va Ukrayina/Working Ukraine [Viktor PINCHUK, chairman];
Ukrainian Popular Movement or Rukh K [Yuriy KOSTENKO, chairman]; Unity
[Oleksandr OMELCHENKO]; Working Ukraine/Labort Ukraine [Serhiy TYHYPKO];
Yabluko [BRODSKY] note: and numerous smaller parties

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MONUC, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer),
OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMEE,
UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOP, UNMOT, UNMOVIC, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer), ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Konstantin Ivanovych HRYSHCHENKO FAX: [1]
Chicago and New York telephone:
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador
Carlos PASCUAL embassy: 10 Yurii Kotsiubynskyi Street, Kiev 01901 mailing
address: use embassy street address telephone: [380] (44) 490-4000 FAX:
[380] (44) 244-7350

Flag description: two equal horizontal bands of azure (top) and golden
yellow represent grainfields under a blue sky

Economy Ukraine

Economy - overview: After Russia, the Ukrainian republic was far and
away the most important economic component of the former Soviet Union,
producing about four times the output of the next-ranking republic. Its
fertile black soil generated more than one-fourth of Soviet agricultural
output, and its farms provided substantial quantities of meat, milk,
grain, and vegetables to other republics. Likewise, its diversified heavy
industry supplied the unique equipment (for example, large diameter pipes)
and raw materials to industrial and mining sites (vertical drilling
apparatus) in other regions of the former USSR. Ukraine depends on
imports of energy, especially natural gas, to meet some 85% of its
annual energy requirements. Shortly after independence in late 1991,
the Ukrainian Government liberalized most prices and erected a legal
framework for privatization, but widespread resistance to reform within
the government and the legislature soon stalled reform efforts and led to
some backtracking. Output by 1999 had fallen to less than 40% the 1991
level. Loose monetary policies pushed inflation to hyperinflationary
levels in late 1993. Ukraine's dependence on Russia for energy
supplies and the lack of significant structural reform have made