Russo-Ukrainian negotiations on former Soviet property abroad to be held in Kiev

Ukrainian-Russian negotiations on foreign real estate belonging to the former USSR will be held in Kiev on August 12th-13th.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry's press service reports that the sides will have to clarify a number of disputable issues related to Soviet property.

The Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations will be headed by deputy secretary of state of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Alexander Motsyk, and the Russian--by deputy foreign minister Anatoly Potapov.

Late in April, foreign ministers Igor Ivanov of Russia and Anatoly Zlenko of Ukraine agreed to resume negotiations on the division of foreign property of the former USSR.

The sides agreed to draw a list of foreign property objects of the former USSR the division of which could be negotiated.

Ukraine claims the right to own 16 percent of foreign real estate of the former USSR.

Ukraine is the only former Soviet republic not to have ratified the so-called "zero variant" of the agreement on the division of debts and property of the former USSR under which Russia inherited all the debts and actives, including foreign property of the USSR.

Ukraine's Supreme Rada has demanded that Russia provide information about the volume of the gold reserves and the Diamond Fund of the USSR, draw a complete inventory of the property and price of the USSR's actives in the State Bank, the State Depository of Precious Metals and Gems, USSR Vneshekonombank and Soviet overseas banks and report on Russia's paying off the debt of USSR Vneshekonombank to Ukrainian citizens and companies.