UKRINFORM NEWS AGENCY

  NEWS FROM UKRAINE

During negotiations in Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan, the Ukrainian and Turkmen parties discussed perspectives of cooperation in the energy sphere, the presidential press service told Ukrinform.

In particular, the matter concerned a possibility to create gas transport consortium for gas transit to Ukraine and the EU via the territories of Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. "The largest part of negotiations were dedicated to this issue, since participation in energy joint  projects is one of the most urgent themes at present", the Ukrainian President told the journalists. According to him, Ukraine finally demonstrates its possibilities in the issues of joint extraction of petroleum and gas and in the issues of investment proposals.

The Head of the Ukrainian State called the project of the gas transportation system, which will pass via territories of four countries, the most perspective and the one, which is an alternative to other projects, but not contrary to them. "It is not a conflict of projects, but harmonization of possibilities", Viktor Yushchenko noted.

According to him, at present, it is necessary to start negotiations with Kazakhstan and Russia. "We did not use out possibilities for years and now we should form our proposals and add  new quality to our relations", the Ukrainian President said.

He also noted that often a "political factor" was the main barrier during negotiations". "We should remove this barrier and propose a new quality project to Europe", the President said. According to him, a positive solution of this issue is profitable primarily to countries, participants in the consortium, since West European countries are effectively managing differentiation of their energy supplies.

Commenting on negotiation results as the whole, Viktor Yushchenko noted that he is satisfied with results and now it is necessary to the two countries' Governments to fix in corresponding documents the arrangements, reached at the highest level. Those documents should clearly define ways for their realization in the near future. In particular, besides the power sphere, the matter concerns cooperation in trade, humanitarian and military-technical spheres, the Ukrainian President noted.

"It is necessary to form a clearly defined plan of actions among  the countries. Thanks to such an approach we will have concrete ways of mutually beneficial cooperation, primarily in the power branch", Viktor Yushchenko said.

According to Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov, Ukraine and Turkmenistan received a possibility to raise their relations to a new level with consideration of their national interests. He noted that since an issue about energy safety is a very important issue for Ukraine, Turkmenistan is ready to cooperate in this sphere on mutually beneficial basis.  Provided a  transportation problem is solved, Turkmenistan may supply 60-70 bn. cu.m. of gas per annum, the Turkmen President noted.

During the negotiations Ashkhabad showed interest in cooperation with Ukraine in the sphere of defense industry, in particular, in modernization of enginery, such as tanks, planes and artillery. Besides, the parties raised an issue about fighting terrorism, preserving peace in the world and peace in the region.

Saparmurat Niyazov became also interested in Viktor Yushchenko's proposal to help Turkmen students with their studies at Ukrainian higher educational establishments.

***

Ukraine will always value freedom and democracy, since those achievements cost dear to Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko commented on an open letter to his address from the Turkmen Helsinki Fund on protection of human rights, the presidential press service told Ukrinform.

"We will always value what  took place in November-December 2004 in Ukraine, and those are not meaningless words. Such was the choice of the people, and it is fundamental", the Head of State noted. According to him, freedom and democracy have the same value for the peoples in all corners of the world.

***

Negotiations between President Viktor Yushchenko of Ukraine and President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan were staged with participation of both parties' delegations. A number of documents were signed as a result of this meeting, the presidential press service told Ukrinform.

In particular, the following documents were signed: joint statement by Presidents, a Protocol on making amendments to an Agreement between Ukraine and Turkmenistan on regulation of the migration process and on protection of migrants' rights. An agreement between Ukraine and Turkmenistan about extradition of persons, convicted to imprisonment, for them to further service their sentences.

A Program of cooperation between the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the Defense Ministry of Turkmenistan for 2005-2007 was also signed. Besides, an agreement between the Donetsk Regional State Administration and Administration of the Turkmenian Balkan Province on trade-economic, scientific-technical and cultural cooperation was signed, too.

***

President Viktor Yushchenko carried out a reshuffle at the Ministry for industrial policies by dismissing 10 Deputy Ministers and appointing four new Deputy Ministers.

As the presidential press service told Ukrinform, Viktor Yushchenko by his decrees, in particular, dismissed two First Deputy Ministers for industrial policies, Valeri Kazakov and Mykola Ivashchenko.

Due to liquidation of the post, Anatoli Manhula was also relieved from the post of First Deputy Minister, Volodymyr Novytsky, Valeri Zubarev and Oleksandr Kravtsov were relieved from the posts of Deputy Ministers. Volodymyr Ivanyshyn was dismissed from the post of Deputy Minister - Director of the State Department for tractor and agricultural machinery construction for this same reason.

Besides, the President dismissed Deputy Minister Anatoli Fediayev in compliance with an application, submitted by him, and Deputy Minister Volodymyr Kyslytsyn.

Viktor Yushchenko also abolished a decree by the President of Ukraine, dated October 20, 2004, "On Appointing Yuri Baskakov First Deputy Minister for industrial policies of Ukraine on relations with the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine".

At the same time, by his decrees, the President appointed Oleh Urusky First Deputy Minister for industrial policies, and Valeri Tretiakov, Serhi Hryshchenko and Viktor Baranchuk Deputy Ministers.

***

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili will come on an official visit to Ukraine on March 24-26.

As Foreign Ministry press service Agency Deputy Head Dmitri Svistkov told a briefing on Wednesday, during the visit a high representative delegation, consisting of the majority of Georgian Government members, will accompany the Georgian President.

According to him, the Georgian President is supposed to meet with President Viktor Yushchenko, bipartite meetings with Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and Verkhovna Rada Chairperson Volodymyr Lytvyn are supposed to be staged.

The parties are expected to discuss a number of urgent issues, in particular, those concerning possible joint realization of perspective economic projects in the power and transportation spheres, ways of expanding common trade and economic cooperation between the two countries, and an issue about stepping up the GUUAM activities.

A ceremonial opening of the Year of Georgia in Ukraine will be an important event of the visit, during which a corresponding plan of measures is supposed to be approved, Dmitri Svistkov said. 

***

The People's Party of Ukraine, headed by Parliamentary Chairperson Volodymyr Lytvyn, may come to parliamentary elections-2006 in a unified bloc with pro-presidential political forces. In any case President Viktor Yushchenko proposed such a step, Volodymyr Lytvyn said during a Wednesday's "direct telephone line" in the Komsomolskaya Pravda  newspaper in Ukraine. He also explained that this issue was being discussed in the party organizations at all levels so that the final decision be approved by the Party Congress.

Volodymyr Lytvyn, having heard a telephone story that the people are made to join pro-presidential parties in some regions, promised to have a talk with the Head of State about inadmissibility of such actions. He reminded that during the orange revolution the people demanded freedom and democracy in the political choice, so they should receive it first of all.

***

The Presidential Secretariat Commission, led by organization, personnel policies and cooperation with regions Agency  Head Anatoli Vedmid, came to Lugansk.

Their arrival was caused by a claim of the Lugansk  "Power of People" coalition, who are dissatisfied with personnel policies, pursued by Lugansk Regional Administration  Head Aleksei Danilov, as well as by an inquiry, made by people's deputy Yuri Karmazin.

The Commission is supposed to stay in Lugansk during two weeks, but it will continue its work in case of necessity.

The Commission held a closed meeting with leaders of party organizations "Power of People". After the meeting Anatoli Vedmid refused to give comments with regard to this meeting.

According to participant in the meeting regional Party organization Head Yuri Motsny, Commission members listened to the anti-Danilov coalition's position. "Party of Motherland's Defenders" regional organization Deputy Head  Yelena Berezhnaya said that she submitted all necessary documents to the Secretariat representatives so that they  "look into  the situation".

***

On March 24 in Kyiv for the first time in the history of Ukrainian-Albanian diplomatic relations political consultations will be staged between the two countries' Foreign Ministries, Foreign Ministry press service Agency Deputy Head Dmitri Svistkov told  a briefing.

The Ukrainian delegation will be headed by Foreign Deputy Minister Igor Dolgov and the Albanian delegation will be headed by Albanian Foreign Deputy Minister Luan Hajdaraga.

The parties, in particular, will discuss the state and perspectives of developing bilateral relations, further development of trade and economic relations, the situation in the Balkans and the two countries' cooperation toward European integration.

***

As it was stated at the round table, dedicated to International Day of Water, Ukraine has the largest mineral water resources.

The meeting was staged on Tuesday and it was attended by Ukrainian Consumers Association President Oleh Samchyshyn, Human Ecology Institute Director and, Professor Mykhailo Kuryk, supervisor at the Odesa Department of the International Academy of ecology and vital activity safety Professor Tetiana Strykalenko, oncologist of the highest category Oleh Bobyliak and by other experts.

The participants in the meeting noted that some national producers, who are using underground potable waters, are successfully competing with large Western companies. As a result a conclusion was drawn that Ukraine has all possibilities to supply users with really useful mineral waters.

T. Strykalenko cited data of sociological polls, carried out in a number of Ukrainian cities, about influence of such waters on human health. According to those data, following three months of using quality waters, respondents noted improvement of the general state of health and less exacerbation with regard to a number of chronic diseases. According to Oleh Bobyliak, use of such water reduces risk of an oncological disease tenfold.

But the round table participants stated that Ukrainian consumers do not tell the difference between natural mineral waters and packaged purified waters with mineral additions.

It is very important that producers do not mix those notions. The relevant state bodies should exercise control, in order to prevent those cases. Besides, place of origin of such packaged waters should be pointed out in normative documents, Oleh Samchyshyn noted.

***

Researchers with the Kharkiv National  N. Zhukovsky Aviation University, the Kharkiv Air Force College and the public joint-stock company Khartron have developed a new drone.

Codenamed Strepet ("Buzzard"), the drone can be used for both military and peaceable purposes.

Its early tests will be carried out at the Defense Ministry's Chuhuiv Aircraft Repair Works.

***

As NSDC Secretary Petro Poroshenko told a Tuesday news briefing in Kyiv, President Viktor Yushchenko has signed a plan to gradually withdraw the military contingent from Iraq.

The plan provides, in particular, for reducing the number of military servicemen, who will replace some part of Ukrainian personnel by way of  scheduled rotation, by 669, so 864 Ukrainian peacekeepers will be redeployed to Iraq.

The bulk of personnel, who will thus be withdrawn from Iraq, will be transported from Al Kut by aircraft, whereas heavy materiel will be transported by ferry-boats.

The troops withdrawal's first stage occurred on March 15. On April 1 a transport plane will leave Al Kut to bring another group of personnel to Ukraine.

In May the Ukrainian contingent to will be further reduced by 669 personnel.

In any case, Petro Poroshenko stressed, no Ukrainian military personnel will remain in Iraq after 2005.

The final decision on when the withdraw operation will be completed, in October, November or December 2005, will be made later, when Ukraine's consultations with the coalition partners are over.

As Petro Poroshenko disclosed, Ukraine has been petitioned for making Ukrainian military personnel involved in steps to tighten security during the December 2005 elections to the National Assembly of Iraq.

In Mr Poroshenko's opinion, this subject may be discussed with the US party during President Yushchenko's visit to the USA.

Besides, he said, active consultations are under way with the Polish and British parties to the Coalition Forces.

After Ukraine discontinues its military presence in Iraq its interests there may be materialized through implementing restoration projects, military-technical cooperation, training Iraqi military personnel, police officers, Mr Poroshenko told the news briefing.

In his opinion, after the situation in Iraq has stabilized Ukrainian companies will be able to participate in Iraq's economic restoration, in certain projects in the fuels-energy sector.

Mr Poroshenko is supposed to lead a Ukrainian delegation on a visit to Iraq on March 28 through 30 for consultations about the Ukrainian contingent's withdrawal.

If Iraq's government is formed by that time Petro Poroshenko will meet with its premier.

***
Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk met with PACE Monitoring Committee rapporteurs Hanne Severinsen and Renate Wohlwend, Foreign Ministry sources told Ukrinform on Wednesday.

The parties exchanged opinions about the current situation in Ukraine and the state of affairs in meeting those commitments which Ukraine assumed in joining the Council of Europe.

In the rapporteurs' opinion, the current situation in Ukraine is radically different from that which existed before the latest presidential election, particularly, with regard to the media and establishment of a civil society.

As the Foreign Minister reassured his interlocutors, the President and Government of Ukraine are adamant on the nation's democratic course and will exert every effort to make Ukraine meet its EuroCouncil's membership commitments.

***

As EuroCouncil Monitoring Committee rapporteurs Hanne Severinsen and Renate Wohlwend told a Wednesday news conference in Kyiv, holding honest and transparent 2006 parliamentary elections will be helpful in Ukraine's withdrawal from the monitoring procedure.

Making the elections meet democratic standards and norms will be a litmus paper test, which will show the irreversibility of Ukraine's democratic advances, they noted.

After the elections, they said, the PACE may lift the monitoring procedure for Ukraine.

According to the rapporteurs, the orange revolution was a major democratic breakthrough. It also inspires our hope that Ukraine's EuroCouncil membership commitments will be fully met, Hanne Severinsen noted.

As she said, the new Ukrainian authority must shift from rhetoric to serious practical steps, carry out reforms, including the reformation of the Prosecutor General Office, adopt the new Criminal-Procedural Code, ratify the European Charter on ethnic minority languages, secure separation of powers and the media's independence.

According to Hanne Severinsen, the rapporteurs will prepare their transition account about \their inspection mission to Ukraine by autumn 2005.

This paper will contain the list of those commitments which Ukraine has not met, so far.

***

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv Wednesday, Hanne Severinsen and Renate Wohlwend declined to comment on whether the incumbent Prosecutor General, Sviatoslav Piskun will succeeded in completing the Gongadze murder investigation.

In Hanne Severinsen's opinion, which has supported by Renate Wohlwend, Sviatoslav Piskun should be given a chance to uncover the case's circumstances, which continue riveting the international community's attention.

According to the PACE Monitoring Committee rapporteurs, during their visit to Kyiv they met with high-placed officials, including those of the PGO and the Security Service.

They were reassured by the officials about former presidential guard Mykola Melnychenko's personal safety if he comes to Ukraine to offer his audiotapes.

The rapporteurs expressed their hope that not only the perpetrators, but also those who masterminded the journalist's murder will be brought to justice.

As Hanne Severinsen disclosed, the EuroCouncil Legal Committee has formed a special mission in charge of following the Gongadze case investigation.

This person, she said, will shortly arrive in Ukraine to meet with Ukrainian officials, who are involved in the investigation.

***

PACE Monitoring Committee rapporteurs Hanne Severinsen and Renate Wohlwend hailed the idea of establishing a public tv channel in Ukraine and the abrogation of so-called "temniks" (the Presidential Administration Office's instructions to the media about what and how they must report).

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the rapporteurs noted that they had been  watching tv very attentively and had noticed more diversified coverage of developments in Ukraine.

As they said, the issue of public television was specifically discussed during their meeting with Vice Premier Mykola Tomenko.

Further commenting on the meeting, Hanne Severinsen said establishing a public tv channel or company will signal the emergence of Ukraine's fourth power.

Hanne Severinsen stated her disapproval of persecutions of those people who, during the presidential race and the elections, supported the other candidate.

It would be more appropriate, she noted, to find and bring to justice those public servants who violated election legislation in Ukraine if their guilt is established by court, but persecuting people only because they hold different political views is anything but democratic.

***

As Foreign Ministry sources told Ukrinform, Brussels, Belgium played host to a session of the NATO Political Committee with Ukraine's participation, at which preparations were discussed for an April 21 session of the Ukraine - NATO Commission in Vilnius, which will be held at the level of foreign ministers.

The Ukrainian delegation to the session in Brussels, who were led by the State Export Control Service Chairperson, also attended a session of the NATO High-Level Political-Military Group, which dealt with implementation of the NPT.

***

According to NSDC Secretary Petro Poroshenko, there is no evidence which would substantiate reports about Ukrainian authority bodies having sanctioned sales of cruise missiles to Iraq and China.

As Mr Poroshenko disclosed, a set of "serious steps" is being contemplated toward tightening the State's control over sensitive exports.

According to the NSDC Secretary, Ukraine's new authorities are demonstrating openness, transparency and interestedness in objectively investigating any facts of weapons' transfers from Ukraine.

The State Export Control Service, Mr Poroshenko said, will not be liquidated.

It will remain under the Cabinet of ministers and will not be placed under any ministry.

Mr Poroshenko also stated Ukraine's readiness to cooperate with any international institutions to demonstrate that the national system of control over sensitive exports is efficient and makes Ukraine fit for European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

***

According to NSDC Secretary Petro Poroshenko, he will meet next week with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov, with a view of discussing creation of the Yushchenko-Putin Commission, an agreement on which was reached during the latest meeting in Kyiv of Presidents Yushchenko and Putin.

***

According to Foreign Ministry spokesman Dmitri Svistkov, on March 24 a numerous US Senate delegation will come to Ukraine on a one-day visit, led by Senator Harry Reid, leader of the Senate Democratic minority.

The delegation will hold meetings with top-placed Ukrainian officials.

The parties are expected to discuss a broad range of Ukrainian-American cooperation issues, ways to deepen Ukraine - USA strategic partnership.

The Ukrainian party is supposed to draw the US delegation's attention to the need of assisting Ukraine is getting recognized as a market economy nation, eliminating trade barriers and supporting Ukraine's bids for joining the WTO and for closer Euro-Atlantic integration.

***

We must remember that Turkmenistan is Ukraine's chief supplier of natural gas, so the transnational gas transportation consortium's establishment will be impossible without Turkmenistan, the President's representative to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine deputy Sergei Sobolev said, by way of commenting on energy agreements, which were reached, as a result of President Viktor Yushchenko's visit to Turkmenistan.

It is very good, Mr Sobolev noted, that the new Ukrainian team have insisted on Germany's participation in the consortium, along with Ukraine and Russia, as Germany is a major natural gas user, but the consortium will be completed only if Turkmenistan joins it as a major gas supplier.

Touching on Russia's likely reaction to Turkmenistan's participation in the consortium, Mr Sobolev said Russia could derive benefits from this.

The benefits, he said, are obvious for Ukraine as a transit nation, for Germany as the consumer, for Russia and Turkmenistan as supplier-nations.

***

Ukraine continues an active dialogue with EU member countries  with regard to simplification of the visa regime, Foreign Ministry press service Deputy Head Dmitri Svistkov told a briefing on Wednesday.

According to him, the main attention is paid to the necessity of realizing on mutual basis European principles of free movement of persons, goods, services and capital.

At present, such negotiations are aimed at securing support on the part of EU member countries in the European Commission to Ukrainian proposals with regard to visa regime simplification for Ukrainian nationals, in particular, in the part of facilitating procedures for visa registration, issue of free visas and visas on privileged rates.

At the same time, the Ukrainian leaders consider a possibility of temporary abolishment of the visa regime for citizens of the EU member states and Switzerland due to holding the Eurovision-2005 International Song Contest in Kyiv.

Such actions by Ukraine will be a concrete step toward realization of our State's striving toward European integration and will promote popularization of Ukraine as a European State, which is following the general European principle of ensuring free movement of persons, goods, services and capital. In the opinion the Foreign Ministry's representative, this will become a tangible argument in the further negotiation process with the EU with regard to taking adequate steps toward simplification of the visa regime for Ukrainian nationals.

***

 According to the Ukrainian Ombudsperson's press service, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for human rights Nina Karpacheva led a Ukrainian delegation on a visit to Cuba through an invitation from Minister of Foreign Relations Felipe Perez Roque.

Within the visit's framework the Ombudsperson met with National Assembly Chairperson Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada, Foreign Minister  Felipe Perez Roque, Justice Minister Roberto Diaz Sotolongo, students and academics of the Paul Roa Garcia Institute for International Relations, key figures of the Santa Clara Province Assembly.

Commenting on her visit, Ms Karpacheva noted the Cuban party's interestedness in promoting friendly relations with Ukraine.

***

According to Foreign Ministry sources, the Peru - Ukraine parliamentary group has been formed within the Peruvian Congress through the Ukrainian Embassy's initiative.

The group numbers 12 deputies and is headed by Chairman of the Congress Foreign Relations Committee Gustavo Pacheco.

***

The Belarussian Foreign Ministry's Working Group have arrived in Ukraine, with a view of participating in the 11th session of the mixed Ukrainian-Belarussian Intergovernmental Commission for trade- economic cooperation, which will convene in Kyiv on March 24, the BELTA news agency told Ukrinform.

***

South African Ambassador to Ukraine Ashraf Sentso, who made a familiarization trip to Odesa, stated South Africa as very much interested in cooperation with Ukrainian businesses and entrepreneurs.

As he said, South Africa would like to supply mining equipment to Ukraine and setting up joint ventures.

The South African envoy met with Odesa Governor Vasyl Sushko.

The envoy commented on the recent visits to South Africa by the ULIE's and Odesa Regional Rada delegations as very successful.

According to Larysa Poplavskaya, South Africa's Honorary Consul to Odesa, the Ambassador confirmed agreements on a South African company's participation in construction of a gas-vapor electric power plant in Izmail and  construction of a cargo airfield in Prilimanskoye.

On Wednesday Ambassador Ashraf Sentso attended a ceremony to open the South Africa - Ukraine trading house office in Odesa and met with Odesa region business figures in the Londonskaya hotel.

***

 Minister of Internal Affairs Yuri Lutsenko, Security Service Chairman Aleksandr Turchinov and Prosecutor General Sviatoslav Piskun circulated a joint statement on Wednesday to suggest that the National Bureau of Investigation be established on the base of the PGO's Agency for investigating most serious crimes.

The document states the need for vesting the NBI with functions of pre-judicial investigation and the NBI's separation from the PGO.

The statement also cautions against the NBI's personnel combining functions of operatives and investigators as this may draw the society's negative reaction and may give grounds for accusations of attempts to create a new powerful body, hard to control by the public.

***

As Fuels & Power Industry Minister Ivan Plachkov told journalists in Kyiv on Wednesday, next week be will travel to Moscow for talks about prospects of Ukrainian-Russian cooperation in the fuel-energy sector.

According to Mr Plachkov's first deputy Yuri Prodan, the Ministry has drafted a bill on restructuring debts of fuels-energy sector enterprises, which will be presented to the Cabinet next week.

***

As Vladimir Stretovich, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee for combating corruption and organised crime, told journalists in Kyiv, he will press for restituting the ad hoc commission, which was engaged in investigating into the circumstances of Rukh founder and leader Viacheslav Chornovil's death.

According to Mr Stretovich, there is only one eyewitness, still alive, among those who could give testimony about the road accident, in which Viacheslav Chornovil was killed.

All of them died under rather strange circumstances, Vladimir Stretovich contended.

***

The People's Rukh of Ukraine has appealed to likely eyewitnesses of the road accident, in which Viacheslav Chornovil perished, urging them to furnish any accident-related information.

***

The Defense Ministry press service refuted the Arabic tv channel Al Jazeera's report alleging a mortar attack on the Ukrainian military contingent, stationed in Al Kut, Iraq.

Defense Minister Anatoli Grytsenko immediately contacted Maj Gen Serhi Popko, commander of the 7th Detached Mechanized Brigade, by phone, who said there had been no incidents.

As the general said, there were no attacks on the Ukrainian contingent's bases and checkpoints. He also and stated the situation in Iraq's Wasit Province as remaining calm.

***

According to the Defense Ministry press service, the 7th Detached Mechanized Brigade is gearing up for its scheduled withdrawal from Iraq.

Work is under way to ready personnel and materiel for redeployment.

Heavy equipment and property will be delivered to a port in Kuweit, from which these will be transported to Ukraine by ferry-boats.

Ukrainian military personnel will have to cover over 600 kilometers of roads under extremely hot and dusty conditions.

With a view of preparing personnel and vehicles, the brigade's commandeers decided on daily 120-km training marches in the vicinity of the camp DELTA.

***

Four Ukrainian military servicemen who were wounded in an ammo explosion in Iraq in early January 2005, have been checked out of the Defense Ministry's Main Clinical Hospital in Kyiv.

Three of them, Maj Igor Kozlov, sergeant Nikolai Shevyakov and private Aleksandr Ashgan arrived on Wednesday at the M. Pirogov Cental Military Clinical Sanatorium in Saki, Crimea, with a view of undergoing a rehabilitation regimen.

Private Maksym Kedyk will undergo rehabilitation at home.

The condition of private Aleksandr Bakhtiarov, who continues undergoing medical treatment at military hospital in Washington, DC, remains grave.

***

According to Defense Ministry press service staffer Maj Konstantin Sadykov, helimen of the 56th Detached Helicopter Squadron on the UN Mission to Liberia participated in the Mission's operation to maintain peace, stability and public order in the port town of Buhanan.

The Ukrainian helimen airlifted Irish and Swedish personnel and materiel to the town, while crews of MI-24 gunships secured aerial protection of a convoy of Swedish armored vehicles, which was redeployed to Buhanan (Grand Bassa province).

Over the five months of their mission, the Ukrainian helimen, commanded by Col Oleh Hrab, have performed about 3,920 sorties, have airlifted over 16,000 military personnel and over 567,000 tons of cargos.

The Ukrainian helimen's daily tasks include patrol missions, which are assigned to two MI-24 helicopters.

Every such mission involves up to 700-km-long flights, which last about four hours each.

Personnel of the 56th Detached Helicopter Squadron will be rotated in April's second half.

It will be the squadron's third scheduled rotation.

***

The Laboring Ukraine party orchestrated a rally in Kirovograd, which initiated a sign-in to topple Governor Eduard Zeinalov.

The rally's participants accused the Governor of inefficient management.

As they claimed, he is not qualified for the post for lacking college education.

Commenting on the rally at a press conference, Mr Zeinalov attributed that pow-wow to the looming 2006 election campaign.

***

According to Regions Party leader Viktor Yanukovych, opposition forces, which are currently rallying around his party, will form a shadow Cabinet.

A contest will be shortly announced, he said, for key posts in this sort of "people's government."

Mr Yanukovych stated the shadow Cabinet's chief mission as posing as a watchdog body to closely monitor the incumbents' activities.

***

President of the National TV Company Taras Stetskiv believes that there are all grounds to state that Ukraine will stage the Eurovision-2005 song contest at a high level.

Speaking at a press conference, Taras Stetskiv stated that work was arranged actually on all items of the contest organization. He also reassured that the contest organizers control the situation.

The National TV Company President expressed hope that President Viktor Yushchenko would sign a decree on simplification of the visa regime for guests of the contest in the near future.

The only problem concerns hotels to accommodate the guests attending  the song contest. At the same time Taras Stetskiv assured that this problem would be solved, too.

Answering the journalists' questions with regard to some accusations of non-transparent holding the contest, Taras Stetskiv said that, in his opinion, everything is all right; the song contest organizers had not much time for holding a tender in the established term.

Ten performers will participate in the finale. The Ukrainian representative will perform the 16th and in the finale.

Austria will open the Eurovision-2005 contest semi-final. On the whole, performers from 25 countries of the world will participate in the song contest.

***

Casting lots has placed the Ukrainian group Grindzholy under number 16 among the Eurovision 2005 24 finalists.

For the first-ever time in the Eurovision song contests' history, the Eurovision 2005 will be directed by three anchors, singer Ruslana (Lyzhychko), boxer Vladimir Klitschko, dj Pashs, who fluently speaks English and Spanish.

***

On Monday, March 28 a ceremony will be held in the town of Kotovsk, Odesa region, in which 700,000 USD's worth of equipment will be turned over to the Kotovsk Borderguard Detachment as the US Government's technical aid.

The equipment includes metal detectors, photo-video documentation devices, radios, radiation gauges, night vision devices, binoculars, automobiles, and so on.

The Southern Regional Agency of the State Borderguard Service is in charge of controlling an over 1,627-km-long Ukrainian-Moldovan borderline, including 405 kilometers of the Ukrainian-Transdniestrian frontier.

***

Speaking to journalists in Kyiv on Wednesday, Minister for youth and sports Yuri Pavlenko stated his opinion about the conflict with regard to the Kyiv Dynamo Soccer Club as a purely financial dispute, totally bereft of any political implications.

On Wednesday the Minister met with Kyiv Dynamo fans and sympathizers, who urged the authority to step in.

As Yuri Pavlenko reassured them, he is very much concerned over the soccer club's destiny and is watching the situation very closely.

Nevertheless, he said, being a member of Ukraine's executive power, he has no right to influence the situation, which matter rests solely with judicial power.

President Viktor Yushchenko, wishing not to stand aloof, has instructed Vice Premier Mykola Tomenko and Minister Yuri Pavlenko to facilitate the conflict's resolution.

***

Leaders of Ukrainian youth organisations stated their concern over cuts in budgetary outlays for financing youth social and educational programs.

They stated their apprehensions at a Wednesday press conference in Kyiv, in which New Generation chairman Yuri Miroshnychenko, chairman of the Council of Young Entrepreneurs Denis Krasnikov, chairman of the Ukrainian Union of Young Deputies Vadym Rudenklo, co-chairman of the Youth Public Collegium under the Verkhovna Rada Chairperson Andrei Chernyak participated.

Yuri Miroshnychenko criticized the Government for beefing up the administrative apparatus at the expense of means, which were initially earmarked for financing social programs for young adults.

***

According to the Kharkiv City-Hall's press service, as a result of the "Ukrainian Investment Summit" international conference in London, UK, the City-Hall has received cooperation offers from 16 companies.

Kharkiv mayor Vladimir Shumilkin made a speech at the conference about Kharkiv as a "subject of globalization from the angle of investment implications."

The Kharkiv mayor also received an invitation from the B.C. TOMS & CO counsel to present Kharkiv's investment opportunities to the company's personnel and clients.

***

The Kharkiv State-Owned Aviation Production Enterprise is considering a plan to make seven regional passenger planes of the AN-140-100 model in 2005-206, which will be shipped to Ukrainian aerial carriers, KSAPE general director Pavlo Naumenko disclosed.

According to him, this task has been set by the Transportation and Communication Ministry.

By 2010 Ukrainian aerial carriers will have  to boost their fleet of regional turboprop planes by 21 aircraft.

This job, which may cost about 200 M. USA, can well be performed by the KSAPE, Mr Naumenko noted.

Regrettably, he said, Ukrainian airlines companies cannot afford such a luxury, which is why Ukraine's legislation should be amended to specify more advantageous terms of acquiring aircraft through leasing schemes.