Press-8.htmПосольство України

UKRINFORM NEWS AGENCY

  NEWS FROM UKRAINE

On Wednesday, January 19 the Supreme Court continued considering Viktor Yanukovych's complaint.

Speaking at the Court session, VR deputy Ivan Vernidubov, who represented Viktor Yanukovych, insisted on holding a new election because of the December 26 run-off's alleged massive irregularities.

In the meanwhile, in keeping with the Supreme Court's decision, the newspapers Holos Ukrainy and Uriadovy Kurier have been allowed to publish the Central Electoral Commission's decision on the run-off's official returns on January 20, which will allow to set the date for President elect Viktor Yuschenko's inauguration.

***

EuroCouncil Secretary General has sent a message to Viktor Yuschenko to congratulate the opposition leader on having won the presidential election.

The message also states the European Council's readiness to support the newly elected President in implementing his program and expresses the EuroCouncil Secretary General's hope for shortly meeting with the new Ukrainian Head of State, Mr Yuschenko's personal site disclosed.

According to Foreign Ministry sources, congratulatory messages keep coming to Viktor Yuschenko.

In particular, such messages have come from Supreme Hierarch of the Ecumenic Orthodox Church Archbishop Bartholomew I, President Alejandro Toledo of Peru.

***

Speaking at a press conference in Moscow on Wednesday, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov said that President Vladimir Putin will positively respond to Viktor Yuschenko's desire to make his first visit in the capacity of Ukraine's Head of State to Russia.

According to Sergei Lavrov, President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly by stressed that Russia will respect the Ukrainian people's choice.

Relations between the two countries, Mr Lavrov noted, are immeasurably deeper and wider than the political conjuncture, which persisted throughout the lengthy presidential election campaign and the election's three rounds.

These relations are determined by the two nations' history, geography, economy, culture and, more importantly, by human destinies, so we have to promote these relations Mr Lavrov noted.

In the Russian Foreign Minister's opinion, there is hardly any politician in Ukraine who will hold a different view of relations between Russia and Ukraine.

I proceed from the fact that objective interests underlie our relations, Sergei Lavrov noted.

***

According to Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleh Rybalchuk, Viktor Yuschenko has got a clear-cut five-year plan, which will bring Ukraine closer to the European Union.

Mr Rybalchuk stated Ukraine's full-fledged EU membership as remaining the paramount strategic goal for the President elect and his team.

As Oleh Rybalchuk disclosed, Ukraine's Eurointegration policies will proceed on the National Eurointegration Strategy as the basal legal document.

Its implementation will be propped up by the administrative and structural reforms, he said, which, in particular, provide for introducing the institute of foreign advisers.

Besides, Mr Rybalchuk went on, over 200 high-placed Ukrainian public servants will  be sent abroad to undergo training there.

According to Oleh Rybalchuk, following his inauguration, which is expected to be held on January 22, Viktor Yuschenko will make a tour of Europe during which he will deliver a programmic speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France on January 25.

***

On Wednesday the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine ratified a Ukrainian-German intergovernmental agreement on financial cooperation.

The agreement will allow Ukraine to get credits from Germany to the tune of 11 M. euros a year.

Besides, Ukraine will receive grants from Germany to the tune of 3 M. euros to finance implementation of projects in the agroindustrial complex.

*** 

Ukraine is a nation now in vogue, and this fact must be capitalized upon, French Ambassador to Ukraine Philippe de Suremain told attendants of the conference "Ukraine entering a new epoch," which was held in Kyiv on Tuesday, January 18.

As the envoy noted, Ukraine has surprised the world very favorably.

Ukraine has changed itself and it has changed Europe,  as well, and now Europe should adopt itself to the new situation.

It is Ukraine's task to duly respond to its citizens' hopes and foreign nations' expectations, the French diplomat said.

In his opinion, the EU-Ukraine Action Plan will have to be amended to incorporate new provisions.

***

"Together We Are Force", "Kharkiv-Crimea-Donbas-Odesa", "Russia, Save its Junior Sister Ukraine from American Invaders!" these are slogans of the tent camp, pitched up on Tuesday on the Freedom Square in Kharkiv.

Organizers of this action are active members of the Position public organization, created as a legal organization six years ago, as well as members of the newly registered public organization "Slav State".

At the same time, the first organization is for abolition of the third round returns, while the second one supports the idea of uniting the Slav states and for Ukraine's federalization.

***

On Tuesday people's deputy Valentyn Dzon announced a statement by an initiative group on creating the Lugansk Regional Coordination Council Elections-2006. This group included 35 public figures, the majority of whom are representatives of the Lugansk regional organization of the Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Party.

According to Valentyn Dzon, members of the initiative group proceeded from the necessity of formation public institutes in the region, the main goal of which would be creation of conditions for full-fledged realization of the Lugansk residents' suffrage right.

Proceeding from this task, the coordination council is ready to cooperate with all political and public formations with regard to realization of tasks during the 2006 election campaign.

Valentyn Dzon believes that during the presidential election campaign two extreme viewpoints were formed. The electors' mood grew from choice among the candidates into certain convictions, related to program statements of the two main opponents. That is why it is time to speak about revival of centrist forces and attracting pragmatic politicians to work.

Valentyn Dzon noted, by way of commenting on recent events in Lugansk, that the majority of the Lugansk population really voted for Viktor Yanukovych, but the tent camp, pitched up in the downtown, like any copy, may not be better than the original.

***

A delegation from Israel's leading defense industry company visited the town of Melitopol in Zaporizhia region.

As a result of their probing mission, they offered the company's services in disposal of ammunition, recovered from stores near Novobogdanivka.

According to the Israeli experts, the company possesses technologies for safe disposal of ammo.

As they said, the entire project for disposal of ammunition, including land recultivation, will cost 35 million euros.

In 2005 the European Union is expected to allocate six million euros to finance work toward eliminating the consequences of the Novobogdanivka accident.

Besides, the f. y. 2005 budget's outlays provide for allocating 13.5 M. UAH (over 2 M. USD) to finance disposal of ammo.

The project's implementation is supposed to take three years. Over that time on some 200 ha of the stores' area 38,000 tons to 42,000 tons of ammunition will have to be collected and utilized.

***

In 2004 first 28 courts of arbitration were created in Ukraine. They were founded by all-Ukrainian and local public associations, the Ministry of Justice press service told Ukrinform.

According to Aleksandr Lavrinovich, the majority of arbitration courts (nine) were registered under regional chambers of commerce and six courts under stock and commodity exchanges. 

The most active regions, where arbitration courts were created, are Kyiv and the Kyiv region (12), Dnipropetrovsk region (four courts) and the Lugansk region (three courts).

Aleksandr Lavrinovich characterized this dynamics as "not very active". But he noted that with spreading of practice to settle different disputes with the help of arbitration court mediation,  this process is expected to become more active in Ukraine in the near future.

The arbitration court is considered to be created only from  the moment of its state registration.

Registration of the arbitration court is held within 15 days from the moment a  corresponding application is submitted.

***

In late January Kyiv City will play host to an international conference, aimed at discussing the Ukrainian State's investment policies.

Dubbed "Ukraine 2005," the conference is expected to be attended by representatives of about 70 investment funds, including ING Capital Markets, Credit Astalt IB, UFG, East Capital Management, Hansberger Group, as well as senior execs of Ukrainian companies, including NaftoGaz Ukrainy, ZaporizhStal, UkrNafta, TsentrEnergo, AvtoKrAZ, DneprAzot, the Southern Industrial-Investment Group Stirol, Privat Group.

The company Concorde Capital poses as the conference's co-cponsor.

***

The Ukrainian public group New Times came out with a very original initiative about publishing an encyclopedia, in which all events will be noted, which took place on Maidan Nezalezhnosti in Kyiv in the period on December 1-31, 2004.

According to the authors, the encyclopedia will present "a book telling how the Ukrainian people were fighting for its independence". Candidate for the presidency Viktor Yuschenko is the main hero of actually all the articles.

"We did not make it our aim to popularize the so-called orange revolution. We simply intend to familiarize readers with the situation in Ukraine on the moment of the presidential elections", the project organizer and well-known publisher Viacheslav Maretsky said in an interview.

***

As Oleksandr Filoniuk, president of the League of Insurance Organisations of Ukraine, told a Tuesday press conference in Kyiv, the LIOU categorically disagrees with a direction by the State Commission for regulating markets of financial services, which provides for levying charges for issuance, registration and extension of licenses for engaging in insurance activities.

According to Oleksandr Filoniuk, Ukrainian insurers view this direction as unacceptable because the Law on insurance does not specify that licenses are issued to insurers for some limited term and because Ukrainian insurers have long-term obligations with regard to their clients.

***

Ukraine is poised for a four-month campaign of solidarity with people who suffer from HIV/AIDS, which will involve seven Ukrainian cities, to wit, Kyiv, Odesa, Simferopol (Crimea), Mykolaiv, Donetsk, Lviv and Dnipropetrovsk.

According to Tatyana Aleksandrina, superintendent of the Health Ministry's Department for socially dangerous diseases, since 1987, when Ukraine's first HIV  case was detected, over 73,000 have been diagnosed as HIV sufferers of whom over 1,500 persons died.

As she said, Ukraine is among Europe's most HIV/AIDS-affected nations, followed by Russia and Estonia.

Ukraine is implementing its fifth national program to bridle HIV/AIDS, Ms Aleksandrina went on. As she said, over a thousand HIV/AIDS cases now have access to adequate medical treatment.

According to Anya Telchik, regional director of the AIDS Foundation East-West for Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus and the Baltics, the HIV/AIDS epidemic has reached beyond groups of the population, exposed to high risks (such as injection addicts, sex business workers) to afflict broad strata.

The Ukrainian population's inadequate informedness about HIV/AIDS and ways, in which the lethal disease is transmitted, is the main underlying reason of widespread prejudice against people, who have to live with HIV/AIDS and who are being discriminated against.

So, the campaign will be aimed at instilling tolerant attitudes to HIV/AIDS cases.

Singer Ani Lorak, UN's goodwill envoy to Ukraine, is among the drive's activists.

***

One of Ukraine's leading expo companies, the EuroIndex says last year it sponsored sixteen exhibitions, in which 1,300 businesses participated.

The company, which has been in the expo business for twelve years, believes that exhibitions are very helpful to ensure the economy's hi-tech development.

***

The Committee on conferring the Cabinet's Lesia Ukrainka prize for literary and artistic works for children and youth named prizewinners for 2004 at its Tuesday sitting, the Cabinet public relations told Ukrinform.

In the "Literary Works for Children and Youth" nomination the prize was conferred upon poetess Halyna Hrynenko for her book "Life and Strophes".

In the "Artistic Design of Books for Children and Youth" nomination the prize was conferred upon Kyiv artists Kostiantyn Lavro for artistic design of the book "The Christmas Mitten" (the "A-Ba-Ba-Ga-La-Ma-Ga" Publishing House, Kyiv) and Oleksiy Mischenko for artistic design of the book "To Still Waters and Serene Dawns" (the Veselka Publishing House, Kyiv).

The Crimean Puppet Theater was noted by a prize in the nomination "Theatrical Performances for Children and Youth" for the "Ivasyk-Telesyk" performance (Director Serhi Bryzhan, artist Mikhail Nikolaev).

 The PrivatBank has won the Treasury's tender to cash budget-financed organisations' checks all over Ukraine.

As of January 1, 2005, the PrivatBank's capital was evaluated at 917,9 M. UAH. According to the NBU's classification, the PrivatBank is among Ukraine's biggest banks.

***

The Economics & Eurointegration Ministry has endorsed indicative prices for ammonia, which Ukraine will export in January's second half.

The indicative prices have been set at 170 USD per ton, FOB, LC or DAF, LC.

In November 2004 Ukraine increased exports of ammonia by 35.6 percent to 141,500 tons.

***

Unemployment rate in Ukraine decreased by 0.7 percent compared with early 2004.

 As of January 1, 2005,  981,800 of the unemployed, or 3.6 percent of the able-bodied population were registered, or 3.6 percent of the able-bodied population.

According to the State Statistics Committee, the highest unemployment rate was registered  in the Ternopil region (7.9 percent), the lowest unemployment rate is in Kyiv (0.4 percent).

As of early 2005 the number of vacancies made up 166,500, which is by 20 percent more than in 2004.

At present six persons are pretending to one vacant place (vacant position).

***

The Rivne NPP was permitted to stop the turbogenerator (TG-6) of No. 4 rector for trouble-shooting starting from January 19.

According to the National Nuclear Power Generating Company EnergoAtom, at present, 13 of 15 reactors are functioning at nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

Scheduled maintenance is going on at the Zaporizhia NPP's reactor No. 4 and the Rivne NPP's reactor No. 3.

The operator's restriction of power generation at the Rivne and Khmelnytsky NPPs is 1,600 MWe.

The situation at the NPPs and their adjacent territories was reported as normal with radiation levels registering normal background parameters.

 The Supreme Court declined a petition on Wednesday for summoning ex-candidates Dmytro Korchynsky and Oleksandr Yakovenko as witnesses because both of them were not candidates during the election's December 26 run-off.

On January 17 a similar petition by Natalia Vitrenko was turned down for the same reasons.

***

As people's deputy Mykola Katerynchuk, a member of the Yuschenko team, predicted, the Supreme Court's ultimate decision may be passed on Thursday, January 20.

In turn, people's deputy Nestor Shufrych, who represents Viktor Yanukovych, said he did not rule out the likelihood of popular unrest when the people see under what circumstances the Supreme Court's ruling was passed.

The Supreme Court's refusal to hear the entire volume of circumstances, presented in Viktor Yanukovych's complaint, may question its ruling, Nestor Shufrych noted.

***

Speaking at the Supreme Court's Wednesday session, Svetlana Kustova, Viktor Yuschenko's representative, referred to the Yanukovych team's evidence base as improper in both the documents' form and gist.

We have great doubts, she noted, about authenticity of some documents.

Ms Kustova categorized the 621 volumes as basically belonging to three categories, that is, observers' papers, of which 623 meet legal demands, complaints, which were allegedly lodged with courts, the bulk of which were never filed, and complaints of individual citizens, which were sent to the Verkhovna Rada, the Ombudsperson, the Supreme Court and which are very similar from the angle of both their form and contents.

Some of such complaints were signed on December 3-7, though the bill, which the authors complained about, was passed by the Verkhovna Rada on December 8.

***

On Wednesday, December 19, during the Supreme Court's session, Nestor Shufrych, Viktor Yanukovych's representative to the Supreme Court, presented what he said were written explanations by Viktor Yuschenko's proxy in Mariupol's Zhovtnevy district, which allege a seminar in Kyiv.

The seminar, the explanations said, was meant for discussing  techniques to overstate the December 26 run-off's turnup figures in West Ukraine and understate these in East Ukraine.

So, Nestor Shufruch contended, Viktor Yuschenko's campaign had nothing to do with rights and the Law.

***

As Viktor Yuschenko told journalists in Kyiv on Wednesday, he would like to be sworn in on January 22, Day of Ukraine's Reunion.

According to Mr Yuschenko, the inauguration will be an event of great purport, so preparations for it must be very serious.

We will have to tackle lots of organisational problems, he noted, to invite guests.

Besides, we are waiting for the Supreme Court's ultimate decision, Mr Yuschenko told the mediapeople.

***

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ferenc Somogyi, currently on a working visit to Ukraine, held an informal meeting in Kyiv on Wednesday with Viktor Yuschenko and stated the Hungarian leadership's and people's support of those processes in Ukraine which are clsely linked to Viktor Yuschenko.

According to the Hungarian Foreign Minister, an agreement was reached during the meeting on exchanging visits by Ukrainian and Hungarian leaders after the current "hectic period" is over.

***

A message of greetings and congratulations has reached the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, sent by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to Viktor Yuschenko.

As the message says, California is home to Ukrainians, whose number keeps growing as whose values and traditions contribute to the Golden State's riches.

The message also states the California Governor's readiness for cooperation with Ukraine in matters of common interest.

***

On Wednesday Viktor Yuschenko visited the Cossack Church of Holy Mother in Kyiv, accompanied by a group of parliamentarians, to participate in Epiphany celebrations there.

***

Meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ferenc Somogyi in Kyiv on Wednesday, January 19, Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn said he hoped that the Parliament will consider the new premier's appointment in early February.

Mr Lytvyn also articulated his hope for productive cooperation between Ukraine's legislative and executive powers.

In turn, the Hungarian Foreign Minister reassured the host party about Hungary's intention, as the EU's and NATO's member, to support Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations.

Hungary, he said, was watching dramatic developments in Ukraine very closely, waiting for historical steps.

Ferenc Somogyi conveyed a message of greetings to Volodymyr Lytvyn from Mr Lytvyn's Hungarian counterpart, Katalin Szili, saying she is planning to visit Ukraine this year.

He also unveiled Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's intention to shortly make an official visit to Kyiv.

In turn, the VR Chairperson noted that Ukraine will be looking forward to these visits.

He also suggested to sign an agreement on cooperation between the Ukrainian and Hungarian Parliaments.

***

On Wednesday, January 19 Kharkiv Regional Rada chairman and ex-governor Yevgeni Kushnarev sent an open letter to Viktor Yuschenko to urge the latter "to extend his hands to both parts of Ukraine."

According to Mr Kushnarev, dozens of citizens appealed to him to do so. As Yevgeni Kushnarev contended, a campaign is unfolding in different regions, aimed at intimidating supporters of Viktor Yanukovych.

***

Commenting on Condoleezza Rice's utterances during the US Senate's Tuesday hearings, VR deputy Ihor Ostash, vice president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, said after the victory of democracy in Ukraine a new stage must be expected in Ukrainian-American relations.

The main thing, he said, which we expect from the US Administration, is revocation of the Jackson-Vanik Amendment.

Speaking in the Senate hearings, Condoleezza Rice, who is to replace Colin Powell as US Secretary of State, urged the Amendment's revocation.

This initiative, Mr Ostash noted, is supported by many congressmen and senators.

The Amendment's revocation will give Ukraine certain preferences, such as bigger quotas for exports of steel, textiles, other commodities to the USA.

The Jackson-Vanik Amendment's revocation, recognizing Ukraine as a market economy nation and support of Ukraine's accedence to the WTO are most immediate steps we expect from the USA, Mr Ostash said.

***

Ukraine must be prompt in applying for EU and NATO membership, Verkhovna Rada deputy, once Ukraine's foreign minister Hennadi Udovenko told attendants of the round table "Ukraine's foreign policies after the presidential elections: Challenges and prospects."

Europe has given Ukraine sort of a carte blanche, and Ukraine's proposals are very likely to be hailed by the EU, which is why Ukraine should not footdrag on applying for EU and NATO membership, Mr Udovenko insisted.

In the ex-foreign minister's opinion, Ukraine's foreign policies must be guided by the time-tested postulate that there are no eternal friends, no eternal foes, but there are eternal interests.

***

Speaking at the round table "Ukraine's foreign policies after the presidential elections: Challenges and prospects," presidential adviser, ex-foreign minister Anatoli Zlenko stated Ukraine's strategic partnership with the USA and Russia as sure to be the new Ukrainian leadership's topmost priority in pursuing the nation's foreign policies.

In Mr Zlenko's opinion, the Law on guidelines of Ukraine's foreign policies needs amendments as it was passed back in 1992.

Anatoli Zlenko stated support for Ukraine's accedence to NATO and the EU, but said this will require serious preparations, primarily with regard to raising the Ukrainian population's living standards to those of EU member-nations.

***

Ukraine is close to getting the market economy nation status, Czech Ambassador to Ukraine Karel Stindl told attendants of the round table "Ukraine's foreign policies after the presidential elections: Challenges and prospects."

He also stated Ukraine's chances for joining the WTO as very bright.

In the Czech envoy's opinion, much will depend on the new Ukrainian leadership's ability to keep their obligations.

Ukraine used to make quite a few vocal utterances about its Eurointegration policies, but rarely followed these practically, the Ambassador noted.

As he said, it took the Czech Republic thirteen years to become a EU member, and Ukraine must be ready to follow a rather long road to attain this objective.

***

President Leonid Kuchma has decreed to dismiss governors Mykhailo Vyshyvaniuk of Vinnytsia region, Mykhailo Tsymbaliuk of Ternopil region and Anatoli Zasukha of Kyiv region, presidential press secretary Olena Hromnytska told Ukrinform Wednesday.

***

 On Wednesday the Verkhovna Rada passed a bill, which extends to another two years the moratorium on declaring coal mines bankrupt, with a view of preventing selling coal mines for a song.

***

Ukrainian military personnel in Iraq are assisting Wasit province officials in gearing up for the January 30 elections in Iraq, including moves to tighten security, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's press service told Ukrinform on Wednesday.

The Ukraineianss have established contacts with officers of the Bureau of the Independent Election Commission and have helped the Outspread Assistant Management organisation compile lists of voters and register the candidates.

So far, 474,000 voters have been registered, along with 230 political parties, public organisations, twenty political blocs.

There are 1,589 Ukrainian officers and men in Iraq, as well as 2,072 units of materiel.

Since the Ukrainian military contingent started its mission to Iraq seventeen Ukrainian peacekeepers have perished there and over a score have been wounded.

***

According to the Defense Ministry's press service, Ukrainian military personnel in Iraq continue implementing humanitarian projects in that country.

Since October 2004 a special unit with the 7th Detached Mechanized Brigade has been implementing 77 projects, worth 3,592,382 US dollars.

As of January 19, work was completed at 57 facilities, which cost 2,492,382 US dollars.

These projects involve virtually every populated place in the Wasit Province where the Ukrainian military contingent is stationed.

Ukrainian military personnel were instrumental in restoring and constructing six clinics, a score of schools and day nurseries.

The humanitarian projects' implementation has created 2,500 new jobs. Proceeding on their experience, the Ukrainians are drafting documents for 174 projects, which will cost around 11 M. USD.

***

The EU-Ukraine Action Plan in justice and internal affairs has become a base for drafting similar bipartite documents with other nations, Karl-Henrick Hamrin, chief of the EuroCommission's General Directorate for justice and internal affairs, told participants in a colloquium in Brussels, which dealt with the EU's policies with regard to Belarus, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine.

As he noted, problems of the frontiers' protection and migration remain focal in the European Commission's activities.

***

An exposition  "Orange Revolution by Vinnytsia Region Residents' Eyes" opened  at the regional museum of local lore, history and economy in Vinnytsia.

The exposition is based on photos, made by professional and amateur photographers.

There are also some paintings on orange themes.

Viktor Yuschenko's regional electoral staff presented the museum with orange revolution accessories, including a tent, flags and caps.

Materials of the Vinnytsia-Orange web-site (http://orange.vn.ua), created a month ago, based on documentary photos of events on November 22 to 30, 2004, were presented at the exhibition, too.

Museum employee Tatiana Zhurunova promises that this exhibition will be one of  museum exhibition's constantly functioning sectors, telling about the newest history of Ukraine.

***

The Ukrainian Veterinary-Sanitary Service has tightened control at the Ukrainian-Romanian frontier toward barring Romanian products of animal origin from coming to Ukraine.

This step has been prompted by outbreaks of swine plague in four districts of Romania.

***

On Tuesday, January 18 Ukraine's deaflympic team came in from the cold.

Viktor Yuschenko congratulated the Ukrainian athletes on having been the first at the 20th Summer DeafLympic Games in Melbourne, Australia, where they won 52 medals (21 golds, 17 silvers and 14 bronzes).

The Ukrainian team were ahead of the traditionally strong Russian, American and Chinese teams.

***

A concentrated "diplomatic offensive" is started by the Hungarian Foreign Ministry with regard to neighboring countries, including Ukraine, Serbia and Montenegro, which are considered to be "the most vulnerable territory", the Wednesday issue of the Nepsabadshag newspaper says.

The Hungarian newspaper published the article "Hungarian Diplomatic Offensive" in connection with the present visit by Hungarian Foreign Minister Dr. Ferenc Somogyi to Kyiv, where the Minister was received by the newly elected President Viktor Yuschenko.

According to Viktor Yuschenko integration with the West is one of the main Ukraine's goals. Hungary may render assistance to Ukraine in this issue by counting, in its turn, that the new Ukrainian power would not disregard special demands by the Hungarians from Transcarpathia, the newspaper wrote.

***

The Algerian national, 40-year-old Ahmed Ardjani, who is the leader and coordinator of a terrorist organization, was detained by joint efforts of the Odesa Agency on fighting organized crime, the Main Agency on fighting organized crime under the Interior Ministry and specialists of the regional migration service Agency.

As the Odesa region Interior Ministry public relations said, Ahmed Ardjani was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and declared internationally wanted  in 1994. Recently, Algerian law-enforcement bodies sent materials about Ahmed Ardjani and his terrorist activities via the Interpol channels. 

In order to avoid punishment Ahmed Ardjani went to Ukraine under pretence of studying at a higher educational establishment. He approached the regional migration service agency to receive a refugee status and was detained. 

The Algerian terrorist leader will be extradited to Algeria

***

Andri Shevchenko, the "Gold Ball" holder and forward of the Ukrainian national team and Italian Milan team, is included in the "team of the year" according to the UEFA official site version.

As many as 54,143 respondents voted for our forward.

Participating in voting were 1,200,000 of site users.

***

The FIFA renewed its rating table of world football teams.

Like in previous months, the Ukrainian national team occupies the 57th place in  this table (580 points), and is rated as the  27th among the European teams.

***

KThe Kharkiv-based Ukrainian Company Lemma reinsured a contract on construction of an electric power plant in Lybia.

The contract is worth over 200 M. euro. The Lybia Company United Insurance Company of Lybia is the insurer. The Lemma Insurance Company took  four per cent of insurance risk on itself.

***

The LG International Corporation is named to be  the general contractor on the project of design, supply and construction within the framework of the project for reconstruction of Kremenchuk Oil Refinery facilities  (the UkrTatNafta joint-stock Company).

A memorandum on project realization was signed in Kyiv by UkrTatNafta Supervising Council Chairman and Tatarstan First Vice Prime Minister Ravil Muratov, LG International First Vice President C. Yang, NaftoGas Ukrainy Board Chairman Yuri Boiko and UkrTatNafta Board Chairman Serhi Hlushko.

As the UkrTatNafta press service told Ukrinform, according to the memorandum the LG International developed a project on modernization and reconstruction of the Kremenchuk Oil Refinery, which will be carried out in two stages.

***

The Ukreximbank Internet banking system "Financial Portal" put into operation, which allows its clients to carry out operations and use banking services on the 24-hour basis via the Internet network and other electronic communication channels, the bank press service told Ukrinform.

The "Financial Portal" system was developed and implemented by joint efforts of Ukreximbank and Priokom Company specialists, based on the HP Nimius  system by the Hewlett Packard Company.

***

In 2004 the Mykolaiv-based R&d Production Association of gas turbine construction "Zoria" - "Mashproekt" strengthened its positions on the world market.

Speaking about foreign economic activities, Director General of the enterprise Yuri Bondin noted that they fulfilled their tasks due to enterprise's considerate policies.

According to Director General they have not only preserved their traditional partners (Russia, India, Greece and China), but also acquired new foreign partners by signing contracts on shipment of engines to gas companies of Iran and Bulgaria.

Yuri Bondin noted also that the enterprise is supposed to supply gas turbine engines to markets of South Korea and Vietnam. According to him, the enterprise's portfolio of orders is filled for 2005, there are also orders for 2006.

One of proofs of the enterprise's reliable and quality work, according to Director General, is an interest on the part of the Alstom Audit Company to cooperation with the enterprise. The Alstom Company intends to order and purchase engines, produced by the enterprise, Yuri Bondin said.

Yuri Bondin emphasized on re-equipment of the enterprise and implementation of new technologies. In 2004 equipment to the tune of 40 M. UAH (8 M. USD) was purchased for this purpose, he said. 

***

The works SILUR in the town of Khartsyzsk, Donetsk region, increased production output by 20 percent in 2004, as compared with 2003.

The works is Ukraine's biggest manufacturer of steel ropes, cables, wires and cords for tires. It normally exports half of its produce to over 30 nations.

In 2004 it made 79,700 tons of steel ropes, wires and similar items.

***

A transaction on purchasing the Ukrainian bank AGIO by a daughter bank of the Swedish banking group SEB "Vilniaus bankas" came to a close, the AGIO Bank sources told Ukrinform.

At 2004's close all necessary permitting documents were received from the National Bank of Ukraine and from the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine for carrying out a purchase-sale transaction by the Lithuanian bank.

On December 13, 2004, the NBU by its Resolution No. 629 granted the AGIO Bank a status of a bank with foreign capital and granted a permission to the "Vilniaus bankas" for purchasing the AGIO Bank's packet of shares.

As AGIO Bank Governor Stanislav Arzhevitin noted, joining the SEB international banking group by the AGIO Bank means beginning of the new stage in the development of the bank.

***

The Ukrainian leadership's foreign policies in 2004 were inconsistent. This was the conclusion, at which experts with the Ukrainian Institute for Euro-Atlantic Cooperation arrived at and which was aired on their behalf by the Institute's director, Borys Tarasiuk,

Speaking in Kyiv, Mr Tarasiuk said that though on the official level Ukraine's dedication to Euro-Atlantic integration had been declared, real steps had been taken to distance Ukraine from NATO and the EU, with a view of catering for Russia's leadership. When the presidential election campaign got underway in Ukraine the paramount contenders for the nation's supreme post tried to avoid the danger of being branded as either pro-Russian or pro-West candidates, but later, when the fight for power assumed a stiffer dimension, the incumbents became more pro-Russia oriented. Suffice it to say that in 2004 the Ukrainian president visited Russia two times more frequently than EU nations (nine visits versus four).

It was Leonid Kuchma and his administration who determined the nation's foreign policies, rather than the Parliament or the Foreign Ministry as is normally the case in a democratic nation, Borys Tarasiuk noted.

Mr Tarasiuk, who happens to chair the Verkhovna Rada Committee for matters of Ukraine's European integration, referred to the role, which the Foreign Ministry, the Verkhovna Rada and the National Security & Defense Council played in formulating Ukraine's foreign strategies, as having been reduced to purely technical matters in pursuing the course, outlined by the president and his entourage from among representatives of financial-political groups. Which is why, Borys Tarasiuk contended, Leonid Kuchma must bear direct responsibility for those foreign policy setbacks which Ukraine suffered in 2004.

In Borys Tarasiuk's opinion, the Verkhovna Rada's move to ratify the (quadripartite) Integral Economic Space Agreement was among these, along with the president's decision to exclude Ukraine's accedence to the EU and NATO from the Military Doctrine's provisions.

So, last year Ukraine failed to sign an agreement with NATO on applying the Membership Plan to Ukraine.

Besides, Ukraine's efforts were futile to get the market economy nation status and join the WTO.

Nevertheless, those and others setbacks notwithstanding, Ukraine's relations with Euro-Atlantic institutes continued developing, and in late 2004 the European Union endorsed the EU-Ukraine Action Plan, which embraces a three-year period and which provides for closer and more comprehensive cooperation between the parties.

Also, Ukraine continued closely cooperating with NATO within the framework of the parties' Target Plan for 2004.

In Mr Tarasiuk's opinion, Ukraine's decision to send its military contingent to Iraq was among the national leadership's positive moves last year.

Though Ukraine has got no remuneration, the nation's relations with the USA normalized.

However, Borys Tarasiuk stated his support for Viktor Yuschenko's intention to withdraw the Ukrainian military personnel from Iraq.

Borys Tarasiuk singled out the presidential elections in Ukraine in 2004 as the most salient event, which for weeks made Ukraine the world news topliner.

The election's fraudulent two rounds caused global repercussions and marred Ukraine's image, but the peaceable orange revolution and the December 26 run-off made Ukraine broadly viewed as a democratic nation, Borys Tarasiuk noted.

He stated his belief that  Ukraine's new leaders must very clearly specify the nation's foreign policy priorities and unswevingly pursue these.

***

According to Finance Ministry experts, 2005 will witness Ukraine's record-low state debt: GDP ratio at 17 percent. Their previous forecast gave the figure of 18 percent.

By late 2004 the state debt: GDP ratio stood at 20 percent, which pointed to the state debt's acceptable and economically safe parameters.

In 2001-2002 this ratio ranged between 29 percent and 31 percent, but back in 1999 it amounted to 48 percent.

In late 2003 the state debt-GDP ratio was appraised at 25 percent.

Ukraine has been sticking to moderate policies in managing the state debt, the main peculiarity of which was the Finance Ministry's strategy of lowering borrowings' risks through extending the credits' terms and making them cheaper to repay.

The Finance Ministry's strategy has always been aimed at replacing expensive borrowings with cheaper credits.

According to international rating agencies, Ukrainian state securities are gaining recognition and popularity.

This can be attested by the number of foreign banks, which undertake to place Ukrainian state securities and the geography of these.

The persistent downward trend in Ukraine's external borrowings sends encouraging signals to international financial institutions and industrial investors that Ukraine is a reliable partner.

Financial market analysts believe that following the peaceable resolution of the political crisis, election of the new president and formation of a new government the world's leading rating agencies, such as Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Services and Fitch, will upgrade Ukraine by over one level in 2005.

This will allow Ukraine to pursue efficient policies in managing its state debt and in placing its eurobonds abroad, which may be expected to be in high demand.

Foreign investors are showing growing interest to securities, emitted by Ukrainian corporations and companies, though such securities are not in high demand abroad because of their low liquidity.

Regrettably, the Ukrainian State is in no hurry to offer its guarantees against credits to Ukrainian companies.

The problem of the state debt remains unclear because the bulk of the sum, which, as of late 2004, was appraised at 17.7 bn. UAH, was amassed by Ukrainian subjects of business activity who got foreign credits to implement investment projects of their own.

For lacking information about those subjects' solvency the foreign creditors normally demanded the Ukrainian State's guarantees.

In turn, the State viewed such investment projects as essential for the economy's development.

As a result, if the debtor-companies went bankrupt it was the State that assumed their credit reimbursement liabilities.

So, in view of lacking mandatory rating of subjects of business activity and stock market instruments, foreign investors have little information about the Ukrainian borrowers' solvency, which makes the State assume the risks of reimbursing foreign credits.

Also, lacking ratings virtually bar non-resident-investors from Ukraine's stock market.

So, the Finance Ministry experts insist on introducing a system of mandatory rating, which will make the market of financial liabilities transparent, comprehensible and its performance efficient.

***

Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, Dmitri Berezovsky, general director of the National Agricultural  Chamber of Ukraine, said the NAC was ready to assume responsibility for drafting the agroindustrial complex's development strategy.

As Dmitri Berezovsky noted, the Ukrainian business community's social responsibility involves not only the economy's development, but also improvements in state authority mechanisms.

Mr Berezovsky stated the National Agricultural Chamber as Ukraine's first non-governmental organisation, ready to assume responsibility for the agrarian sector's development. It was also the first NGO to state Ukraine as an agrarian nation.

In Mr Berezovsky's opinion, recognizing Ukraine as an agrarian nation bears great purport and implies the need for the State's prime attention to developing the AIC and the countryside.

This also implies the need to make the agroindustrial complex competitive on foreign markets.

To achieve this goal, Dmitri Berezovsky said, Ukraine as a nation must become competitive primarily on investment and stock markets.

To this end  the National Agricultural Chamber intends to initiate a series of steps, such as corporatization of AIC enterprises, primarily those which are NAC members, facilitation of their establishment first on the national stock market and eventually on stock markets abroad.

The NAC also intends to facilitate AIC enterprises' effort to draw investments, in particular, through initiating legislative acts to this end.

State and non-state pension funds are among Ukraine's internal sources for investments in AIC enterprises, Mr Berezovsky maintained.

As far as domestic commodity markets are concerned, he went on, favorable economic environments must be created in Ukraine, which would encourage Ukrainian farmers to make products with greater VAT shares.

Ukraine's agricultural export potential relies basically on products, which are in high demand on commodity exchanges, such as sunflower seed cakes, sunflower seed, grain.

Exporting these, the nation loses huge VAT sums, which is why the National Agricultural Chamber will seek to create conditions for making products with high shares of the value added tax, instead of relying on exports of raw materials and semi-finished food products.

According to Dmitri Berezovsky, the State's regulation of the agrarian sector must be reduced to making optimal decisions, which will maximally take into account Ukraine's national interests, which means that interests of both Ukrainian agricultural producers and consumers will be duly considered in the process of decision making.

Ukrainian experts, Dmitri Berezovsky noted, have repeatedly criticized the quality of commodities, which Ukraine imports and which often fail to meet relevant international standards, particularly with regard to the quality and safety of food products, which is why the NAC intends to offer its expert services in checking Ukraine's imports of agricultural products.

Also, the NAC intends to launch investment monitoring of Ukraine's regions to better appraise their export capability.

Mr Berezovsky unveiled the NAC's yet another intention to promote and advertise the Ukrainian AIC's capability abroad, with a view of enhancing Ukraine's image as an advanced agrarian nation.

***

According to the US Central Intelligence Agency's data, Ukrainians die at 66.5, on average, and that makes Ukraine rank the world's 147th nation in terms of the population's longevity.

The list is topped by Andorra, where people live 83.5 years.

Andorra is followed by Macao (81.87 years) and San Marino (81.43 years).

Even in Japan the rate is lower (80.93 years). Japan is followed by Singapore (80.42 years).

Lower places are shared by Australia, Switzerland, Sweden and Hongkong (Siangan).

Sweden is the EU topmost nation in the list, closely followed by Italy (79.4 years), France (79.28 years) and Spain (79.23 years).

Israel's 21st place gives its citizens a chance to live slightly over 79 years, despite the flaring Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Regrettably, residents of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip can hope to live 72.68 years and 71.4 years, respectively.

As far as East Europe is concerned, life expectancy is high in Slovenia (75.5 years), which nation is followed by the Czech Republic (69th place), Macedonia (71st place), Slovakia (72nd place), Croatia (75th place), Serbia and Montenegro (79th place), Poland (80th place, 74.91 years).

As far as former Union nations are concerned, the situation is not particularly encouraging on the Baltics, among whom Estonia is ranked the world's 118th nation (70.31 years).

Estonia is followed by Lithuania (124th place, 69.6 years) and Latvia (130th place, 69.31 years).

The rest of the former Union countries are ranked as the world's 139th to 170th nation.

Belarus occupies the 139th place (68.43 years), ahead of Russian (67.66 years).

Ukraine occupies the 147th place with the average 66.5 years.

Armenia's place is 145th (66.68 years). Turkmenistan is the bottommost among the former Union Republics (170th place, 61.19 years).

The bulk of African countries are at the CIA list's bottom because of poor living standards, inadequate medical care, undernourishment, tribal conflicts, civil wars, epidemics.

Small wonder, Mozambique is the country were a person lives only 31.3 years, on average.