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Action Ukraine Report

"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT - AUR"
                                An International Newsletter
                                     The Latest, Up-To-Date
                In-Depth Ukrainian News, Analysis, and Commentary

                "Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
    Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"
                            
"THE ACTION UKRAINE REPORT - AUR" - Number 612
Mr. E. Morgan Williams, Publisher and Editor
Washington, D.C., & Kyiv, Ukraine, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2005

                        --------INDEX OF ARTICLES--------
                "Major International News Headlines and Articles"

1.             NINTH SUMMIT "UKRAINE-EUROPEAN UNION"
              Ukraine was recognized as a market economy by the EU
  One of the key elements of any market country is an independent court.
               Ukraine needs judicial reforms as much as we need air.          
Radio Speech by President of Ukraine              
Press office of President Victor Yushchenko of Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, December 3, 2005

2UKRAINE PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO CRITICIZES MAGAZINE
                                    OVER 'ANTI-SEMITISM"
         "There can be no ethnicity issue in a European country," he said.
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1617 gmt 5 Dec 05
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Monday, Dec 05, 2005

3.     US LIKELY TO GRANT MARKET ECONOMY STATUS TO
         UKRAINE JANUARY 27, 2006 SAYS ECONOMY MINISTER 
    Ukraine companies hire US law firm to represent Ukraine's interest
Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec 5, 2005

4.      UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES WTO RELATED BILL
             Law on standards and technical procedures for compliance
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1512 gmt 1 Dec 05
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Monday, Dec 05, 2005

5UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN GAS TALKS POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 0947 gmt 6 Dec 05
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 06, 2005

6.        US SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE TO
                        MEET WITH UKRAINIAN STUDENTS
Public Affairs Section, United States Embassy Kyiv
Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, December 5, 2005

7.                               TURNING FACE ON WEST
                         Ukraine has been dropped from the CES
EDITORIAL: Irish Times, Dublin, Ireland, Tuesday, Dec 06, 2005

8.      RUSSIA WARNS AGAINST FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN
      EX-SOVIET NATIONS, ACCUSES FOREIGN FUNDED NGO'S
Vladimir Isachenkov, AP Worldstream
Moscow, Russia, Monday, Dec 05, 2005

9. FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS USE DIRTY TRICKS TO SWAY POLLS
By Neil Buckley and Arkady Ostrovsky
Financial Times, UK, Tuesday, December 6 2005
 
10.        LIST OF PEOPLE BARRED FROM ENTERING BELARUS
                                 CONTAINS 40,000 NAMES
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1016 gmt 6 Dec
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 06, 2005

11.                "DEPENDING ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW"
                          Ukraine-European Union Summit in Kiev
         Disappointment over WTO entry, bureaucratic clumsiness
                  Ukraine still has much to do in relations with EU
COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS: By Tetyana Sylina
Zerkalo Nedeli, Kiev, in Russian 3 Dec 05; p 1, 5
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 06, 2005

12  EMERGENCY IN UKRAINE AFTER FLU KILLS 2,000 BIRDS
By Tom Warner in Kiev, Financial Times
United Kingdom, Monday, December 5 2005

13.  UKRAINIAN MINISTER DEFENDS DECLARING EMERGENCY
          OVER BIRD FLU OUTBREAK ON CRIMEAN PENINSULA
Associated Press, Kiev, Ukraine, Tue, December 6, 2005 

14.     AUSTRALIAN UKRAINIAN DIASPORA LOOKS FOR NEW
                            RELATIONSHIP WITH UKRAINE
           Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations held its 14th
              triennial national conference in Melbourne at the weekend.
By Steve Waldon, The Age
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Monday, Dec 5, 2005

15UKRAINE PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO CONFERS YAROSLAV THE
  WISE ON AMERICAN HISTORIAN JAMES MACE POSTHUMOUSLY
Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, November 26, 2005

16UKRAINE: PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO GIVES INSTRUCTIONS
  TO PAY TRIBUTE OF HOMAGE TO OUTSTANDING RESEARCHER
                    OF FAMINE OF 1932-33 JAMES E. MACE
Stepan Vash, Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Dec 5, 2005

17.                                 THE FREEDOM GENE
              Commemorating the noted American scholar James Mace
"Morgan Williams, the noted American collector of paintings and prints
dealing with the Holodomor, recounted how in the mid-1990s James and
he began to look for works depicting the events of 1932-1933 in Ukraine.
This proved to be easier said than done, as artists were afraid even to
broach the subject."
By Nadia Tysiachna, The Day
The Day Weekly Digest in English, #38
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, 29 November 2005

18.                           THIS MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN
               "My grandmother is still afraid to speak about the famine"
By Iryna Rozhok, Lviv, Yuriy Nozhenko
The Day Weekly Digest in English, #38
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, 29 November 2005

19.                               OF MEMORY AND TRUTH
         Ukraine's foreign ministry promises to back The Day's initiative
            that the 1932-1933 Holodomor be placed on the list of the
               world's greatest disasters maintained by the Red Cross
The Day Weekly Digest in English, #38
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, 29 November 2005

20.     UKRAINIAN DMYTRO BARANOVDKYY WINS FUKUOKA
                       INTERNATIONAL MARATHON IN JAPAN
Kyodo News Service, Kyodo, Japan, Sunday, December 4, 2005

21.        EXHIBITION OF UKRAINIAN POSTERS IN DENMARK
                                   "Posters From Ukraine"
www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, December 6, 2005

22U.S. PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVED IN UKRAINE
          URGE CONGRESS TO GRADUATE UKRAINE FROM THE
          JACKSON-VANIK AMENDMENT TRADE RESTRICTIONS
Ken Bossong, Former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer
Washington, D.C., Monday, December 5, 2005
========================================================
1
                NINTH SUMMIT "UKRAINE-EUROPEAN UNION"
                 Ukraine was recognized as a market economy by the EU
   One of the key elements of any market country is an independent court.
                  Ukraine needs judicial reforms as much as we need air.
                             
Victor Yushchenko's Radio Address
Press office of President Victor Yushchenko of Ukraine
Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, December 3, 2005

Dear fellow citizens!
Dear Ukrainian community!

This week has been seminal in our history and in the history of
Ukrainian-European relations. At the Ninth Summit "Ukraine -European
Union," which was conducted on December 1 in Kyiv, Ukraine was
recognized as a market economy.

The European Union has recently begun talks with Ukraine to liberalize visa
requirements for our students, scientists, entrepreneurs, cultural workers
and journalists.

A year ago, in Kyiv's Independence Square, Ukrainian and EU flags were
waving together. We were jointly fighting to make Ukraine a part of the
united Europe. This week, we have taken the first step towards fulfilling
this strategic goal.

As President of Ukraine, I can report on the fulfillment of one of my
election promises. Being recognized as a market economy means we are
recognized as a country that has a modern economic model and clear
market rules.

Ukraine is now more attractive to foreign and local investors, and that
means the price of Ukrainian property grew. Our land, enterprises and
other things can no longer be sold for next to nothing.

This resolution of the EU is a significant signal for Ukrainian business.
Each enterprise that exports its produce will no longer be treated as a
second-rate partner among western industrial giants. Ukrainian manufacturers
have been recognized as equals. Their rights are not different from rights
of German, French, or British companies.

Each enterprise and each worker will benefit from this new status of our
country. This is an additional stimulus to produce more goods and a chance
to increase our profits and public revenues and to create more jobs.

Because of anti-dumping investigations our producers of rolled metal, pipes,
and chemicals annually lost about USD 600 million. Ukrainian government
eventually has a real tool to protect national business.

Such industrial regions as Donbass and Dnipropetrovsk, where metallurgical
and chemical plants are located, will feel its positive effect first.
Producers of sugar and textiles will also feel it. The whole Ukraine will
feel it. The market we managed to protect from anti-dumping claims is
estimated at two billion dollars.

All recent statements made by EU leaders about Kyiv's European ambitions
mean our democratic changes are appreciated and positively assessed. This
is a good signal for all who realize that reforms are never fast and painless.

To enjoy equal rights with EU countries, we should not knock on the door of
Europe, but achieve European standards in our country. I agree with my
friend Javier Solana who said, "One should not play with European rules but
live by these rules.

The Ukrainian government understands that Ukraine will de jure become a part
of Europe, when it adapts its living standards and democracy to European
rules.

One of the key elements of any market country is an independent court.

One year ago, on December 3, Ukrainians for the first time believed that our
courts were independent and fair. Back then, the Supreme Court of Ukraine
delivered a historic judgment and confirmed that results of the poll were
rigged. Millions of Ukrainian citizens applauded these heroes of Ukraine who
resisted unbelievable pressure of the regime and overcame their fear.

At that time, judges of the Supreme Court knew their responsibility was
colossal and were closely watched by Ukrainians and the whole world. On
December 3, 2004, relying solely on the constitution and evidence, they
defined the future of Ukraine by their verdict.

Unfortunately, no one has been punished for that electoral fraud and such
controversial crimes as the murders of Georgiy Gongadze and Ihor
Aleksandrov. Although law enforcement agencies are to be blamed for these
delays, society still does not know those criminals and is disappointed in
our judicial system.

We must admit that the majority of people have no access to justice. There
is almost no free legal aid. Almost a half of all verdicts is not executed.
No democratic market state can exist without independent and fair courts.

In 2006, judicial reforms will start to bring back justice to courts. We aim
to renew judicial corps because justice and fairness depend on judge's
professionalism and moral qualities.

According to sad Ukrainian statistics, each tenth civilian case and each
fifth criminal case is not considered. This red tape affects thousands of
fates and causes thousands of tragedies.

Every year, courts sentence about four million citizens. Each third
delinquent is imprisoned.

Very often, we imprison people whose difficult life forced them to commit a
petty crime. I remember seeing a guy among the prisoners of the Korosten
prison who was given twelve years for stealing a car. I am sure this person
had repented his crime long time ago.

Our state would only win if we gave this guy a chance to start new life
instead of spending money to keep him in prison.

Many Ukrainians send their complaints to the President of Ukraine to say our
courts are biased. 65% of the citizens do not trust them.

My lawyers meticulously study each letter. As President of Ukraine, I have
pardoned 458 persons in the past ten months. Gratitude of these people makes
me believe they will never go the wrong way.  On my initiative, 17,000
prisoners have been amnestied.

In Ukraine, judicial problems had not been solved for years being concealed
by the former regime.

Ukraine needs judicial reforms as much as we need air. Average citizens and
Ukrainian business are looking forward to it.

To make our courts independent and fair, I suggest we introduce the
following reforms. We should considerably raise judges' status and promote
staff renewal at courts. Honest specialists should come to courts. We will
conduct a public contest to choose judges.

The government also plans to raise salaries. Judges of local courts will
earn about four thousand hryvnyas. This increase will help employ
professional lawyers and fight corruption in courts.

I commissioned the government to revise an article of the law on the status
of judges that stipulates their salaries. I also ordered the cabinet to find
budget funds to solve judges' housing problems. I hope parliamentarians will
support these initiatives.

It is important to define the system and structure of courts and their
jurisdiction. I believe that within a few years we will establish the jury
to consider socially controversial cases.

The new government has already adopted some serious measures to change the
situation. In 1991-2004, courts were only 30-40% financed. The 2006 state
budget provides for funds to increase this figure by 40%.

On January 1, 2005, only 10% of Ukrainian courts had buildings that met all
requirements, so the cabinet has recently decided to approve a concept of a
five-year state program on building proper court premises.

The rule of law is a backbone of any civilized society. An individual feels
safe where the judicial branch is independent and powerful.

As President of Ukraine, I will do my best to make Ukrainian courts really
independent. This will be another important step on our path to Europe.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LINK: http://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/data/11_4717.html
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2. UKRAINE PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO CRITICIZES MAGAZINE
                                    OVER 'ANTI-SEMITISM"
         "There can be no ethnicity issue in a European country," he said.

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1617 gmt 5 Dec 05
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Monday, Dec 05, 2005

KIEV - Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has urged the society,
artists, journalists and intelligentsia to jointly condemn any manifestation of
anti-Semitism and xenophobia and said that the state will take a resolute
stance on the matter, the presidential press service said today.

The president stressed that the authorities are obliged to ensure that the
rights of any citizen regardless of nationality and religious beliefs are
protected. Therefore, he said, the Ukrainian authorities will continue
fighting any manifestations of discrimination on national, racial or
religious grounds.

"There can be no ethnicity issue in a European country," he said. He said
he is concerned with cases of anti-Semitism in Ukraine.

He condemned the policy of the Interregional Academy of Personnel
Management that often takes the liberty of issuing publications that are
considered to be of anti-Semitic content.

He recalled that some time ago he left the supervisory board of the Personal
magazine [a specialist monthly] published by the Interregional Academy of
Personnel Management, protesting against the academy's attitude. He called
upon the academy's leaders to respect people of all ethnic backgrounds and
beliefs and to stop "fuelling the ethnic feud".

Earlier, several Jewish organizations accused the academy of fuelling tan
ethnic feud after it published some of its specialists' works. Moreover, in
November a representative of the Israeli Foreign Ministry expressed his
indignation to Ukrainian diplomats after the Interregional Academy of
Personnel Management allegedly approved the Iranian president's call to
erase Israel from the world map. The academy denied the allegations.
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3.     US LIKELY TO GRANT MARKET ECONOMY STATUS TO
         UKRAINE JANUARY 27, 2006 SAYS ECONOMY MINISTER 
        Ukraine companies hire US law firm to represent Ukraine's interest

Interfax-Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Dec 5, 2005

KYIV - Ukrainian Economy Minister Arseniy Yatseniuk says the United
States is likely to grant Ukraine market economy status on January 27,
2006.

Speaking live on the UT-1 TV channel on Sunday evening, he said the
procedure for granting market economy status to a country, which has
much in common with a court procedure, lasts 210 days.

"We have hired a law firm to represent Ukraine's interests at the office of
the trade representative of the United States. On January 27 the United
States will have to endorse a definite verdict," Yatseniuk said.
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FOOTNOTE: 
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4.       UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES WTO RELATED BILL
             Law on standards and technical procedures for compliance

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1512 gmt 1 Dec 05
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Monday, Dec 05, 2005

KIEV - The Supreme Council of Ukraine [parliament] has passed a law on the
standards and technical procedures for the assessment of compliance which is
necessary for Ukraine to join the World Trade Organization. Of the 406 MPs
present in the parliament's session chamber, 247 MPs voted in favour of the
law on Thursday [1 December].

The law establishes the legal and organizational basis for the development
and application of national standards and technical procedures for the
assessment of compliance, and also the main principles of state policy in
standardization, technical regulation and assessment of compliance.

The law gives definitions of the terms "established requirements",
"equivalence", "comments", "monitoring", "the agency to assess compliance"
and so on.

At the same time, the law does not apply to sanitary measures which have
been developed and are applied specifically to protect individuals from
risks related to foodstuffs, or to phytosanitary measures which have been
developed and are applied specifically to protect plants from harmful
organisms.

Furthermore, the law does not apply to the veterinary or sanitary measures
which have been developed and are applied specifically to protect human
lives and health and also animals from animal diseases. It does not apply to
the handling of nuclear materials or medicines, to construction standards,
healthcare standards, accounting reporting standards, educational and other
standards which are regulated by Ukrainian laws.

A significant part of provisions of this law is dedicated to procedures for
the development and approval of standards and technical procedures;
procedures for the assessment of compliance with technical requirements;
commitments of producers and suppliers of goods which are subject to
technical procedures; and also to informing about technical procedures
and assessment of compliance.  -30-
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5. UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN GAS TALKS POSTPONED INDEFINITELY

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 0947 gmt 6 Dec 05
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 06, 2005

KIEV - Moscow visit by Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov,
who was expected to meet Russian Industry and Energy Minister Viktor
Khristenko, has been postponed indefinitely.

The Ukrainian Fuel and Energy Ministry said that the parties are continuing
to agree the terms of Russian gas supplies to Ukraine and gas transit via
Ukraine. The talks are being held at the level of Ukraine's national oil and
gas company Naftohaz Ukrayiny and Russia's Gazprom.

"A meeting of government delegations at the ministerial level must take
place before the New Year," Plachkov's press service said.
It added that another reason for postponing the visit was Khristenko's visit
to Brussels as a member of a Russian delegation.

Naftohaz experts are currently in Moscow to continue talks with Gazprom on
gas supplies and transit, the press service said. Ukraine still insists on
keeping the current gas price of 50 dollars per 1,000 cu.m. and a discount
gas transit fare for Gazprom at 1.09375 dollars per 1,000 cu.m. per 100 km
in 2006.

As was reported earlier, Plachkov was expected to meet Khristenko in Moscow
today. The parties were close to finalizing an intergovernmental protocol on
the terms of gas supplies to Ukraine and gas transit via Ukraine in 2006.
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6.         US SECRETARY OF STATE CONDOLEEZZA RICE TO
                        MEET WITH UKRAINIAN STUDENTS

Public Affairs Section, United States Embassy Kyiv
Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, December 5, 2005

KYIV - United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will hold a
“Town Hall Meeting” with Ukrainian students in the Auditorium of the
Main Building Shevchenko University (“Chervony Corpus”), on
Wednesday, December 7.

Secretary Rice will meet with students to answer their questions and
exchange ideas as part of her visit to Kyiv.  The session will be open to
the media although it is an opportunity for students only to interact with
the Secretary. Media will be able to interview students following the event.
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http://usembassy.kiev.ua/infocentral_eng.html
Public Affairs Section, United States Embassy Kyiv
http://usembassy.kiev.ua, info@usembassy.kiev.ua
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7.                              TURNING FACE ON WEST
                       Ukraine has been dropped from the CES

EDITORIAL: Irish Times, Dublin, Ireland, Tuesday, Dec 06, 2005

With Kazakhstan's president Nursultan Nazarbeyev confirmed in office for
another seven years, Russia has announced that the two states, plus Belarus,
are to go ahead with an economic union, the Common Economic Space (CES).

Overnight, Moscow will preside over a trading bloc that will act as a
counterweight to the EU, with member states adopting a single customs area,
joint institutions and a common currency.

It is an idea born in the Kremlin, which appears to have decided that it
wants Russia to be a great power, rather than one increasingly subsumed by
common European institutions. The CES destroys hopes, born after the fall of
the Berlin Wall, that Europe can move towards ever closer integration.

The CES began life in September 2003 when plans were announced for a union
of the former Soviet republics of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine.
Last December the proposed CES was a key issue in Ukraine's Orange
Revolution, with the opposition conscious that being in the CES would make
EU membership impossible.

Kiev has now turned to face the West, and Russia has announced that Ukraine
has been dropped from the CES. Despite this loss, however, the CES will be
an economic power house, forming the world's second biggest energy trading
bloc after Opec.

Russia already pumps a quarter of the world's natural gas plus almost as
much oil per day as Saudi Arabia. Kazakhstan is poised to become the world's
fifth biggest oil state.

The danger is that economic division will widen the broad gap between east
and west. When Bulgaria and Romania join the EU, the map of Nato states will
overlay that of the EU. Already Polish politicians are talking of their role
as the "eastern bulwark" of democracy.

Inside the proposed CES, democracy has a low priority. Belarus is the most
repressive regime in Europe. In recent days, the Organisation for Security
and Co-operation in Europe has accused Kazakhstan of election violations
while the Kremlin is ever more authoritarian.

The EU must not duck this new challenge. First, it must acknowledge the
right of sovereign nations to form whatever economic organisations they
want. But it must not shirk from criticising abuses in Chechnya, or election
shortcomings. And it must make sure it does not become overly dependent
on oil and gas from the CES, for risk that Moscow will gain leverage in other
areas.

Above all, the EU needs to keep the channels open. Across Belarus,
Kazakhstan and Russia, growing numbers of young people and businessmen
have seen democracy thanks to travel, the internet and MTV. They need to
know the EU will be there for them, however distant a beacon. -30-
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8.      RUSSIA WARNS AGAINST FOREIGN INTERFERENCE IN
      EX-SOVIET NATIONS, ACCUSES FOREIGN FUNDED NGO'S

Vladimir Isachenkov, AP Worldstream
Moscow, Russia, Monday, Dec 05, 2005

MOSCOW - Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov harshly criticized
foreign interference in domestic affairs of other ex-Soviet nations and
accused foreign-funded non-governmental organizations of distorting
Russia's image abroad.

While Lavrov didn't name any nation in particular in an article published
Monday, his comments appeared to reflect Russia's irritation over what it
perceives as efforts by the United States and other Western nations to
expand their influence over the ex-Soviet nations.

"Any attempt to speed up natural social processes, especially from the
outside, leads to destabilization without making the road to democracy any
straighter," Lavrov said in the article posted on the ministry's Web site.
"It (democracy) is not something that can be exported, and methods of
commercial advertising and political spin-doctoring are impermissible in
advancing it."

Russian officials and lawmakers have voiced concern about the United States
and NATO wielding increasing influence in the former Soviet republics, and
they have accused the West of encouraging mass protests that brought the
opposition to power in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan over the past two
years.

"It's strange when demonstrators appeal to heads of foreign states instead
of fellow countrymen," Lavrov said. "It is not surprising that the situation
does not improve after such upheavals, and, in fact, only worsens."

As well as the wrangling over the ex-Soviet turf, Moscow's relations with
the West recently have been clouded over a Russian bill that would severely
restrict non-governmental organizations.

The bill, which already has been approved by Russia's lower house of
parliament in the first of three required readings, would require local
branches of foreign NGOs to reregister as de-facto Russian entities, subject
to stricter financial and legal restrictions.

The legislation also would give government officials greater control over
the operation of both foreign- and local-funded groups, allowing authorities
to oversee their financial flows and activities.

Critics have said the bill was another step in cementing the Kremlin's
control of Russian society. Some groups, such as Human Rights Watch and
Amnesty International, have said they may have to shut down their Russian
operations if the legislation becomes law.

U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns mentioned the issue when he
visited Moscow last week, saying that NGOs play a "very positive role" in
any society.

But Lavrov accused foreign-funded NGOs of projecting a slanted image of
Russia."Statements of Russian branches of foreign political research centers
and foundations financed on foreign taxpayers' money are being presented as
Russia's public opinion," he said in the article.

"The slanted picture that comes from that doesn't advance anyone's interests
unless some people want to fall victim of their own propaganda." He said
that "like in other nations, our NGOs must be financed by national sources,
including government funds."  -30-
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9. FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS USE DIRTY TRICKS TO SWAY POLLS

By Neil Buckley and Arkady Ostrovsky
Financial Times, UK, Tuesday, December 6 2005

For the past month, thousands of passengers on Kazakh state railways have
received their tickets in envelopes which unfolded to reveal a message in
yellow, red and blue about who to support in last Sunday's presidential
election: "Nursultan Nazarbayev - Our Leader!"

"Some people threw them back, saying they would vote for the opposition,"
said Aliya, a ticket clerk in Almaty, Kazakhstan's biggest city.

Elsewhere in Almaty, Marat, a student at a police training college, said
5,000 students there were warned they could be expelled unless they voted
for the president. Serik, a second-year student at Almaty's University of
International Business, says classmates received a talk from the dean
advising them to vote for Mr Nazarbayev.

Combined with yesterday's criticisms of the election by international
monitors, such anecdotes help explain how Mr Nazarbayev scooped up a
Soviet-style 91 per cent of the vote. Yet 2,000 miles north-west, in Moscow,
similar techniques were on display on Sunday in elections for the city
parliament that produced a thumping majority for United Russia, the
pro-Kremlin party.

One liberal leader called it the dirtiest Moscow election he could remember,
while the party vying to be United Russia's main challenger was barred from
the poll.

After last month's disputed parliamentary polls in Azerbaijan and Russia's
breakaway Chechnya region, Sunday's elections highlight how many former
Soviet republics have mastered the art of preserving the appearance of
democracy while seeking to ensure elections produce a pre-determined result.
Sometimes efforts backfire, as in Ukraine, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan recently;
often they work.

"Former Soviet republics are worse than anywhere in the world in terms of
the dirty tricks. Patterns of manipulation are more comprehensive," says
Andrew Wilson, author of Virtual Politics: Faking Democracy in the
Post-Soviet World.

Euphemisms have sprung up to describe the processes involved. First there is
"political technology", ranging from using basic propaganda and damaging
material against opponents to more sophisticated techniques. Mr Wilson says
a political technology "industry" in Russia honed its expertise working with
the regime of Boris Yeltsin, then that of Vladimir Putin, and now exports it
around former Soviet republics.

Popular techniques include "cloning", or creating artificial parties to
split opponents' votes - such as Russia's nationalist Rodina, or Motherland,
party, created with Kremlin help in 2003 to take votes from the Communists.
Rodina was excluded from Sunday's Moscow poll, ostensibly because of a
racist campaign advertisement. In reality, some analysts suspect its Kremlin
creators feared its popularity.

A second euphemism is use of "administrative resources" - using control of
the media, police, security services, courts and electoral commissions to
manipulate events.

Kazakhstan provided a case study of how to use such resources.

International observers found Kazakhstan's four TV channels devoted 49-77
per cent of pre-election coverage to the president himself. His biggest
challenger, Zharmakhan Tuyakbai, received no more than 12 per cent.

Mr Tuyakbai's campaign said its literature had been seized, its workers were
detained and harassed by police and meetings were broken up.

In Russia, Garry Kasparov, former chess champion turned opposition
politician, says his attempts to address meetings in southern Russia this
year were hampered by mysterious power cuts, hotel cancellations and his
aircraft being unable to land because of "rocks on the runway".

In Azerbaijan's parliamentary election last month, observers reported whole
villages being told they would lose utilities if they did not elect
government-favoured candidates. Parliamentary election observers in
Kyrgyzstan last February found widespread vote buying.

Many tricks come into play on election day, including ballot box stuffing,
stealing opponents' ballot papers, or adding fictitious voters to lists.

Ukraine's presidential election last year took vote-rigging to new heights.
Hundreds of supporters of Viktor Yanukovic, the government-backed
candidate, acquired certificates allowing them to vote away from home
and travelled around polling stations to cast multiple votes.

Ironically, perhaps, the mixed record of the three former Soviet republics
that have experienced pro-democracy revolutions has become fodder for the
political technologists. In Kazakhstan, Mr Nazarbayev played on the upheaval
in neighbouring Kyrgyzstan after it overthrew its president in March to
present himself as the stability candidate.

"We want peace and order," said Zemfira, a schoolteacher in Mr Nazarbayev's
home town of Kaskelen. "We've seen what happened in other places."

[Additional reporting by Arkady Ostrovsky in Moscow and Tom Warner in
Kiev]
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[return to index] [The Action Ukraine Report (AUR) Monitoring Service]
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10.      LIST OF PEOPLE BARRED FROM ENTERING BELARUS
                                CONTAINS 40,000 NAMES

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, in Russian 1016 gmt 6 Dec
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 06, 2005

MINSK - The list of people barred from entering Belarus runs to about
40,000 people, Interfax has learnt at the Belarusian Interior Ministry today.

A source in the ministry said that "about 40,000 are either barred from
travelling to Belarus or their visits are regarded as undesirable. About
10,000 foreigners have been added to the list over the last two years".

The Interior Ministry said that the list "contains individuals who have
perpetrated crimes in Belarus and have been deported". "People suspected
of links with extremist and terrorist organizations are also prohibited from
entering Belarus," ministry staff said.

They added that Belarusian police are developing a database containing
information about foreigners temporarily or permanently residing in Belarus.
About 120,000 foreigners live in Belarus now, the ministry said. -30-
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[return to index] [The Action Ukraine Report (AUR) Monitoring Service]
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11.                "DEPENDING ON YOUR POINT OF VIEW"
                          Ukraine-European Union Summit in Kiev
            Disappointment over WTO entry, bureaucratic clumsiness
                   Ukraine still has much to do in relations with EU

COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS: By Tetyana Sylina
Zerkalo Nedeli, Kiev, in Russian 3 Dec 05; p 1, 5
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Tue, Dec 06, 2005

The recent Ukraine-European Union summit in Kiev could be described as
a success, though there is the feeling that much more could have been
achieved, a Ukrainian weekly has said. Three important agreements - on
energy, aviation and a satellite navigation system - were signed and
progress has been achieved in implementing the EU-Ukraine Action Plan,
it added.

There was satisfaction that the EU has decided to grant Ukraine market
status, although this was expected, but the paper expressed disappointment
at bureaucratic clumsiness and the lack of progress on membership of the
World Trade Organization.

The following is the text of the article by Tetyana Sylina entitled
"Depending on your point of view", published in the Ukrainian newspaper
Zerkalo Nedeli on 3 December; subheadings have been inserted editorially:
           A YEAR AGO WE COULD ONLY HAVE DREAMT
                       ABOUT A UKRAINE-EU SUMMIT
After all, the eight previous meetings at summit level had been held in
quite different political conditions and in a completely different
atmosphere.

Could we have imagined a year ago, looking at the embittered and worried
[former Ukrainian President Leonid] Kuchma, a Ukrainian president feeling
free and easy in the company of European leaders, talking enthusiastically
about Ukraine's traditions and showing off the fancy shawls and souvenir
charms all over Bankova [street in Kiev where presidential administration
building is located]?

Did we think that high-ranking European visitors would be asking if a trip
to the historic Maydan [square in Kiev, scene of opposition demonstrations
during Orange Revolution] could be included in the programme of the official
visit? Have we heard before such praise and optimism from European Union
representatives?

So why, then, when all this has become reality, do we find that we have no
particular feeling of joy about all this? Could it be that our senses have
been dulled after such a long wait? Or did we want something more?

No, of course, nobody expected that the groundless fantasies of the "young
integrators" would suddenly come true, and their devil-may-care attempt to
take Brussels would be crowned with success (that applications for
membership would be accepted the day after the new president's inauguration,
that they would get promises out of the Brussels bureaucrats on their
prospects for Europe and that market status would be guaranteed no later
than April).

Nevertheless, there were great hopes that we would have progressed further
than the point we have reached today in relations with the European Union.

Of course, it would be quite unfair to say that there has been no progress.

A good deal has been achieved over the past year. First and foremost, the
atmosphere of relations has changed, something on which all who have taken
part in talks with the European Union in one way or another agree.

Even former inveterate pessimists who are well familiar with the inimitable
bureaucratic Brussels machine and who used to claim that it would never
swing round to Ukraine's side at any price are oozing optimism.

Today they are happy to back up the words of Anton Buteyko, first deputy
foreign minister, who told journalists that many issues which used to become
tedious and take ages to resolve through diplomatic notes, can now be sorted
out by calling Brussels on the mobile phone. "Before we never felt such
attention towards us and such a desire to help," claim those who are
regularly in contact with the European capital.

It is no doubt gratifying that the European Commission has finally come to
the conclusion that Ukraine has met all the demands and all the technical
criteria for granting it market status. This will happen in a month or two
immediately after the completion of certain formalities.
                           IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS SIGNED
Three documents which are of importance for our country were also signed
during the summit. Arguably, [1] the most important of these was the
Memorandum on mutual understanding regarding cooperation in the energy
sphere between Ukraine and the EU which was rubber-stamped by President
Viktor Yushchenko and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is chairing the
European Union.

The document was signed within the framework of a top-level dialogue in the
energy sphere and has been highly praised by experts since the memorandum,
they believe, seals the strategic and priority nature of Ukraine's relations
with the European Union in this field.

Furthermore, the experts say, integration of the energy infrastructure is a
precondition for future economic integration between our country and the EU.
They also express the hope that the transfer of Ukrainian-EU relations in
the energy sphere to a higher level will ease the tense dialogue between
Ukraine and Russia over oil and gas.

[2] The second document - an Agreement between Ukraine and the EU on certain
aspects of air communications, which was signed by Prime Minister Yuriy
Yekhanurov and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso - gives
the opportunity for any airline in the EU to carry out flights between any
country of the European Union and Ukraine.

This document recognizes the existence of a single market in air
transportation between our country and the EU and is the first step towards
expanding cooperation in the field of aviation.

It will be recalled that in September the European Commission proposed
holding talks on a comprehensive agreement in the sphere of civil aviation
in order to create a common air space with the purpose of gradually
integrating Ukraine's aviation industry into European organizations.

It is probable that the European Commission will receive a mandate for the
start of these talks in the first half of next year.

Mr Yekhanurov and Senior Barroso also signed an Agreement on cooperation
on a civil global satellite navigation system between the European Community
and its member-states and Ukraine.

This Galileo system will start functioning in 2008. European experts
estimate that in a few years time the size of this market will exceed 230bn
euros and will embrace all the main areas of public life.

In the opinion of Ukrainian specialists, the signing of this agreement with
the EU creates preconditions for Ukraine's immediate participation in the
Galileo joint project and for our country becoming part of the
implementation of the EU's first space programme and for Ukraine's
membership of the European Space Agency.

The list of the successful results of Ukraine's negotiators does not end
there. It will be recalled that at the beginning of the year an Agreement
was signed on trade in steel goods for 2005-06, according to which the quota
of Ukrainian output for 2006 would amount to 1,004,500 tonnes.

[3] An agreement on trade in textile production which allowed the quota-free
regime for Ukrainian export manufacturers to be preserved was also signed.
The European Investment Bank signed an agreement with Ukraine providing our
country with an opportunity to obtain about 250m euros of credit resources.
And one could go on enumerating these important documents.

An important landmark in relations between Ukraine and the EU was the start
of talks on liberalizing visa procedures. The first round was held at the
end of November, and although the European side as always was cautious and
avoided naming any dates, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasyuk proposed
last week that an agreement on simplifying visa procedures for Ukrainian
citizens could be signed with the European Union in the first half of next
year.

The European side rates highly cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the
sphere of foreign policy and security, particularly on questions of regional
stability and in settling crises. The day before the summit a ceremony was
held to open an office of the European Union in Odessa to provide aid at the
Ukrainian-Moldovan border.

It includes 69 members from 15 EU countries and 50 local specialists. The
purpose of the office is to help improve the work of the Ukrainian and
Moldovan border and customs services. Particular attention will be focused
on protecting the border and customs control on the Dnestr section.
                            PROGRESS IN ACTION PLAN
Unlike last year's summit when one could hardly squeeze a miserly
press-release out of the Europeans, this year a fairly substantial joint
statement on the results of the summit which both sides were happy with was
published.

Among other things, it noted the "considerable progress" made in fulfilling
the Ukraine-EU Action Plan, welcomed Ukraine's "staunch devotion to the
common values of democracy, the supremacy of the law and respect for human
rights", and also recognized the progress achieved in carrying out economic
reform.

It drew attention to the fact that the EU leaders did not "express the
hope", as they did in the past, that future elections "would be carried out
in accordance with international standards", but expressed "confidence" that
they would.

In the document the EU leaders also confirmed their readiness to urgently
begin consultations on a new beefed-up agreement between Ukraine and the EU
which would replace the present Agreement on partnership and cooperation as
soon as the Action Plan's political priorities are fulfilled.

As far as creating a Free Trade Area (FTA) is concerned, the EU confirmed
its readiness to begin talks with Ukraine on this question as soon as our
country becomes a member of the World Trade Organization. The document
noted the "good progress" in preparing research regarding the conditions for
and possibilities of creating a FTA between Ukraine and the EU.

The document ended by saying that Ukraine is confirming its strategic goal
to become fully integrated into the European Union, and the EU leaders
"welcomed Ukraine's European choice", stressing that our country's adherence
to democracy and reform opens up new prospects for considerably raising the
level and quality of Ukrainian-EU relations.

As we can see, even a very brief, almost telegraphic summary of our
country's main recent achievements in the European direction has been given
considerable coverage in the press. So why, then, is there still a lack of
feeling of deep satisfaction? Why are our experts so restrained in their
appraisal of our successes?

The reasons for this dissatisfaction are irritating negligence, gross
mistakes and very serious defects. It is, of course, healthy that our
president has a common ground with foreign leaders, but for many the
question arises: is it worth spending such valuable time, which has, after
all, been allocated for talks, on stories about fancy shawls?

We can be proud of our aviation and space technology and happy that our
country has a real chance of reaching suitable high-tech European markets.
But are we not at the same time ashamed of the defects in the technology
providing the simultaneous translation in the country's main state office,
as a result of which valuable minutes were wasted during a crucial summit?

Are we talking about a new atmosphere in relations? If we are, then why
spoil it by forgetting to provide those accompanying our main European
visitors somewhere to have lunch or at least the opportunity for free access
to a canteen and get something to eat (albeit at their own expense)?

If one recalls the similar confusion during the recent visit to Kiev by the
Kazakh delegation headed by [President] Nursultan Nazarbayev, then all one
can say is that such "hospitality" is becoming a "fine" tradition with us.
                 MARKET STATUS PLEASING, BUT EXPECTED
Of course, we have to be pleased with market status. But if this is the
"main thing that was done at the summit", as our president said, then it is
not pleasing but sad.

[1] Because, first, it was well known long before the summit that the
European Commission had made a positive argument for Ukraine, but the day
before the summit opened Jose Barroso officially announced the EU's
decision.

[2] Second, if the new Ukrainian administration had really been keen on the
idea of European integration and made a little more effort, then the country
would have obtained its long-awaited status much earlier, because the main
work had been done when [defeated presidential candidate Viktor] Yanukovych
was in power.

[3] Third, the scale of the event in no way extends to a "new stage of
relations", because the EU has stressed more than once that granting market
status is a purely technical matter. But since from the beginning it was
convenient for the old Ukrainian administration, and then the new one, to
make it the extent of its dreams (maybe because it was much more difficult
to get other bonuses from the EU?), the Europeans decided to play up and
presented us with technical status as a big prize in a beautiful wrapper
with a fancy bow.

But there should be no nationwide rejoicing about this because market status
is mainly needed by Ukraine's exporters to the European market (of whom we,
unfortunately, do not have that many) in order to ease the conditions for
conducting anti-dumping investigations, which, despite widespread delusion,
will be revived in the future. That's the fourth thing.

Then there is the start of the dialogue on visas with the EU which could in
future make life and work easier for quite a lot of Ukrainians. True, the
pleasure received from the thought that some time in the future it will be
possible to save time, nerves and money from obtaining Shengen visas pales
somewhat when one recalls that Ukraine, a "strong European partner" (as
Barroso put it), is only just starting visa negotiations.

Whereas Russia, which refused altogether to take part in its neighbour's
European politics and has far more illegal persons on its territory than
Ukraine, as well as extended and almost transparent borders with some Asian
countries, has not only prepared but even initialled an agreement on
simplifying visa procedures with the EU.

The European Union's extremely high appraisal of the progress made in
fulfilling the Action Plan was a pleasant surprise, because the opinions of
our experts were much more sceptical. As a round-table meeting held in the
middle of autumn by the Razumkov Centre showed, Ukrainian experts rated the
fulfilment of the Action Plan even lower on the five-point scale than on the
solid "four-point" scale.

The highest mark (3.5) was earned by the "Political dialogue and reform"
section, and right at the bottom was the fulfilment of the section "Economic
and social reforms and development". The Europeans also gave a much higher
assessment of our successes in the political sphere than in the economic
sphere.

For example, in preparations for the elections they, according to Zerkalo's
information, assess us as "very good", but in the development of business
and improvement in the investment climate they record only "limited
progress".

But if Ukraine manages to maintain till next summer this, albeit elevated in
our opinion, assessment of the fulfilment of the Action Plan, then we can
hope that the political priorities of the document will be regarded as
fulfilled, and then Ukraine will begin talks with the EU on a new beefed-up
agreement, which it sees as a document on association with the European
Union.

Moreover, having fulfilled the political priorities of the Action Plan,
Ukraine will come much closer to fulfilling the first Copenhagen criterion,
giving it legal grounds for submitting an official request for membership to
the EU.

However, all this may once again turn out to be merely our fantasies and
desires, because at the moment the European Union is not only scared stiff
that Ukraine will take such a step, but also cannot at the moment say
anything definite as regards what it means by a "beefed-up agreement".

And although the latest poll carried out at the request of the international
organization Yalta European Strategy by the TNS-Sofres company in six
European Union capitals, the population of which comprises 75 per cent of
citizens of the EU, once again showed that more than half those questioned
support Ukraine's joining the EU, the political elite of the EU still
stubbornly does not want to see our country in a "single European home".
       DISAPPOINTMENT OVER WTO ENTRY, BUREAUCRACY
And, finally, the most disappointing thing of all, which could have been but
will not be the event of the year - our country's entry into the WTO.

Membership of this international organization is of benefit to Ukraine not
just in itself. If she had been admitted into NATO in Hong Kong this month,
then already in January talks could have started between Ukraine and the EU
on creating a free trade area.

And this, instead of making a fetish of being granted market status could
then have been considered a "key event" and the beginning of a new stage in
relations between Ukraine and the European Union. Of course, we can and must
blame the Supreme Council [parliament] for the failure to get into the WTO
after it blocked the passing of a part of a package of acts of legislation
necessary for entry into this organization.

But only part of the blame lies with parliament, because the main
responsibility lies with those at the very top who were unable (or did not
wish to?) make entry into the WTO a real and not a verbal priority, and to
mobilize all forces and all state bodies to fulfil this task.

After all, about what kind of mobilization can you speak if the line
departments wait for weeks for a reply from the president's secretariat on
urgent issues, if access to the president remains rigidly restricted and
even members of the government are not given the chance to tackle important
problems with the head of state urgently?

What kind of European integration as a Ukrainian national idea can one speak
about if the president, who at the EU summit, describes membership of the
European Union as Ukraine's strategic goal, two days before this tells the
country of the need in the future to forego part of its sovereignty, not
within the framework of the EU, but in the bosom of the European
Economic Space?!

If the president-economist is trying to persuade his fellow citizens that we
"should not have a policy of substitution, or-or", ignoring the elementary
truth about the impossibility of joining two customs unions at the same
time! But how otherwise can you interpret Viktor Yushchenko's rather
muddled pronouncements about the EEP and the EU at the opening of
the first presidential hearings?

European integration has still not become the main idea, the main pointer
even for the country's top leaders. Members of the cabinet are allowing
themselves to ignore the sessions of the government committee on questions
of European and Euro-Atlantic integration, departments of European
integration have not been created in ministries and departments, the office
of line deputy prime minister has been abolished, and the idea of creating a
separate ministry, it seems, has once again died.

In the question of coordinating European integration policy many experts
placed certain hopes on reviving the State Council for questions of European
and Euro-Atlantic Integration, headed by the president, but last week the
head of state issued a decree abolishing this structure altogether.

The handing over of coordinating functions to the Foreign Ministry will not
solve the problem completely, because the Foreign Ministry and its
leadership have insufficient powers, and after all, as has already been
acknowledged many times, European integration is a mixture, first and
foremost, of domestic political and not foreign political tasks.

As before, there is no money for European integration. And, as before, the
problem of a lack of qualified specialists in this sphere is acute. As
before. Generally speaking, this list of chronic problems could be extremely
long and make anyone pessimistic.

So, perhaps, it is better to listen to Tony Blair, who cheered up the
Ukrainians during the summit when he said: "Change is a difficult process,
it is always difficult to live up to hopes. But I am sure as far as Ukraine
is concerned, there is no doubt that there is already a huge difference
between what Ukraine was last year and what it has become today."

Indeed, if we look back, we have come along way, but if we look ahead, then
it becomes clear that we are moving to our sacred goal at a snail's pace.
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[return to index] [The Action Ukraine Report (AUR) Monitoring Service]
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12.    EMERGENCY IN UKRAINE AFTER FLU KILLS 2,000 BIRDS

By Tom Warner in Kiev, Financial Times
United Kingdom, Monday, December 5 2005

Ukraine yesterday began combating what appeared to be the biggest outbreak
yet in Europe of the deadly strain of bird flu, after more than 2,000
domestic birds died in a remote region of the Crimean peninsula.

President Viktor Yushchenko declared a state of emergency in five villages
on Saturday after the agriculture ministry said it had identified the H5
subtype of bird flu virus. Officials enforced a quarantine and began culling
and burning the villages' birds yesterday.

But the government's failure to notice the outbreak earlier is likely to
heighten concerns across Europe about Ukraine's ability to deal with the
bird flu problem. Ukrainian villagers who keep birds in their gardens are at
particular risk, because they regularly handle birds that may have come into
contact with the migratory wild birds that spread the virus.

Confirmation that the outbreak was caused by the H5N1 strain that can kill
humans was awaiting the results of tests in Britain and Italy. But officials
left little doubt that they were dealing with the same deadly strain that
has shown up in Romania and other parts of south-east Europe.

Olexander Baranivsky, agriculture minister, told a press conference he was
alerted on Friday after the villages saw up to 20 per cent of their birds
die overnight. "Birds are dying from [the virus] in no more than two to
eight hours," he said.

Mr Baranivsky's ministry has insisted it is keeping careful guard against
bird flu by regularly testing wild and domestic birds around the country and
making sure the issue gets coverage in national and local media.

But villagers told television reporters they were mystified by the disease
that had been killing their birds for more than a month. Their stories
indicated the disease had started spreading around the same time as the
first known outbreak of bird flu in Europe, in Romania's Danube delta region
in October.

The villagers said they had been eating healthy birds and throwing diseased
ones on the village dump, where the carcasses were scavenged by stray dogs.

The affected villages are near Lake Sivash, a vast, marshy lagoon next to
the Azov Sea where migratory birds stop over each spring and autumn on their
way between Russia and Africa or the Middle East. It is believed that the
virus was brought to Europe after such birds contracted it from birds that
migrate between Russia and south-east Asia.

Romania said at the weekend it was dealing with what appeared to be a new
H5N1 outbreak in the country's south-east, its first outside the Danube
delta.

Late on Saturday the H5 strain of the virus was found in poultry in the
village of Ciocile outside the delta, where the H5N1 strain was first
discovered in October, and culling of over 8,000 birds started. So far no
people in Europe have contracted the H5N1 virus, but it has killed 69 in
Asia, including one in Indonesia confirmed yesterday.

Health officials believe people generally are not at risk unless they handle
birds, but experts worry that a mutation could enable the virus to spread
from human to human and thus cause a worldwide epidemic.  -30-
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========================================================
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========================================================
13.  UKRAINIAN MINISTER DEFENDS DECLARING EMERGENCY
          OVER BIRD FLU OUTBREAK ON CRIMEAN PENINSULA

Associated Press, Kiev, Ukraine, Tue, December 6, 2005 

KIEV - A Ukrainian minister Tuesday defended President Viktor
Yushchenko's decision to declare a state of emergency after a bird flu
outbreak on the Crimean peninsula, rejecting lawmakers' questions that the
move was excessive.

Yushchenko put three Crimean regions under an indefinite state of emergency
on Saturday after this ex-Soviet republic recorded its first case of type H5
bird flu.

"Today it is better to do much more than necessary than tomorrow to have
this problem throughout the whole of Ukrainian territory," Emergency
Situations Minister Viktor Baloga said during an emergency parliamentary
session.

It was the first time since the 1991 Soviet collapse that a state of
emergency had been enacted in Ukraine, Baloga said. Under Ukrainian law,
states of emergency are allowed when there is a "threat to the population's
life and health."

Baloga defended the government's response as "justified," even as lawmakers
grumbled that when bird flu appeared in neighboring Russia, a state of
emergency was not declared. They also complained that Yushchenko didn't
specify when the emergency state would end. On Monday, Yushchenko
suggested it would last two weeks.

Under the state of emergency, six villages near Sivash Lake, a marshy area
that is frequented by migratory birds, were put under a quarantine. Movement
was restricted, and a mandatory cull of all domestic fowl launched.

The Emergency Situations Ministry said Tuesday that the threat appears to
have been contained, with no cases of bird flu appearing in any other
Crimean region.

As of Tuesday, 22,318 birds had been seized from village courtyards for
destruction as part of the cull, emergency officials said.
Baloga said the state of emergency "allowed us to fulfill the tough points
of the president's order.. to localize bird flu."

Meanwhile, Ukraine awaited the results of tests from laboratories in the
U.K. and Russia to determine whether the disease was the deadly H5N1 strain,
which is being monitored for fear it could mutate into a form that is easily
transferable among humans, Baloga said. Results are expected by Thursday.

Yushchenko visited the affected region on Monday and promised the government
would compensate residents for their losses. He also announced a massive flu
inoculation program that would target more than 60,000 people. The Emergency
Situations Ministry said Tuesday that no cases of human infection have been
recorded in Ukraine.  -30-
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========================================================
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========================================================
14.    AUSTRALIAN UKRAINIAN DIASPORA LOOKS FOR NEW
                           RELATIONSHIP WITH UKRAINE
           Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations held its 14th
              triennial national conference in Melbourne at the weekend.

By Steve Waldon, The Age
Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Monday, Dec 5, 2005

MELBOURNE - THE late Ilko Romaniw never lost his Ukrainian accent,
despite spending decades in Australia and being nicknamed Snowy.

So it was with some hilarity that his family listened when he offered his
views on Essendon's form to coach Kevin Sheedy.

"It sounded like, 'Mr Shitty, we no playing well,"' said his son, Stefan
Romaniw, his face creasing with mirth.

Australians with a Ukrainian background are an active community, proudly
Australian but mindful of their heritage. Mr Romaniw embodies that duality.

The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations, of which Mr Romaniw
is chairman, held its 14th triennial national conference in Melbourne at the
weekend.

The conference fell in the middle of a historic visit by a 29-member trade
delegation from Ukraine, clinched during Mr Romaniw's recent visit to the
country.

It is also a year since the Orange Revolution swept Viktor Yushchenko to
power and just a few days since the annual candle-lighting ceremonies to
remember the victims of the Ukraine famine of 1932-33.

Mr Romaniw is known as a man who does not waste community building
opportunities. In Ukraine, he worked to further trade relations with
Australia. And he is leading a push for an Australian embassy in Kiev as
well as Moscow.

While it is here with the trade delegation, the Ukraine Chamber of Commerce
and Industry will sign a memorandum of understanding with its Australian
counterpart. Similar relationships are being fostered in education and
culture.

Mr Romaniw and other Australians of Ukrainian descent now want a free
Ukraine to pay more attention to Ukrainians outside its borders, including
in Australia.

"The Ukrainian community has been in Australia more than 50 years. Where
does it go from here in the new context of independent Ukraine?" he asked.

The issue of identity was a key part of Mr Romaniw's visit to Ukraine. "We
wanted to say (to those in Ukraine) . it's about time you realised you need
to start doing things for those maintaining the Ukraine culture outside your
borders," he said.

Ukraine has to elect a new parliament next March. Mr Romaniw thinks it may
be the one that follows that produces even more exciting results. "By then,
you're going to have people who have experienced 20 years of democracy,
20 years of people who have grown through a different system," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Romaniw's role in fostering togetherness in Melbourne
continues. He works with Multicultural Arts Victoria and is executive
director of Community Languages Australia.  -30-
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Stefan Romaniw at the Ukrainian Club in Essendon. Photo by
Sandy Scheltema.
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http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/diaspora-looks-for-new-relationship-with-ukraine/2005/12/04/1133631146387.html
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15. UKRAINE PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO CONFERS YAROSLAV THE
     WISE ON AMERICAN HISTORIAN JAMES MACE POSTHUMOUSLY

Ukrainian News Agency, Kyiv, Ukraine, Sat, November 26, 2005

KYIV - President Viktor Yuschenko has conferred the Yaroslav the Wise
Order II on American researcher and public figure James Mace posthumously.
Ukrainian News learned this from decree No. 1655 of November 26.

The order is bestowed for personal merits to the Ukrainian nation in
revealing the truth to the world community about the 1932-1933 Great
Famine in Ukraine, for fruitful research work and public activities.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Ukraine commemorates the victims
of great famines and political repressions on November 26. According to
different estimates, from three to seven million people died of famine in
Ukraine in 1932-1933.  -30-
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NOTE:  The new book, "Day and Eternity of James Mace"
published by The Day in Kyiv, in English or in Ukrainian, is available
from the www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service.  If you are
interesting in finding out how to order the new book please send an
e-mail to ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net.   EDITOR
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          Power Corrupts and Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.
========================================================
16.  UKRAINE: PRESIDENT YUSHCHENKO GIVES INSTRUCTIONS
 TO PAY TRIBUTE OF HOMAGE TO OUTSTANDING RESEARCHER
                     OF FAMINE OF 1932-33 JAMES E. MACE

Stepan Vash, Ukrinform, Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Dec 5, 2005

KYIV - President Viktor Yushchenko gave instructions to pay the tribute of
homage to outstanding researcher of the Famine of 1932-33 James E. Mace.

The Kyiv City Administration together with the Government has to erect a
monument to the researcher and to name a street and the University after
James E. Mace till February 18 2007. A memorial tablet, bearing the name of
James E. Mace is supposed to be placed on the house in Kyiv, where the
outstanding researcher used to live.

The Education and Science Ministry is supposed to organize a series of
seminars, dedicated to activity of James E. Mace in schools and colleges.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is supposed to shoot a film on the
researcher's biography.

UKRINFORM'S NOTE:
American researcher and historian James E. Mace dedicated ten years to
studying the Ukrainian Famine of 1930 -33. He wrote books and scientific
works on the relevant theme. Since 1993 James E. Mace had resided in Ukraine
and worked as an educationalist in the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The researcher
died in 2004.  -30-
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17.                              THE FREEDOM GENE
            Commemorating the noted American scholar James Mace

"Morgan Williams, the noted American collector of paintings and prints
dealing with the Holodomor, recounted how in the mid-1990s James and
he began to look for works depicting the events of 1932-1933 in Ukraine.
This proved to be easier said than done, as artists were afraid even to
broach the subject."

By Nadia Tysiachna, The Day
The Day Weekly Digest in English, #38
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, 29 November 2005

On Nov. 22 the National Writers' Union of Ukraine held a soiree in Kyiv
commemorating the noted American scholar James Mace. The event, an
initiative of his widow, Natalia Dziubenko-Mace, was emceed by Academician
Mykola Zhulynsky, a friend of the late Mace. The book Day and Eternity of
James Mace of The Day's Library Series was also presented.

The book about Mace, who revealed to the world the horrible truth about the
1932-1933 Holodomor in Ukraine, was published in Ukrainian and English in
early September as a result of the efforts and financial support of
journalists at The Day, where Mace worked as an English consultant in
1997-2004.

The book instantly was a resonant event at this year's publishers' forum in
Lviv. Book launches were also held at National Mining University and the
National University of Dnipropetrovsk in early November, and one week later
at the Book World exhibit in Kyiv.

Among those present at the soiree at the National Writers' Union of Ukraine
were researchers, archivists, librarians, parliamentarians, and college
teachers. Eugenia Dallas, Holodomor eyewitness, flew from the United States
to attend the event. Her testimonies were included in Mace's book Oral
History/Usna istoriia, consisting of several volumes and published in 1990
in Washington. This work has not yet been translated into Ukrainian or
reprinted in Ukraine.

Eugenia Dallas also sent her memoirs to The Day. "I could not avoid writing
for this book," she says. "I met Mace in 1990. He asked me about my past
experiences and then convinced me to write about my childhood at boarding
school, which coincided with the famine, arguing that this is the history of
Ukraine."

Initially, her English-language book One Woman, Five Lives, Five Centuries
was published and several years later, the Ukrainian version Ne vmyraie
dusha nasha (Our Soul Doesn't Die). She is now traveling to various
countries, giving lectures on the horrible genocide against the Ukrainian
people.

"The publication of Day and Eternity of James Mace is an extremely important
event for us," said Larysa Ivshyna, editor- in-chief of The Day. "James
diagnosed our society, identifying it as a postgenocidal one. This phrase is
enough to make us reflect. We are still unaware of how difficult it is for
the survivors to struggle out from under the debris.

Sometimes we think too little of important changes that have taken place
here. November 22 is also reason enough to marvel at what happened a year
ago. A gene of freedom was realized, which remained unscathed by, among
other things, the Holodomor.

For me James's arrival at the newspaper was tantamount to the opening of a
'second front.' On Jim's suggestion, after the newspaper published his
article 'A Tale of Two Journalists,' we published a message urging readers
to pressure the Pulitzer Committee to rescind the prize conferred on
Duranty. Unfortunately, only a handful of our colleagues supported our
campaign. What has changed since then?

"I'm grateful to Slovo, Prosvita, and Literaturna Ukraina for carrying
materials dedicated to James. Ukrainian politicians, diplomats, and
journalists must be especially consistent with regard to important issues.
Depending on this attitude, the international community will know about the
Holodomor or the Diaspora will be the only one to disseminate information
about the tragedy, and it will remain a small island of knowledge in
Ukraine.

The greatest reward for James would be to know that Ukrainians are aware of
their history. Living memory represents much stronger roots for such a
tragedy and for the immortality he has earned from Ukrainians. When Viktor
Yushchenko declared at James's funeral that Mace would be a Hero of Ukraine,
I don't think that this calls for a referendum.

Even if he doesn't hold this title officially - and not all the current
recipients can measure up to James - Mace shall forever be a Hero of Ukraine
in our hearts."

Another Holodomor eyewitness, Anatoly Dimarov, was the first Ukrainian
author to describe the events of 1933. "We are very fond of the dead and
don't like the living," he began, "especially when some of the living are
prophets. Then these people prevent us from living quiet lives. The Day
accomplished a feat by publishing a collection of Mace's works.

I lived through the famine of 1932-33. I ate pancakes made from acacia
flowers, because there was nothing else to eat. I remember that after the
famine all 30 teachers of the school in my large village in Poltava oblast
left because there were no students left; all the children had died."

Morgan Williams, the noted American collector of paintings and prints
dealing with the Holodomor, recounted how in the mid-1990s James and he
began to look for works depicting the events of 1932-1933 in Ukraine. This
proved to be easier said than done, as artists were afraid even to broach
the subject. Today, his collection numbers more than 200 canvases and
posters.

The book includes his correspondence with Mace. Williams is still the
caretaker of Mace's archives. In fact, James's widow, in keeping with his
last will and testament has already donated his library and some of the
documents that he brought to Ukraine to Kyiv-Mohyla Academy National
University.

Parliamentarians Stepan Khmara and Hennadiy Udovenko, and Vasyl Marochko
of the Association of Holodomor Researchers spoke during the commemorative
soiree.

Natalia Dziubenko-Mace said in conclusion, "On Nov. 22, 2004, when thousands
were standing on the Maidan, several of us gathered at the commemorative
plaque to the victims of the Holodomor on Mykhailivska Square, with wheat
ears and flowers. At the time the International Association of Holodomor
Researchers was holding a convention. I remember thinking that there were
few of us left and we aren't taking proper care of each other.

I had not written about this phenomenon of the Holodomor curse in vain. I
was friends with Volodymyr Maniak and Lidia Kovalenko. I was James Mace's
wife, so I know how abysmally difficult this subject is. When you study it,
you have to wring the slave from yourself and others, so that a true human
being can see the light. This liberation process has just commenced."

In November many Christians traditionally pray for the dead. Since 2003 the
last Saturday of this month has been set aside to mark the Day to
Commemorate the Victims of the Holodomor and Political Repressions.

Apparently this year's ceremony to remember the millions of innocent victims
has started unofficially with the presentation of Day and Eternity of James
Mace.

An exhibit of Morgan Williams's collection of posters and prints on the
Holodomor, will open at the Ukrainian House on Friday.

November 26 is the date on which to light candles in windows. This
energetically concentrated project was also launched by James Mace.
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LINK; http://www.day.kiev.ua/153436/
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18.                         THIS MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN
               "My grandmother is still afraid to speak about the famine"

By Iryna Rozhok, Lviv, Yuriy Nozhenko
The Day Weekly Digest in English, #38
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, 29 November 2005

"Dear editors of the newspaper The Day,

My name is Natalia Zhelnova, and I am a student at Zaporizhia National
University. I recently read the book Day and Eternity of James Mace and was
moved by the way a foreigner cared for us, Ukrainians. May his memory be
eternal.

So I decided to make my own contribution to his cause and collect evidence
from those who survived the Holodomor. I am sending you material that I
wrote on the occasion of the Day to Commemorate the Victims of the
Holodomor.

This is the eyewitness testimony of my grandmother, who remembers the
1932-1933 famine, and of another person, who declined to be identified. Even
15 years after the proclamation of independence this person is afraid to
speak about those times."

This is a really moving letter, especially the second part, in which the
young historical researcher recounts her grandmother's recollections.

Even after the seven decades that separate us from those times, even after
several generations, the bitterness of this story cannot leave one
indifferent. November 26 is the Day to Commemorate the Victims of the
Holodomor and Political Repressions.

It is important for those who lived through the terrible years 1932- 1933 to
be remembered more than once a year. To know history means to be able not to
repeat past mistakes. To know history's mournful pages means to honor one's
own people.

A foreign colleague once asked us, "Why are you, Ukrainians, so eager for
other countries to recognize the Holodomor as genocide?"

It is indeed difficult to answer this question, partially because this would
be beyond the rational patterns to which today's world is accustomed. The
answer may be simple but in no way bombastic, as long as such non-pragmatic
notions as justice, truth, respect, and sympathy remain in high esteem.

Recognizing the Holodomor as an act of genocide will show that all of
humankind is aware of what Ukrainians lived through and is determined to
condemn politicians, who put their thirst for power above the interests of
human beings and the entire nation.

Last week the Lithuanian parliament passed a resolution on the Ukrainian
Holodomor. "The Stalinist totalitarian communist regime committed a
deliberate and pre-planned act of genocide against the people of Ukraine,"
the document emphasizes. Lithuania's parliament expressed sympathy with the
victims of this crime and solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

By 2007 Ukraine intends to draw up a UN resolution on recognizing the
Holodomor as an act of genocide. Historians believe that the 1932-1933
famine, which occurred as a result of the Soviet government's administrative
measures, claimed an estimated 7 to 10 million lives in this country.

Some experts believe that if Ukraine had not suffered from the Holodomor,
its population would be twice as large today - up to 100 million. Two years
ago the Verkhovna Rada proclaimed the Holodomor an act of genocide.
Twenty-five UN member states have already prepared a joint statement that
calls the Ukrainian famine the result of the policy of a totalitarian
regime.

The Day has also contributed to the efforts surrounding the Holodomor
question. This year, at our own expense, we published the Ukrainian and
English versions of the book Day and Eternity of James Mace, a collection of
articles by this well-known historian, political scientist, and colleague,
who devoted a considerable part of his life to making sure that the world,
and Ukrainians themselves, would learn the truth about the terrible years
1932-1933.

The Day also proposed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the
International Red Cross that the Holodomor be put on the list of the world's
greatest disasters, which is kept at the International Red Cross and Red
Crescent Museum in Geneva.

Not many eyewitnesses of those times are left. Will the new generations of
Ukrainians remember their past? Below is the letter from a student in
Zaporizhia, who recounts the reminiscences of two people who lived through
the Holodomor.

Natalia ZHELNOVA, third-year student, Zaporizhia National University,
Faculty of Journalism:

"In 1932-1933 the streets of Kyiv were strewn with the corpses of peasants
who had come to the city in the hope of finding a job. They kept coming
because the countryside was in the grip of a severe famine, while factory
workers obtained food with ration cards, with a new menu every day.

"They were given bread (made of rye, corn, and, very seldom, wheat), butter,
fruit drinks, and herring. The black market was thriving. One could buy meat
pies on Kyiv streets. Meanwhile, desperate peasants would bring their
children to the cities and leave them on the street and in railway stations,
hoping that they would be taken to orphanages and thus survive.

"I heard this from an eyewitness of those events, who declined to disclose
his/her name. Aged 91, this person is still afraid to speak about the
Holodomor, as s/he has been during his/her entire life. After all, there was
no famine in the Soviet Union and there could not have been any famine: this
was a lie and a concoction of bourgeois nationalists.

"I have another famine eyewitness: my grandmother Anna Kriuchkova (nee
Protierescul) who was nine years old in 1932. This is what she remembers:
'There were six of us in the family: my parents, three brothers and I. We
lived in the village of Annovka in Bratsk raion, Mykolayiv oblast. My father
and brother starved to death.

"Collectivization began in 1931. We had to consign all our cattle, farming
implements, and land to the kolhosp (collective farm). Father was forced to
supply grain at least once a month over and over again: it was the so-called
'yard plan.' Finally, we had just half a sack of wheat left. When they came
again in search of grain, mother spilled this wheat over the oven, covered
it with a blanket, and told us, children, to lie on top of it.

"We lay motionless until the inspectors left. But the half a sack that we
saved could not last long. My father thought about going to Zaporizhia to
build the Dnipro Hydroelectric Station (anyone who wanted could take part in
such projects). He said he would earn money and buy me a new dress and
overcoat. But he didn't manage to do this.

"In the fall of 1932 the so-called kurkuli (well-off peasants - Ed.) began
to run away from the village, mostly to Donbas. My elder brother Sashko and
I once went to see what was left in their houses and found a rifle. Mother
suggested we throw it into the pond, but father disagreed and took it to the
village council. He didn't come back: he was sent to prison.

"'In the meantime, we starved at home. We would go to the collective village
storeroom, where we picked at the wheat ears and pulled out grains. Then
mother would crush them with a stone and used this flour to cook a thick
gruel. Father returned in the fall of 1933, perhaps in April, and died the
next day. There was nothing to eat in jail either.

"In the spring of 1934 my younger brother Lionia died. We first sent him to
our aunt: she could feed him because she didn't have children of her own.
But she sent him back very soon. We had no food at home. My elder brother
and I would graze collective farm pigs, so whenever a pig found a frozen
potato in the field, we would chase it away, grab the potato, and eat it.

"Lionia was a little thing, four years old, and he could not search for
food. He became weak. One morning we awoke on the pich (large brick-lined
oven - Ed.) and saw him lying dead next to us. There was nothing even to
bury him in. Still, we managed to put together a sort of small coffin.'

"Although the official period of the Holodomor is 1932-1933, my grandmother
says there was nothing to eat in 1934, too. But in 1938 they received eight
(!) kilos of grain per working day. This further proves the fact that it was
a manmade famine in fertile Ukraine.

"You can see dark spots on granny's legs - a sad reminder of the famine:
she became bloated and watery sores appeared on her legs.

"There is so much talk now about the steady depletion of our nation's gene
pool. But that is only natural! For the years 1932- 1933 took a toll of
seven to ten million Ukrainians, the same number that perished during World
War II, while about seven million emigrated in different periods.

"Ukrainians knew no peace throughout the 20th century. We all must have
sinned before God. But on the last Saturday of November, I will light a
candle in the window, for there are still people who will pray for those who
died."  -30-
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LINK: http://www.day.kiev.ua/152807/
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19.                                OF MEMORY AND TRUTH
           Ukraine's foreign ministry promises to back The Day's initiative
             that the 1932-1933 Holodomor be placed on the list of the
                world's greatest disasters maintained by the Red Cross

The Day Weekly Digest in English, #38
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, 29 November 2005

Our editors recently learned about the reaction of Ukraine's foreign
ministry to a letter from The Day's editor-in-chief Larysa Ivshyna. Our
newspaper proposed that the 1932-1933 Holodomor be placed on the list
of the world's greatest disasters maintained by the Geneva-based Red
Cross and Red Crescent Museum.

This action would be quite appropriate because in 2007 Ukraine will again
raise the question of international recognition of the Holodomor as an act
of genocide. The Day requested the foreign ministry to help implement this
idea.

In his reply, Minister of Foreign Affairs Borys Tarasiuk noted: "The
permanent mission of Ukraine to the UN Office and other international
organizations in Geneva has been instructed to establish contacts with the
Geneva- based Museum of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in order to
study this matter thoroughly."

The foreign minister thanked the newspaper for "the desire to join the
efforts aimed at the international recognition of the 1932-1933 Holodomor
as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people."

"It has been irrefutably proven that it was a pre- planned act of terror
aimed at exterminating the Ukrainian people," the minister's letter says. He
then quotes a Time journalist's comment about the victims of the Holodomor:
"Their extermination was a matter of state policy just like the Dachau ovens
were a matter of Hitler's policies."

"It is from this angle that the truth about the Holodomor should be spread,"
the letter says. The diplomat's letter also points out that "the world
should clearly understand that it was not a natural calamity but a
well-organized crime that has all the hallmarks of genocide."
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LINK: http://www.day.kiev.ua/153445/
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20.    UKRAINIAN DMYTRO BARANOVDKYY WINS FUKUOKA
                       INTERNATIONAL MARATHON IN JAPAN

Kyodo News Service, Kyodo, Japan, Sunday, December 4, 2005

KYODO - Ukraine's Dmytro Baranovskyy took full advantage of the cold
weather to win the Fukuoka International Marathon with a personal-best
time on Sunday.

Baranovskyy pulled ahead of the leading group with 10 kilometers to go and
went on to cross the finish line at Heiwadai athletics stadium in 2 hours, 8
minutes, 29 seconds on a windy, drizzly day in southwestern Japan.

Julio Rey of Spain, silver medalist at the 2003 world championships,
finished runner-up in 2:09:41 and former Japanese record holder Atsushi
Fujita followed in third in 2:09:48.

"I think the cold weather like this gave me an edge and actually it was the
best possible conditions for me. I could have run under 2:08:00 if not for
the wind," Baranovskyy said.

"This is a national record and I'm glad that I became the first Ukrainian to
win this race that has great tradition," he added.

The 26-year-old made his full marathon debut in the 2003 Frankfurt
Marathon and set his previous best of 2:11:57 in Frankfurt in October this
year.

The leading pack narrowed down to eight runners in addition to a pair of
pacesetters by the 20-km mark and then to five shortly after the halfway
point of the 42.195-km race that ran across northern parts of Fukuoka.

Immediately after the pacesetters stopped running after 32 km, Baranovskyy
made a break from Rey, Fujita and Dejene Birhanu of Ethiopia and never
looked back the rest of the way.

Rey pulled away from Fujita with 500 meters left for his first podium finish
in Japan since his third-place showing in Tokyo in 2002.

Fujita, who has been plagued with a series of injuries since winning the
2000 Fukuoka race in 2:06:51, showed he is solidly on a comeback trail with
his second top-10 result this year after finishing 10th in the Lake Biwa
Mainichi Marathon in March.

Birhanu came fourth in 2:11:48 in his marathon debut and veteran Moroccan
runner Abdelkader El Mouaziz fifth in 2:12:12. Japan's Tomoaki Kunichika,
winner here in 2003, was sixth in 2:13:49.  -30-
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21.        EXHIBITION OF UKRAINIAN POSTERS IN DENMARK
                                     "Posters From Ukraine"

www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, December 6, 2005

AARHUS, Denmark - An unprecedented art exhibition opened on
November 4 in Aarhus, Denmark, featuring Ukrainian poster art from
the Soviet era.

The Exhibition opened amid the on-going debate on Ukraine's aspiration
to join the Euro-Atlantic community. More than 100 posters were
displayed in the exhibition gallery of the Aarhus Music House.

The posters cover the period from the 1950s to the end of the 1980s
and include images and text about the obligatory socialist "forward-to-
the-victory-of-communism" marches and "long-live-labour" slogans from
the Soviet era.

Poster art was big business in the Soviet system and was used as a very
effective way of glorifying the achievements of the Soviet people. Poster
artists had special schools, received studios from the State and their
posters, if approved, were purchased by the government.  The state also
held special contests and awarded prizes.  Millions of posters were
published each year in the Soviet Union by state owned publishing
companies.

Posters were also designed to instill patriotism, pride, and the struggle of
the Soviet system for peace, a good harvest, against imperialism and other
such issues.  The main purpose of Soviet propaganda political posters was
the promotion of Communist ideals and goals among the population.

Under communism poster artists would have been arrested if their works
were politically incorrect or if they dared to criticize the authorities.
Poster publishing was under the strict control of the communist party and
new posters had to be approved by government committees at several
levels before they were published. Many times the approval committees
demanded certain changes be made in the poster.

For the smallest disobedience to the party line, real or perceived, artists
were detained and questioned by the feared secret police. Many of them
suffered even worse fate.  An artist could be in the favor of the state
one day and arrested the next.

The highlight of the 'Posters from Ukraine' exhibition were those featuring
themes about Ukrainian culture. They attracted special attention from the
audience.

A poster showing Taras Shevchenko, the most famous Ukrainian poet and
national hero, attracted great interest as well as posters with other
prominent figures of Ukrainian culture. Ukrainian folk ornaments are used
in some of the posters which gives them a beautiful and very special look.

The posters for the exhibition were provided by Iryna and Volodymyr
Veshtak, Ukrainian poster and graphic artists, who are the owners of the
"Maysternia" gallery in Kyiv.  The Veshtaks have a large collection of
posters.

Iryna and Volodymyr Veshtak donated the over 100 posters shown
in the Exhibition to the Danish Poster Museum in Copenhagen to
become a part of the Museum's permanent collection.

The poster exhibit was organized by Heine Svejstrup Jensen, Honorary
Consul of Hungary in Denmark, who is a big fan of posters. Peter
Stougard, director of the Museum of Posters in Copenhagen also assisted.
Mr. Stougard owns a collection of 250 thousand posters, the world
largest collection of posters.

The Ukrainian poster exhibition will be presented in other towns and cities
of Denmark.

Ukrainian Ambassador to Denmark, Mrs. Natalia Zarudna, opened the event.
The Ambassador said she still remembers how propaganda posters in the
Soviet union accompanied every step of person's life, from birth to death.

Mrs. Zarudna, who grew up in Soviet Ukraine, said posters are a very
specific kind of art. She said posters are a part of the historical heritage
of Ukraine and played an important role during crucial moments in
the history of Ukraine.

Mrs. Zarudna added that she is pleased to present the first exhibition of
Ukrainian posters in Denmark and hopes this exhibition will help people
in Denmark to learn more about Ukraine.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Denmark stated she is very positive about
Ukraine's future as a member of the European Union.

The exhibition was on display in Aarhus until November 30, 2005.
Sponsors for the exhibition were Consul Heine Svejstrup Jenson,
Danish Poster Museum, Gallery Maysternia and the Arhus Music
House.  -30-
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FOOTNOTE:  The following information about the Exhibition is
taken from the website of the Danish Poster Museum,
http://www.plakatmuseum.dk/PostersUK/.
                                .
POSTERS FROM UKRAINE:
The idea behind this exhibition comes from Consul, President of
IP-International, Heine Sveistrup Jensen. A few years ago, Heine asked me
if it would be an idea to display posters from Ukraine. I thought it would
be very interesting, especially because we don't know much about Ukraine
and even less about their posters.

However, one must say that Ukraine has been printed into people's minds
with the many problems the country is facing. Our contact with the Ukrainian
poster art is through the good friends of Heine Sveistrup Jensen in Ukraine,
the graphic artists IRINA and VLADIMIR VESHTAK, who are the owners
of "GALLERY MAYSTERNIA" in Kiev.

The exhibition contains no less than 100 posters. The posters have both a
historical retrospect and a contemporary view. After the exhibition has been
displayed in the Concert Hall of Århus, Irina and Vladimir donate all the
posters to The Danish Poster Museum and we are absolutely delighted with
this. This also means that we now hold a large and interesting collection of
posters from Ukraine.  -30-
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22. U.S. PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS WHO SERVED IN UKRAINE
         URGE CONGRESS TO GRADUATE UKRAINE FROM THE
         JACKSON-VANIK AMENDMENT TRADE RESTRICTIONS

Ken Bossong, Former U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer
Washington, D.C., Monday, December 5, 2005

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a letter delivered today to Members of the U.S.
House of Representatives, 61 former and current Peace Corps volunteers
who served in Ukraine urged the Congress to "graduate" Ukraine from the
provisions of the Jackson-Vanik amendment.

Jackson-Vanik is a 1974 Amendment that imposed trade restrictions on the
Soviet Union in response to its poor human rights policies, particularly
restrictions on the emigration of religious minorities.

However, as the letter notes, "Ukraine has clearly more than fulfilled the
requirements necessary for graduation from Jackson-Vanik.  Ukraine has built
a strong record of allowing open emigration and has created conditions for
religious minorities to pursue their beliefs freely.  As such, Ukraine is a
success story for Jackson-Vanik and it now merits graduation from the
Amendment's provisions."

Following his January 2005 inauguration, Ukrainian President Victor
Yushchenko announced that Ukraine's graduation from the provisions of the
U.S. Jackson-Vanik Amendment would be at the forefront of his economic
and foreign policy objectives for 2005.

Last April, following their Washington meeting, U.S. President George Bush
joined President Yushchenko in expressing support for "immediately ending
application of Jackson-Vanik to Ukraine."

Most recently, on November 18, the U.S. Senate approved repeal of the
Jackson-Vanik restrictions on Ukraine.

The matter now lies entirely in the hands of the Members of the U.S. House
of Representatives who may consider this issue within the next two weeks.

The letter concludes that "politically, legally, and morally, graduating
Ukraine from the Jackson-Vanik provisions is the right thing to do.  .
There is no better way for the United States to celebrate the first
anniversary of the Orange Revolution than to graduate Ukraine from
Jackson-Vanik.  .  We therefore urge you to lend your full support to
efforts to make this a reality."

The full text of the letter and list of signers follows:

     PLEASE SUPPORT LEGISLATION TO GRADUATE UKRAINE
FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE JACKSON-VANIK AMENDMENT

A Letter from Former and Current U.S. Peace Corps Volunteers
Who Have Served in Ukraine

December 5, 2005

Member
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative:

As Ukraine commemorates the one-year anniversary of its Orange Revolution,
we are writing to urge you to lend your support to efforts to reinforce
democratic and free-market developments there.

These efforts include working with Ukrainian officials in their quest to
eventually join the World Trade Organization, NATO, and the European
Union.

Also included among these efforts is an issue that is almost entirely in the
hands of the Members of the U.S. Congress.  That is supporting legislation
to graduate Ukraine from the 1974 Jackson-Vanik trade restrictions.

Ukraine has clearly more than fulfilled the requirements necessary for
graduation from Jackson-Vanik.  Ukraine has built a strong record of
allowing open emigration and has created conditions for religious minorities
to pursue their beliefs freely.  As such, Ukraine is a success story for
Jackson-Vanik and it now merits graduation from the Amendment's provisions.

Moreover, this step is urgently needed as a symbolic affirmation of
Ukraine's successful democratization.  Graduating Ukraine from Jackson-Vanik
would provide powerful support for the Ukrainian government's efforts to
stabilize and expand its economy, promote trade and investment, and
participate in the international marketplace.

Politically, legally, and morally, graduating Ukraine from the Jackson-Vanik
provisions is the right thing to do.  Furthermore, it poses no economic or
other costs to the United States.

There is no better way for the United States to celebrate the first
anniversary of the Orange Revolution than to graduate Ukraine from
Jackson-Vanik.

We therefore urge you to lend your full support to efforts to make this a
reality.

Sincerely,
1.) Shane Ahn (PC-Group 24; 2003-2005; Kyiv, Ukraine), Virginia
2.) Carolyn Andrews (PC-Group 17; 2000-2002; Donetsk, Ukraine) Ohio
3.) Travis Bailey (PC-Group 17; 2000-2002; Odessa, Ukraine) Texas
4.) David Barrett (PC-Group 20; 2001-2003; Yaremcha/Berdyansk,
Ukraine) Texas
5.) Ken Beishir (PC-Group 17; 2000-2003; Poltava, Ukraine) Texas
6.) Somer Bessire (PC-Group 19, 2000-2002; Kalanchak, Ukraine) New York
7.) Ken Bossong (PC-Group 17; 2000-2003; L'viv, Ukraine) Maryland
8.) Donna Braden (PC-Group 14; 1999-2001; Kryvyi Rig, Ukraine) Illinois
9.) William Andrew Brady (PC-Group 24; 2003-2005; Dnipropetrovsk,
Ukraine) Pennsylvania
10.) Patrick Breiding (PC-Group 16; 1999-2002; Mangush, Ukraine)
Washington, DC
11.) Alice Chiu (PC-Group 11; 1998-2001; L'viv & Mykolayiv, Ukraine)
Washington, DC
12.) Ben Colmery (PCV; Dobrotvir, Ukraine) New Jersey
13.) Maureen Corcoran (PCV; 2000-2002) New Jersey
14.) Mark DeTray (PC-Group 20; 2001; Ukraine) Washington
15.) Teresa Devore (PC-Group 13; 1998-2001; Ukraine) New York
16.) Clifford Worth Dixon (PCV; 2002-2004; Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine)
Washington, DC
17.) Elaine Donnelly (PC-Group 16; 1999-2001; Uzhhorod, Ukraine)
Massachusetts
18.) Beth Eilers (PC-Group 8; 1997-1999; Vinnitsa, Ukraine) South Dakota
19.) Burke Eilers (PC-Group 8; 1997-1999; Khmelnitsky, Ukraine)
South Dakota
20.) Judith Enders (PC-Group 13; 1998-2001; Ukraine) Washington
21.) Alissa E. Fiss (PC Group 19; 2000-2002; Belgorod-Dnestrovsky,
Ukraine) Florida
22.) Kelly (French) Fox (PC-Group 20;  2001-2003; Kobelyaky, Ukraine)
Rhode Island
23.) Mark  C Hall (PC-Group 2; 1993-1995; Kyiv, Ukraine)
24.) Bruce Jay Hansen (PC-Group 21; 2001-2003; Saki, Crimea, Ukraine)
Pennsylvania
25.) Robert Hurst (PCV; Chortkiv, Ternopliska, Ukraine) Indiana
26.) Thomas Hyde (PC-Group 6; 1996-2000; Rivne, Ukraine) Oregon
27.) Scott Jackson (PC-Group 17; 2000-2002; Chernivsti, Ukraine)
New York
28.) Lenta Lynn Jarrett (PC-Group 20; 2001-2003; L'viv, Ukraine)
California
29.) David Johnson (PC-Group 24; 2003-2005; Kharkov, Ukraine) Florida
30.) Cheryl (Sunnquist) Jones (PC-Group 8;  1997-1999; Drohobych,
Ukraine) Michigan
31.) Regine Kennedy (PC-Group 24; 2003-2005; Rivne, Ukraine)
Minnesota
32.) Ann (Duncan) Kinsley (PC-Group 19; 2000-2002; Kalush, Ukraine)
Massachusetts
33.) Rich Krauze (PC-Group 17; 2000-2002; Rivne, Ukraine) Washington
34.) Scott Lasher (PC-Group 24; 2003-2005, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine)
West Virginia
35.) Doug Latham (PC-Group 5; 1995-1997; Chernivtsi, Ukraine) Alabama
36.) Patricia Lozoya (PCV; Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine) Texas
37.) Judith Mandel (PC-Group 20; 2001-2004; Artemovsk, Ukraine)
California
38.) Kevin McMahan and Natasha Volodymyrivnia McMahan
(PC-Group 24; 2003 - 2005; Kaniv, Ukraine) Ohio
39.) Ellen Michelson (PC-Group 19; 2000-2002; L'viv, Ukraine)
Toronto, Canada
40.) Cristina T. O'Keeffe (PC-Group 24; 2003-2005; Ukraine) New York
41.) Rob Paullin (PC-Group 21; 2001-2003; Kremenets, Ukraine) Illinois
42.) Michael Pegues (PC-Group 2; 1993-1995; Poltava, Ukraine) Alabama
43.) Louis A. Richards (PCV; Stakhanov, Ukraine) California
44.) Edward Roach (PC-Group 13, 1998-2000, Ivano-Frankivsk,
Ukraine) Ohio
45.) Jerry Schoeberlein (PC-Group 24; 2003-2005; Cherkasy, Ukraine)
West Virginia
46.) Elsa Shartsis (PC-Group 14; 1999-2001; Lutsk, Ukraine) Michigan
47.) Jack Shartsis (PC-Group 14; 1999-2001; Lutsk, Ukraine) Michigan
48.) John Joseph Sheetz (PCV; Drohobich, Ukraine) Florida
49.) Tommie Soileau (PC-Group 5; 1995-1997; Berdichev, Ukraine)
Tennessee
50.) Chandler Harrison Stevens, Ph.D. (PC-Group 14; 1999-2001;
Kherson & Yalta, Ukraine) Minnesota
51.) John Theis (PC-Group 17; 2000-2002; Kharkiv, Ukraine) Texas
52.) Lillian Thompson (PC-Group 24; 2003-2005; Simferopol, Ukraine)
Maryland
53.) James Tichenor (PC-Group 22; Zhytomyr, Ukraine) Washington, DC
54.) Suzanne Wagner-Budak (PC-Group 13; 1998-2001; Ladyzhin, Ukraine)
Illinois
55.) Elizabeth L. Watson (PC-Group 16; 1999-2001; Pidvolochysk, Ukraine)
California
56.) P. Jay Werner (PC-Group 28; Uzhgorod, Ukraine) Colorado
57.) Bob Wittig (PC-Group 1; 1992-1994; Dniepropetrovsk, Ukraine)
Washington, DC
58.) Judy H. Wong (PC-Group 24; Kherson, Ukraine) California
59.) Karen Wyman (PC-Group 3; Ukraine) New Hampshire
60.) Wini Yunker (PC-Group 17; 2000-2002; Kirovograd, Ukraine)
Kentucky
61.) John Zvosec (PC-Group 15; Ukraine) Minnesota
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact: kbossong@hotmail.com, Washington, D.C.
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Director, Ukrainian Federation of America (UFA)
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Chairman, Executive Committee, Ukraine-U.S. Business Council
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