Ukrainian parliament Sets up Fommission for Investigation of Illegal Arms Traffic

The Ukrainian Parliament set up a parliamentary commission during a plenary session on Thursday that will investigate whether the facts of illegal arms traffic are true.

There are twelve deputies in the commission. The Ukrainian Parliament instructed the International Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament to consider whether it is possible for international observers to participate in the newly set up commission.

At present a group of British and U.S. experts is in Ukraine now. The group came to the country to investigate the facts according to which Ukraine had allegedly sold Iraq a "Kolchuga" radar station. The experts are working in Chernigov, Donetsk and in the Crimea now. A military unit with three Kolchuga radar stations is located in Chernigov. The Topaz plant that produces "Kolchuga" radar stations is located in Donetsk. Another several radar stations are assigned to a military unit in the Crimea. On the whole, according to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, there are seven "Kolchuga" radar stations on Ukrainian territory.

A deputy from the opposition, former Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Timoshenko, said on October 11th that three radar stations had been quickly taken to Chernigov from Byelorussia. However, the Ukrainian Defence Ministry has refuted the accusations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Anatoly Zlenko announced on October 14th that Ukraine was absolutely "open and international experts could prove that." Mr. Zlenko stressed that Yulia Timoshenko's data was not true. According to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, the Ukrainian party handed over all necessary information with codes to "Kolchuga" radar systems on Ukrainian territory to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Elizabeth Jones during her recent visit to Kiev.