lished by the Ukrainian National Association Inc., a fraternal non-profit association! rainian WeeklV Vol. LX mNo. 5 THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 1992 50 cents Ukraine's Supreme Council reconvenes; Canada formalizes diplomatic ties approves blue-and-yellow state flag with Ukraine, upgrades consulate by Marta Kolomayets flag. (Thirty-one deputies abstained and by Marta Kolomayets near Kiev, to greet a Canadian Armed Kiev Press Bureau 29 did not take part in the vote.) Kiev Press Bureau Forces plane carrying more than 15 tons The first day's session continued with of humanitarian aid for the citizens of KIEV - The Supreme Council a number of deputies offering their KIEV — "Canada is committed to Ukraine. adopted the blue-and-yellow flag as the comments and criticisms regarding Mr. helping Ukraine with its dramatic state flag of Ukraine on Tuesday, Kravchuk's morning speech. political and economic reforms," said This first shipment, arranged by the January 28, the first day of the fifth The second day of this session began Canadian Minister for External Affairs Canadian Red Cross through funding session of the 12th convocation of Par­ with formalities as the Supreme Council Barbara McDougall during a whirlwind `by the Canadian government, is the first liament. voted Vasyl V. Durdynets to succeed visit to Ukraine on January 26-27. of five to arrive in Ukraine. It is being During the morning session, Presi­ Ivan Pliushch as first deputy chairman After a meeting with Ukrainian distributed to targeted hospitals by dent Leonid Kravchuk expressed his of the Supreme Council. Mr. Pliushch President Leonid Kravchuk on Mon­ branches of the Ukrainian Red Cross. confidence in Prime Minister Vitold was elected chairman of the Supreme day morning, January 27, the Canadian (The other four shipments are sched­ Fokin, who has been under attack Council at the same time Mr. Kravchuk official attended a brief ceremony at the uled to arrive on February 4-7 in recently by numerous democratic de­ was inaugurated president of Ukraine in press center of the Ukrainian Ministry Ukraine.) puties who oppose what they call his early December. Volodymyr Hryniov of Foreign Affairs, where she and During the official ceremony at the "lethargic methods of economic reform continues to serve in the capacity of Ukraine's Foreign Minister Anatoliy press center, Ms. McDougall told in Ukraine." second deputy chairman of the Su­ Zlenko exchanged diplomatic notes, members of the press that the Canadian Stressing unity as the key factor to preme Council. establishing official diplomatic rela­ government has also pledged S4.5 survival in these difficult economic Mr. Durdynets, who was elected by a tions between their two countries. million in technical assistance pro­ times, Mr. Kravchuk said that the vote of 308-50, is the former chairman Before departing for Canada, Ms. grams. removal of the Cabinet of Ministers (Continued on page 15) McDougall arrived at Boryspil Airport, (Continued on page 7) would be an untimely move. He outlined a number of problems that an independent Ukraine faces 47 states meet to coordinate aid to Commonwealth today — in the spheres of economy, politics and international relations — by Khristina Lew participants from seven international international organizations praised the and asked for greater presidential organizations, took place at the State U.S. initiative to coordinate assistance powers, including the right to appoint WASHINGTON - A 47-nation Department and did not include repre­ efforts and emphasized, in the words of representatives abroad. conference to coordinate assistance to sentatives from the 12 members of the Foreign Minister Joao de Deus Pin- the newly independent countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. heiro of Portugal, president of the Today's coupon system in Ukraine, a former Soviet Union concluded Jan­ According to German Foreign Minister European Community, that their posi­ free-market economy, as well as the uary 23 with sketchy proposals for Hans-Dietrich Genscher, the CIS na­ need for laws on privatization were tion is to "act together in solidarity to humanitarian assistance to "Russia and tions were to be briefed by the Wash­ assist newly emerging countries." other topics covered by the president in the other independent states." ington conference participants in Minsk his hourlong address to the Supreme But after two days of talks, the The two-day conference initiated by on February 1. proposals put forth did not detail how Council. Mr. Kravchuk discussed the the United States, with additional Delegates from the 54 states and ongoing struggle between Russia and (Continued on page 3) Ukraine in regard to the Black Sea Fleet and underscored the importance of maintaining good relations with demo­ cratic forces in Russia. Throughout this first day of the session, a few hundred citizens picketed the Supreme Council building, express­ ing myriad concerns, including the need for a new government, dissatisfaction with the economic level of life, and the right of various religious denomina­ tions to have church buildings. Representatives of Donbas miners, veterans of the Afghanistan war, and the all-Ukrainian union of strike com­ mittees (VOSK), voiced their organiza­ tions' concerns during the morning session. After the lunch break, a 40-minute debate centered on which flag to adopt as Ukraine's state and national symbol. Mr. Kravchuk pointed out that the blue-and-yellow flag already was a reality for the citizens of Ukraine and remarked that he thought it absurd for a president of a country to not yet have an official flag. I Khristina Lew "I am perhaps the only president in Ministers at the coordinating conference answer questions during a January 23 press conference. In tbe front row (from left) the world who finds himself in such a are Deputy Undersecretary of State Nicholas Bayne, United Kingdom; Secretary General Manfred Woerner, NATO; Foreign position," he remarked. Minister Armando Duran, Venezuela; Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Germany; Secretary of State James A. The deputies then voted, 253 for, 39 Baker HI, United States; Foreign Minister Joao de Deus Pinheiro, Portugal/EC Presidency; Foreign Minister Gianni De against, to adopt the blue-and-yellow Michelis, Italy; and EC Vice President Frans Andriessen, EC Commission. 2^ THE UKRAINIAN WEEKLY SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 2, 1992 No. 5 NEWS ANALYSIS Ukraine, in dispute with Russia, says it will pay debt on its own Newly independent Ukraine KIEV — Ukraine said it is pulling out matter how great it is in its potential," of an agreement among republics to the statement said. faces new energy crisis share the debt of the former Soviet Ukraine reiterated it is ready to pay Union because of disagreements with 16.3 percent of the debt, which is by Dr. David R. Marples mal power stations contribute 71 per­ Russia, reported the Associated Press. estimated at S65-70 billion. cent of total energy output). The figures In a statement, Ukraine Prime Mi­ One of the most pressing and least testify to the staggering magnitude of nister Vitold Fokin accused Russia of Temporarily, said Mr. Fokin, Rus­ discussed questions facing the newly the original nuclear power program, using its large size compared to other sia's claim to own the foreign property formed Commonwealth of Independent which anticipated a 500 percent rise in former republics to seize property and of the former Soviet Union should be States is that of energy production and capacity between 1985 and 2000. gold reserves of the former Soviet suspended, pending its distribution consumption. It is not a new problem, At the same time, the Ukrainian state Union. He appealed to Western credi­ among all the republics. indeed many of the former Soviet uses more power than it currently tors to help the former Soviet republics Ukraine called for an international republics have faced energy deficits for produces. This situation is a result of the divide up the debt. conference on the question with credi­ several years. But it has become parti­ excessive energy consumption of major "Asking for equality in resolving tors, the International Monetary Fund cularly pressing over the past year. Of industries, specifically metallurgical these questions, Ukraine cannot agree and the World Bank in Kiev on the larger republics, the most affected plants, chemical and oil-chemical enter- with the dictate of one government, no February 18-19, the AP noted. appears to be Ukraine, the most asser­ prises, construction and machine- tive and independence-minded of the building works. Many of the above members of the somewhat tenuous new plants lack modern equipment, and accord. some of the open hearth steelworks date Newsbriefs Although in many respects, Ukraine back to the late 1940s in terms of has been ranked among the most econo­ technology. mically viable of the newly sovereign As a result, their energy consumption on Ukraine nations, this is not the case in the is tens of times higher than equivalent troubled energy sector, and Ukraine has plants in the West and they constitute an transferring the fleet to Russian juris­ become dependent upon Russian sup­ environmental hazard to the neighbor­ ^ KIEV - At a January 21 press diction and that Ukrainian factories plies in this sector, particularly to the ing populations, which often live in the conference at the Ministry of Foreign might be threatened with losing military heavily industrialized Eastern Ukraine. immediate vicinity of the works. About Affairs, an advisor to the minister, orders. (RFE/RL Daily Report) The energy shortage in Ukraine arose 70 percent of energy consumption in Valeriy Kirchynsky, told reporters about the results of a meeting with an in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Ukraine is taken up by industry and ^ KIEV - Ukrainian Foreign Mi­ readily available supplies of coal — construction, compared to only 9.3 American delegation headed by the Under Secretary of State for Interna­ nister Anatoliy Zlenko and German which were used inter alia for fuel at percent by the population itself.