KUCHMA SEES GROWING WESTERN RECOGNITION

. Yesterday, on the second day of his visit to Britain, Ukrainian president Leonid Kuchma asserted that the West is beginning to recognize "Ukraine’s importance to European security." This followed British prime minister John Major’s statement at the December 13 meeting with Kuchma that Ukraine is "pivotal" to the future of Europe. Kuchma and Major also signed a joint declaration that Kiev would not be left out of evolving security and trade arrangements in Europe, with Major later endorsing the development of closer ties by NATO and the EU with Ukraine. The Ukrainian delegation signed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development a package of loan agreements to support Ukraine’s energy, transportation, and agriculture sectors. (5) Britain was the sixth G-7 country that Kuchma has visited in his eighteen months as president.

Belarus Promises to Honor CFE Commitments.