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May, 30 1997 In Kyiv, during the visit of the President of
Russia B. Yeltsyn, the Treaty of friendship,
cooperation and partnership of Russia and
Ukraine was signed. The agreement said that
the parties “recognize territorial indivisibility
of each other and confirm inviolability of
their borders”. At the same time the issue of
the Black Sea Fleet was solved. The Fleet and
its infrastructure were divided. Russia bought
out a certain part of Ukrainian share of the
Fleet. The sum of payment and cost of 20-
year lease of Sevastopil’ base was covered by
the debt of Ukraine for energy sources.
July 1997 The signing of “The Charter of the special
partnership of Ukraine and NATO” in
Madrid. Heads of 16 states and Secretary
General Javier Solana as one party and L.
Kuchma (the President of Ukraine) as the
other party, covenanted to extend cooperation
and develop partnership.
July 1997 P. Lazarenko resigned, V. Pustovoitenko
became the Prime Minister.
August 1997 The Supreme Council approved the law about
elections of people’s deputies by a mixed
majority-proportional voting system.
November, 19 “Columbia”, an American spaceship was
1997 launched. The first spaceman of independent
Ukraine Leonid Kadenyuk was one of the
members of the international crew. After 16
days of flight and successful program
execution, the crew returned to the Earth.
March, 29 Elections to the Supreme Council and local
1998 organs of power. They took place according

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