LITHUANIA, UKRAINE PLAN CLOSER TIES.

On a three-day visit to Lithuania, Leonid Kuchma’s presidential adiministration chief Dmitro Tabachnik conferred with Lithuania’s president Algirdas Brazauskas, Prime Minister Adolfas Slezevicius, and Foreign Minister Povylas Gylys on strengthening bilateral economic and political cooperation. The Lithuanians continued to urge that the Council of Europe accelerate Ukraine’s admission, Interfax-Ukraine reported September 1. The sides focused on coordinating steps in international institutions "to ensure the security and tranquillity of our states," and on cooperation in the energy and transportation sectors, and Ukrainian use of Klaipeda port.

Aftermath of the Attempt on Shevardnadze.