EGP declines vs. USD at Thursday's close    Euro area inflation rises to 2.0% in October '24 – flash estimates    IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE WHO SMOKES, GIVE THEM THE FACTS    Asian stocks slide as chip sector weakens    Egypt's Minister of Environment highlights biodiversity issues at COP16    Egypt's Agriculture Minister meets Syrian, Bahraini counterparts to boost cooperation in Amman    Al-Qassam Brigades targets Israeli vehicles in eastern Gaza    ACUD, DP World, and GAFI sign MoU to develop free zone in New Capital    Egyptian government encourages increased mutual investment with Bahrain: Finance Minister    A Tale of Two Cities: Alexandria hosts 2nd edition of exhibition celebrating Greek, Egyptian cultural ties    Egypt, Djibouti leaders discuss strengthening ties, regional issues    Egypt's FM affirms commitment to Sahel security, offers support to Niger    Egyptian banking sector support underprivileged communities in Alexandria – CBE    Afghanistan signs $163m deal for cement plant    US tightens tech investment rules for China    Biden unveils $3b investment to strengthen US port infrastructure    Military Production, Environment Ministers inaugurate banana fiber recycling plant    Luxor Museum to host exhibition on 19th century antiquities inspection tours    Nourhan Kamal Wins 2024 Helmi Sharawy Award for African Studies    Egypt observes Intl. E-waste Day, highlights recycling efforts    Egypt's military capabilities sufficient to defend country: Al-Sisi    Al-Sisi emphasises water security is Egypt's top priority amid Nile River concerns    Cairo Opera House hosts grand opening of Arab Music Festival, Conference    Grand Egyptian Museum ready for partial trial run on October 16: PM    Colombia unveils $40b investment plan for climate transition    Kabaddi: Ancient Indian sport gaining popularity in Egypt    Ecuador's drought forces further power cuts    Al-Sisi orders sports system overhaul after Paris Olympics    Basketball Africa League Future Pros returns for 2nd season    Egypt joins Africa's FEDA    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Paris Olympics opening draws record viewers    Who leads the economic portfolios in Egypt's new Cabinet?    Financial literacy becomes extremely important – EGX official    Motaz Azaiza mural in Manchester tribute to Palestinian journalists    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Ukraine police give protesters deadline, ministers urge calm
Published in Ahram Online on 05 - 12 - 2013

Ukrainian police on Thursday gave demonstrators five days to leave public buildings they have occupied in protest against a government policy lurch back towards Russia, as ministers at a European security conference urged a peaceful end to the confrontation.
Prime Minister Mykola Azarov defended his government's handling of the crisis since Kiev walked away from a trade deal with the European Union, and clashed with Germany's foreign minister over charges that police had used excessive force against the protesters.
"Nazis, extremists and criminals cannot be, in any way, our partners in 'eurointegration'," the government website quoted Azarov as telling Germany's Guido Westerwelle, referring to protesters who have blockaded the main government offices and occupied other public buildings.
Westerwelle, who is in Kiev for a foreign ministers' meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), expressed concern about police behaviour at the protests last weekend.
"Recent events, in particular the violence against peaceful demonstrators last Saturday in Kiev worry me greatly," said Westerwelle, who visited the main protest centre on Kiev's Independence Square on Wednesday.
"Ukraine has a responsibility to protect peaceful demonstrators from any kind of intimidation and violence. The way Ukraine responds to the pro-European rallies is a yardstick for how seriously Ukraine takes the shared values of the OSCE," he added, echoing comments of other ministers at the meeting.
The crisis has again exposed a tug-of-war in Ukraine, which has oscillated between the EU and its former masters in Moscow since the Orange Revolution nine years ago overturned the post-Soviet political order.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, however, accused some of his European counterparts of over-reacting to President Viktor Yanukovich's abrupt decision last month to pursue closer trade relations with Moscow.
"This situation is linked with the hysteria that some Europeans have raised over Ukraine which, using its sovereign right, decided at the current moment not to sign any agreement which Ukrainian experts and authorities considered disadvantageous," Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted Lavrov as saying on the sidelines of the OSCE meeting.
ECONOMIC TOLL
The stand-off between pro-EU protesters and the government, is taking a toll on Ukraine's fragile economy. The central bank has twice been forced to support the currency this week and the cost of insuring the country's debt against default has risen further.
But Yanukovich, who is visiting Beijing, suggested some relief could be on the way, signing documents for deals with China on agriculture, infrastructure improvement and energy.
"We have not yet calculated what the equivalent in money will be," he was reported as saying by Interfax news agency. "But earlier we reckoned that we are talking about approximately $8 billion of investment into the economy."
China supported Yanukovich's right to decide the direction of trade policy.
"Ukraine, domestically, is in flux," vice minister of foreign affairs Cheng Guoping told reporters. "The Chinese government respects Ukraine's internal choice ... the Ukrainian government has the ability to, within the scope of the law, safeguard Ukraine's stability in this situation," said Cheng.
Ukraine faces huge problems in financing its current account deficit, with outside funding needs estimated at $17 billion next year to meet debt repayments and the cost of imported natural gas. Severely depleted central bank reserves are also putting Ukraine at risk of a balance-of-payments crunch.
One analyst, Timothy Ash of Standard Bank, doubted such long-term investment commitments would help an immediate cash shortage. "Ukraine needs short term cash/financing, and likely of the order of USD10-15bn at this stage in up-front cash to make a difference," he said.
STRATEGIC "PAUSE"
The street protests were triggered by Yanukovich's government abruptly announcing on Nov. 21 that it was suspending preparations for signing an association and trade pact with the EU after years of careful negotiations and reviving trade ties instead with Russia.
The Kiev government says it has not walked away from a deal with Europe, but is taking a strategic "pause" while it seeks to negotiate a new "roadmap" with Russia to help it patch up its economy.
Azarov's deputy, Serhiy Arbuzov, who is preparing to head Ukraine's first high-level delegation to Brussels soon to repair some of the political damage, suggested the government might be ready to consider one of the opposition's demands - early parliamentary elections.
But there has been no suggestion from Azarov that he is ready to go along with this idea.
In his comments to Westerwelle, at a face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the OSCE meeting, he spoke only of not giving in to "extremist" views from the streets.
On the eve of the OSCE meeting, Westerwelle visited Independence Square - focal point of the protest - with two Ukrainian opposition leaders, former economy minister Arseny Yatsenyuk and Vitaly Klitschko, a heavyweight boxing world champion.
About 3,000 demonstrators, evoking memories of the 2004-5 "Orange Revolution", have set up an encampment there, huddling round blazing braziers, swapping anecdotes about the events of the day and following news developments on a huge TV screen.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in neighbouring Moldova after skipping a visit to Ukraine, said Ukrainians should be free to choose their future.
"This is about building the bridges of opportunity and defining the future of your own hopes and aspirations," he said. "To the people of Ukraine we say the same thing - you too deserve the opportunity to choose your own future."
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/88378.aspx


Clic here to read the story from its source.