Vitaly Portnykov, The Day
The April 24 CIS summit in Moscow climaxed in the appointment of a new CIS Executive Secretary to replace Belarus bureaucrat Ivan Korotchenia who embodied the structure’s anachronism.
The CIS Presidents agreed to replace him by Boris Berezovsky, former Deputy Executive Secretary of the Russian Security Council, a modern thriving businessman formally nominated by Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and seconded by Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the rest of the summit participants.
That Berezovsky was nominated by Mr. Kuchma was received with special interest in Moscow. Here it was regarded as an important Ukrainian foreign policy initiative and additional evidence of the Russian business and political support the Ukrainian President will receive in his 1999 campaign. Moscow sources point to numerous off-the-record meetings between Messrs. Kuchma, Horbulin, and Berezovsky. It is generally alleged that the dubious financial-industrial group associated with Mr. Berezovsky will play a crucial role in privatizing Ukraine’s key industries.
Reuters Photo:
Boris Yeltsin: “Many people were surprised that Boris Berezovsky was named to the post of Executive Director at the suggestion of Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma...”
