fund and World Bank officials, as well as only one of the four nuclear reactors at erected by Soviet authorities in the weeks and care of thousands of children and Chornobyl is still functioning, although with U.S. President Bill Clinton. after the explosion, is quickly deteriorat- adults affected by the tragedy. Ukraine has threatened to bring a second President Kuchma indicated that ing and already showing signs of radioac- While the world awaits the closing of reactor back on line should no support for Ukraine’s mediation efforts and its peace tive leakage. the Chornobyl nuclear complex and the Ukraine’s precarious energy problems proposal would be part of the NATO agen- A donors conference, held in 1997 in capping of the damaged reactor with a come quickly. da. New York under the auspices of the new sarcophagus, Ukraine’s officials con- The financing programs, which have The Ukrainian leader also said that, United Nations and with U.S. Vice- tinue to await additional international come under the auspices of the European although Ukraine condemns the use of financing, even as they maintain that Bank for Reconstruction and (Continued on page 5) (Continued on page 13) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 1999 No. 17 NEWS ANALYSIS: New moves NEWSBRIEFSNEWSBRIEFS on the Caucasus chessboard EBRD stalls on N industry loans development of the Baltic and Black seas’ by Paul Goble be following this exercise as a test of what transport systems, as well as the “Via RFE/RL Newsline may now be possible for them as well. KYIV – The European Bank for Baltica” project linking the Baltic states But precisely because so much is at Reconstruction and Development has post- Several recent developments in the and Poland via a modern highway. stake, not only for these countries but for poned a decision on whether to finance the (RFE/RL Newsline) southern Caucasus may fundamentally others as well, several states have moved completion of two nuclear reactors in change power relationships, not only in that some pieces on this chessboard also. On Ukraine to compensate Kyiv for energy Kuchma seeks socially oriented reforms region, but also across a much larger por- April 14, Russia and Iran signed an agree- losses following the expected closure of tion of the world. Precisely because of that ment to cooperate in the exploitation of oil the Chornobyl power plant. EBRD Deputy KYIV – The Ukrainian president told a possibility, some of the players both within and gas resources in the region, a direct Chairman Charles Frank said that while meeting at the Labor and Social Policy the region and beyond appear to be posi- response to the new Azerbaijan-Georgian the cost of finishing the two reactors, Ministry on April 13 that “the social tioning themselves to respond with new dimension of the reforms under way must pipeline.

Load more