The Ukrainian Weekly 1994, No.6

www.ukrweekly.com 1NS1DE: ^ Central and East European Coalition comments on U.S. foreign policy - page 3. ^ Struggle for the Greek-Cathholic Patriarchate - page 9. e Business and Ukraine: credit unions, incubators, etc. - centerfold. THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY Published by the Ukrainian National Association inc., a fraternal non-profit association vol. LXII No. 6 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 6,1994 50 cents Winner in Crimean election pledges Parliament lifts START conditions, to hold referendum on independence nixes Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by Roman Woronowycz The first president to be elected in by Roman Woronowycz The provision by which the Kyyiv Press Bureau ostensibly free elections said that the Kyyiv Press Bureau Parliament would have approved acces– indecisiveness of Ukraine's Parliament sion to the NPT was voted down rather SYMFEROP1L - Yuri у Meshkov, and the lack of movement towards eco– KYYiv - Ukraine's Parliament convincingly. Parliament Chairman Wan smelling easy victory, called for nomic reforms has instilled in the approved a nuclear disarmament package Pliushch tried to garner interest in a sec– Crimeans to hold a referendum on inde– Crimean people the desire to split from on February 3, but it does not include ond vote when he addressed the body. pendence from Ukraine even as voters Ukraine, "it is imperative that we attach accession to the Nuclear Non- He said, "We have received phone calls still were making their choice regarding a ourselves to the economy of Russia and Proliferation Treaty. today from the ambassadors of the president for the Crimea. get from under Ukraine's collapsed econ– The decision validates the tripartite Netherlands, Sweden and France His remarks came on January 30 as omy," he said. agreement signed in Moscow by explaining the importance of the Crimeans went to the polls to choose a Ukraine's President Leonid Kravchuk, approval of the package. Not long ago, І He enumerated four points that need to president for this autonomous republic U.S. President Bill Clinton and Russia's also spoke with the ambassador from be addressed to revitalize the Crimea's which is part of Ukraine. Boris Yeltsin. There, Ukraine agreed to Greece who is presently head of the economy, all linked to ties with Russia. He also said the peninsula must seek surrender its nuclear weapons in return European Community. He wanted to "The Crimea must immediately renew economic and military ties with Russia for economic support and security assur– underscore the need and importance for and that he does not foresee ethnic con– the economic association between indus– ances. you to vote for NPT ratification." flict in the region. tries of Russia and the Crimean Republic; re-establish traditional agricul– The Parliament also ratified START 1. The deputies did not take up Mr. But it included an addendum that calls The Russian nationalist, who is a tural export links to Russia; and our Pliushch's suggestion. The package was for Ukraine's government to develop bi– member of the Republican Party of the export of heavy machinery and electrical approved with the START 1 conditions lateral agreements with each and every Crimea and was supported by the Russia components," he said. "Finally, we need after the NPT provision was dropped signatory of START 1. it lifted the 13 Bloc coalition, eventually defeated to redevelop tourism." from the bill. conditions attached to the START 1 doc– My kola Bagrov, speaker of the Crimean The new president said he views Originally, the feeling around the ument passed by the Parliament on Parliament, by a landslide 73 percent to returning to the "ruble zone" as a sec– Parliament had been that none of the 23 percent, voter turnout was heavy, November 18, 1993. ondary issue that will take place naturally three parts of the nuclear disarmament with three-quarters of eligible voters as the Russian and Crimean economies The addendum to the START 1 provi– package would be approved, or even polling. considered by this Parliament. Bohdan develop closer ties. sion was introduced by Serhiy Holovaty Horyn, deputy chairman of Parliament's Mr. Meshkov said, "1 am for a free Although Mr. Meshkov was vague as on the floor of the Parliament. He said Crimea, it needs economic indepen– Committee on Foreign Affairs, had said to what military ties he desired with START approval by the Parliament dence. І never said that the Crimea on January 26, "We have come to the Moscow, he was specific regarding the should not be considered an end in itself, should be a part of Russia, and 1 do not but as a process towards increasing conclusion that we cannot implement know who did." (Continued on page 18) Ukraine's security. START 1 or the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty." But with the election of a pro-Russian, independent-minded president in the Ukrainian economic mission notes progress in relations with U.S. Crimea on January 30, some who had denounced the nuclear pact seemed to by Eugene M. lwanciw cial relations." The minister said the del– out that Ukraine was one of the leaders in have changed their mind. Rukh leader UNA Washington Office egation "found understanding and a the Soviet space program and that the vyacheslav Chornovil told Reuters on readiness to expand cooperation in the discussions focused on Ukraine's possi– February 1 that with the election of WASH1NGTON - A Ukrainian eco– field of economic relations" during its ble involvement in the international Yuriy Meshkov more reason existed to nomic mission led by Economics meetings and noted that projects from orbital station. He added that Ukraine back the package. "To some degree it Minister Roman Shpek arrived in military conversion to investment to also is ready for bilateral space agree– guarantees our boundaries," he said. Washington on January 23. For the next space exploration were discussed. ments. A U.S. working group will be A steady stream of government lead– five days, the 15-member delegation met Mr. Shpek stated, "on behalf of the traveling to Ukraine in February to study ers went to the podium to explain why with U.S. officials from the departments president of Ukraine, 1 reassured U.S. these possibilities. the whole package needed to be of State, Commerce, Agriculture and approved, including President Leonid officials of Ukraine's continued commit– With regard to commitments from Defense, the National Security Council, Kravchuk, Foreign Minister Anatoliy ment to radical economic reform." He international financial institutions, the the Export-import (Ex-lm) Bank, and Zlenko and Defense Minister vitaliy also stressed his "hopes for a bilateral economics minister said the S400 million other U.S. agencies as well as interna– program for democracy." Radetsky. Mr. Kravchuk opened floor tioriaT organizations such as the World in rehabilitation loans available from the debate with a 15-minute speech declar– With regard to international financial World Bank are contingent on progress Bank and the international Monetary institutions, the economics minister com– ing that "until Ukraine implements Fund (1MF). in economic reforms. The funds would START 1 and accedes to NPT, it will not mented that there were "fruitful discus– be used in the field of energy, social At week's end, Minister Shpek was have normal relations with the world sions" and that an invitation extended to insurance, health care and reconstruction. joined by Anton Buteiko, head of the community." the World Bank and 1MF to send a dele– He also stated that in discussions with international Service in the Administra– gation to Ukraine to finalize the reform He explained that World Bank and tion of the President; victor Yushchenko, the 1MF and World Bank, "we were able international Monetary Fund money was program was accepted. Within two weeks to convince them that there is no alterna– chairman of the board of the National such a mission is to be sent to Ukraine. soon to become available to Ukraine Bank of Ukraine; Bohdan Hawrylyshyn, tive to market reform in Ukraine." As a because of its denuclearization efforts. advisor to the president of Ukraine; and A change in U.S. attitude member of these institutions, Mr. Shpek He added, "Now it is up to us to take Ambassador Oleh Bilorus at a press con– stated, Ukraine relies on the banks "not advantage of the offer and fulfill our in conclusion, he stated, "we felt a only for financial assistance but expertise." ference to summarize the work of the change in the attitude of the United most important duty." mission. States government toward Ukraine" and Double assistance? After the voting, Deputy Henrikh Minister Shpek began by highlighting noted that he was "happy to hear the for– Altunian explained that he was pleased While legislation passed by the the fact that this was the first visit of a eign policy of the United States in that with the outcome. He said, "Mr. Congress had earmarked S300 million in Ukrainian government economic mis– region may result in the 'Year of Holovaty did the right thing. І voted for economic assistance for Ukraine, the sion. He noted that it was pleasant to see Ukraine' for 1994." it." He added that he thought it was time Clinton administration had offered only that relations "have moved from misun– in the question-and-answer period, the United States stop treating Ukraine derstandings and political7military dis– Mr. Shpek was asked about the discus– Si55 million. On January 27, The Wall as a second-rate country. "This is a dis– cussions to expanded economicZcommer– sions on cooperation in space. He pointed (Continued on page 3) (Continued on page 18) THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY e, 1994 No. 6 Kravchuk, Nazarbayev sign accords KYYiv - President Nursultan respect among nations," stated the docu– Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan and Ukrainian ment.

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