President Inks Land Code

On November 13, President Leonid Kuchma signed the Land Code, Presidential Press Secretary Ihor Storozhuk told Interfax-Ukraine. According to him, the law will take effect as of January 1, 2002. Under the Land Code, land plots will pass into the possession of private owners. Starting with 2005 and until 2010 land plots for cultivation sold to one individual are not to exceed 100 hectares. Moreover, land may not be transferred into possession of foreign nationals, stateless individuals, foreign legal entities, and foreign countries. Although the document had his prior approval, the head of state expressed his disagreement with the moratorium on the purchase and sale of land to 2005.