Kwasniewski talks with Ukrainian President Kuczma in Kazimierz Dolny

Despite criticism of Ukraine's President Leonid Kuczma for his methods used in dealing with his domestic opposition, Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski met with him yesterday in the resort town Kazimierz Dolny, and stressed that the gains of strategic partnership already achieved between the two countries should not be lost. Some Ukrainian as well as Polish politicians had called on Kwasniewski to delay the meeting due to the serious internal conflict currently rocking Ukraine. Kuczma is accused of ordering the murder of journalist Georgiy Gongadze, while demonstrations inspired by the Front for National Rescue (FNR) have demanded his resignation. Kwasniewski, who described their talks as long and very sincere, asked Kuczma to negotiate with the opposition and to avoid use of force. The Ukrainian president, however, blamed FNR for the crisis and said that the demonstrators must stop insisting on his resignation. (Rzeczpospolita, pp.1,4) M.K.