Ukrainiana

HATO — HІ!
Regionalist’s Digest

Translated from Ukrainian, “НАTO — HI!” means “NATO NO!” Tricky character encoding, isn’t it?

Once discovered by the local punditry, the false friend became joke fodder online and on talk shows. In fact, no other cross-linguistic trap can better convey the Party of Regions’ yo-yoing on NATO, as it has evolved from the “hi!” of 2003/04 to the “ні!” of 2005/08.

Welcome to the latest edition of Regionalist’s Digest.


Viktor Yanukovych met with the US President

01.04.2008, 15:58

On April 1 the Party of Regions Leader Viktor Yanukovych met with the US President George Bush.

Ukraine’s European and Euro-Atlantic integration issues were discussed during the meeting. "The Party of Regions supports Euro-integration direction of Ukraine’s development", Viktor Yanukovych mentioned.

As for NATO, the Party of Regions Leader stressed out that Ukraine lacks a unified opinion on this issue. The results of sociological polls testify that the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians are opposed to NATO’s accession.

"Ukraine’s entry into NATO will be possible only after a referendum on this issue in Ukraine", Viktor Yanukovych mentioned, "politicians are not entitled to solve this matter without taking into account the public opinion".

http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/eng/pr-east-west/47f231787f9c6/


Viktor Yanukovych gave an interview to "Kyiv telegraph" newspaper

The Party of Regions Leader Viktor Yanukovych gave an interview to "Kyiv telegraph" newspaper. A broad range of questions was addressed during the interview: the internal political situation in the country and Ukraine’s NATO ambitions, pre-term elections in Kyiv and relations among the branches of power, staff policy and economic challenges of Ukraine, etc.

Answering journalists’ questions concerning the 100 days of the present government performance, Viktor Yanukovych outlined: "The main mistake of the Yulia Tymoshenko government is ineffective economy. They conceal their inability to work efficiently in this sphere with lies and populism. They divert the public attention from the problems which occur in the country and are generated by this government through creating artificial conflicts. The examples are abundant: rise in prices, problems with gas, oil, and oil products. Consequences of these artificial crises are increase of inflation and decline of people’s living standard".

http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/eng/pr-east-west/4559abe3c46ab/


Iryna Akimova: The Tymoshenko government is unable to manage price growth

08.04.2008, 17:59

“The Tymoshenko government continues to set new inflation records”, Minister of Economy of the Opposition government, the Party of Regions People’s Deputy Iryna Akimova noted in her comment to the Party of Regions press-service. “Statistical indices show it explicitly. Within March of 2008 consumer prices in Ukraine grew by 3.8% as compared to February. It is the highest monthly inflation rate since January of 2000”. She also informed:

- Since the beginning of this year inflation has amounted to 9.7%. Thus, price advance in the first quarter of 2008 exceeded the government’s annual prognosis of 9.6%.

Moreover, in March of 2008 the 12-month inflation accelerated to 26.2% as compared to 16.6% early in the year.

http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/eng/pr-east-west/47fb883bbceee/


Vasiliy Khara: The Tymoshenko government is a direct threat to the Ukrainian economy

08.04.2008, 13:50

The People’s Deputy, the Party of Regions parliamentary faction member Vasiliy Khara’s comment on the present Cabinet performance.

- For the time being all Ukrainians on the one hand witness and on the other become hostages of recurring crises of 2005 due to unprofessional actions of the Tymoshenko government, Vasiliy Khara mentioned.

Prices on primary necessities have grown by 20-25%, on medicine - by 30%. Energy resources prices have spurred, and petrol and diesel fuel prices have almost reached the European level. Inflation for the first quarter is already at a rate of the annual limit - 10%.

The key reason of such state of affairs is unstable economy. Production growth has decreased, the GDP indices have fallen. Insufficiently considered payments of the Savings bank lost deposits did not increase the welfare level of people indeed, but, vice versa, triggered inflation.

http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/eng/pr-east-west/47fb4df6c2626/


Hanna Herman: The people rather than some large and great states should determine Ukraine’s fate and place in the world

02.04.2008, 14:59

During a briefing concerning the protest actions against Ukraine’s drawing into NATO at the Alliance summit in Bucharest, the People’s Deputy, the Party of Regions parliamentary faction Vice-Chairperson Hanna Herman informed that a key slogan of anti-NATO meetings, initiated by the Party of Regions members, that will take place on April 3, will be: ‘Nothing about us without us!’

‘It is high time our fate, the fate of the Ukrainian people was not determined by someone, by some great states. And, by the way, the Bucharest summit results may put an end to the era when the great states, the mighty of this world, defined fate of smaller states. ‘Nothing about us without us!’ is our key slogan for tomorrow’, the People’s Deputy stated.

Hanna Herman outlined that the people rather than the large and great states should determine Ukraine’s fate and place in the world. It is the Party of Regions’ position.

‘It is very important for us that by April 4, when Ukraine’s fate will be decided, the world and the global leaders gathering in Bucharest have heard the Ukrainian people’s opinion. We believe that the opposition’s voice, that sounded during the preparation period to the Bucharest summit, was heard by the global leaders. And today the position of France and Germany testifies that this voice had been heard.

http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/eng/pr-east-west/47f3753005658/

Photos courtesy of:
http://www.partyofregions.org.ua/eng/pr-east-west/47f231787f9c6/
http://ua.glavred.info/archive/2008/02/12/150846-3.html