By Don Hill
Prague, Feb 5 (RFE/RL)
Press commentary in the nations of Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia concentrates recently on these nations� relationships with their former patron, Russia, and with the West.
Belarus
Newspapers in both Belarus and Russia discuss progress in creating a �commonwealth� of the two nations. Belarus�s daily Narodnaya Volia says that �Belarusian regional policy in Russia has two goals: [advancing] the personal political ambitions of (President President Alyaksandr Lukashenka) and, to a lesser degree, direct economic ties.�
The newspaper says: �By ignoring the [Russian central government], Belarus is rocking the statehood of its super neighbor. Belarus has concluded about 40 agreements with Russian regions. Contacts on such a scale between leaders of unequal official standing is unknown in international diplomacy. By promoting independent political and economic initiatives in the Russian regions, Belarus is helping to create closed regional structures within the Russian Federation.�
Russia
Russian Duma Chairman Gennadi Seleznev, commenting in the Parlamentskaya Gazeta, says: �Actually, I�m satisfied with the work of the parliamentary assembly of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, which essentially has created a foundation for the signing of integration documents by our presidents. Neither do I see anything bad in the introduction of a single monetary unit in our countries, particularly since we have the experience of gradual introduction of the euro in Europe. We are not talking about a single state, after all. We are talking a union of two sovereign states.�
On a different topic, the honorary director of the Institute of the U.S. and Canada of the Russian Academy of Sciences, scolds his own countrymen over what he calls deteriorating post-Cold War relations between the United States and Russia. The writer, Georgy Arbatov, contends in Vek: �Compared with the Cold War era, our current relations with the United States are much better. [But comparing 1999 with 1991 and �92], it�s apparent that during these years, relations between our countries slowly but surely have deteriorated.�
He writes: �It turned out that living without the enemy has not been easy, both for the United States and Russia.� Arbatov added: �As it turned out, neither the Americans nor we were prepared for the end of the Cold War. Both countries still lack a well-balanced foreign policy, much less a strategy of bilateral Russian-American relations. [In fact], over the years, we�ve never gone far beyond �call me Bill� and �call me Boris.��
Arbatov says: �The general public in each country views the other country with obvious distrust, and it�s particularly alarming. In Russia, this tendency can be attributed to the failure of the economic reforms that Americans - not all but enough of them - still approve of and sometimes force on us. I do not remember any anti-American moods in Russia in 1991, but now [Russians] are talking of a plot from across the ocean to disintegrate Russia.�
Americans� attitude toward Russia also has worsened, the writer says. He writes: �To a great extent, this is a result of our habit of begging. We beg for this or that all the time. They give us a lot. We ask for more. They give again. And we announce that we cannot repay all our debts on time.�
He says: �Of course, we should not obey the United States always and in everything. We should try to commend respect in the international area. But any respect will be possible only after we�ve restored order in Russia itself.�
Tajikistan
In Tajikistan, Business i Politika worries that �Russia will withdraw a greater part of its border troops from Tajikistan soon because of [Russia�s] economic problems. Guarding the Tajik-Afghan border has become one of the state tasks of the Tajik government. Now Tajikistan border troops guard only 30 percent of the Tajik-Afghan border.� The paper says that drug trafficking across the border is bound to increase.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan�s Pravda Bostok (Truth of the East) writes there was a great response from readers to President Islam Karimov�s idea of renaming the May 9 �Victory Day� as �Memorial Day.� The paper quotes a number of letters from readers. In one letter, Olim Amurov, an engineer, says that memorials usually evoke memories of those who died, as during World War Two. Acknowledging that every family in Uzbekistan was touched by the war, Amurov asks when Uzbek victims of the 1930s Stalin repression will be commemorated.
Georgia
Georgia�s daily Resonans contemplates not Georgia�s old ties to Russia but its new ties to the West. Resonans� commentary by Eliso Chaphidze says: �[Last Saturday] was a historic day for Georgia. Being Georgian from now on means being European as well. This phrase [�I am Georgian and European�], pronounced in Georgian by Zurab Zhvania in the European Council�s parliamentary session hall, became a symbol of recognizing Georgia as a European state.�
The commentary continues: �One part of politicians� hopes is that a European Court will become a real possibility to correct all those injustices which have plagued Georgia, a court where a citizen is entitled to file a suit against the state and its officials and duly punish them.�
Kyrgyzstan
Chief editor Cholponbek Abykeev of Kyrgyzstan�s weekly Aalam writes that political aides to Boris Yeltsin are likely to take an advisory part in forthcoming Kyrgyz elections, as Abykeev says they did in recent Kazakh elections. He writes: �The presidential election team of Boris Yeltsin worked in Kazakhstan prior to the last presidential elections. When the results of the election [victory for the incumbent] became clear, they came to Kyrgyzstan and settled in for three days. They say they have promised Kyrgyzstan important help in the forthcoming elections. [Thus], the Kazakhstani scenario would be repeated in Kyryzstan too.�
ALMATY, Jan31
(THE GLOBE)
January 5
Astana saw the final gala-concert of Russian variety performers, who participated in agitation trip �Yug�, which during 30 days had been agitating young people in the South -Western oblasts of Kazakstan to vote for Nursultan Nazarbayev.
January 6
Astana. �Agricultural party� held the Constituent Assembly. One of the party�s principal tasks for the nearest future is to elaborate a common opinion on land private property to be introduced in Kazakstan.
Almaty saw a session of the World -wide Kazakh Association. The session was devoted to the state of the Kazakhs - repatriates in Kazakstan.
January 7
In Almaty premiere of �Siberian barber� movie by Russian film director Nikita Mikhalkov took place. As Mr. Mikhalkov asserts the movie is the most expensive in the history of the European cinematography. Its budget comprised $45 mln.
January 9
The central election commission of Kazakstan accomplished observers registration. Foreign states and international organisations delegated 137 representatives at the election. Besides, 83 accredited foreign journalists could follow up the course of the election at 9645 polling places.
January 10
Kazakstan saw the first alternative presidential election. Four candidates were competing for the presidents office: Nursultan Nazarbayev (acting president), Serikbolsyn Abdildin (the communists leader), Gani Kasymov (Head of the customs committee of the RK) and Engels Gabbasov (senator of the RK Parliament).
In Kurgaldzhinski preserve zone a
�� -2 helicopter with 6 passengers aboard crashed. There were two top ranking officials among the victims: vice minister Askhat Daulbayev and head of the state property department under the Ministry of Finance Orazaly Yerzhanov. Mr. Yerzhanov was seriously injured, 30% of the scorched skin.January 11
The resolution of the RK government restricting food product import from Russia including tobacco and alcohol came into effect. The measure is taken to protect domestic producers against chip Russian imported food.
Mission of the European Mass Media Institute made public its report on mass media monitoring at the president�s election in Kazakstan. �Major part of mass media preferred not to pay attention to evident defects during preparatory process, especially to unexpected amendments to the Election Law�, the report said.
January 13
At the Kordai passage (Zhambyl oblast) a commercial bus making a trip Bishkek-Almaty turned down. 33 people suffered. % of them were in a grave condition, 1 died in a hospital, 6 people got traumas of the middle gravity.
January 15
�Kazakstanskaya pravda�, one of the oldest Russian-language editions in Kazakstan, exposed 65% of shares for tender, 35% are supposed to stay with the Ministry of Information and public consent. At the moment of exposition its circulation 33 thousand copies.
January 16
The central election commission of Kazakstan summed up the final results of the election held on January 10. 87,05% from 100% of electors partook in the voting. Nursultan Nazarbayev polled 79,78%, Serikbolsyn Abdildin - 11,7%, Gani Kasymov - 4,61%, Engels Gabbasov - 0,76%.
Almaty. The head of the RK committee for regulation of natural monopolies and competition protection announced that the tariff policy program for 1999-2003, which has been already approved by the government was elaborated within his department.
January 20
Astana saw the inauguration of RK president Nursultan Nazarbayev, who was re-elected for the second term. Heads of the neighbouring states attended the ceremony.
January 21
The Kazakstani parliament approved Nurlan Balgimbayev as the newly-appointed prime minister of the RK.
Astana. The Kazakstani peoples Assembly opened its fifth session. The main topics of the session: political situation in the country and the newly -appointed government�s cabinet.
January 22
President of Kazakstan Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a ukase on the new government. The composition of the cabinet headed by prime minister Nurlan Balgimbayev remained the same. Number of members was not changed - 14 [persons.
January 23
Newly-appointed US Ambassador Richard Jones presented his credentials to the President of Kazakstan. He passed an official message of President Bill Clinton, who assured his Kazakstani colleague in future co-operation.
January 26
General-major of the CNS Khadeyev is exposed in collaboration with foreign intelligence service. This is the most eminent exposed agent for the whole Kazakstani history. According to different sources the highly ranking official was working either for Iran or Turkey.
January 28
The Russia�s State Customs Committee started applying a simplified order of customs registration for the goods needed to ensure performance of the space complex Baikonur.
Translation - Insel C.V.