President urges investigation of resonant criminal cases

President Victor Yushchenko held a meeting with leadership of law enforcement agencies - the Prosecutor General Oleksandr Medvedko, Chairman of the Security Service Valentyn Nalyvaichenko and Minister of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lutsenko.

At the beginning of the meeting the President stressed that he would like to hear reports from the representatives of law enforcement bodies on the topics that have today the most resonance in the. "Obviously, we are talking about international public opinion too", said Victor Yushchenko, noting that primarily he means the case of Georgiy Gongadze. The President expressed assurance that today thanks to the work of the SBU the Attorney General's Office has a witness who provides information that would allow "to end this story shameful Ukraine".

Another case demanding urgent investigation Victor Yushchenko called the murder of Valeriy Oliynyk and detention of former deputy Viktor Lozynski. "This man should be arrested and submitted to the Attorney General's Office to provide evidence", said Victor Yushchenko and called on the Minister of Internal Affairs to urgently arrest Lozynski if the Minister has any information on the criminal's whereabouts.

Also President Yushchenko drew attention of those present to the case of death of a teenager at the Lviv region lake. Unfortunately, noted Victor Yushchenko, one of the suspects in the case is a high rank policeman. He urged the law enforcement bodies' leadership to conduct an objective investigation of the case. "I am concerned about the efficiency because there are people who make politics out of these situations, try to raise their ratings and conduct PR-campaigns" - said Victor Yushchenko.

Ukraine concerned by slow negotiations on Eastern Partnership - Andrii Goncharuk

President Victor Yushchenko is concerned about slowing negotiations with the European Commission on filling the Eastern Partnership foreign policy initiative of the European Union with practical content said Deputy Chief of Staff Andrii Goncharuk at his briefing today.

Victor Yushchenko is convinced that the initiative should focus not only on projects but also on new mechanisms that would facilitate the real integration between partner countries and the European Union.

"The President believes that the Eastern Partnership should develop the old mechanisms of cooperation that exist between the EU and partner countries. Instead, the future projects of this initiative should be innovative and make positive influence on such areas as institutional development, regional development, development of an integrated border management system, deepening energy cooperation, etc", said A. Goncharuk.

He expressed confidence that the prompt resolution by the EU of all the procedural issues concerning the elaboration and approval of projects lies in the interests of both the EU and the states parties to the initiative. Andrii Goncharuk mentioned that the Eastern Partnership has a number of conceptual and practical principles, which fully meet the vision of the President on the prospects of deepening European integration and country gaining full membership in the EU.

 

President praises the results of the third round of consultations with the European Commission - Bohdan Sokolovsky

President Victor Yushchenko praises the results of the third (final) round of consultations with the European Commission the President's Representative on International Energy Security Bogdan Sokolovsky said at his briefing.

He stressed that the success achieved largely due to the fact that the Government and ‘Naftogaz of Ukraine' supported the President's suggestions on urgent steps on financial recovery of ‘Naftogaz of Ukraine', which had been prepared by the interdepartmental group headed by the First Deputy Chief of Staff Oleksandr Shlapak.

"We have seen another proof that the consolidated position of state authorities fruits in success", Bohdan Sokolovsky said.

He said that given the positive results of the consultations with the EC, the President calls on the Government and "Naftogaz of Ukraine" leadership to make practical steps for speedy implementation of the agreements with the European Commission and international financial institutions to obtain loans to purchase gas for storage in the underground storage on favorable terms and in a transparent way.

Unfortunately, said Bogdan Sokolovsky, the Government wasted a lot of time. Indeed, back in January this year the President requested the Government to formulate and adopt realistic financial plan for NJSC ‘Naftogaz of Ukraine' in the view of risks created by the new gas contracts signed by Ukraine and Russia on January 19, 2009.

"The negotiations with the European Commission and the Russian Federation on payments for gas intended for storage should have been started immediately so that they could be concluded before the season of pumping gas into the underground storages that starts in May.

The Government, he said, unfortunately ignored the President's request.

Instead, protracting in every way the negotiations with Europe, the Cabinet has started secret negotiations to obtain dubious foreign borrowings, including those from offshore companies such as Cyprus ‘Troika Dialogue', said Bogdan Sokolovsky.

In current difficult situation the Government initiates the increase in gas prices for all Ukrainian consumers without adequate provision of fair social protection.

"In this situation, the President of Ukraine requests the Government to urgently strengthen the social protection of poor parts of the population through enhancing the level and transparency of the targeted support aimed at compensation of gas prices growth", summed up Bohdan Sokolovsky.

This position of the President is fully supported by the European Commission and international financial institutions.

Also Victor Yushchenko considers unacceptable the causeless indebting of Ukraine, especially through shady schemes. In this view he has addressed the Attorney General with the request to take measures to avoid attracting economically unreasonable loans that harm national interests of Ukraine and violate the law.

 

Ukraine expects openness in discussion about unification of Orthodox confessions - President

"The aim of our dialogue is to talk confidentially openly and honestly about the things that are sensitive in the religious life in Ukraine. We talked about one of the problems of the Ukrainian church - the Orthodox separation that exists", said Victor Yushchenko in his statement for the press.

"The greatest desire of the Ukrainian people is to live in a united Church", he said adding that the road towards that is no easy but expressed confidence in its success.

"We would like to see understanding from our spiritual leaders in the process. Many times we have returned to the discussion regarding the unification in the church, to dialogue between churches as a sway of solving one of the biggest problems in Ukrainian Orthodoxy", said the President.

Victor Yushchenko stressed that the situation impacts social stability and spiritual unity in Ukraine as a whole. "It's hard to talk about stability, national sovereignty, when there is no understanding between the leading Orthodox confessions", he said.

The President thanked the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus for understanding and openness when considering the issue.

President Yushchenko, Patriarch Cyril I honor memory of Holodomor victims

President Victor Yushchenko and Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus Cyril I put flowers to the Memorial to Holodomor victims in Kyiv.

Speaking at the event Victor Yushchenko thanked Patriarch Cyril I for this step. "I have always emphasized that the tragedy of 1932-1933 is not the fault of Russia or Russian people. Today we should express solidarity regarding victims of the Great Famine. This is our Orthodox duty. We highly appreciate that you, Your Holiness, here at this holy place have paid tribute to the victims of the Holodomor of 1932-1933", said the President.

The Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus from his part stressed that "it is natural that now we pray for innocent victims, remember those who died, and for that to never repeat again".

 

President Yushchenko, Patriarch Cyril I lay wreaths to the Unknown Soldier's Tomb

President Victor Yushchenko and Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus Cyril I laid wreaths near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Kyiv.

 

President condoles with people of Croatia

President Victor Yushchenko offered condolences to the President of Croatia Stjepan Mesic on the occasion of train crash that occurred on the line between Zagreb and the coastal city of Split and resulted in casualties.