UKRINFORM NEWS AGENCY

  NEWS FROM UKRAINE

Domestic markets of Ukraine and Kazakhstan must be mutually opened, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said at a meeting with Kazakh Senate Chairman Nurtai Abykayev, presidential press secretary Iryna Herashchenko told journalists.

Touching on Ukraine's position on establishment of the Integral Economic Space, Viktor Yushchenko stressed that the project must first of all take national interests into consideration. "First the economy goes", the President said. By way of commenting on his meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev, he stated the two parties' pragmatic position with regard to interregional cooperation as an extremely important fact.

In his turn the Kazakh speaker spoke up for enhancement of interparliamentary cooperation and offered to establish a Ukraine-Kazakhstan parliamentary group. The parties discussed the matter of support of the Ukrainian Diaspora in Kazakhstan.

Viktor Yushchenko thanked the Kazakh party for honorable attitude toward the Ukrainian Diaspora, for taking care of it and promoting Ukrainian newspapers' publishing. Ukraine would be grateful, if a new Ukrainian school was built in Astana, the President said.

While on a visit Viktor Yushchenko met with teachers of the Ukrainian classic school in Kazakhstan.

***

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko  will revere memory of the Great Kobzar Taras Shevchenko while on a visit to Kazakhstan's cities of Aktau and Fort-Shevchenko.

The Ukrainian President completed his visit to the capital of Kazakhstan, where he had a meeting with the President Nursultan Nazarbayev and negotiations with participation of delegations on Monday, and on Tuesday he was supposed to meet with Chairman of Kazakhstan's Senate Nurtai Abykayev. Viktor Yushchenko also laid flowers at the Monument to Defenders of Motherland and planted a tree on the Alley of Heads of State. This Alley is in the center of Astana and there are about 20 fir-trees there, planted by Presidents of Greece, Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia, Uzbekistan, Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, and he also visited the Monument "Astana - Baiterek".

From the international airport of Astana, Kazakhstan, the President left to the City of Aktau by a special plane and to the town Fort Shevchenko by a helicopter. There, at the museum complex, Viktor Yushchenko was expected to meet with its workers, lay flowers at the Monument to the Great Kobzar, to make a tour of the earth-house, where the poet lived, and familiarize with the Museum's exposition. Following that the President was supposed to return to Aktau and make a tour of the seaport there. While in Aktau, Viktor Yushchenko was also expected to lay flowers at the monument to Taras Shevchenko and meet with representatives of the Ukrainian community in Kazakhstan, as well as with representatives of the Ukrainian National Cultural Center in Kazakhstan.

Visits to the Shevchenko cities in Kazakhstan was made on the initiative of the Ukrainian President. Prior, in an interview to journalists, Viktor Yushchenko emphasized that "Taras Shevchenko is the Ukrainian prophet. And it is interesting for me what is the state of the museum, how the Shevchenko program is carried out in this region and in this city. We came there not empty-handed and would like to draw attention of the public to this humanitarian project" Viktor Yushchenko said. He is sure that the Ukrainian power, starting from the President, should honor this outstanding Ukrainian. 

***

Vice Prime Minister Mykola Tomenko instructed the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science and the National Academy of Sciences to organize an exhibition of domestic scientific elaborations during an international investment forum in Kyiv, with a view of popularizing them among likely investors, the Vice Prime Minister's press service told Ukrinform.

According to Mr Tomenko, such an exhibition will be very useful for economic implementation of domestic scientific elaborations, as the problem of the Ukrainian scientific school lies in its isolation from production.

In Mykola Tomenko's opinion, Ukrainian scientists should use the fact of foreign businessmen's arrival to the international economic forum for sharing their scientific ideas.

The international economic forum of investors ("Ukrainian Davos") will be held in Kyiv in June, under an initiative by President Viktor Yushchenko. About a thousand foreign investors have been invited to come to the forum.

***

The Verkhovna Rada morning session started on Tuesday with blocking the parliamentary rostrum by representatives of the SDPU (U) and the "Regions of Ukraine" factions. On demand of the two factions the Verkhovna Rada Chairperson announced a half-hour break, stating that "it will be the last break for today".

Volodymyr Lytvyn also instructed Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on national security and defense Heorhi Kriuchkov to work out documents, adoption of which would promote solution of problems, related to Afghan soldiers, since representatives of the Union of Afghanistan's Veterans picketed the Verkhovna Rada among others on Tuesday. 

***

Self-dissolution of the Union deputy group was announced at the Verkhovna Rada on Tuesday. As Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn said at the beginning of the Verkhovna Rada morning session, as of May 31 this deputy group numbered 13 people's deputies.

Also, the Parliament's Chairman announced that people's deputy Oleksandr Bandurka joined the People's Party of Ukraine faction.

***

The Verkhovna Rada adopted a resolution on urgent measures for preserving integrity of the children's specialized hospital Okhmatdet. As many as 337 people's deputies voted to approve this resolution. The resolution also provides for granting the national status to the children's medical establishment.

On Wednesday, Volodymyr Lytvyn is expected to visit the Okhmatdet, meet with personnel and personally study the problems, existing in the children 's medical complex.

***

Swedish Minister for Industry and Trade Thomas Ostros will lead a business delegation of some 30 businessmen on a two-day visit to Kyiv on June 1.  The visit is mainly aimed at stepping up cooperation between Ukraine and Sweden in the economic sphere. Sweden is among the states supporting democratic processes in Ukraine.

The visit's schedule provides for meetings with Ukrainian Govt members, including First Vice Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh and Economics Minister Serhiy Terekhin.

Within the framework of the visit the Swedish businessmen will meet with Ukrainian CEOs. Thomas Ostros is supposed to stage a press conference.

***

Minister for Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro Vuk Draskovic will come to Ukraine on June 6 on an official visit, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service deputy chief Dmytro Svystkov told a Tuesday news briefing.

The Serbian Foreign Minister will meet with Ukrainian top-placed officials and hold enlarged negotiations with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister. According to Dmytro Svystkov, the visit is to give an impetus to deepening the political dialogue between Ukraine and Serbia and Montenegro and to promote the development of economic, humanitarian and cultural cooperation and the two states' interaction in European and Euro-Atlantic integration.

***

Serhiy Khylchenko, Chairman of the Territorial Election Commission of Kirovohrad election precinct №100, was detained by law-enforcement bodies officers for being suspected of having committed a crime under part 3 of article 158 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (unlawful use of election ballot papers, forgery of election documents and publishing false returns of the election).

As public relations of the Kirovohrad department of the Interior Ministry told Ukrinform correspondent, a criminal case against Khylchenko was instituted on December 16, 2004. On April 29 he was declared wanted but he has failed to give up voluntarily. 

***

Chief Designer of the Antonov Aircraft Design-Manufacturing Complex Petro Balabuyev was dismissed from his position on May 25 by an order, signed by Minister of industrial policies Volodymyr Shandra, the Ministry of industrial policies sources told Ukrinform.

Another order appointed Dmytro Kiva as acting Chief Designer of the Antonov Aircraft Design-Manufacturing Complex.

On Tuesday, Volodymyr Shandra is supposed to introduce acting Chief Designer Dmytro Kiva, who previously occupied the post of First Deputy Chief Designer, to the personnel.

***

The parliament has adopted a law extending the period of consideration applications for refugee status from three to 15 days.

The law, which is entitled “On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine on Refugees,” was approved by 304 votes.

The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, Hennadii Udovenko, said that the law brought the norms of Ukrainian legislation in line with international standards and the provisions of United Nations convention on the status of refugees and eliminates the discrepancies in Ukrainian legislative norms.

According to him, Ukraine has ratified the United Nations convention on the status of refugees and the 2002 protocol to the convention since the Ukrainian law on refugees was adopted in 2001.

***

The Ukrainian parliament rejected the sixth draft law on fighting production of unlicensed goods on laser discs on Tuesday.

The first reading of the draft law, which was initiated by the government, was approved on April 5.

However, parliamentary deputies rejected it on Tuesday because they feared it would result in complete abolition of production of laser discs in Ukraine since it provided for confiscation and destruction of not only unlicensed laser discs, but also equipment and raw materials for their production.

The United States is insisting on adoption of a law aimed at fighting piracy.

Adoption of the law could also have facilitated acceleration of Ukraine’s admission into the World Trade Organization and abolition of the United States’ Jackson-Vanik amendment in relation to Ukraine.

United States’ Senator Mitch McConnell, who is presently on a visit to Ukraine, expressed concern over the parliament’s rejection of the draft law when he met with Parliament Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn on Tuesday.

However, Mr. Lytvyn confirmed the Ukrainian parliament’s readiness to reconsider the draft law after it is redrafted.

***

Ukraine’s Emergency Situations Minister David Zhvania has asked the Prosecutor-General’s Office and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) to launch a criminal investigation into false information about an accident at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.

Mr. Zhvania believes that the rumors that an accident occurred at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and that the radiation level there is ten times higher than the acceptable limit is being deliberately spread by an organized group.

“I have every reason for such suspicions,” Mr. Zhvania said.

In response to a question from Ukrinform, Mr. Zhvania said that anonymous calls making these claims are continuing.

According to him, these false reports are being sent to all embassies and government institutions.

Mr. Zhvania assured journalists that there are presently “no problems” at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant and that “people should calm down.”

As Ukrinform reported, some Ukrainian and Belarussian media outlets reported on May 24 that the radiation level at the Chornobyl nuclear power plant was 16-19 times above the acceptable limit as a result of a new accident at the power plant.

Belarus, the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, and the Ukrainian Emergency Situations Ministry officially denied these reports on May 26, and the Belarussian security service launched an investigation.

Mr. Zhvania also said that a new shelter over the Chornobyl nuclear power plant’s destroyed reactor would be built by the year 2009.

According to him, the total cost of the shelter project is estimated at over 1 billion US dollars.

A decision to allocate over 200 million US dollars for implementation of the Chornobyl shelter

project was made at a conference of donor-nations in London on May 12.

This new amount is in addition to the over 600 million euros earlier pledged by 28 donor-nations.

***

President Viktor Yushchenko visited the Taras Shevchenko Museum Complex in the City of Fort-Shevchenko, Kazakhstan. The Head of State made a tour of the Museum and, saw the poet's earth-house, the presidential press service told Ukrinform.

He said that the Ukrainian delegation presented about 70 works by T. Shevchenko to the Museum Complex, so that they will be able to organize an exhibition of his works. Viktor Yushchenko said that it is Ukraine's small contribution to preservation of memory of the Great Kobzar.

The Head of State also made a tour of ruins of the fort and barracks, where Taras Shevchenko was in exile.

During a visit the Ukrainian President was accompanied by State Secretary Oleksandr Zinchenko, First Vice Prime Minister Anatoli Kinakh, Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk, First Assistant of the President Oleksandr Tretiakov, Minister of youth and sports Yuriy Pavlenko, Minister of fuel and energy Ivan Plachkov and Minister of transport and communications Yevhen Chervonenko.

***

There will be no sharp fluctuations with petrol prices, First Vice Prime Minister Anatoli Kinakh stated on the ICTV channel, the First Vice Prime Minister press service told Ukrinform.

He emphasized on the necessity of strengthening energy saving and energy carriers diversification, investments in modernization and technological renovation of national petroleum refining plants.

"National refineries are processing 20 M. to 25 M. tons of petrol per year, while their capacity reaches 50 M. tons", the First Vice Prime Minister reminded.

Anatoli Kinakh also emphasized the necessity of non-admitting displays of monopoly on the national oil market and creation of state reserves in order "not only supply the domestic market, but create conditions for oil products exports".

Answering a direct question what will be the petrol price in the autumn, Anatoli Kinakh answered "It will be a market price".

***

The national joint stock company "NaftoGaz Ukrainy" and "KazMunaiGaz" signed a framework agreement on allotment of fields for mining and extraction of oil in Kazakhstan to Ukraine, First Deputy Minister for Fuels and Energy, Chairman of the national joint stock company "NaftoGaz Ukrainy" Oleksiy Ivchenko said in an interview to Ukrinform correspondent on Tuesday. Oleksiy Ivchenko is a member of a Ukrainian official delegation, who accompany the Ukrainian President on his visit to Kazakhstan.

Oleksiy Ivchenko stated the visit as very successful in all matters regarding the oil and gas sphere. Thus, the parties reached an agreement on establishment of a joint venture by "NaftoGaz Ukrainy" and "KazMunaiGaz" for construction of a 52-km oil pipeline from Odesa to the Pivdennyi Port (Southern) and oil terminal. The oil pipeline is supposed to be jointly used by Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

Ukraine and Kazakhstan also agreed to exchange their specialists for elaborating the list of prospective oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan. According to Mr Ivchenko, within a month a bipartite document will be signed to this end.

As Oleksiy Ivchenko told the journalist, Ukraine hasn't yet extracted oil beyond its boundaries, but has already signed agreements with Libya and the United Arab Emirates on allotment of four oil fields in each country for exploration and extraction of oil and gas by Ukraine. As the "NaftoGaz Ukrainy" chief stressed, Ukraine has similar arrangements with Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

As Mr Ivchenko forecasts, Ukraine may count on explored reserves of some 30 to 50 million tons of oil and 10 to 20 bn. cu. m. of gas.

***

Ways of supply of Kazakh oil to Ukraine through territories of other states were discussed during an official visit by President Viktor Yushchenko to Kazakhstan, First Deputy Minister for Fuels and Energy, Chairman of the national joint stock company "NaftoGaz Ukrainy" Oleksiy Ivchenko said in an interview to Ukrinform correspondent on Tuesday. According to him, presently, there are alternative ways to transport Kazakh oil to Ukraine, without using pipelines on the Russian territory.

Oleksiy Ivchenko, who took part in a ceremony to open the Azerbaijanian segment of the Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan oil pipeline, was instructed by the President to meet with the Azeri, Kazakh and Georgian Presidents. According to Oleksiy Ivchenko, a preliminary arrangement on establishment of a consortium for operating and managing the Baku-Supsa pipeline was reached. As the "NaftoGaz Ukrainy" Chairman explained, the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Jeihan oil pipeline release capacities of the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline. Having established such consortium, Ukraine will purchase part of Kazakh oil (some three million tons), part of Turkmen oil (from one to two million tons) and some part of Azeri oil. Thus, Ukraine will be able to pump some six million tons of oil through the Baku-Supsa oil pipeline and ship it to the "Southern" port.

This will ensure the direct use of the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline. In particular, Ukraine could load its west oil refineries with these six million tons of oil. He particularly cited the "Halychyna" and "NaftoKhymyk Prykarpattia" oil refineries, each of which is able to process 1.5 to 2 M. tons of Caspian oil.

Answering a question on the extent of dependence of Ukraine's integration to the Integral Economic Space from realization of agreements with a number of the post-soviet countries in the oil and gas sphere, Oleksiy Ivchenko noted that Ukraine must first of all proceed from its own national interests.

"Presently, Ukraine is adequately and seriously playing on this market", "NaftoGaz Ukrainy" Chairman was quoted as saying. According to him, despite Ukraine has shortage of own gas, it ensures its needs in gas and even exports it to Europe.

As he told Ukrinform correspondent, Ukraine is negotiating with Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia on establishment of an international gas alliance, having noted that he means not the international gas consortium, which the "NaftoGaz Ukrainy" and the Russian "GazProm" have established, but another, new entity. Such international gas alliance could allow creating many-year gas balance for a perspective, for 30 years ahead, Oleksiy Ivchenko believes.

***

The Verkhovna Rada approved amendments to the law "On the protection of information in automated systems" at its session Tuesday. The document regulates relations in the sphere of the protection of information in information, telecommunication and information-telecommunication systems.

As it was noted during the session, the active law was passed by the parliament in 1994 and, thus, it doesn't consider modern realities, achievements of the scientific-technical progress and new information and telecommunication systems.

The new wording of the law contains many differences. In particular, the list of terms has been edited and enlarged with consideration of the modern development of information technologies, the norms of accession to information in the system have been more clearly defined and relations among system owner, information owner and user have been determined. The law clearly sets demands and rules of protection and processing of the information in the system and authorities of state bodies in the protection of information.

***

Deputies adopted a Law on making amendments to some legislative acts of Ukraine on protecting economic competition. This Law makes amendments to the Custom Code of Ukraine, to the Law of Ukraine on protection of economic competition. This Law provides for presentation of information about volumes of imports and exports of some types of goods on a written request from an authority person of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine, Chairman of the territorial department of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine in connection with carrying out investigation into anti-competitive coordinated actions.

As the Law noted, spouses, parents, children, brothers or sisters are considered to be related natural persons. In compliance with the adopted law, coordinated actions carried out by economic entities on the goods market, which brought or may bring to non-admittance or restriction of competition are considered to be anti-competitive.

On the whole, the adopted Law is aimed at improvement of legal regulation in the sphere of protecting economic competition, at revealing and suppression of anti-competitive coordinated actions, as well as at non-admittance of the market monopolization.

As many as 262 people's deputies voted for approval of this Law.

***

The Verkhovna Rada adopted the Law on amnesty, proposed by the President, at a Tuesday morning session. The Law is aimed at decreasing the number of persons, who are serving their terms in places of imprisonment and who are not socially dangerous to a considerable extent. Adoption of this law will promote improvement of communal-general conditions of convicts' maintenance.

As many as 286 deputies voted for adoption of this document.

The convicts will be released from punishment in compliance with this law provided that on the day this Law comes into effect they served no less than half of the term of their punishment. Application of amnesty is not allowed provided that a defendant, accused or convict object to it.

***

The Day of Ukraine dedicated to the theme "Ukraine following the elections. 120 Days of Yushchenko's Government: first results and prospects", was staged in the German Bundestag on May 30. Leader of the Ukrainian socialists Oleksandr Moroz presented a report within the thematic block "The Constitutional reform in the light of requirements to the Constitution: impact on the political system of Ukraine", the Socialist Party of Ukraine press service told Ukrinform.

Participating in the Day of Ukraine in the German Bungestag on the Ukrainian part were Vice Prime Minister on European integration Oleh Rybachuk, people's deputy and member of the Socialist Party of Ukraine faction Vitali Shybko,  representatives of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and other Ukrainian experts. Attending the Day of Ukraine on the German side were Vice President of the German Bundestag Susanne Kastner, initiator of staging the Day of Ukraine in the Bundestag and deputy, as well as Chairperson of the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group Jelena Hoffmann, Professor of the Cologne University  Gerhard Simon and Adviser on Constitutional and Administrative Law in the CIS countries Dr. Bernhard Schloer. 

A sharp and constructive debate was held on the situation concerning  a political reform. Reporter Oleksandr Moroz noted that Ukraine at present is at the beginning of democratic transformations. Much time is necessary in order to move toward a civil society and to turn the country into a jural state. It is important, according to him, that conditions are created for that. "Changing the power system is the most important. In other words, carrying out the political reform. Otherwise, a new "orange revolution" will be a finale of the present power system", he noted.

Having characterized the essence of amendments to the Constitution, adopted on December 8, 2004, Oleksandr Moroz underscored that "There are no legal, political and other grounds and there are no procedural and other possibilities to revise the political reform". He is convinced that democracy is a political goal of the reform, which guarantees to the society improvement of the people's well being and protection of the people's  rights and freedoms. The political reform, according to him, will help solve some inter-state problems, in particular, the urgent problem of labor migration.

Oleksandr Moroz proposed to his German counterparts to conclude an agreement on mutual obligations with regard to job placement for labor migrants, on simplification of conditions for their movement. Ukraine has already undertaken a relevant step toward this end, having simplified the visa regime and it would like to see the steps from the opposite direction. "There is one more package of issues, which should be solved: it is social protection of labor migrants and their pension provision, rights of families, etc.", Oleksandr Moroz noted.

At the conference in Bundestag the issues were also discussed on  results of the first stage of the new power activities in Ukraine, prospects of further economic development of Ukraine and prospects of Ukraine-EU relations. What is interesting that discussions on different themes one way or another returned to the political reform and to democracy as a basis of positive changes.

In 2004 experts and about 200 participants discussed the role of Ukraine in Europe and prospects of its integration, as well as the state of cooperation between Germany and Ukraine.

The Day of Ukraine in German Bundestag was staged by the initiative from the German-Ukrainian parliamentary group jointly with the Conrad Adenauer Foundation and the German Society for East European Studies.

***

Ukraine hails the signing of a joint statement by the Russian and Georgian Foreign Ministers on withdrawal of the Russian military bases from the territory of Georgia, proceeding from principles and norms of the international law respecting the right of each state to ensure its territorial integrity and sovereignty, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service deputy chief Dmytro Svystkov told a Tuesday news briefing.

According to him, the Ukrainian side believes that the settlement of this matter will promote the facilitation of good neighborly relations between Russia and Georgia and strengthen stability in the region of the South Caucasus.

Ukraine hopes that this constructive step will foster full and comprehensive fulfillment of agreements, which were reached at the 1999 Istanbul Summit of the OSCE, and will give an impetus to the settlement of so called "frozen" conflicts.

***

Ukraine and Russia failed to reach progress in negotiations on delimitation of the Kerch Strait, as the Russian side doesn't recognize the existence of the administrative border in this water area, Ukrainian Roving Ambassador Oleksandr Kupchyshyn, who led a Ukrainian delegation to consultations of expert groups for delimitation of the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and the Kerch Strait in Moscow on May 26, told a Tuesday news briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

According to him, from the legal point of view the delimitation of the Kerch Strait had to be the simplest one, as, according to the active legislation, both of Ukraine and Russia, former administrative frontiers between Union republics have become state borders after the USSR collapsed. Such an administrative border in the Kerch Strait existed between the Ukrainian SSR and the RSFSR, to which all geographic maps testify.

Oleksandr Kupchyshyn expressed his hope that the recent events, which are the conclusion of agreements between Russia and Estonia on the Russian-Estonian state border and on delimitation of marine space in the Narva Bay and the Gulf of Finland, will allow to get out of the deadlock in the Kerch Strait issue.

Oleksandr Kupchyshyn reminded the words of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who, by way of commenting on signing the agreements with Estonia, referred to the administrative frontier between the former Estonian SSR and the RSFSR.

Answering questions by the journalists on whether there are any legal differences between the Russian-Estonian administrative border in the Chudskoye Lake and the Ukrainian-Russian administrative border in the Kerch Strait, he unambiguously stated the two borderlines having an absolute identical legal nature.

"That is why Ukraine has all grounds to count on the Russian side not applying to double standards with regard to Ukraine during the next round of the negotiations on the matter, and will recognize the same fact, which it has already recognized while delimitating water areas with Estonia", the diplomat said.

At the same time, Mr Kupchyshyn said, determining the state border in the Sea of Azov, the positions by the sides significantly approached. As Ukraine believes, the next round of the negotiations will result in final adjustment of the coordination lines of the border.

As Oleksandr Kupchyshyn explained, the matter of delimitation in the Black Sea turns on the determination of the starting point, from which the final point of the Ukrainian-Russian state borderline in the Kerch Strait is to start. As long as the Kerch Strait issue has not been settled yet, the process of delimitation between Ukraine and Russia in the Black Sea slows down, the diplomat stressed.

***

Ukraine views likelihood of sending its observers to the election of President of Kyrgyzstan on July 10, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service deputy chief Dmytro Svystkov told a Tuesday news briefing.

According to him, Kyrgyzstan's ombudsman Tursunbai Bakir addressed the Ukrainian Embassy in Kyrgyzstan with the request to assist sending the maximal number of observers from Ukraine. According to the ombudsman, Kyrgyzstan needs some 5,000 international observers.

***

By a decision of the Government of Estonia, which is the EU member state, Estonian consular establishments will accept petitions from the Ukrainian citizens about registration of Estonian transit and one-time visas without payment of consular duties, Foreign Ministry Press Service Deputy Head Dmytro Svystkov told a briefing on Tuesday.

According to him, such a decision by the Estonian party is related to the fact that the Ukrainian President signed a decree about temporary introduction of a non-visa regime for EU member countries and Switzerland, which implemented a non-visa procedure of entering Ukraine for citizens of those countries for the period of May 1, 2005 till  September 1, 2005.

Ukrinform should remind that there was a response to that decree on the part of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which introduced issuing of transit and short-time visas for Ukrainian citizens without payment of consular duties from May 1,2005 till September 1, 2005.

Ukraine regards decisions by Governments of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Estonia as a current step toward concluding a full-scale agreement about simplification of the visa regime for Ukrainian citizens, visiting the EU member countries.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry carefully follows and analyzes interim results of applying the non-visa regime between the EU and Switzerland and Ukraine in order to take into consideration

advantages and shortcomings of its application with the aim of developing proposals with regard to a regime of entering Ukraine, Dmytro Svystkov noted.

***

Ukrainian Justice Minister Roman Zvarych held a meeting with Canadian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador to Ukraine Andrew Robinson, during which he expressed gratitude to the Canadian Government for the support of the democratic revolution in Ukraine, the Justice Ministry's press service told Ukrinform. The Minister outlined priority directions of the Justice Ministry's activity in introduction of democratic reforms and establishment of a civil society in Ukraine, particularly in implementation of the judicial reform, reforming the state executive service, combating corruption and ensuring transparency of the justice system.

As the Canadian Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador said, Canada supports the success of democracy in Ukraine, the policy of openness and lawfulness, which the Ukrainian Govt conducts. According to him, the Canadian Government regularly assists Ukraine in reforming the justice system, and first of all the judicial system. As the envoy briefed his interlocutor, he had visited Ivano-Frankivsk recently, where the Canadian project of establishment of a model court was being implemented.

As the Canadian diplomat told the Ukrainian Justice Minister, two months ago the Canadian Govt passed the document on external and internal defense strategy. As he said, though the number of bipartite priorities have been decreased to 25, Ukraine is the only country of the region remaining in the list among important foreign political partners, which means that the volumes of Canadian aid to Ukraine will grow.

Ottawa will focus on aiding the implementation of the administrative reform and enhancement of control over social-economic processes in Ukraine.

***

About 2,000 veterans of war in Afghanistan picketed the Verkhovna Rada and the Cabinet on Tuesday. Participants in the protest action, organized by the Ukrainian Union of Veterans of Afghanistan demanded from the power the relevant pension provision and medical service, solution of their housing problems and raising the role of organizations in the country's public-political life.

Indifferent attitude of the power toward veterans and ignoring their problems were among  the reasons, which made Afghan veterans resort to protest actions.

Participants in the protest action adopted a petition to President Viktor Yushchenko, in which they asked the Head of State to take under his personal control an issue about construction of housing for servicemen, to create a public committee of representatives of servicemen's public organizations to control solution of this issue, as well as to dismiss Defense Minister Anatoli Hrytsenko and other officials, responsible for housing construction.

The Afghan war veterans also adopted a petition to Verkhovna Rada Chairman Volodymyr Lytvyn, in which they demanded that Parliament adopted a program of social support to war veterans.

Volodymyr Lytvyn met with protest action participants and promised that their demands would be considered and relevant resolutions would be adopted. He instructed the parliamentary Committee on national security and defense and the Committee on matters of pensioners, veterans and disabled persons to prepare bills on making amendments to relevant laws, in order to fulfill demands by veterans of the war in Afghanistan.

***

At the Verkhovna Rada morning session it was stated about self-dissolution of the Union group. While commenting on this event, group's co-Chairman, people's deputy Mykola Bahrayev underscored that a decision about self-dissolution was not accidental. The Union group, as previously, had a name the "People's Choice", it worked for almost three years in the Parliament, M. Bahrayev noted. It was created by majority deputies in order to most effectively represent and maintain the interests of their electors. "Despite the fact that the group represented different political forces, all those years we worked as associates", M. Bahrayev underscored.

But, as the people's deputy noted, during the group's existence substantial changes took place in the country's political and party systems. In particular, a new Law was adopted "On Elections of People's Deputies of Ukraine", in compliance with which elections to the highest legislative body will be carried out exclusively on proportional basis.

"At present, each deputy, provided he/she has an intention to continue a political career, should make a choice, with which political force he/she will go further. At present, when the parties start preparation to the election competition, each deputy represents interests of that political force, to which he/she belongs. Therefore, it is quite natural that party interests gradually started to prevail over interests of the deputy group. Under such conditions the Union group took a decision about self-dissolution", Mykola Bahrayev said.

***

The PGO instituted legal proceedings against a number of the State Property Fund officials for abuse of their positions in the process of privatizing the 30-percent state-run package of shares of the Public Joint-Stock Company Rubizhansky Cardboard and Packaging Mill, which brought damage to the State to the tune of over 17 M. USD, the PGO press service told Ukrinform.

Besides, according to the press service, criminal suits were brought against officials of the State-run Joint-Stock Holding Company Ukrbumprom, the Closed-type Joint-Stock Company Ukrainian International Stock Exchange. They are accused of abuse of positions, which brought grave consequences, fraud and illegal privatization of the 20-percent package of shares of the Public Joint-Stock Company Rybizhansky Cardboard and Packaging Mill.

***

The National TV Company, which is the main organizer of the Song Contest Eurovision-2005, spent almost 57 M. UAH for organization and holding the Eurovision-2005 Song Contest, having saved 10 M. UAH of budget funds, National TV Company President Taras Stetskiv told journalists on Tuesday.

 According to preliminary calculations, 15 percent of the allocated 67 M. UAH were saved thanks to attracting sponsor funds. A detailed report about expenses during Eurovision-2005 is supposed to be submitted by the mid-June. At the same time, Taras Stetskiv promised that not only the Accounting Chamber, but the wide public, too, would be able to familiarize with that report.

Over 7.6 M. UAH were spent for National TV Company's technical needs, in particular, for purchasing new TV equipment. But, according to Taras Stetskiv, it is not enough in order to turn the UT-1 into a highly professional TV channel. Therefore, in the near future the Company's Directorate will insist on increasing state financing so that by 2005's end Ukraine received a new "First National" channel.

Receipts from sale of tickets made up over 5.2 M. UAH. Therefore, approximately 57 percent of tickets were sold.

He also told journalists that over 6,000 persons were accredited at the Eurovision-2005 Song

Contest, including 1,800 journalists and 1,200 members of delegations.

***

Ukraine will supply three AN-74T-200A planes to Egypt in 2005. The Kharkiv State Aviation Production Enterprise has adjusted a schedule of supplying the first two planes. The planes will be supplied to the customer following completion of their test flights. Also the terms and procedure of training the Egyptian crew are adjusted.

A contract on supply of the AN-74T-200A to Egypt was signed in September 2003. The first stage of the contract envisages supply of three planes to the tune of 34 M. USD in 2005, during the second stage some six more planes will be supplied to Egypt.

At present, the first plane of this modification passes certification tests.

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The Second International Exhibition "Bulgarian Rose" will be staged on June 3-5 at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Kyiv.

The newest technological achievements of Bulgarian engineering and electric construction branches will be in the focus of attention at the exhibition.

Bulgarian light industry will also be presented at this exhibition.

Bulgarian tourist companies are working in Ukraine for almost 10 years, Aleksandr Jovovich said and expressed readiness of Bulgaria to be a bridge between Ukraine and the European Union.

The market of Bulgaria, which will soon join the EU community of 25 countries, is liberalized, and Bulgarian goods are competitive, Trade Representative of the Bulgarian Embassy to Ukraine Maria Aleksandrova said. According to her, Bulgaria is not afraid of imports, although it has certain levers of protection, like other countries. As concerns Bulgarian wines, new brands of wine will be supplied to Ukraine, which were estimated by users in Europe and America.

The First International Exhibition of Bulgarian goods was staged in 2004. As a result, seven Bulgarian firms are working in Ukraine. The exhibition organizers are convinced that such exhibitions will be staged in Ukraine each year, and soon similar exhibitions of Ukrainian goods will be staged in Bulgaria.

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The Sixth Kyiv International Advertising Festival started in Kyiv, i.e. at 14:00 Kyiv time public protection of finale PR, BTL, DM projects, as well as media projects competition started at the capital's Cinema House.

According to Advertising Festival producer Maxym Lazebnyk, the present event substantially differs from the previous ones by its quality parameters.

As concerns participants, they are traditionally representatives of the advertising industry of the post-Soviet countries. In particular, Russia is represented by 70 firms. On the whole, the Festival's jury will estimate over 2,200 works, received from 500 participants.

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State Budget revenues in January-April 2005 made up 27.658 bn. UAH, having exceeded cash expenses by 1.523 bn. UAH, which reached 26.135 bn. UAH, the State Treasury told Ukrinform.

By results of the first three months the current Budget surplus made up 2.058 bn. UAH.

It is said in the State Treasury information that amount of revenues, which came during January-April, makes up 26.1 percent of the annual plan, and expenses 22.9 percent. The plan of revenues to the general fund in January-April is fulfilled by 9.0 percent, it was received 22.339 bn. UAH instead of the expected 20.497 bn. UAH.