Y2K Maybe Not Solved - Eastern Europe

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Y2K status reports on CIS countries

--RUSSIA

Aviation: Nikolai Yegorov, deputy director of information at state carrier Aeroflot , said that the company had spent $12 million on the beating the bug.

``The air company's specialists guarantee that the coming of the year 2000 will not create problems for Aeroflot.''

Energy: Russian national power grid UES has spent $11.3 million preparing for potential millennium bug problems.

"I can safely say that we are quite sure - and are not just hoping - that the millennium bug will not cause any serious electrical power failures, UES Chief Engineer Anatoly Okin said.

Chairman Anatoly Chubais was reported to have said he would personally be behind the controls at the New Year to ensure the transition to the next millennium went smoothly.

Telecommunications: The State Telecommunications Committee says it is prepared to tackle Y2K problems, but that there is no 100 percent guarantee that the critical date would pass smoothly.

It said it was not only concerned about computer failures, but also possible electricity blackouts and a traditional increase in telephone calls at the start of the New Year.

Water supplies: ``The water supply system of Moscow is highly reliable, and is guaranteed against such interruptions,'' said Stanislav Khramenkov, general director or Moscow's water utility Mosvodokanal.

--TAJIKISTAN

The agency for planning for Y2K recently began preparing for the problem, and does not expect any major hiccups due to the low number of computers in the impoverished country.

But there are small concerns that glitches could hit two sectors:

Energy: Tajikistan's concerns focus more on the potential export earnings losses in the electricity sector than on domestic disruption. Electricity blackouts and gas disruptions are regular features in Tajikistan.

Telecommunications: Tajikistan fears the Y2K could hit programme modules for international communications as well as the digital system used domestically.

--TURKMENISTAN

Aviation: The state airline is modernising its system with computers, but any new installations will not be up and running until after the New Year. ``Therefore we will not have a problem with Y2K,'' a spokesman said.

Energy: A spokesman for the Turkmengaz natural gas monopoly said: ``The Y2K problem does not affect us, as the gas supply system has been run mechanically up until now. We do have plans to modernise it, using computers, however.''

Telecommunications: An official in the communications ministry said: ``The Y2K problem for us is not so pressing, as computerisation here has happened only during the last few years, and so organisations are using technology which caters for possible problems.''

But the government has sent questionnaires to the main providers regarding the potential threat, and is in regular correspondence with them.

Water supplies: Experts say the water supply system, like the gas supply system, will not be affected by the Y2K problem, because it is not computerised.

--UKRAINE

Aviation: Yaroslav Skalka, deputy head of the state aviation committee said the sector is ready on the overall

``Strategically, we are ready for the Y2K, probably only some minor problems left but they are not related to the flight safety as these computers are not in the networks.'' He said they planned final checks jointly with the Emergencies Ministry on December 15 and 16.

Energy: Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov told Reuters:

"Ukraine energy system will transfer from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000 without any problems or disruptions. We have done a lot of preparational work and now we are ready for the millennium bug.

``We have completely resolved the problem. We have been working together with international experts on nuclear power stations as well as power stations and there was a conclusion made that there should be no Y2K consequences for Ukraine energy supplies.''

Telecommunications: Officials at state telecoms monopoly Ukrtelekom said telecommunication sector is completely ready. They have set up a special working group last year and since then they have been checking and upgrading all the equipment and now can guarantee there will be no disruptions on the New Year.

--UZBEKISTAN

Uzbekistan expects to meet the new millennium without any computer system failures, and is ready for the Y2K problem in all sectors, a representative of the national agency for the Y2K problem under the government committee on science and technology said.

He said that the problem did not threaten aviation, energy, telecommunications, or water supplies.

"We tried to do everything we could, but not one country, not even the United States, can guarantee that on New Year's eve nothing will happen, so we will set up emergency groups in case of problems, and they will work from December 30 to January 5.

-- Llama man (llama@cool.net), December 15, 1999


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