Energy Sectors Are Stable, Say Kuchma and Putin

An informal CIS summit was held March 1 at the Chimbulak downhill ski base near Almaty. Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev hosted ten of his counterparts. The only missing one was President Geydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan, who had recently undergone an operation. For the first time in the past few years (perhaps considering the importance of terrorism), this kind of summit was attended by President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan.

The presidents informally discussed the impact of the antiterrorist operation in Afghanistan on the current situation in the CIS, the prospects of controlling drug trafficking, cooperation in the fuel and energy field, and migration processes in the CIS.

The summit opening was late 25 minutes due to the Russian president’s delay, Interfax reports. While waiting for Vladimir Putin, who came 16 minutes late, President Leonid Kuchma of Ukraine talked to Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.

Messrs. Kuchma and Putin reportedly discussed the coming Ukrainian elections. But the main item on the agenda of the CIS giants was eye-to-eye talks on cooperation in the field of energy. “The energy situation is developing well, although expert-level fights are still going on,” Interfax-Ukraine quotes Mr. Putin as saying. Agreeing to this, Mr. Kuchma noted the situation was stable throughout last year. In his opinion, it is now time to contemplate new prospects for supplying energy resources to the West. On his part, Interfax-Ukraine reports, Mr. Putin pointed out that, to do so, we must first intensify cooperation with Moldova: “This will allow a 20% electricity price cut. The main thing is that our decisions could lead to a drastic lowering of prices for ordinary people.” The president of Ukraine also met his Moldovan counterpart Vladimir Voronin and reiterated to him that Ukraine is interested in the soonest possible settlement of the Transnistria problem within the framework of the existing international mechanisms, with the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Moldova remaining intact.

The heads of state also relished an assorted cultural and sporting program, including skiing, skating (with Belarusian President Aliaksandr Lukashenka being a professional in this sport), and bowling.