From: Vladic Ravich (vravich@sorosny.org)
Date: Mon Nov 29 2004 - 13:49:19 EST
KAZAKH, KYRGYZ, UZBEK LEADERS CONGRATULATE YANUKOVYCH
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev, and
Uzbek President Islam Karimov have all congratulated Ukrainian Prime
Minister Viktor Yanukovych on his victory in the bitterly disputed 21
November presidential runoff, agencies reported. President Nazarbaev
expressed his "heartfelt congratulations," adding, "Your victory
testifies to the Ukrainian people's choice in favor of a united nation,
a democratic path of development, and economic progress," RIA-Novosti
reported on 25 November. In his congratulatory message, President Akaev
voiced the hope that Yanukovych's election would lead to broader ties
between Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported on 26
November. President Karimov's message struck a similar tone, RIA-Novosti
reported. The runoff results have sparked mass protests in Ukraine and
widespread international skepticism; the only other world leaders to
have congratulated Yanukovych are Russian President Vladimir Putin and
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. DK
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