On April 20^th the Chairman of the Mejlis* Mustafa Dzhemilev met with the First Secretary of US Embassy in Ukraine, Robert Paterson and the Second Secretary of US Embassy in Ukraine on political issues Douglas Metyu. Themes of discussion were: Situation in Crimea in the light of the upcoming activities of Crimean Tatars on May 18th, related to 55^th Anniversary of deportation of the Crimean Tatar people from Crimea; Situation in Kosovo; OSCE activity in Ukraine and some other questions.

On 21^st of April, OSCE’s High Commissioner, Max Van der Stoel had meeting in Kiev with Mustafa Dzhemilev, Refat Chubarov (Deputy of the Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People). The Head of the OSCE mission to Ukraine, Magi Charles attended this meeting as well.

Mr.Max Van der Stoel expressed his certitude that Speaker of the Crimean Parliament L. Grach** will not be the one who will define the state’s policy concerning Crimean Tatars, and recommended to co-operate closer on this issue with President’s Administration of Ukraine. He also acknowledged his understanding on the tasks and aims of the Crimean Tatar’s civil actions for protection of their rights, planing on 18^th of May. And he advised not to overdo , not to step-out of boundaries, not to let peaceful-intended actions become violent. "You know my views on the Crimean Tatar problem –said Mr.Max Van der Stoel - and you can be confident on my permanent readiness to do, what one can to help". He also noted with regret, that despite his efforts, articles that Crimean Tatar people so desperately needs, were not included in New Constitution .But, he said, he hopes that these problems could be solved by the separate laws or resolutions of the Verchovnaya Rada of Ukraine (Ukrainian Parliament)*** and the President of Ukraine.

26^th of April. A meeting of Headquarters’ stuff that is coordinating activities on May 18^th took place in Mejlis. Discussed themes were: Readiness in various regions, plans and the routes of march, leading to Simferopol. Also discussed were the texts of future thesis’s and resolutions, which will be brought out in the demonstration on 18^th of May.

28-29^th of April, the Commission on the Deported Peoples of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, worked in Simferopol. It was related to upcoming of the 55^th Anniversary of the tragic events of deportation. The guests visited Bakhchisaray region as well, visited the places of compact settlement of Crimean Tatars, met with representatives of NGOs, familiarized with the Ismail Gasprinskiy Crimean Tatars’ national library and Ethnographic Museum. At the press-conference, which was organized later, talks were about helping to settle for deported people. It was expressed, that the government of country deeply understands the Crimean Tatars’ problems and will do all possible for the quick solution.

The President of Ukraine signed the Decree "On Measures to the Commemoration of the Victims of Deportation from Crimea", according to which, appropriate measures will be held in the peninsula on May 1999. The Organizational Committee for preparing and leading of these measures has been created. The Committee is headed by V. Smoliy, vice-president of organization.

The Agreement between Ukraine and Uzbekistan, dated back in September 5^th ,1998 - "On Simplified Procedure of Citizenship for Deported Persons, their children and grandchildren", is active now and till 31^st of December 1999. What kind of problems encounter Crimean Tatars, residing in Uzbekistan?

Some official authorities of Uzbekistan are flatly refusing publish the information and explanations of "simplified procedure" of the leaving the Uzbekistan’s citizenship, instead advising ours compatriots to "visit more frequently passport departments in places of residence". Adding, that this agreement fitted more Tatars, citizens of Uzbekistan living in Crimea, and this law was designed specially on their occasion. Such situation with the citizenship in Uzbekistan can destroy all positive importance of the Agreement.

However, the number of cases of Crimean Tatars leaving Uzbekistan, is on the rise. According to the data of the Consulate Department of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Ukraine, more then 250.000 Crimean Tatars became citizens of Ukraine. There is no explanatory information on citizenship for deported peoples (sample of the questionnaires and etc.) in the places of compact settlement of Crimean Tatars in Uzbekistan. One can not obtain freely the questionnaires on "abdication of the Uzbekistan citizenship". Plus, Crimean Tatars, who are leaving Uzbekistan’s citizenship are being told that: "You can not sell your property now, because you are foreigners now", artificially creating confusion among the Crimean Tatars. Crimean Tatars in Uzbekistan, who became the citizens of Ukraine according to the Agreement’s conditions and have the status of foreigners, permanently living on its territory, automatically loosing their-own savings in banks and state insurance’s. From beginning of April, notary offices in Uzbekistan are refusing notarize applications of people decided to leave, and abdicate Uzbekistan’s citizenship, - saying that order comes from higher institutions.

Our comments. Uzbekistan – one of the former Soviet Republics, where most of Crimean Tatars had been deported to. After disintegration of the USSR , lots of new problems added to what already was there. One of them, changing your citizenship. Particularly abdicating one from Uzbekistan and obtaining the Ukrainian by Crimean Tatars returning to the Motherland. This new agreement was thought to ease the problem. But, as we see, state bodies of Uzbekistan, ignoring all and creating more difficulties, hindering on obtaining the new citizenship by the Crimean Tatars.

The attempt of the creation under the Verchovnaya Rada of Crimea (Crimean Parliament)* so-called "The Council of Aksakals (Elders)" created negative reaction of the members from NGO of Crimean Tatar Elders, "Namus". Members condemned actions of some of the compatriots, who are behaving against the will and aspiration of the Crimean Tatar people, and serving by that to the same party **, which in 1944 and after, was the source of crimes against Crimean Tatars and many other nations. "The Council of Aksakals" under "the red" parliament*** - it is the next political trick, which directed in another attempt to split masses among the Crimean Tatars. "The local authority and communists will do anything, including shameless use of Puppet "Council of Aksakals (Elders)" – said members of "Namus". NGO of Crimean Tatar Elders urging not to buy actions of leadership of the Autonomy and their accomplices, aimed against the will of our people.

13 years ago on night of April 26, 1986 - Chernobyl made its name, consuming 32 people in fire. The meeting was held in Simferopol, dedicated to this date.

Body-count had not been stopped yet. Only in city of Simferopol, during last 13 years, more then 70 people that took part in cleaning of the consequences of the catastrophe, had died from radiation related diseases. According to official data total number on liquidators is - 200.000 people, and 10.000 of them reside in Crimea today.

On 22^nd of April, took place an opening of the Crimean Ethnographic Museum. The Crimean Ethnographic Museum is the branch of the Crimean Republican Museum of Local Lore, History, and Economy and has been created in 1993. Since then, Museum’s staff kept active research and collection work with nations-cultural organizations of Autonomy. They are traveled more then 100 Crimean villages looking for exhibits, reaching far out of Crimean boarders. Crimean Tatar’s, Greek’s, Armenian’s, Krymchak’s, Bulgarian’s, and Karaime’s cultures were presented at the exhibition called -"The Mosaic of Cultures in Crimea".

The Crimean budget for this year called "teacher’s budget", due to large portions of it dedicated just for the cause. However the implementation of the budget is raising big doubts from the teachers contingent. In their opinion, if education system would not obtain the money this time, nothing will ever save the situation.

908 is the number of Crimean Tatar children who can not attend the schools, 60 schools were on strike this year, 12.000 kids did not accomplish their full course studies this year due to strikes. 60% of the Crimean schools are country schools. In most of them teachers had not received the salary for 7 months period and more. 5.000 of children are learning in boarding schools, 1200 out of them are orphans. The financing reaching only to 41% out of planned.

The speed of the construction of the natural gas pipeline Dzhankoy-Feodosia-Kerch reached 2 kilometers per day. If everything goes as planned, it is possible that delivery of the first line of the gas pipeline to city of Feodosia will happen at the end of August, 1999, and the second line ,city of Kerch – at the end of October,1999. Full extension of the line is 250km, the cost of the project is more then $100,000,000.00 US dollars.

In Crimea this constructions called "the construction of the century", because its role for economy and for 1.000.000 people of the Eastern Crimea is really hard to overrate. This problem with heating should be solved by the construction of the pipeline. Also, supplying East of Crimea with natural gas, will stimulate development of the industry, agriculture, and health resort’s in the area. This is why progress of the construction is closely monitored by the government of Crimea and Ukraine, and by President of Ukraine personally.

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine accepted the Decree, according to which beginning from 1^st of May, Crimea will receive 292.000 kilowatts of electric energy per month instead present 590.000 kwtts! City of Simferopol – accordingly, will receive 29.000 out of 112.000. Such absurd reduction is motivated by non-payment of electric bills in the past. All this happens despite of existing Decree of the President of Ukraine, according to which, it is prohibited to cut off the electricity from population.

Ukrainian businessmen, who are the clients of the eight working business centers on the project of assistance for businesses operating in Ukraine, under project of International Financial Corporation, received 8.1 million US dollars and composed 109 business-plans for realization. This news came from Max Yakub – the Manager of the Project, at the 9^th business representation on 20^th , Yaltinskaya Str. Simferopol.

On 24^th of April in "Sudak’s" Tourist Health Resort Complex took place a Republican Meeting on Discussion of Preparation Process for the Summer Resort Season. All the organizations related to industry were present. After review on situation, it was decided that all goes as planned and is looking good.

On April 23^rd four day maneuvers at see came to the end. Exercises were participated by 15 military ships, 9 aircraft and helicopters, more than 3.000 marine and others.