GUUAM NEWS

Embassies of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine and Uzbekistan – Washington, D.C.- March 16, 2001

 


Azerbaijan:


*On March 12, President Heydar Aliyev began his official visit to Turkey.  Azerbaijan’s leader met with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and other officials.  Underscoring close relations between the two nations, President Aliyev stated in his address to the Turkish Parliament that Turkey remains Azerbaijan’s “number one ally”. He also oversaw the signing of nine-bilateral agreements, including a deal securing purchase of Azerbaijani natural gas by Turkey and construction of a gas pipeline via Georgia.   




*The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are expected to meet for another round of peace talks in Key West, Florida, early next month at the invitation of the U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.


 


Georgia:


Georgia’s Minister of Defense David Tevzadze arrived for a working visit to the United States on March 12. While in Washington, Lieutenant – General Tevzadze had meetings with the US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Henry Shelton and other high-ranking Pentagon officials, as well as with representatives of the National Security Council and Senate. During his visit Minister Tevzadze was invited to attend the International Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.




Moldova :


As a result of early parliamentary elections held in Moldova on February 25th, the Moldovan Party of Communists (MPC) received 50.2% of the vote, the

Braghis Alliance (BA) 13.4%, and the Christian Democratic People's Party (former Popular Front) 8.18%. After the redistribution of the 28% of the votes

cast for parties that failed to clear the 6% threshold, MCP was attributed with 71 of the 101 seats in the  Parliament.  BA won 19seats  and CDPP 11seats.  




The first session of the Parliament will take place on March 20th. By mid-April the Parliament is expected to elect MPC leader Vladimir Voronin as the country's new president, who will replace the outgoing president Petru Lucinschi. At his first press conference after the elections, Mr. Voronin stated that the new Government will introduce no major changes into Moldova's foreign policy, will continue economic reforms and preserve relations with international

financial institutions. 





Ukraine:


*World Bank President James Wolfensohn has voiced his support for a decision to grant Ukraine a $750 million tranche within the framework of the World Bank's “Program Systemic Loan.” According to the First Deputy PM Yekhanurov, who commented on his talks in Washington, DC held on March 7-12 with senior World Bank and IMF officials, the parties also succeeded in reaching a decision on a $ 60 million World Bank credit for Ukraine’s administrative reform. Mr Yekhanurov also said that international financial institutions, the World Bank in particular, praised Ukraine's economic performance as stable and positive over the last two years.




*Prime - Minister Viktor Yuschenko has instructed “Naftogaz Ukraine” to complete the construction of the Odessa-Brody oil pipeline by August 2001. This followed a meeting, which focused on the pipeline and the Pyvdennyi oil terminal, on March 13. Mr. Yuschenko stressed the importance of the pipeline for Ukraine and said that completion of the pipeline would improve the country’s energy security and enable it to meet its petroleum needs. There are also plans to complete the first phase of the Pyvdennyi terminal by the end of this year. This would allow the terminal to begin receiving oil tankers in early 2002.




Uzbekistan:


*The UN Bureau for Drugs Control and Crime Prevention has developed a strategy, which envisages activity on border protection and assistance to law-enforcement bodies, criminal proceedings as well as the fight with organized crime, and preventive measures on drugs addiction in order to assist the Central Asian countries to fight illegal drug trafficking and drug abuse.  The $800,000 project is intended to enhance the potential of law enforcement bodies and strengthen their capacity to counter smuggling of drugs in the most vulnerable regions of the country, especially, those bordering Afghanistan and Tajikistan.




*A national program on preventing the use of the ozone-breaking substances (OBS) has been adopted by the Government, and from the 1 January 2002 the country will halt the use of OBS. According to the program, the “Sino” plant in Samarkand will begin using locally produced refrigeration agents.




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Embassies of GUUAM countries -  Georgia, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Moldova – in Washington, D.C. 


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