KUCHMA FORCED TO POSTPONE VISIT TO TURKMENISTAN.

Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma has had to postpone indefinitely an official visit to Turkmenistan, scheduled to have begun today. Ashgabat asked Kiev at the last moment to repay the Ukrainian International Energy Corporation’s (ITERA) $205 million debt for past deliveries of gas from Turkmenistan. Ukrainian government officials and the Turkmenneftgaz top management failed to resolve the issue at talks in Kiev over the weekend. Kuchma had planned to sign a gas deal through 2005. (Ukrinform, May 5)

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