www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Verkhovna Rada fiddles — page 3. • American Friends for Ukraine launches activities in D.C. — page 3. • More coverage of President Kuchma in Washington — pages 10-13. HE KRAINI A N EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXV No. 21 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 25, 1997 $1.25/$2 in Ukraine Polish, Ukrainian Kuchma, Gore convene first session of U.S.-Ukraine commission presidents sign concord declaration by Roman Woronowycz Kyiv Press Bureau KYIV — Poland’s President Alexander Kwasniewski spent three days in Ukraine on May 20-22 on an official state visit during which he signed a document with President Leonid Kuchma to put aside histori- cal animosities and conflicts between the two neighboring countries. Poland and Ukraine have had amiable relations since the dissolu- tion of the Soviet Union, but in the years surrounding World War II strained relations existed. Wars and land grabs have marked their co- existence for centuries. On May 21, in a move to alleviate past misunderstandings and differ- ences, the two presidents signed a Declaration on Concord and Unity. The declaration addresses the two major points of contention between the countries in the 20th century: Operation Vistula (Akcja Wisla) of 1947, in which 150,000 ethnic Ukrainians were forcibly moved Khristina Lew from homes in southeastern Poland President Leonid Kuchma (right) and Vice-President Al Gore sign a joint statement of the U.S.-Ukraine Binational Commission to the northwest by the Polish at the White House on May 16. Communist government, and others killed for refusing to do so; and the by Khristina Lew presence of foreign troops on Ukrainian Andrews Air Force Base for a two-day killing of Poles in the Volyn region territory may be based only on a duly con- working visit to the nation’s capital on in the Ukrainian struggle for inde- WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President cluded agreement with Ukraine according the afternoon of May 14 and were greet- Leonid Kuchma and Vice-President Al pendence during World War II. to its Constitution and in conformity with ed by Vice-President Gore. “We pay tribute to the innocent Gore presided over the first full session of international law and relevant multilateral Ukrainians and Poles — the torment- the U.S.-Ukraine Binational Commission at documents, or otherwise be pursuant to Capitol Hill focuses on corruption ed, the dead and the forcibly uproot- the White House on May 16 before meet- decisions of the U.N. Security Council ing with President Bill Clinton in the late On May 15, the day before co-chair- ed,” read a joint statement released and be consistent with the U.N. Charter.” ing the inaugural plenary meeting of the by the presidents at the Institute of afternoon to discuss security issues and President Kuchma and his delegation International Relations in Kyiv. Ukraine’s commitment to economic of senior Cabinet ministers arrived at (Continued on page 12) The purpose of Mr. Kwasniewski’s reform. visit, as Anatolii Ponomarenko, chief The daylong meeting of the commis- of the Ukrainian Foreign Affairs sion culminated in President Kuchma Congress tells Ukraine to shape up Ministry’s Department of Europe and and Vice-President Gore signing a joint America, put it, was “to continue to initiative on gas sector reform (for full by Michael Sawkiw Jr. ommended for Ukraine. text, see page 10) and a far-reaching move for the political reconciliation of Ukrainian National Information Service Of particular note was an amendment the peoples of Poland and Ukraine in joint statement on the work of the com- offered by Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.) to the present-day context.” mission in the areas of foreign policy, WASHINGTON — As President reduce the amount of foreign assistance to Speaking before Ukraine’s security, trade and investment, and sus- Leonid Kuchma was completing his offi- Ukraine. The amendment provided that Verkhovna Rada on May 21, tainable economic cooperation. cial visit here, the U.S. Congress was “not more than an amount equal to one- President Kwasniewski expressed In a separate meeting on May 16, sending the president and his government third of the amount appropriated for his sympathy for the “tragic destiny Foreign Affairs Minister Hennadii a direct message: speed up reform and Ukraine for Fiscal Year 1997 [$225 mil- of Ukrainians who suffered because Udovenko and Secretary of State reduce corruption, or risk a reduction in lion] may be provided to the Government of Operation Vistula.” Madeleine K. Albright signed a joint state- U.S. assistance next year. of Ukraine for each of such Fiscal Years “The profoundly human formula ment welcoming the entry into force of the Several weeks ago, on April 30, the 1998 and 1999.” Had the amendment ‘we forgive and ask for forgiveness’ CFE Flank Document, noting that the doc- House Committee on International passed, Ukraine would have received no is meaningful even when people are ument “does not give any state party the Relations, began to prepare the final more than $75 million per year for the next not under the pressure of responsi- right to station or temporarily deploy con- draft of the foreign assistance autho- two years. bility for what happened in the ventional armaments and equipment limit- rization bill for Fiscal Year 1998. The As word began to spread about the past,” said the Polish president. ed by the [Conventional Forces in Europe] authorization bill is an enactment by Hastings amendment, the Ukrainian In Mr. Kwasniewski’s statement treaty on the territory of other states parties the Committee on International National Information Service (UNIS), before the Verkhovna Rada, as in to the treaty without the freely expressed Relations to provide recommendations along with several other Ukrainian consent of the receiving state party.” upon which the House Committee on American organizations, quickly engaged (Continued on page 16) The joint statement also reiterated Appropriations can base their spending Ukraine’s position that “the temporary decisions, and includes amounts rec- (Continued on page 19) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 25, 1997 No. 21 Belarus: some reflections during the spring of 1997 Crimean privatization chief murdered population fully understands the concept of The following are the author’s reflec - stopped at every stop and was very crowd- fundamental economic reforms and sup- tions, written in a journal format, on his ed by the time we reached Polatsak. SYMFEROPOL — Serhiy Holovizin, ports the decisive structural and political most recent trip to Belarus. However, after that everything chairman of the Crimean State Property changes which are necessary for imple- improved. The city has a population of Fund, was shot dead on his doorstep on menting a market economy,” said Iryna by David R. Marples about 80,000 and is a mixture of old and May 16, a press spokesman for the procu- Novytska, the president of the non-profit PART I Soviet. Further to the north is the more rator’s office said. An investigation was Ukraine Free Economy (UFE ) Foundation. modern industrial center, Novopolatsak. under way but there were no immediate The foundation conducted a survey of 1,600 Every town here has a Soviet facade, the indications as to who was responsible for Miensk, April 17 Ukrainians along with the GLS research sky-rise apartment blocks and Socialist the killing, although Crimean Police Chief firm of San Francisco, Kyiv-based Socis- I had no problems at the airport in Realism of the World War II period. But Mykhailo Korniyenko said the following Gallup and the PBN company. The main Miensk, which I cannot say for an Polatsak also has monuments to the defense day that it was highly probable Mr. line of questioning concerned the attitude of American companion I met on the plane. of the city against Napoleon and on the site Holovizin’s death was tied to his profes- Ukrainians towards government power and His suitcase was being ransacked as I of the old St. Sophia Cathedral now stands a sional dealings, and that the killer was economic reforms. About 70 percent of went through customs. My friends met building renewed in the 17th-19th centuries, likely a professional, although sloppy, con- respondents said they do not trust the me, along with a driver. The airport road though you can still see some of the old tract operative. Investigative teams had Ukrainian government and think it’s deci- is under repair so only one side of the stones and relics dating to the 10th century. been dispatched from the Ministry of sions are taken “secretly, dishonestly and dual carriageway is in use for part of the It stands on a hill high above the Western Internal Affairs in Kyiv, and the Security with corruption in mind.” Approximately way into Miensk. It looks like it has Dvina River that runs to its mouth at Riga, Service may become involved as well. 40 percent supported the free market, while rained here for weeks. The road outside Latvia, the next city to the northwest. Since January 1995 Mr. Holovizin, 59, had another 40 percent thought the state should is a quagmire of mud and huge puddles, The area by the river is very pleasant. been in charge of the privatization process control the economy. Seventy percent sup- which got going early last year after a huge holes in it all over the place. And though the people in this most ported the beginning of economic reforms. three-year moratorium ended. He also This morning I have to give up my ancient of Belarusian towns all speak “Conditions in Ukraine are now more suit- managed President Kuchma’s 1994 cam- passport to the woman at the Chornobyl Russian (at least all those with whom I able for economic reform than ever before, paign for office in this region and had been Fund.