NEW CRIMEAN LEADERSHIP READY TO COOPERATE WITH KIEV.

Thenew presidium of the Crimean Supreme Council–including the firstever Crimean Tatar member–flew to Kiev July 12 to declare itswillingness to cooperate with the central Ukrainian government.Presidium chairman Yevhen Supruniuk said his talks with Ukrainianpresident Leonid Kuchma had been "friendly and warm"and "set an example" for agreement between Kiev andSevastopol, Russian NTV reported. The Ukrainian government inits turn said it was prepared to return control of the Crimeancabinet of ministers to the peninsula’s legislature–Kiev hadtaken direct control of the Crimean cabinet in March–and to expandCrimea’s powers in the areas of taxes, banking, and control ofregional assets, Interfax-Ukraine reported July 13.

A Russian Tilt Toward Tbilisi?