KUCHMA, CHERNOMYRDIN FAIL TO REACH AGREEMENT.

Publication: Monitor Volume: 1 Issue: 61

At theirJuly 26 meeting in Moscow, Russian premier Viktor Chernomyrdinand Ukrainian premier Evhen Marchuk failed to reach an agreementon the central issue of the division and basing of the BlackSea Fleet. Moscow continued to demand exclusive Russian basingin Sevastopol, Kerch, and Feodosia, relegating Ukraine´sshare of the fleet to Donuzlav and Ochakov. Kiev responded thatMoscow was departing from the Sochi agreement and added its ownnew demands: an oblique claim to Russia´s unfinished aircraftcarrier Varyag; withdrawal of Russia´s coastal defense divisionfrom Crimea, and compensation for the "billions of dollars"worth of ecological damage inflicted over the years on Crimea.On returning to Kiev, Marchuk told the Ukrainian media that anothernine or ten agreements would be needed to solve the Black SeaFleet problem and to allow Boris Yeltsin to visit Kiev. The twoprime ministers will meet again August 2. On economic issues,Marchuk said that Kiev would not join the Russian-led customsunion, but had agreed to framework accords on setting up jointenterprises and on regulating the use of pipelines crossing Ukrainianterritory.

Constitutional Court Reported Split on Chechnya Case.