Yanukovich Announces Moscow Visit, Postpones Nato Accession.

Viktor Yanukovich, the newly appointed prime minister, announced he would visit Moscow next week, from Aug. 15-17, where he said he would he discuss a wide range of issues including plans for the Common Economic Area (a four-country trading bloc including Belarus and Kazakhstan) and gas supplies. Meanwhile Yanukovich’s press service issued a statement saying the government would “postpone” applying to start Nato accession for a period during which the foreign ministry would be tasked with informing the population about the alliance. Tom Warner: On Yanukovich’s first visit, he and Vladimir Putin’s administration will be mainly getting acquainted with each other’s positions, but they will also use the opportunity to stress the warmth of their relationship by announcing (probably vague) plans to cooperate on trade and gas. The announcement on Nato was no surprise: President Yushchenko’s hope of getting an invitation to start Nato accession in November would have been slim even with an Orange government. Yanukovich’s delicate compromise avoids offending Russia and his pro-Russian electorate, who understood from his carefully worded statement that he opposes Nato accession, while allowing Yushchenko and the presidentially appointed foreign and defense ministers to continue to promote Nato accession.