"ACTION UKRAINE REPORT"
In-Depth Ukrainian News and Analysis
"The Art of Ukrainian History, Culture, Arts, Business, Religion,
Sports, Government, and Politics, in Ukraine and Around the World"

"ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" Year 2004, Number 43
Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC), Washington, D.C.
www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
morganw@patriot.net, ArtUkraine.com@starpower.net
Washington, D.C., THURSDAY, March 18, 2004

INDEX OF ARTICLES

1. 72% OF UKRAINIANS WANT HONEST AND DECENT PRESIDENT
www.GLAVRED.INFO, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2004

2. US CONGRESSMAN WELDON HAS CONCERNS REGARDING
THE SHUTDOWN OF UKRAINE'S RADIO KONTYNENT
RFE/RL Say They Still Cannot Find an FM Station in Ukraine
Willing to Rebroadcast Their Programs.
By E. Morgan Williams, Editor, Action Ukraine Report
Washington, D.C., Thursday, March 18, 2004

3. RADIO CANADA INT'L TO REMAIN ON AIR UNTIL ELECTIONS
By Roman Zakaluzny, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Mar 18, 2004

4. U.S. SENIOR OFFICIAL PRAISES KUCHMA'S PROHIBITION OF
MEDIA INVESTIGATIONS DURING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
CAMPAIGN IN UKRAINE
AP Worldstream; Kiev, Ukraine, Wednesday, Mar 17, 2004

5. UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION SAY LOCAL AUTHORITIES CLOSED
DOWN RADIO STATION IN TRANSCARPATHIAN REGION
Ukrayinska Pravda web site, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian 13 Mar 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mar 17, 2004

6. NATO GETS QUICK ACCESS RIGHTS TO UKRAINIAN TERRITORY
Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Russian, 17 Mar 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mar 17, 2004

7. PARLIAMENT EXTENDS BAN ON SALES OF FARM LAND
The Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Mar 18, 2004

8. U.S. OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION (OPIC)
RETURNS TO UKRAINE AFTER FIVE YEARS OF INACTIVITY
By Roman Olearchyk, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mar 18, 2004

9. UKRAINIAN AMERICANS MOBILIZE TO HELP UKRAINE
"Ukraine At The Crossroads" Roundtable in Washington, D.C.
BRAMA.COM, New York, NY, March 4, 2004

10. POLAND, UKRAINE AND THE CONCEPT OF 'NEW EUROPE'
'Torch Club' Forum, New York University, Thursday, March 25, 2004

11. "UKRAINIAN DAYS" IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS), Wash, D.C., Mar 10, 2004

12. HEAD OF INTERIM CIVIL ADMINISTRATION IN IRAQ AMERICAN
PAUL BREMER VISITS UKRAINE'S 6TH MILITARY CONTINGENT
Ukriform, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2004

13. UKRAINE MARKS 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF CARPATHIAN
UKRAINE DEMOCRATIC SOVEREIGN STATE'S ESTABLISHMENT
AND 130TH ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH OF ITS PRESIDENT,
AVGUSTIN VOLOSHIN
Ukriform, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2004

14. RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTS MEET IN
MOSCOW AND SETTLE KERCH STRAIT DISPUTE
ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, Russia, in Russian. 17 Mar 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mar 17, 2004
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER ONE
Politics and Governance, Building a Strong, Democratic Ukraine
http://www.artukraine.com/buildukraine/index.htm
==========================================================
1. 72% OF UKRAINIANS WANT HONEST AND DECENT PRESIDENT

www.GLAVRED.INFO, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2004

KYIV- 72.9% of people polled in February by the National Institute of
Strategic Research consider that honesty and decency are the most important
features of the future President of Ukraine.

According to the multiple choice poll, 56.7% said it is intellectual
faculties that are the most important features of the President, 40.3% named
professionalism, 35.8% picked decisiveness, and 31.4% selected philanthropy.

Patriotism was chosen by 28.3% of the people polled, adherence to principles
by 21.7%, and efficiency by 17%. 11.5% want the future President to know and
preserve national traditions and customs.

11.2% want him to be able to take reforms, 10.4% want the President to be
democratic, 9.2% want him to be an intellectual. 2.6% of the poll
participants want the future President to be an eloquent speaker. 3.7% of
respondent haven't made up their minds. (END) (ARTUIS)
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER TWO
Politics and Governance, Building a Strong, Democratic Ukraine
http://www.artukraine.com/buildukraine/index.htm
=========================================================
2. US CONGRESSMAN WELDON HAS CONCERNS REGARDING
THE SHUTDOWN OF UKRAINE'S RADIO KONTYNENT
RFE/RL Say They Still Cannot Find An FM Station In Ukraine
Willing to Rebroadcast Their Programs.

By E. Morgan Williams, Editor, Action Ukraine Report
Washington, D.C., Thursday, March 18, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C......The major freedom of the media issue concerning
the rebroadcasting of the programs of Radio Liberty in Ukraine on FM radio
stations has not yet been resolved. Radio Liberty has been shut out of the
FM market in Ukraine due to a series of questionable actions taken by
private radio stations and Ukrainian authorities at various levels.

A representative of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) stated
in Washington on Wednesday at a meeting sponsored by the Action Ukraine
Coalition that they have not yet been able to find an FM radio station in
Ukraine willing to rebroadcast their radio programs. Station managers
either tell RFE/RL they have been harassed by authorities over this issue
or they are very afraid of severe harassment if they would agree to
rebroadcast Radio Liberty programs.

It is not known whether the statement made by President Kuchma
or the resolution passed by the Parliament earlier this week stating that
actions by the government against the mass media would stop between
now and the presidential election will make any noticeable difference to the
way radio station managers view what is most likely to happen to them
if they would agree to broadcast Radio Liberty. Many observers will
be watching to see if the statements were real or only window dressing.

Congressman Curt Weldon (R-PA), co-chair of the Ukrainian Congressional
Caucus, make a floor statement about this issue in the U.S. House of
Representatives on Tuesday, March 16th. The following is the complete
statement by Congressman Weldon related to his concerns over the closing
of radio Kontyent in Kyiv:

Honorable Curt Weldon of Pennsylvania
In the U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D. C., Tuesday, March 16, 2004

Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I was dismayed to learn that
on March 3, 2004, Ukrainian police shutdown Kontynent, a private radio
station, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Four days before the Ukrainian authorities
confiscated Kontynent's radio transmitter, the stating began broadcasting
Ukrainian-language programs by Radio Liberty.

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has played a significant role in Ukraine by
providing several hours of Ukrainian-language programming to an average of
six million regular listeners. RFE/RL offers comprehensive coverage of the
internal political, economic and social situation in Ukraine. Such
important information is not readily available to Ukrainians from their own
domestic media.

Mr. Borys Kholod, the head of Ukraine's National Council for Radio and
Television, claimed that the closure of Radio Kontynent was not politically
motivated. Instead, Mr. Kholod maintains that Radio Kontynent had its
license revoked due to Radio Kontynent's financial problems. However,
Radio Kontyent has been in court for the past 3 years over the license
dispute. It is my understanding that under Ukrainian law, action cannot be
taken against the station until the court procedures have been completed.

Later this year, Ukraine will elect a new president. Many Ukrainians are
concerned that without access to an independent media outlet, the current
campaign will not be portrayed in a balanced and objective manner. I
believe that Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty is
essential in this cause and I expressed that in my recent meeting with
Ukraine's First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Volodymyr Yel'chenko.

He assured me that a resolution is forthcoming and they are currently
looking for a radio station to transmit Radio Liberty in the interim. I
expect to receive an update on this matter from the Ministry in the near
future.

[NOTE: Our thanks to Marco Serbinsky of the U.S.-Ukraine Foundation
(USUF) for sending us the floor statement by Congressman Weldon.]
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER THREE
Check Out the News Media for the Latest News From and About Ukraine
Daily News Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/newsgallery.htm
=========================================================
3. RADIO CANADA INT'L TO REMAIN ON AIR UNTIL ELECTIONS

By Roman Zakaluzny, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, Mar 18, 2004

KYIV - Fresh on the heels of a Ukrainian government announcement that
foreign news services needed to be "neutralized," the Canadian government
has reversed its plans to cut radio broadcasts to Ukraine, at least for the
moment.

Radio Canada International - "Canada's Voice to the World" according to its
motto - is a Canadian government-funded radio station that broadcasts in
nine languages around the world. A spokesperson from RCI confirmed in an
email to the Post on March 15 that it will continue beaming its half-hour
cultural and political affairs show in Ukraine through the fall, apparently
until after the presidential elections due in October.

This move is an abandonment of plans to cut services to Ukraine that were to
take effect this month. On Feb. 2, RCI announced that it was going to
drastically cut back its Ukrainian language programming in order to dedicate
more resources to countries such as Brazil and India, as part of the
station's "repositioning."

Station representative Caroline St-Jacques confirmed the station's change of
heart, but said the postponement was a technical decision rather than a
political one.

"To avoid limiting time constraints and to arrive at a solution equally
satisfactory for both parties, we agreed with the National Radio Company of
Ukraine [the state radio company that rebroadcasts RCI] to extend the
deadline for concluding the negotiations until the fall [of] 2004,"
St-Jacques wrote. "In the meantime, [they] will continue live transmissions
of our daily half-hour broadcast in Ukrainian."

This decision was postponed following pressure from Ukrainian groups in
Canada, according to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, an umbrella group for
Ukrainians living in that country. Representatives of the UCC and the
Canadian government met on March 5 to discuss the changes.

"[The UCC] took the opportunity to press the Government on several points,
including... UCC's opposition to the proposed cuts to the Ukrainian language
service of RCI," read a statement from the UCC.

When the UCC first got wind in November of proposed changes to the RCI
service - including cutting broadcasts from five shows a week to two,
cancelling shortwave broadcasts, and halving staff - it asked Canadians to
join in a letter-writing campaign to the government and to the station.

After an audience with Bill Graham, Canada's foreign affairs minister, the
Congress announced they had received assurances from Graham that broadcasts
will continue as before, but only until President Kuchma's successor is
elected.

"The Minister said that RCI plays an important role in Canadian foreign
policy," said the Congress' executive director, Ostap Skrypnyk, "and that
the service will stay until at least after the elections in Ukraine.

"The RCI may be cut after the elections, but we will be campaigning to
educate about the need to have RCI continue into Ukraine," Skrypnyk
continued.

The show is heard on shortwave in Ukraine and surrounding countries. It is
also sent directly into the homes and flats of Ukrainians through Ukraine's
radio cable lines, and can be accessed on the Internet.

According to the UCC, the show is vital in a country where the media can
conform to government dictates, and it has a loyal audience.

RCI's decision comes at a crucial moment for Ukraine's depleted independent
media in light of recent events. Radio Kontynent, a Kyiv station that began
broadcasting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America, had its
transmitter confiscated on March 3. It also broadcast news from the British
Broadcasting Corporation and Deutsche Welle.

Radio Kontynent's owner, who left Ukraine after the seizure, claimed the
station's shutdown was part of a deliberate campaign to shut down
independent media before the upcoming elections.

On March 12, the Associated Press reported that Ivan Chyzh, director of
Ukraine's State Television and Radio Committee, called foreign media in
Ukraine a "very seriously disturbing factor" in a statement to reporters
justifying the closure of Radio Kontynent. Chyzh went on to say that
"neutralizing" them was key to protecting Ukraine's national interests.

RFE/RL broadcasts can still be heard on shortwave in Kyiv and on FM in many
regions outside the capital. A weekly point-counterpoint show can be seen on
Sunday nights on Channel 5, another station that has been under pressure
from the Ukrainian government, alleging undue harassment during an audit
from the State Tax Administration.

The audit is in contravention of a March 16 decree from President Kuchma in
which he called on the Prosecutor General's Office, the Interior Ministry,
the State Tax Administration and the Emergency Situations Ministry to impose
a moratorium on audits and financial inspections among media enterprises
during the upcoming elections, UNIAN reported. (END)(ARTUIS)
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER FOUR
Major Articles About What is Going on in Ukraine
Current Events Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/events/index.htm
=========================================================
4. U.S. SENIOR OFFICIAL PRAISES KUCHMA'S PROHIBITION OF
vvMEDIA INVESTIGATIONS DURING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
CAMPAIGN IN UKRAINE

AP Worldstream; Kiev, Ukraine, Mar 17, 2004

KIEV - A senior U.S. official on Wednesday praised President Leonid
Kuchma's decision to prohibit law enforcement authorities from conducting
investigations of media companies in the run-up to Ukraine's October
presidential election.

In an apparent response to a growing chorus of rebukes from Western
governments, journalists and media watchdog groups, Kuchma on Tuesday
ordered law enforcement and tax authorities not to conduct what are often
invasive investigations of media companies during the election campaign.

"It's a very good thing since it reduces some of the pressure that we've
seen on independent media in the last several months," Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State Steven Pifer, a former ambassador to Ukraine, told
journalists in Kiev via a video linkup with Warsaw, Poland.

Pifer said the move should "create good conditions for good election." He
said Western countries want the former Soviet republic to become a "really
stable democratic state, closer to Europe" and to NATO.

Accusations of suppression of independent media by Kuchma's administration
mounted this month after two private affiliates of U.S.-funded Radio Liberty
were pulled off the air. Authorities have also closed an independent
newspaper and threatened to shut down an opposition TV station.

Ukraine's media environment has been tense since the unsolved 2000 death of
Heorhiy Gongadze, an Internet journalist who crusaded against high-level
corruption. Opposition groups allege Kuchma was involved in Gongadze's
killing, a claim Kuchma denies. (am/sbg)
=========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER FIVE
Exciting Opportunities in Ukraine for Travel and Tourism
Travel and Tourism Gallery: http://www.ArtUkraine.com/tourgallery.htm
=========================================================
5. UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION SAY LOCAL AUTHORITIES CLOSED
DOWN RADIO STATION IN TRANSCARPATHIAN REGION

Ukrayinska Pravda web site, Kiev, Ukraine, in Ukrainian 13 Mar 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mar 17, 2004

KYIV - The transmitter that served the M-Studio TV and radio company in
Transcarpathian Region was switched off on 13 March.

The press-service of the regional staff of the [opposition] Our Ukraine
bloc, said that this action against an opposition TV channel was "clearly
carried out at the orders of the regional governor and the head of the
regional branch of the Social Democratic Party of Ukraine United, Ivan
Rizak".

"At the order of [USDPU leader and presidential administration head Viktor]
Medvedchuk, Rizak is closing down all electronic media outlets that cover
social and political events in the region objectively and criticize the
USDPU's policy in the region," the press-service said.

The press service said that on 11 March 2004 a judge at the Transcarpathian
regional court, Oleksandr Yosypchuk, took measures to implement a ruling
against the Transcarpathian regional TV transmission centre.

The point of the case is that for several years the TV companies UT-1, UT-2
and others have built up debts of several million hryvnyas to the
transmission centre for the services it provided them, the press service
said.

"Contrary to common sense, Transcarpathian Region bailiffs took action only
against M-Studio, which currently has no debt and has fulfilled all its debt
obligations to the Transcarpathian regional TV transmission centre," the
press-service reported.

"Meanwhile all the other transmitters serving the UT-1 and UT-2 channels,
which owe millions of hryvnya, have not been switched off and are working in
the usual regime," the press service said. [[Ukrayinska Pravda wrote on 11
March that the centre owes 853,000 hryvnyas in taxes and its managers leased
its transmission apparatus to satellite communications and TV and radio
companies. However, since a tax lien had been placed on the property, it
could not be leased without the permission of the tax authorities.

According to Our Ukraine, the tax authorities then appealed to prosecutors
and the regional economic court to invalidate the lease agreements between
the centre and M-Studio and the Zakarpattya Fm radio station. Rivalry
between Our Ukraine and USDPU in the region has intensified ahead of
controversial repeat mayoral elections in the Transcarpathian city of
Mukacheve scheduled for 18 April.] (END) (ARTUIS)
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER SIX
The Story of Ukraine's Long and Rich Culture
Ukrainian Culture Gallery: http://www.ArtUkraine.com/cultgallery.htm
=========================================================
6. NATO GETS QUICK ACCESS RIGHTS TO UKRAINIAN TERRITORY

Interfax-Ukraine news agency, Kiev, Ukraine, in Russian, 17 Mar 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mar 17, 2004

Kiev, 17 March: The Ukrainian parliament has granted NATO troops the right
of quick assess to the country's territory.

A total of 237 out of 421 MPs registered in the session hall voted to ratify
a memorandum of understanding between the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers and
the staff of the NATO Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic and the staff of the
NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe regarding Ukraine's support for NATO
operations. Sixty-one members of parliament voted against the proposal.

The Communists and several Socialists voted against, while the [opposition]
faction of the Yuliya Tymoshenko Bloc and some MPs of the [opposition] Our
Ukraine bloc did not take part in the vote.

The memorandum sets a legal framework for Ukraine's support for NATO
military or peacekeeping operations within the framework of the Partnership
for Peace agreement. The document envisages provision by Ukraine of
technical, medical and other kinds of assistance, as well as information, to
NATO military units during military operations and exercises. The types and
means of Ukrainian support for NATO operations are to be defined by separate
accords.

Under the memorandum, the assistance is to be paid for. At the same time,
economic transactions [related to the memorandum] are exempt from taxation
and other duties.

The document grants NATO troops the right of quick access to Ukrainian
territory if this is needed for the implementation of the alliance's general
policies.

Under the document, NATO's military hardware (aircraft, helicopters, tanks
and ships) can transit through Ukrainian territory on the basis of a general
permission. The law needs to be signed by the Ukrainian president [to come
into force]. (END) (ARTUIS)
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER SEVEN
The Genocidal Famine in Ukraine 1932-1933, HOLODOMOR
Genocide Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/famineart/index.htm
=========================================================
7. PARLIAMENT EXTENDS BAN ON SALES OF FARM LAND

The Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mar 18, 2004

KYIV - Parliament voted overwhelmingly on March 3 to extend a ban on the
sale of agricultural land until 2010. Under the nation's land code, the ban,
introduced at the end of 2001, was to expire by the end of this year.

In the first of three required readings, 299 parliamentarians from the right
and left opposition blocs, as well as pro-presidential forces, voted to
extend the moratorium on the land sales. 226 votes were needed to approve
the bill.

Some experts say the move will spell continued turmoil in the agricultural
sector if the bill is eventually signed into law by the president, and will
keep significant foreign investment away from Ukraine.

"If the bill prolonging the ban is approved by the parliament in the final
reading and signed by the president into law, this will have a significant
negative effect on the development of market practices in the agricultural
sector of Ukraine," said Serhy Piontkovsky, a partner with Baker &
McKenzie's law office in Kyiv.

"Such a ban will continue to prevent commercial banks from providing normal
financing to agricultural producers, since farm land cannot be taken as a
reliable security," Piontkovsky said.

He said that under Ukrainian law, non-agricultural land without buildings on
it can be sold to private individuals and businesses, including foreign
companies, for commercial use. He said, however, that certain restrictions
and bans still apply to non-farm land sales, posing a "serious problem,
which needs to be resolved before significant foreign investment comes to
Ukraine."

As for farm land, Piontkovsky said it's difficult to pin down why Ukrainian
legislation treats farm land differently than non-farm land.

"In my mind, this is a complex issue explained by Ukraine's background as an
agricultural country, the bread basket of Europe; there's also a strong
political lobby of leftist parties, who are against any sale of farm land
altogether, and there some major social problems in Ukrainian villages," he
said.

"Another factor is that many Ukrainian politicians consider Ukrainian
agricultural land to be a national asset, which should not be privatized."

In the debate on the bill, lawmakers expressed concerns that existing land
law was insufficiently developed for sales to take place, and fears that
wealthy individuals would take advantage of the opportunity able to buy up
land at low prices.

Serhy Matvienkov, a member of Regions of Ukraine, a pro-presidential bloc in
parliament, said that the distribution of land formerly controlled by state
agricultural organizations to private farmers was only 50 percent complete,
at best. He added that parliament has not yet passed, or even seen draft
laws on the land market and a land mortgage bank, making talk of lifting the
ban premature.

"We have not passed legislation resolving all the issues that would allow us
to create a market for land today. We are not ready and we have not even
begun to deal with the issue," he said.

Other lawmakers, including members of opposition blocs Our Ukraine and the
Socialists, made similar arguments against lifting the current ban, saying
that tens of laws needed to be passed before Ukraine was ready for
agricultural land sales.

In a separate, but related, development, parliament also voted against
Ukraine taking a $195 million World Bank loan, which was to be spent on the
development of a national land registry. The registry would have recorded
the ownership, transfers and value of land holdings. Only 212 lawmakers
voted for Ukraine to take up the loan.

The World Bank program's main goal is to complete the issuance of land deeds
to individuals and help farmers gain access to bank loans. The Ukrainian
government signed an agreement with the World Bank last October.

Pavlo Kulinic, a legal expert on Ukrainian land issues and a consultant for
Chemonics, the company managing the United States Agency for International
Development's Land Titling Initiative project in Ukraine, told the Post in
October that approximately 6.8 million people have received so-called land
share certificates, which are only conditional land deeds. He said that
about half have exchanged their certificates for deeds, giving them title to
actual land parcels.

Kulinic said on March 17 that he agreed with lawmakers that the country was
far from ready for a normally functioning land registry system, and that
parliament needed to adopt the laws on a state registry of real estate
property rights and on a state land survey before spending World Bank money
on creating a national land registry system.

He said approval of the loan had been stopped by pro-presidential forces,
including the Regions of Ukraine and the Agrarian Party, and not opposition
lawmakers.

"Their votes show that the government has taken the correct position in not
supporting this loan until parliament passes these two laws," he said.

"The loan is meant to be spent on land registration. So why spend money on
it before there's a legal base for it in place?" (END) (ARTUIS)
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ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER EIGHT
Ukraine's History and the Long Struggle for Independence
Historical Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/histgallery.htm
==========================================================
8. U.S. OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION (OPIC)
RETURNS TO UKRAINE AFTER FIVE YEARS OF INACTIVITY

By Roman Olearchyk, Kyiv Post Staff Writer
Kyiv Post, Kyiv, Ukraine, Mar 18, 2004

KYIV - The Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a United States
government agency, announced plans to resume operations in Ukraine that
were suspended five years ago after a dispute with the Ukrainian government.

On March 12, OPIC announced plans to provide $3.8 million in political risk
insurance to Hansen, Inc., an American company involved in establishing a
joint venture to manufacture suspension systems for railroad freight cars in
Ukraine. OPIC's mission is to encourage private investment in emerging
markets by providing private investors with political risk insurance and
financing.

The OPIC insurance will minimize the risk of participating in the joint
venture project, which will be involved in the manufacture of railroad
freight car suspension systems, friction wedges, side bearings, and center
bowl liners, to be sold primarily in Ukraine. Additionally, the OPIC
insurance will cover the lease of Hansen's manufacturing equipment and use
of its patented technology. Hansen, Inc. is based in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania.

"This project will help support Ukraine's economy," Peter Watson, president
and CEO of OPIC, said in a March 12 statement. The country's economy relies
heavily on industrial activities and its rail system.

"OPIC is pleased to work with a small American business to bring these
important developmental benefits to the people of Ukraine," Watson said. He
urged the country to resolve outstanding investment disputes with American
companies in order to attract additional private sector investments.

OPIC and the Ukrainian government signed a memorandum of understanding in
December that enabled OPIC to resume activity in the country. The memorandum
stipulated that the two sides would settle an outstanding insurance claim
from a previous OPIC-supported project by Ukraine by Jan. 1, 2005. The claim
went unsettled for some time, prompting OPIC to stop supporting projects in
Ukraine in 1999.

Tim Harwood, a spokesperson for OPIC, said on March 15 that the claim
involves $17.7 million in funds provided by OPIC to a company called Alliant
for a project involving the conversion of munitions into metals.

"In the memorandum concluded between OPIC and the Ukrainian government,
both parties agreed to resolve the case," Harwood said.

Watson said OPIC's return to Ukraine "sends a message to potential U.S.
investors that Ukraine has resolved to be a partner to American companies
interested in doing business in this resource-rich nation."

Continued OPIC activity in Ukraine depends on the prompt settlement of
outstanding disputes with American companies. Only by resolving these
disputes and committing itself irrevocably to economic reforms, will Ukraine
become an attractive destination for foreign investment, Watson said.

"Once settlement is achieved, OPIC looks forward to working with Ukrainian
businesses and the Ukrainian government and expanding our activity in the
country," Watson added.

OPIC, as U.S. government agency, was established in 1971 to help American
businesses invest overseas, and to foster economic development in emerging
markets. OPIC says it charges market-based fees for its services, rendering
it self-sustaining and cost-free for U.S. taxpayers.

OPIC has provided services to U.S. companies in more than 150 emerging
markets and developing nations over its 32-year history, supporting $150
billion worth of investments that have helped developing countries generate
over 690,000 host-country jobs. OPIC says its projects have also generated
$66 billion in U.S. exports and created more than 257,000 American jobs
=========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER NINE
The Rich History of Ukrainian Art, Music, Pysanka, Folk-Art
Arts Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/artgallery.htm
=========================================================
9. UKRAINIAN AMERICANS MOBILIZE TO HELP UKRAINE
"Ukraine At The Crossroads" Roundtable

BRAMA.COM, New York, NY, March 4, 2004

Nearly thirteen years after declaring its independence, Ukraine has arrived
at a critical juncture in determining its path into the future: continue
moving towards democracy or reverse course and backtrack to
authoritarianism. This was the underlying theme of a round table discussion
held on February 17, 2004, in Washington, DC. The meeting, titled "Ukraine
at the Crossroads," took place at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of
the Holy Family and was sponsored by Metropolitan-Archbishop Stefan Soroka
and the Action Ukraine Coalition.

The Coalition, which includes the Ukrainian American Coordinating Council
(UACC), the Ukrainian Federation of America, and the US-Ukraine Foundation,
has been cooperating on a variety of projects since 1999. Mr. Ihor Gawdiak,
President of the UACC, chaired the meeting.

A panel of experts presented their views of Ukraine's current state of
affairs and offered solutions for the question of the night: What can
Ukrainian Americans and the United States do to help Ukraine achieve its
stated goals of freedom and democracy? The main speakers were: U.S. Judge
Bohdan Futey; Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William G. Miller; Dr. Nadia
Diuk of the National Endowment of Democracy; Mr. Orest Deychakiwsky, staff
advisor to the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
(Helsinki Commission); former members of Congress Bob Schaffer and Charles
Dougherty. Interested observers and participants in the discussion
afterwards included representatives from several Ukrainian American
organizations as well as media companies (see side panel).

Briefly, the opinions expressed by the panelists ranged from cautious
optimism to unambiguous criticism. Uppermost on everyone's minds were two
critical issues that have dominated the news lately, the recent 'reforms' to
Ukraine's constitution and the crackdown on the media. Both will have a
direct affect on the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections.

Tackling the former head-on Judge Futey described some of the worrisome
changes that have been made to Ukraine's constitution and the dangers that
they pose. Ambassador Miller cautioned that Ukraine should follow the
example of one of its neighbors - the Czech Republic - whose unfaltering
democratic path has made it a model for transition in that part of the
world.

Dr. Diuk offered a comparative survey of several former Soviet states and
observed that the restrictions on the press have had a perceptibly negative
impact on Ukraine's situation. Mr. Deychakiwsky is convinced that external
pressure on Ukraine's regime is one of the best ways to put the country back
on a democratic track. Former Congressmen Bob Schaffer and Charles Dougherty
both felt that the U.S. and the Ukrainian American community should build
stronger relationships with members of Congress and that they should demand
higher standards from Ukraine's leadership.

Each speaker's presentation is summarized in greater detail below.

"---------------------------------------------------------"

[NOTE: To read the entire article by BRAMA about the "Ukraine At The
Crossroads" Roundtable held in Washington, D.C. click on:
http://www.brama.com/news/press/2004/03/040304ukrainecrossroad.html
=========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER TEN
The Rich History of Ukrainian Art, Music, Pysanka, Folk-Art
Arts Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/artgallery.htm
=========================================================
10. POLAND, UKRAINE AND THE CONCEPT OF 'NEW EUROPE'
A 'TORCH CLUB' FORUM, NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2004

Forum Theme: Poland, Ukraine and the Concept of 'New Europe'
Venue: New York University - The Silverstein Lounge/ Waverly Place
Date: March 25, 2004, Time: 5:30 - 9:00 PM

Sponsors: New York University
NYU History Student Association
The Lillian Vernon Center for International Studies
The Ukrainian Consulate General of NY
The Polish Consulate General of NY

Speakers: Former National Security Advisor to the PM of Poland Piotr Naimski
Former Foreign Minister of Ukraine Borys Tarasyuk

SCHEDULE:

6:15 - 6:30 PM Opening Remarks, Prof. Clif Hubby
History Studies
Coordinator
Liberal Arts Program McGhee Division
6:30 - 7:15 PM Keynote Remarks, P. Naimski and B. Tarasyuk
Chair: Prof. Walter Zaryckyj
Liberal Arts Program McGhee Division
7:15 - 8:00 PM Question and Answer Session
8:00 - 9:30 PM Reception
Remarks, UA Consul General in NYC
Serhiy Pohoreltsev
PL Consul General in NYC, Agnieszka Misewska
Closing Remarks -
Prof. Karen Jewett, Director Liberal Arts Program, McGhee Division
=========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER ELEVEN
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11. "UKRAINIAN DAYS" IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS)
Washington, D.C., March 10, 2004

Washington, DC (UNIS) -Within a framework of programs in preparation for the
U.S. presidential and congressional elections, the Ukrainian National
Information Service (UNIS) is organizing "Ukrainian Days" in Washington from
March 24-25, 2004. The intent of "Ukrainian Days" is to promote the
concerns of the Ukrainian American community, as well as to establish better
contacts with its elected representatives in Washington.

The "Ukrainian Days" agenda will consist of several aspects. On Wednesday
morning, March 24th, UNIS will organize presentations by American government
officials and non-governmental organizations (NGO's) such as the American
Foreign Policy Council (AFPC), at which location a morning briefing session
will be held. Of particular interest will be a discussion of topics of
concern to the community: U.S. foreign assistance to Ukraine; status of the
Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) between Ukraine and the United
States; as well as the overall context of U.S.-Ukrainian relations.

In the evening of March 24th, a reception will be held at the Embassy of
Ukraine, where "Ukrainian Days" participants will have a chance to acquaint
themselves with the Ukrainian diplomats and discuss their ideas regarding
the US-Ukrainian relations and other issues of concern to the community.

The following day, March 25, in Room B-354 of the Rayburn House Office
Building, "Ukrainian Days" participants will have a breakfast meeting with
members of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus (CUC), an officially
registered group of the U.S. House of Representatives that is interested in
enhancing relations between Ukraine and the United States.

CUC representatives will discuss issues regarding the commemoration the
1932-1933 Ukrainian Genocide, as well as constructing a memorial to the
victims of this dark page in Ukraine's history in Washington, DC; awarding a
federal charter to the Ukrainian American Veteran (UAV) organization; U.S.
foreign assistance programs to Ukraine; Permanent Normal Trade Relations
(PNTR) status for Ukraine; and overall relations with Ukraine, especially in
light of the upcoming presidential elections on October 31st. Briefing
papers on various topics will be supplied to the participants by the
Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS).

During the two day event, participants of "Ukrainian Days" will meet with
their corresponding members of the House of Representatives and Senate in
order to communicate to them the issues that concern the Ukrainian American
community and establish closer communications with their offices. Contacts
with the Members of Congress and Senators allow the Ukrainian community to
work more effectively and resolve issues of concern. UNIS stresses the need
to involve our younger generation in the active civic life of our community
for the benefit of our existence as a vital part of the American society, as
well as promoting the need for greater democratic and economic development
in Ukraine.

For further information, as well as hotel accommodations, please contact
Serhiy Zhykharev at the Ukrainian National Information Service (UNIS) at
(202) 547-0018, or via e-mail at unis@ucca.org. (END) (ARTUIS)
=========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER TWELVE
Politics and Governance, Building a Strong, Democratic Ukraine
http://www.artukraine.com/buildukraine/index.htm
=========================================================
12. HEAD OF INTERIM CIVIL ADMINISTRATION IN IRAQ AMERICAN
PAUL BREMER VISITS UKRAINE'S 6TH MILITARY CONTINGENT

Ukriform, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2004

Paul Bremer, Head of the Interim Civil Administration in Iraq, made his
first-ever visit to the Ukrainian military contingent's sector in Wasit
Province. He held a working meeting in Al Kut with Maj Gen Sergei Ostrovsky,
Commander of the 6th Detached Mechanized Brigade, who familiarized the
distinguished American visitor with the Ukrainian peacekeepers' tasks,
missions and problems of Wasit Province residents.

As Paul Bremer noted, thanks to the Ukrainian military contingent's presence
the situation in Wasit Province is relatively calm. He attributed this to
the Ukrainian peacekeepers' good relations with local authorities, religious
leaders and ordinary citizens. Touching on the Wasit Province population's
problems, such as high unemployment rates, Paul Bremer said these will be
shortly solved through implementing a special program for regional economy
development.

Also, he said, matters will be regulated with regard to border-crossing
regimes, in particular, through setting up three border-crossing checkpoints
where passports will be demanded, along with custom declarations. During the
meeting the parties also discussed the problem of disposal of stocks of
ammunition, left by the Saddam Hussein army. (END) (ARTUIS)
==========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER THIRTEEN
Please Send Us Names to Add to the Distribution List for UKRAINE REPORT
==========================================================
13. UKRAINE MARKS 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF CARPATHIAN
UKRAINE DEMOCRATIC SOVEREIGN STATE'S ESTABLISHMENT
AND 130TH ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTH OF ITS PRESIDENT,
AVGUSTIN VOLOSHIN

Ukriform, Kyiv, Ukraine, March 17, 2004

KYIV - The creation of Carpathian Ukraine is a heroic page in Ukraine's
history of statehood creativity attainments, which eventually resulted in
gaining the long-coveted independent nation status in the late 20th Century,
a message of greetings says, which President Leonid Kuchma has sent out on
the
occasion of celebrations to mark the 65th anniversary of the Carpathian
Ukraine democratic sovereign state's establishment and the 130th anniversary
of birth of its President Avgustin Voloshin.

The Carpathian Ukraine was established on March 14, 1939 and priest
Avgustin Voloshin became this state's President. On March 15, 1939 the new
state's Seim endorsed the state independence act and adopted the
Constitution.

On Monday, March 15, 2004 a rally-requiem was held in the vicinity of Khust
in memory of those Carpathian Ukraine soldiers who perished in the Red Field
Battle, fighting against German Nazi Troops in March 1939. (END) (ARTUIS)
==========================================================
ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004, No. 43: ARTICLE NUMBER FOURTEEN
Major Articles About What is Going on in Ukraine
Current Events Gallery: http://www.artukraine.com/events/index.htm
==========================================================
14. RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTS MEET IN
MOSCOW AND SETTLE KERDCH STRAIT DISPUTE

ITAR-TASS news agency, Moscow, Russia, in Russian. 17 Mar 04
BBC Monitoring Service, UK, in English, Mar 17, 2004

Novo-Ogarevo [Putin residence outside Moscow], Russian President
Vladimir Putin believes that relations between Russia and Ukraine have
recently been developing positively.

"We are poised for the ratification of certain most important documents," he
said at today's meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, [President] Leonid
Kuchma.

"We are ready to do this, as we agreed it is necessary to synchronize this
(ratification)," the Russian president said.

Leonid Kuchma stressed that the law on a unified economic space (of four CIS
countries) has been sent to the parliament [Supreme Council] in Ukraine.

"Today the government has also endorsed and sent to parliament a second
document - on the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait," Kuchma said. [Tension
rose between the two countries in October 2003 when Russia began building a
causeway to link its coast with a small island in the middle of the Kerch
Strait; Ukraine saw this as a threat to the status of the international
border.] The Ukrainian president expressed the view that "there will be no
problems with this".

According to Kuchma, "there was a problem about agreeing how to synchronize
parliamentary consideration and ratification". (END) (ARTUIS)
==========================================================
ARTICLES ARE FOR PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC USE ONLY
==========================================================
NEWS AND INFORMATION WEBSITE ABOUT UKRAINE
LINK: http://www.ArtUkraine.com
=========================================================
New Issue Just Published...Year 2003, Issue 3-4
FOLK ART MAGAZINE: NARODNE MYSTETSTVO
LINK: http://www.artukraine.com/primitive/artmagazine.htm
=========================================================
NEW BOOK: Three Hundred Eleven Personal Interviews, Famine 32-33.
"UKRAINIANS ABOUT FAMINE 1932-1933," Prof. Sokil, Lviv, Ukraine
http://www.artukraine.com/famineart/sokil.htm
=========================================================
INFORMATION ABOUT "ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" 2004
The "ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" 2004, is an in-depth news and analysis
newsletter, produced by the www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS)
for the Action Ukraine Coalition (AUC) and the sponsors. The report is
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For further information contact Morgan Williams: morganw@patriot.net.

"ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" 2004 SPONSORS:
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1. ACTION UKRAINE COALITION (AUC) MEMBERS:
A. UKRAINIAN AMERICAN COORDINATING COUNCIL,
(UACC), Ihor Gawdiak, President, Washington, D.C., New York, NY
B. UKRAINIAN FEDERATION OF AMERICA (UFA),
Vera M. Andryczyk, President; Dr. Zenia Chernyk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
C. U.S.-UKRAINE FOUNDATION (USUF), Nadia Komarnyckyj
McConnell, President; John A. Kun, VP/COO; Markian Bilynskyj, VP, Dir.
of Field Operations; Kyiv, Ukraine and Washington, D.C., website:
http://www.usukraine.org .
2. UKRAINE-U.S. BUSINESS COUNCIL, Kempton Jenkins, President,
Washington, D.C.
3. UKRAINE BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL (UBI), Seattle, Chicago,
Washington, New York, London, Brussels, Geneva and Prague
4. KIEV-ATLANTIC UKRAINE, David and Tamara Sweere, Founders
and Managers; Kyiv, Ukraine
5. POTENTIAL, the launching of a new business journal for Ukraine.
http://www.usukraine.org/potential.shtml#about
6. INTERNATIONAL MARKET REFORM GROUP (IMRG),
Washington, D.C., Brussels, Belgium
7. INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATIONS and FOUNDATIONS:
who are financial sponsors of "ACTION UKRAINE REPORT-2004.
Additional support is needed to expand the program and to translate
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about this matter.

PUBLISHER AND EDITOR
E. Morgan Williams, Coordinator, Action Ukraine Coalition (UAC)
Publisher and Editor: "ACTION UKRAINE REPORT" 2004
www.ArtUkraine.com Information Service (ARTUIS).
http://www.ArtUkraine.com News and Information Website,
Senior Advisor, Government Relations and Foundation Development,
U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF)
Advisor, Ukraine-U.S. Business Council
P.O. Box 2607, Washington, D.C. 20013
Tel: 202 437 4707, morganw@patriot.net
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