UKRAINIAN PREMIER CONCERNED ABOUT GAZPROM BYPASS PLAN. Viktor Yushchenko has expressed concern over Gazprom's project to build a gas pipeline bypassing Ukrainian territory (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 24 October 2000), Reuters reported on 24 October. "We are confident that Russia must be interested in the existing [gas transport] system, and we have proposed strong arguments to Russia to maintain this system," the agency quoted him as saying. Yushchenko said that Ukraine's gas transport system is used only to some 70 percent of its capacity, adding that "we can easily boost its capacity by 60 billion cubic meters with a small investment." Yushchenko said Kiev is planning to launch "intensive and delicate" talks with Moscow shortly but gave no further details. JM

BANNED NEWSPAPER RESUMES PUBLICATION IN UKRAINE. The Kyivbased newspaper "Silski visti" has resumed publication after it was closed for failing to pay taxes (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 October 2000). The newspaper announced on the first page of its 21 October issue that "the 18-day blockade has finally been broken" owing to "widespread public protests, protests by other journalists, and the efforts of people's deputies who supported it," the "Eastern Economist Daily" reported on 25 October. JM

POLISH PRESIDENT SUGGESTS 'COMPROMISE' OVER BYPASS PIPELINE SCHEME... Aleksander Kwasniewski said on 24 October that Poland could agree to a Russian pipeline project to bypass Ukraine provided that Kyiv shared in the plan's economic benefits, Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 24 October 2000). Kwasniewski added that Ukraine would not necessarily have to be involved in the project "geographically." "It can be involved in the economic sense as well, in some concept of a joint venture or a common company. I think this is a very clever compromise," the agency quoted Kwasniewski as saying. JM