From: trh@jack.sns.com (Al Trh)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.turkish
Subject: Crimea, Abkhazia, Tajikistan etc. news
Date: 8 Oct 1992 22:40:48 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: Turkish Cultural Program List <TRKNWS-L%USCVM.BitNet@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

                  RFE/RL Daily Report

                                     No. 194, 8 October 1992

                SUCCESSOR STATES TO THE USSR

     GEORGIA  ACCUSES  RUSSIA  OF  SUPPLYING  ABKHAZ  FORCES.
Georgian reinforcements were  sent to Sukhumi on 7 October in
anticipation  of  an  attack  by  Abkhaz  forces.    Georgian
security officials charged  that  Russia had begun airlifting
military equipment out  of  Georgia  from a military airfield
near Kutaisi, and  was  sending  ultra-modern  T-72  and T-80
tanks to the  Abkhaz,  Western  agencies  reported.   Russian
Defense Minister Pavel  Grachev  told Interfax that the tanks
originated  from "another  state  located  to  the  north  of
Abkhazia";   a  Ukrainian   spokesman   denied   involvement.
President Yeltsin telephoned  Georgian State Council Chairman
Eduard Shevardnadze on  7  October;  their  conversation  was
described  by  ITAR-TASS  as  "extremely  sharp  and  frank."
Georgian  First  Deputy  Foreign  Minister  Tedo  Dzhaparidze
submitted a formal  request  to  the  UN  Security Council to
address the Abkhaz crisis. (Liz Fuller, RFE/RL, Inc.)

     SHAPOSHNIKOV ON DEFENSE  MINISTERS'  MEETING AT BISHKEK.
According to an  Interfax  report of 7 October, CIS Commander
in Chief Shaposhnikov  is  pleased  with  the  results of the
meeting  of  the  CIS  defense  ministers  held  in  Bishkek.
Shaposhnikov reported that  two  draft  agreements  had  been
prepared,  one  creating   a  "doctrine  for  the  collective
security of the  CIS  states"  and the other reorganizing the
CIS command structure.   No agreement has yet been reached on
the control of  nuclear  weapons, however, and the issue will
be referred to  the heads of state for discussion.  According
to  an  article   in   Nezavisimaya   Gazeta  on  October  8,
Shaposhnikov says he  is prepared to immediately transfer all
nuclear launch codes  to  the Russian Defense Ministry if the
other CIS nuclear  states  agree.   (John Lepingwell, RFE/RL,
Inc.)

     UKRAINE BALKS ON  CIS  NUCLEAR  ARMS  ACCORD.  Ukrainian
negotiators at the  preparatory meeting for the 9 October CIS
summit in Bishkek,  Kirgyzstan  have  balked at the proposals
for creating a  framework of common agencies to be in control
of the CIS strategic nuclear forces.   Interfax reported on 7
October that this  means the proposal for pooling the nuclear
arsenal of the  former  USSR  will have to be taken up by the
CIS  presidents.    Last  month  Ukrainian  President  Leonid
Kravchuk rejected a  call  for increased Russian control over
nuclear weapons.  (Doug Clarke, RFE/RL, Inc.)
     CIS  DELEGATION LEAVES  TAJIKISTAN.    A  delegation  of
representatives of the  presidents  of  Armenia,  Kazakhstan,
Russia, and Uzbekistan  headed  by  Kyrgyzstan Vice President
Feliks  Kulov  left  Tajikistan  on  8  October,  Khovar-TASS
reported.   The delegation  had  two  days of intensive talks
with  the  republic's  leadership,  political  parties,  army
commanders, the Muslim  kadi,  and  then visited Kurgan-Tyube
and Kulyab.   Kulov  said  that  all  sides had agreed to the
introduction of peace-keeping  forces, and the results of the
visit would be  presented to the CIS summit in Bishkek.  (Ann
Sheehy, RFE/RL, Inc.)

     TENSION IN THE  CRIMEA.   Ukraine  has deployed National
Guard units in  the  Crimea in response to the rising tension
there  between the  Crimean  Tatars  and  local  authorities,
Ukrinform-TASS  reported  on   7   October.    Crimean  Tatar
demonstrators attempted to  storm  the parliamentary building
in Simferopol.  According to the report, those taking part in
the attack were  armed.   In  the meantime, the Crimean Tatar
Mejlis has called  for  a  "mobilization  of  all forces" and
ordered all Crimean  Tatars  serving  outside the republic to
return  to the  Crimea  and  join  self-defense  units.   The
conflict, which stems  from  the destruction of Crimean Tatar
homes on the territory of a local state farm, is scheduled to
be discussed by  the Crimean parliament on 8 October.  (Roman
Solchanyk, RFE/RL, Inc.)

     AZERBAIJAN   NATIONAL   COUNCIL    VOTES   AGAINST   CIS
MEMBERSHIP.    Azerbaijan's  National   Council,   which   is
functioning as the country's supreme legislative body pending
new parliamentary elections,  voted  on 7 October by 43 votes
to one against  membership  of the CIS, the Turan news agency
reported.   Former President  Ayaz  Mutalibov  had signed the
Alma-Ata  agreement in  December,  1991,  but  it  was  never
ratified by the  Azerbaijani  parliament.    Azerbaijan  will
nonetheless send an  observer  to  the  Bishkek summit.  (Liz
Fuller, RFE/RL, Inc.)
Xref: sparky soc.culture.turkish:10621 talk.politics.mideast:21089 talk.politics.soviet:8429 soc.culture.greek:9696 soc.culture.europe:8928 soc.history:8958 soc.culture.bosna-herzgvna:325