Ukraine advisory role for Putin critic

Financial Times ^ | February 15 2005 02:00 | Arkady Ostrovsky

[jb6]

Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine's pro-western president, appointed one of Russia's leading liberal opposition figures as an adviser yesterday - a move likely to ruffle Kremlin feathers.

Boris Nemtsov, a leader of the Union of Right Forces, has been a staunch supporter of Mr Yushchenko and appeared with him during last year's Orange Revolution protests in Kiev. Note, the Union of Right Forces is not right wing, is actually the Oligarches' main party and allied itself in the last Russian elections with the Communists and the Socialists. One of its top people is Chubais who was the representative of the Oligarches in Yeltsin's cabinet and is one of the most corrupt men in the world.

His appointment highlights the strong bond between Ukraine's new government and Russia's liberals, who hope to stage a political comeback after failing to win parliamentary representation in the 2003 election.

"Yushchenko's victory in Ukraine was also a victory for Russian liberals," Mr Nemtsov told the Financial Times. However, Vladimir Putin, Russia's president, may not be happy to see one of his most outspoken critics advising the president of a neighbouring country.

The head of Russia's Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, the main industrial lobby, said during a visit to Kiev yesterday that it would not be "proper" for Mr Nemtsov to advise Mr Yushchenko on political matters.

Kirill Frolov, a Russian political analyst, said the appointment, and a recent announcement by exiled Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky that he was planning to live in Kiev, confirmed that "Orange Ukraine would become a bridgehead for Vladimir Putin's opponents".

Mr Yushchenko's spokeswoman portrayed the move as reflecting the president's interest in hearing a broad range of views. "Ukraine's new leaders are interested in every politician or representative of the business elite who can add something to developing bilateral ties to work as a goodwill ambassador," she said.

Mr Nemtsov was governor of Russia's central Nizhny Novgorod region and deputy prime minister in 1997-1998. But his Union of Right forces failed to get into parliament in 2003, leaving him on the margins of Russian politics.

Mr Nemtsov said he would not receive a salary from the Ukrainian government and would still live in Moscow. His job, he said, would be to channel Russian investment into Ukraine's economy, something Mr Putin encourages. But the Russian leader may not care for Mr Nemtsov's sales pitch.

Mr Nemtsov said: "There is a unique window of opportunity for Russian companies in Ukraine. In Russia, conditions for private business are getting worse and money is running away from the country. But instead of taking their money to Swiss banks or to Cyprus, Russian businessmen can be investing in Ukraine's economy."

[jer33 3]

http://64.233.187.104/search?q=cache:gaW_wNNmhQgJ:www.sptimes.ru/archive/times/1019/top/t_14116.htm+Union+of+Right+Forces+Soros&hl=en

"Realistically, there will not be any support until it becomes clear what will happen to Khodorkovsky," she said, referring to jailed Yukos founder Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who has been charged with fraud and tax evasion in a case widely believed to be linked to his political and business ambitions. Khodorkovsky had funded Yabloko, the Union of Right Forces and the Communist Party.

Melnikova stressed last month that her party would not accept any money from foreign donors.

Regional committees have received grants from the European Union, the philanthropist George Soros and businessman Boris Berezovsky.

[jb6]

bump

[eluminate]

I like Nemtsov I dont agree with some of the things he proposes but overall I think he is an honest guy trying to do whats best. He told Yusch that if they wanted to re-nationalize some assets that were privatized by the prior administration he should have a law pass giving specific assets that would be re-nationalize to honor the letter of the law and do everything with boundaries rather then just scrambling for them. This would insure others that they could conduct business without being under repurcussions and the investment community that it is'nt just a repossessiotion in order to give the things to his(Yush) cronies which in my mind it is.