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Anti-entry Measures
// Ukraine’s suspect politicians to be denied entry to Russia
Moscow announced taking “relevant measures” in light of the Ukrainian government’s decision to prohibit Moscow’s Mayor Yury Luzhkov from entering Ukraine: Several Ukrainian politicians, who, in Russia’s view, inflict harm upon it, have been forbidden from crossing Russia’s border. Deputy Justice Minister Yevhen Korniichuk, who urged that Vladimir Putin be denied entry to Ukraine, has been the first politician to be declared persona non grata. Nonetheless, when answering Kommersant’s question whether Russia’s Foreign Office had a list of those who won’t be allowed to visit Russia, officials with the Ministry replied that they had “no black-lists.”
“Following adoption by the Ukrainian authorities of a decision barring Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov from entering the territory of Ukraine the MFA of Russia hereby reports that the Russian side has been forced to take a decision on adequate measures in respect of those Ukrainian politicians who by their actions and remarks inflict harm upon the Russian Federation,” reads yesterday’s press-release of the MFA.
In particular, Moscow denied Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Justice Yevhen Korniichuk entry to Russia. “Considering what Yevhen Korniichuk said in his public statement, we assume that he is not planning on visiting the Russian Federation,” said MFA Spokesperson Andrey Nesterenko, who, by the way, assumed office yesterday. Officials with Russia’s Foreign Ministry explained that it was Yevhen Korniichuk’s recent statement concerning Russia’s ex-President, Prime-Minister Vladimir Putin, that was the ground for the decision. In his statement, Yevhen Korniichuk urged that Mr Putin be declared persona non grata in Ukraine after he allegedly said in April that Ukraine was “no state.”
When answering Kommersant’s question whether there is a list of Ukrainian suspect politicians, whose stay in Russia can inflict harm upon it, Russian MFA Deputy Spokesman Boris Malakhov assured us that making up such lists is out of the question. “Russia has no black-lists. We oppose creating them and believe that there should be no black-lists in relations between states,” Mr Malakhov argued adding that the Russian party has been forced to undertake those measures.
It need be reminded that a similar incident between Moscow and Kiev took place last summer, as Petro Poroshenko, Verkhovna Rada MP, was forbidden from entering Russia. He was then followed by President Yushchenko’s Aid Nikolay Zhulinsky. Moscow made no secret of the fact that those measures were taken in response to the deportation of International Eurasian Movement leader Alexander Dugin from Simferopol. Mr Dugin was expelled by Ukraine’s security service for “creating prerequisites for interfering with Ukraine’s interior affairs, and committing unlawful acts that concern infringing upon state sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.”
It need be reminded that earlier the Ukrainian party denied Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Konstantin Zatoulin and Eduard Limonov entry. Officers of Ukraine’s security service said that some 20 Russian citizens were on a list of those who Kiev prohibited from crossing Ukraine’s border.
But after last year’s scandal with Head of the National Council for Culture and Spirituality under Ukraine’s President, Nikolay Zhulinsky, who was detained at Pulkovo-2 Airport without being told the reason for it, and thus was unable to visit the tomb of his relative, Ukrainian Foreign Office Chief Arseny Yatsenyuk went to Moscow. During his visit it was negotiated that there will be no black-lists in relations between Moscow and Kiev in future. This agreement has been observed. But the Russian party opines that the Ukrainian counterparts violate the agreement by prohibiting Moscow’s Mayor Yury Luzhkov from visiting Ukraine. Interestingly, after the incident Ukrainian MP, leader of the Pora party Vladislav Kaskiv could not cross Russia’s border last week.
Ukraine’s MFA refused to give any commentary over the matter.
Sergey Strokan, Valery Kalnysh; Kiev
All the Article in Russian as of May 23, 2008
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