PERES: "THE SPIRIT OF ISRAEL WAS BORN IN UKRAINE."

Israeli foreign minister Shimon Peres told his visiting Ukrainiancounterpart Gennady Udovenko that Ukraine is a "special"country for Israel because more than 300,000 Israelis came fromthere, Interfax-Ukraine reported July 12. Peres added that Jerusalemwants "to develop relations with Ukraine at all levels."

Yeltsin Presses Kuchma on Black Sea Fleet.