With the kind permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, InfoUkes Inc. has been given rights to electronically re-print these articles on our web site. Visit the RFE/RL Ukrainian Service page for more information. Also visit the RFE/RL home page for news stories on other Eastern European and FSU countries.

UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT DISMISSES AMBASSADOR OVER TURKMEN ROW. President Viktor Yushchenko has dismissed Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria Volodymyr Yelchenko, Ukrainian media reported on January 23, quoting Presidential Secretarial deputy head Oleksandr Chalyy. Chalyy said the dismissal was caused by Yelchenko's decision to issue entry visas for two Turkmen opposition leaders, Khudaiberdy Orazov and Nurmukhammed Khanamov. Chalyy noted that the two Turkmen politicians visited Kyiv in December, following an invitation from Ukrainian Transport Minister Mykola Rudkovskyy. According to Chalyy, Yushchenko has asked Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych to consider the possibility of dismissing Rudkovskyy, charging that the latter "grossly interfered with the activity of Ukraine's missions abroad and incited diplomats to actions that violate internal instructions and Ukraine's legislation." "[Rudkovskyy's action] endangered Ukraine's coordinated course in foreign policy," Chalyy added. Rudkovskyy said during a news conference in Kyiv on January 22 that linking him to the visit of the two Turkmen opposition leaders in December is part of a "planned" effort to discredit him. JM