Aleksander Kwaśniewski has confirmed that Ukrainian oligarch Victor Pinchuk, a son-in-law of former president Wiktor Kuchma, had made contributions to his foundation.The former Polish president said he co-operated with Pinchuk’s "YES" foundation and the co-operation ‘went well’.
“Does it really matter that Victor Pinchuk is Leonid Kuchma’s son-in-law? He is a serious man and I’m glad I can co-operate with him. We have signed a long-term agreement. Our aim is to attract Ukraine to the European Union”, Aleksander Kwaśniewski told TVN24.
Aleksander Kwaśniewski’s Amicus Europae Foundation was established three years ago. Its activities are in respect of organising conferences and conducting international political analyses.
According to TVN 24, Pinchuk made contributions to the foundation amounting to close to a million zlotys last year alone.
Without those contributions the foundation would not have any funds to conduct its activities - writes TVN24.pl. Internet service.
The son-in-law of ex-president Leonid Kuchma was the founder of steel pipe conglomerate Interpipe. Forbes magazine ranks the Ukrainian millionaire 650 richest man in the world.
After the Orange Revolution, Pinchuk – who had close ties to what many believed was the highly corrupt Kuchma administration - lost control of the Ukrainian steel giant Kryvorizhstal. The Ukrainian oligarch bought the company for the comparatively low price of 800 million dollars in the early 1990s. When the state took back control of Kryvorizhstal it was valued in 2005 at 3 billion dollars.
(mj) (pg)