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Kiev Accuses Moscow of Meddling
Russian-Ukrainian relations have heated up again after Interfax information agency, citing informed sources in Moscow, published a list yesterday of Ukrainian politicians and businessmen who will be banned from entering Russia. That information has not been officially confirmed. Vyacheslav Kirilenko, leader of the pro-presidential Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense bloc and one of the politicians blacklisted, said the list was an attempt by Moscow to give support to the “pro-Kremlin majority” in the Ukrainian Supreme Rada.
Other political figures on the list include chairman of the Rada Foreign Affairs Committee Oleg Belorus and two members of the Committee of Culture and Spirituality – Our Ukraine – People’s Self-Defense member Petr Yushchenko and Yulia Tymoshenko Bloc member Vladimir Yavorivsky. In addition, head of the Ukrainian Security Service working group Vladimir Vyatrovich, head of the administration of Kiev Region Vera Ulyanchenko, head of the Kharkov Region administration Arsen Avakov and chairman of the Ukrspetseksport state company Sergey Bondarchuk will also be personae non gratae in Russia. Interfax said that a number of Ukrainian businessmen have been blacklisted, but did not identify them by name.
Ukraine has already banned a number of Russians from entering that country. State Duma member Sergey Markov was turned away at the Ukrainian border at the beginning of the month. The Russian Foreign Ministry claims that deputy speaker of the Duma Alexander Babakov, deputy chairman of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Konstantin Zatulin and Duma member Viktor Vodolatsky are also banned from Ukraine. Marina Ostapenko, head of the Ukrainian Security Service, told Kommersant that the “The FSB has not officially informed us of anything” concerning the Russian blacklist. She said of the Ukrainian list that “Our practice is to ban foreigners from entering the country individually. The basis for such a decision can only be a violation of Ukrainian legislation.” Another source in Ukrainian Security Service noted that Russia is not obliged to inform the agency when it bans person from entering the country.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 16, 2008
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Photo: Dmitry Azarov
