Washington, 19 November 1997 (RFE/RL) - Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has arrived in the U.S. to witness the planned launch of a U.S. space shuttle mission today that will include Ukrainian astronaut Leonid Kadenyuk.
Kuchma arrived late last night at the Kennedy Space Center in the southern U.S. state of Florida. He didn't make any statements to the press.
Space center officials say that as of this hour, it appears the launch will take place as planned. Kadenyuk is one of six crew members. He is scheduled to conduct some biological experiments for Ukraine's space agency.
President Kuchma is scheduled to travel on to New York, where he will take part in an international conference tomorrow on the Chornobyl nuclear power plant.