From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Fri Jan 12 2001 - 10:42:50 EST
UKRAINE ADVISES GEORGIA AGAINST 'ZERO OPTION'
Georgian parliament deputy Koba Davitashvili told journalists in
Tbilisi on 11 January that the Ukrainian government has urged
the Georgian parliament not to ratify the so-called "zero
option," whereby Georgia will forfeit any claim to a share of
the assets of the former USSR in return for the restructuring
of its $179 million debt to Russia, Caucasus Press reported.
Ukraine and Georgia are the only two former Soviet republics
that have not yet formally abjured any claim to the assets of
the former USSR. Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze has
argued in favor of the "zero option," noting that
ratification of it is a key condition for disbursement of a
new IMF loan. Davitashvili argued that Georgia's share of
the Soviet assets, which is estimated at between $2.5-5
billion, is enough to pay off not only its debts to Moscow
but the entire state debt, which he said totals $1.4 billion.
Davitashvili also argued on 11 January that whoever is found to be responsible
for the disappearance from the state chancellery of a
Georgian-Russian document initialed in 1993 detailing
Georgia's share of the assets and liabilities of the former
USSR should be brought to trial for espionage or criminal
negligence, Caucasus Press reported. Georgian National
Security Minister Vakhtang Kutateladze said that his ministry
is trying to trace the document which, he added, vanished
"several years ago." LF
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