The Ukrainian Weekly 1997, No.20
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www.ukrweekly.com INSIDE: • Central and East European Coalition focuses on security issues — page 3. • Harvard Ukrainian Business Initiative is established — page 4. • Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble at Lincoln Center — page 9. HE KRAINI A N EEKLY T PublishedU by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profitW association Vol. LXV No. 20 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 18, 1997 $1.25/$2 in Ukraine Senate focuses Kuchma advance team paves way for DC visit by Yaro Bihun Ukraine’s commitment to economic and the “problem investments” of American on foreign aid Special to The Ukrainian Weekly structural reforms and the need to pass the businesspeople, such as those dealing budget. They also held talks with the with Gala Radio and the Grand Hotel in to NIS, Ukraine WASHINGTON – President Leonid National Security Council and the Treasury Lviv, he said. But they also looked at Kuchma of Ukraine arrived here May 14 D e p a r t m e n t . some of the investment disputes that for the first plenary meeting of the Mr. Shpek also went to Capitol Hill were successfully resolved, he added. by Michael Sawkiw Jr. Binational Commission established last for a meeting with Rep. Sonny Callahan Following his meeting in Congress, Ukrainian National Information Service year to cement the strategic relationship (R-Ala.) whose House Appropriations Mr. Shpek said he came away feeling between the United States and Ukraine. subcommittee held a hearing dealing that American lawmakers would support WASHINGTON — Following several But even before his plane left Kyiv, hearings in the House of Representatives with the worsening investment climate President Kuchma’s fight against corrup- most of the members of his large, high- and corruption in Ukraine, featuring tion and his efforts to create a favorable regarding U.S. foreign assistance to level official delegation were already Central Europe and the new independent some American businesspersons who had investment climate for both Ukrainian hard at work in the U.S. capital, ensuring lost their investments in that atmosphere. and foreign private capital. states (NIS), including Ukraine, two that the visit, which encompasses meet- Senate subcommittees heard testimony That issue was also a major subject of But Rep. Callahan also pointed out ings with officials of the U.S. govern- discussion in the committee on sustain- another problem area that has caught the from U.S. government witnesses. ment and international financial institu- The first hearing, offered by the able economic development in Ukraine, attention of Congress: Ukraine’s dump- tions, members of Congress and within Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the which Mr. Shpek headed along with ing practices in trading with North the four working committees of the Appropriations Committee, was held on Ambassador Richard Morningstar, advi- America, which, he said, must stop. Binational Commission, which is co- May 6 and included testimony from sor to the president and secretary of state Mr. Shpek said he was optimistic that chaired by President Kuchma and Vice- Ambassador Richard L. Morningstar, on aid to the newly independent states of all these problem areas would be resolved President Al Gore, is successful. special advisor to the president and sec- the former Soviet Union. in a “civilized and normal” manner. The delegation included virtually all of retary of state on assistance to the NIS, In an interview in the midst of the “I think that as a result of this open the heads of the major ministries and gov- and Thomas Dine, assistant administrator preparatory talks, Mr. Shpek said his com- and objective discussion of our actions – ernment agencies, especially those dealing of the U.S. Agency for International mittee, which like the other four was not plans, but actions taken by our gov- with economics, among them Roman Development (USAID) for Europe and preparing a joint document for the plenary ernment – and of our current technologi- Shpek, who heads Ukraine’s Agency for the NIS. session, focused not only on the problem cal and financial needs, we will be able Reconstruction and Development. Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Mitch areas of investment in Ukraine but also on to rebuild the trust that we shared with Before beginning the preparatory talks McConnell (R-Ky.) provided the wit- the efforts undertaken by the Kuchma the U.S. government and Congress, and nesses a forum to present their views of the four committees – dealing with for- administration in trying to improve that cli- this will enable us to speed up the reform about U.S. assistance programs and the eign relations, security, sustainable eco- mate, through the president’s consultative process in Ukraine,” Mr. Shpek said. need to fund the Fiscal Year 1998 budget nomic development, and trade and invest- board that includes representatives of lead- Another, albeit sideline participant in at the proposed level of $900 million (as ment – Mr. Shpek and his colleagues spent ing foreign firms and the board of indepen- the Washington talks was Ronald requested by President Bill Clinton). the early part of the week in talks with rep- dent expert ombudsmen that looks into Winton, a consultant to several major resentatives of the International Monetary investors’ complaints. (Continued on page 3) Fund and the World Bank, discussing They specifically talked about some of (Continued on page 2) Belarusian president arrives in Ukraine Rada session marred by melee; amid protests by pro-democracy groups deputies attempt to oust Moroz by Roman Woronowycz cussed the delineation of borders between by Roman Woronowycz the Communist Party, Deputy Petro Kyiv Press Bureau their countries, an increase in trade and their Kyiv Press Bureau Symonenko, and Deputy Stepan Khmara, views on the expansion of NATO, demon- after Mr. Symonenko was asked by KYIV — Belarusian President strators outside shouted “Lukashenka — KYIV — Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada Chairman Moroz to take the podium to Alyaksander Lukashenka arrived for his dictator” and “fascist get out.” showed again on May 13 why at times it explain why so few from his party had first official visit to Ukraine on May12 They were led by leader of the Rukh, can be more accurately described as a registered for that day’s session of amid protests and demonstrations staged Vyacheslav Chornovil, who has been circus than a legislative body. Parliament. by pro-democracy groups. He reaffirmed sharply critical of the meeting between In two separate incidents, the politi- Many deputies said they believed that that he would like to see Ukraine join Presidents Lukashenka and Kuchma. cians first took part in a free-for-all that Messrs. Symonenko and Moroz had Russia and Belarus in an economic union. Mr. Lukashenka told reporters after- involved a large number of the legislators organized the boycott of the session by Hundreds of people, principally mem- wards that he beleives the biggest problem present in the Parliament’s chambers, leftist forces to delay the vote of no-con- bers of the Popular Movement Rukh, between the two countries is in removing then attempted unsuccessfully to have fidence in the Verkhovna Rada chairman. congregated at Boryspil Airport and the obstacles that hold up free trade. “We Verkhovna Rada chairman Oleksander Deputy Symonenko said the along the road into the city to voice their must form an open regime for trade, and I Moroz removed from his post for failing Communists were protesting the way in displeasure with the Belarusian presi- am sure that Ukraine and Belarus will have to carry out his official duties. which participants of the May 9 Victory dent’s strong-arm tactics in Belarus, a unified customs space in the future,” said At the heart of both incidents is the Day celebrations in Lviv had been treat- where he has dismissed the Supreme the Belarusian president. ongoing political war between forces of the ed by police during scuffles between vet- Court and essentially made the country’s He also said he ultimately foresees left and the right, and the stalemate that has erans of the Red Army and of the Parliament his puppet while suppressing Ukraine joining the Russian-Belarusian occurred in the legislature over passage of a Ukrainian Insurgent Army. He demanded human rights and arresting hundreds of union. He said it would be “a Ukrainian tax reform package and a 1997 budget. that the Ministry of Internal Affairs and dissidents. decision,” and tried to assure Ukrainians The petition to oust Chairman Moroz the Procurator General’s Office deliver Mr. Lukashenka said upon his arrival that all countries would retain their sov- was supported by President Leonid reports on the incidents. that he would like to see more open trade ereignty and independence. “We should Kuchma and signed by a majority of As Mr. Symonenko spoke, Deputy between his country and Ukraine. He not fear it,” he said. national deputies, after a proposal to put Khmara approached the rostrum and said that eventually a “common customs Although the Belarusian president even- the motion before the full legislative pushed the Communist leader. Mr. space” would emrge. tually wants a union, he left Ukraine with a body was approved during a meeting of Symonenko’s supporters quickly jumped Protesters were also present at the border agreement, and that was what chairmen of Verkhovna Rada committees on Mr. Khmara and the melee began. It Mariinskyi Palace on May 13 as Mr. Ukraine wanted. The agreement topograph- the previous day. took almost 20 minutes to restore order. Lukashenka met with President Leonid The first incident began with an Kuchma. While the two presidents dis- (Continued on page 2) exchange of blows between the leader of (Continued on page 2) 2 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, MAY 18, 1997 No. 20 there are still a few outstanding issues,” Kuchma advance..