Central Asian, Armenian Leaders Congratulate Yanukovich on Victory

MosNews, Russia
Nov 26 2004

MosNews

The leaders of Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have
congratulated Viktor Yanukovich on his victory in the Ukrainian
presidential elections. Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Belarus’
Alexander Lukashenko are the only other world leaders to congratulate
Yanukovich. All six states belong to the CIS, as does Ukraine itself.

However, the Supreme Court of Ukraine has forbidden the publication
of the official results of the Central Election Commission which
has hampered Yanukovich’s inauguration. At the same time, the court
agreed to consider the claim against the commission brought by the
opposition candidate for president, Viktor Yushchenko.

Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev said in his congratulation letter
that Yanukovich’s victory “is evidence of the Ukrainian people’s
choice in favor of national unity, a democratic way of development
and economic progress.”

Armenia’s Robert Kocharyan, quoted by the Ukrainian governmental press
service, expressed confidence that friendship and mutual understanding
between the two countries “will develop successfully and deepen the
welfare of our states and peoples”.