“Ukraine in Focus”, February 25 - March 2 2008

The Democratic Initiatives Foundation keeps track of political events in Ukraine for monitoring pre-election promises of leading political forces having entered the Parliament as a result of the September 30, 2007 pre-term elections to the Verkhovna Rada.  The survey is conducted with the framework of the project “Where do political leaders lead us to?”  

February 25

Political agreement of faction leaders aimed at unblocking the parliament has not been signed.  At the end of the last week, Speaker Arseniy Yatseniuk assured that the political agreement would be signed on Monday, February 25. MPs only agreed to form a workgroup that would finalize text of the agreement before March 3. 

During the Coordination Council meeting of the left forces, the participants agreed that the Socialist Party of Ukraine, SDPU(u) and a number of leftist parties would develop a united political platform and would discuss the project of unification declaration of the left.  As Leonid Khodakivskyi, representative of the Socialist party, said, every political force has developed a clear position concerning controversial points of the political agreement. Representatives of the Natalia Vitrenko Progressive Socialist Party left the Coordination Council meeting having failed to be supported in promoting their idea regarding Russian language status in Ukraine.  However, the PSPU has not left the negotiation process.

February 26

Ukrainian Speaker Arseniy Yatseniuk arrived on a two-day visit to Brussels, where he will hold meetings in European Parliament and European Commission.  Mr.Yatseniuk will also participate in the meeting of the Committee of Parliamentary Cooperation UKRAINE-EU, where ha plans to discuss the issue of Ukraine’s cooperation in energy field with EU countries with European Commissar Andris Pibalgs. Ukrainian Speaker will discuss the issue of Ukraine’s cooperation with EU, with EU General Secretary and EU Commissar Benita Ferrero-Waldner.   

February 27

Leader of the Party of Regions Victor Yanukovych started for Brussels with the aim to persuade NATO leadership that majority of Ukrainians does not support Ukraine’s accession to the alliance.  Mr.Yanukovych informed NATO leaders that Ukrainian power ignores the will of Ukrainian people being opposed to the idea of Ukraine’s entry into NATO.  Leader of the Party of Regions assured that the parliamentary crisis had been caused by attempts of  the acting leaders of Ukraine to change Ukrainian Constitution passing over the Parliament. EU representatives changed the subject for economic issues. 

February 28

Europe-Ukraine International Forum started its work in Kyiv. The Forum is aimed at intensifying political and cultural dialogue between Ukraine and EU. While speaking on the Forum, Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko  stated that Ukraine seeks after obtaining the status of EU associated member already in September of the current year.  As Victor Yushchenko informed the forum participants, Ukrainians are quite ready for that level of cooperation with EU. In accordance with the procedure, Ukraine will have to join EU trade zone and to confirm its will by correspondent decision of Verkhovna Rada. More over, the President announced that he is against urgent referendum on Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO. Victor Yushchenko believes that popular referendum mottos conceal real intentions of some politicians to redistribute power in Ukraine. The President stressed that there will be reason to conduct national referendum only in case when Ukraine is officially invited to join NATO.  

Ukraine has indisputable right to submit an application for EU membership, stated Adrian Severin, Head of the Committee of Parliamentary Cooperation EU-Ukraine on the press conference with the framework of the Europe-Ukraine International Economic Forum. He underlined that Ukraine would  be able to become a full-fledged EU member before that is confirmed  de jure if  Ukraine and EU manage to develop common strategy for ensuring security in energy field, coordinate their foreign policy activities and  develop free trade zone. 

The problem of Ukraine’s gas debts will remain unsolved until Ukraine repays all gas debts and concludes a new treaty for the current year, stated Aleksei Miller, Head of Board of Gazprom.  In its turn, Naftogaz Ukrainy informed the media that it had repaid all the gas debts to Gazprom and all the other debts that Ukrainian government refuses to admit should be paid to UkrGazEnergo

February 29

All the faction leaders approved Protocol of Understanding. The parliament is expected to be unblocked on Tuesday, March 4, announced Head of Verkhovna Rada Arseniy Yatseniuk after the workgroup meeting. In accordance with his words, the agreement consists of the protocol of understanding and project of parliamentary agenda.  As to the NATO issue, the Speaker said that it had been decided to recall all the previously registered enactment projects and to approve a new variant agreed by all workgroup representatives. Beside, on Tuesday, March 4, the President is expected to speak in Parliament with his yearly address to Verkhovna Rada.

Gazprom confirmed its intention to lessen gas supply to Ukraine. As Sergei Kupriyanov, Gazprom Official Representative, said, that is planned for March 3, 10 p.m. (Moscow time). He stressed that gas supply to Ukraine would be lessened in case if Ukraine’s gas debts have not been adjusted and new agreements for the current year have not been concluded.

March 1

The 2nd  Congress of People’s Deputies of all level councils was opened in Severodonetsk.  Problems of Russian-speaking people in Ukraine, falsification of Ukrainian history, Ukrainians’ attitude to NATO, role of Orthodox Church and other burning issues were put on the agenda.  Besides, MPs plan to discuss measures aimed at securing constitutional rights of Ukrainian people.

Add New Comment

	Your Name *
	Comment *
	Please enter symbols from the image. *