Ukraine hails peace as marks five-year independence .  Rostislav Khotin  KIEV 1996-08-23  Ukraine celebrates five years of independence from Kremlin rule on Saturday , hailing civil and inter-ethnic peace as its main post-Soviet achievement .  Ukraine 's declaration of independence in 1991 , backed nine-to-one by a referendum in December of that year , effectively dealt a death blow to the Soviet empire and ended more than three centuries of rule from Moscow .  Ukraine , with a Russian community of 11 million people -- the world 's largest outside Russia -- has avoided conflicts like those in Russia 's Chechnya , neighbouring Moldova , and the former Soviet republics of Georgia , Azerbaijan and Tajikistan .  " Ukraine 's biggest achievements for five years are the preservation of civil peace and inter-ethnic harmony , " President Leonid Kuchma said in televised statement this week .  " Unlike many other post-Soviet countries we were able to deal with conflict situations in a peaceful and civilised way . "  But independence was initially accompanied by hyper-inflation and economic collapse , although there are signs of a turnaround .  Inflation -- a hyper-inflationary 10,300 percent a year in 1993 -- was a respectable 0.1 percent a month in June and July and the economy has just begun to grow . [START_ENT] Kuchma [END_ENT] told a solemn ceremony at the Ukraina Palace on Friday that " there was a turning point " in reforms and that he expected a rise in the standard of living in the near future .  " There is no doubt that economic growth has already started , " said Adelbert Knobl , head of the International Monetary Fund 's mission in Ukraine . "  The national bank and the government have every reason to be proud of their efforts . "  Central bank officials said on Thursday that a much-postponed hryvna currency would " definitely " be introduced before the end of this year .  It will replace the interim karbovanets currency , which was introduced at par to the Russian rouble in 1992 but now trades at almost 33 karbovanets per rouble .  Ukraine has repeatedly promised to introduce the hryvna but had to postpone the plans because of economic problems .  Proud of its record in promptly joining both the Council of Europe and NATO 's Partnership for Peace , Ukraine caused a foreign policy wrangle this week , offending China by allowing a Taiwanese minister to appear on a public , if unofficial visit .  China cancelled a visit by a top-level delegation in protest .  Kiev 's Foreign Minister Hennady Udovenko said Beijing was overreacting .  But Ukraine , seeing itself as a bridge between Russia and the rapidly Westernising countries of eastern Europe , is looking West as well as East .  " The strategic aim of European integration should not in any way damage Ukraine 's interests in post-Soviet areas .  Relations with Russia , which is our main partner , have great importance , " Kuchma said .  " But Ukraine cannot be economically oriented on Russia , even though those in some circles push us to do that . "  Kuchma has said Kiev wants membership of the European Union , associate membership of the Western European Union defence grouping and to move closer to NATO .  A message from the West this week from U.S. President Bill Clinton congratulated Ukraine on the anniversary , promising to support market reforms and praising Ukraine as a " stabilising factor " in a united Europe .
Leonid Kuchma