No. 189, 01 October 1992

SUCCESSOR STATES TO THE USSR

UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS. Ukrainian Prime Minister Vitold
Fokin offered his resignation on 30 September, Ukrinform-TASS
and Western news agencies reported. The announcement was made
by President Leonid Kravchuk in his address to the parliament.
Kravchuk asked Fokin to stay on until a new head of government
is appointed. Fokin was quoted as saying that his decision to
resign was dictated by his desire to ensure peace and consensus
in the country, and added that his economic program would continue
in his absence. Fokin also blamed constant attacks by the media
for his decision to resign; as he told Reuters: "This has been
brewing for a long time and I see no sign of it ending." Meanwhile,
Vyacheslav Chornovil, the leader of the opposition Rukh movement,
declared that Fokin's departure was "a victory for reform and
democracy in Ukraine." (Roman Solchanyk)

UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT SEEKING WAY OUT OF CRISIS. Heated debate,
broadcast live by Radio Ukraine, continued in the Ukrainian parliament
on 1-October following the resignation of Prime Minister Vitold
Fokin. It confirmed not only the deep economic crisis in which
Ukraine finds itself, but also the crisis in government and the
division of political powers. Amid calls for the creation of
a government of national conciliation, numerous deputies argued
that the entire Cabinet of Ministers should resign along with
Fokin, leaving the new prime minister freedom to create a new
government capable of accelerating reforms. Rukh's leader Vyacheslav
Chornovil on 30 September called on President Kravchuk to assume
control of the government until the end of the year. (Bohdan
Nahaylo)

SHAPOSHNIKOV CALLS FOR RUSSIAN "STATEHOOD" FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
In a 30 September Krasnaya zvezda article, CIS Marshal Shaposhnikov
suggested that the existence of nuclear weapons on the territory
of four former Soviet republics would complicate the implementation
of the START treaty. He proposed giving nuclear weapons their
own "statehood," which would be Russian. This move would presumably
entail greater Russian operational and administrative control
over the weapons. Shaposhnikov noted that Belarus and Russia
are close to agreement on this point, while Kazakhstan is drawing
nearer. (John Lepingwell)

UKRAINE REJECTS INCREASED RUSSIAN CONTROL OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk rejected CIS Marshal Shaposhnikov's
call for increased Russian control over nuclear weapons in a
speech to the Ukrainian parliament on 30 September, as reported
by Interfax and Western news agencies. Kravchuk stated that Ukraine
"does not want to keep its fingers on the nuclear button, but
it should give the world community guarantees that the nuclear
weapons stationed on its territory will not be used by a third
state." While reiterating Ukraine's determination to become a
non-nuclear state, his remarks reaffirmed Ukraine's commitment
to maintaining substantial control over the weapons and their
elimination. Kravchuk also rejected the idea of Ukraine joining
any CIS defense alliance. (John Lepingwell)

SHAPOSHNIKOV RENEWS CALL FOR JOINT CIS MILITARY. In an article
in Krasnaya zvezda on 30-September, CIS Marshal Evgenii Shaposhnikov
urged closer CIS military cooperation. Criticizing US attempts
to create a "unipolar world," Shaposhnikov warned of a possible
new North-South confrontation and called for the CIS to act as
a "stabilizing counterweight" between the North and South. To
strengthen the military role of the CIS, Shaposhnikov called
for a joint military structure, possibly including mixed troop
formations made up of units from the CIS states. He also called
for the CIS states to coordinate policies on military personnel
to prevent rising disparities between the national armies and
subsequent unrest within the military. (John Lepingwell)

MUSLIM LEADERS REACT TO SHAPOSHNIKOV'S REMARKS. The Co-Chairman
of the Caucasus Supreme Religious Council, Sheikh Muhammad Karachai,
said on 30 September that many Russian leaders were infected
with an anti-Islamic virus, an RFE/RL correspondent reported
from Moscow. Karachai was reacting to a statement by CIS commander
Evgeniy Shaposhnikov to Krasnaya zvezda, in which Shaposhnikov
said a system of collective security for the CIS could counter
growing Islamic influence. Karachai, who was attending an international
Islamic conference in Moscow, said Russian leaders would have
to face the reality that Muslims seek ways of unification. However,
Salman Musaev, a Muslim official from the Caucasus, and the Kazakh
mufti Aslanbek Abdurakhman Ali, who were also attending the conference,
rejected the idea of a political union between the Central Asian
states and other Islamic nations. (Ann Sheehy)

RUSSIAN REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE IN TAJIKISTAN. Reinforcements for
the Russian troops stationed in Tajikistan have arrived in Dushanbe
and taken control of the city's airport; Tajik fighters who had
been besieging Russian troops in the southern part of the country
have ended their blockade, Western and Moscow agencies reported
on 30 September. A Tajik security official said that roads into
Dushanbe have been put under strict control to prevent arms being
brought into the city. Acting President Akbar Iskandarov appealed
to both CIS leaders and the UN to help stop the fighting, because
Tajikistan's government cannot do so. The 30 September issue
of Megapolis-Ekspress speculates that the commander of the CIS
troops in Tajikistan, Major-General Mukhriddin Ashurov, might
be named to the vacant post of Minister of Defense. (Bess Brown)


MORE REFUGEES IN DUSHANBE. Refugees from the fighting in southern
Tajikistan are flooding into Dushanbe, Western and Moscow agencies
reported on 30 September, and hundreds of refugees from Kurgan-Tyube,
the opposition stronghold, are picketing the Russian ambassador's
residence demanding an end to Russian interference in Tajikistan.
They are presumably reacting to rumors that the Russian forces
have given weaponry and equipment to supporters of deposed President
Rakhmon Nabiev. Russian military sources insist that pro-Nabiev
fighters from Kulyab Oblast forcibly seized equipment from the
Russian troops to use in their battles in Kurgan-Tyube. According
to the 30 September issue of Megapolis-Ekspress, law enforcement
officials of the ministry of internal affairs and National Security
Committee who are supposed to stay neutral in the interregional
fighting are getting involved on the side of their region of
origin. (Bess Brown)

KULYAB PEACE DEMANDS. The 30 September issue of Megapolis-Ekspress
lists demands made of the government in Dushanbe by pro-Nabiev
forces in Kulyab Oblast that would have to be met before the
Kulyab fighters would agree to lay down their arms. One of these
demands, the appointment of Communist economist Abdumalik Abdullodzhanov
as prime minister, has already been met. Other demands include
the removal of prominent opposition figures from the government:
Deputy Prime Minister Davlat Usmon of the Islamic Renaissance
Party, Tajik Radio and TV Chairman Mirbobo Mirrakhimov of Rastokhez,
and deputy National Security Committee Chairman Davlat Aminov.
The Kulyab forces would also like to see Akbar Turadzhonzoda
removed from his post as the highest-ranking Muslim clergyman
in Tajikistan. (Bess Brown)

VOUCHER PRIVATIZATION BEGINS TODAY AMID UNCERTAINTY. The Russian
government will launch its mass privatization program today by
beginning to issue vouchers to each Russian citizen. The distribution
process is scheduled to last three months. The vouchers represent
claims on state assets which will be auctioned off beginning
some time next year. Western news agencies on 30 September catalogued
the problems confronting the program. The major obstacles include:
delays in printing and delivering the vouchers; delays in state
enterprises transforming themselves into public share companies;
outstanding questions about which state assets the vouchers can
be traded for; and confusion among the Russian people over how
the voucher program works. (Erik Whitlock)

CONTROVERSY OVER VALUE OF RUSSIAN VOUCHERS. Issued with a face
value of 10,000 rubles, the real value of the vouchers to its
holder has been a focus of heated political debate. The real
value of any given voucher will be decided by the "market" in
which a holder chooses to trade. The holder may participate directly
in auctions for state assets, in which case the value will depend
on the bidding process for the assets. Holders may trade their
vouchers for shares in an investment fund, in which case the
value to holders depends on the quality of investment decisions
the fund makes. Finally, if holders sell their vouchers for cash,
the value will depend on supply and demand on this "secondary"
market. In the uncertain economic conditions in Russia, it is
very hard to predict the outcome of any of these choices. (Erik
Whitlock)

SHEINIS DEFENDS ABKHAZIA STATEMENTS. Russian parliamentarian
Viktor Sheinis told a press conference on 30 September that the
documents adopted by the parliament the previous week (on 25-September)
were fully in accord with international norms. According to international
law, Sheinis said, "the protection of human rights is not an
internal affair and Russia, like any other state, can raise the
question of human rights, wherever they are violated." On the
question of arms controlled by forces in Russia's Transcaucasian
Military District, Sheinis said that under no circumstances should
Russia transfer these weapons to Georgian authorities, ITAR-TASS
reported. (Suzanne Crow)

CRIMEAN SEPARATISTS "REORGANIZE." The Republican Movement of
the Crimea (RDK), which has spearheaded the drive for Crimean
independence, has reconstituted itself as the Russian Movement
of the Crimea (RDK), Radio Ukraine reported on 29 September.
The name change was announced in a statement saying that the
old RDK had been rendered "illegal" by the recent changes to
the Crimean Constitution, that is, by the Crimean parliament's
compliance with Kiev's demand that the peninsula bring its constitution
and laws in line with the Ukrainian Constitution. The new RDK
maintained that the Crimea's future lies in its union with the
CIS, even if the latter is restricted to Russia. (Roman Solchanyk)


CONSTITUTIONAL COURT STILL DEMANDS TESTIMONY OF GORBACHEV, FALIN.
In response to summons from the Russian Constitutional Court,
Valentin Falin, the former chief of the International Department
of the CPSU Central Committee, who is now receiving medical treatment
in Germany, listed seven conditions which the court would have
to meet before he would agree to testify, "Novosti" reported
on 30 September. These included full reimbursement for round-trip
airfare and other expenses related to his trip to Moscow. Moreover,
according to Western agencies on 30 September, Falin said that
he would testify only if former CPSU Secretary General Mikhail
Gorbachev did the same. ITAR-TASS reported on 30-September that
the court was willing to pay for Falin's airfare, but that it
rejected Falin's linking his testimony to that of Gorbachev.
Also on 30 September, Reuters reported a statement by the court
chairman, Valery Zorin, that he might have to order "executive
authorities" to ensure Gorbachev's appearance. On October 1,
the court will receive testimony from former USSR Prime Minister
Nikolai Ryzhkov, who has criticized Gorbachev for the latter's
refusal to testify. (Julia Wishnevsky)

SITUATION IN KABARDINO-BALKARIA NORMALIZING. ITAR-TASS reported
on the morning of 30-September that the situation in Kabardino-Balkaria
was normalizing. The agency said that the Executive Committee
of the Congress of the Kabardinian people had disassociated itself
from the movement's fighters who were demonstrating, and that
labor collectives were supporting the president and government.
Roadblocks had been removed from all roads and the airport. However,
supporters of the Confederation of the Mountain Peoples of the
Caucasus and the fighters were preparing to hold a new meeting
demanding the resignation of the president of the republic. Krasnaya
zvezda of 30 September expressed concern that those meeting included
more and more volunteers returning from Abkhazia. (Ann Sheehy)


GAIDAR VISITS AZERBAIJAN, ARMENIA. A Russian government delegation
headed by Prime Minister Egor Gaidar travelled to Baku on 30
September. Gaidar met with Azerbaijani President Abulfaz Elchibey
and signed a number of bilateral economic agreements, ITAR-TASS
reported. In a letter addressed to Russian President Boris Yeltsin,
Elchibey expressed the hope that the visit marked the beginning
of a new chapter in Azerbaijani-Russian relations. Gaidar then
travelled to Erevan for talks with President Levon Ter-Petrossyan
and Prime Minister Khosrow Arutyunyan. According to Interfax,
Armenian officials requested that Russia create an air defence
system on Armenian territory. (Liz Fuller)

RUSSIAN BORDER TROOPS TO LEAVE GEORGIA BY MAY 1994. The head
of Georgia's Central Border Protection Administration, Colonel
Otar Gumberidze, told Interfax that an agreement has been reached
whereby Russian border troops will be withdrawn from Georgia
beginning in 1993; the withdrawal will be completed by 7 May
1994. Gumberidze conceded that at present Georgia is "physically
unable" to protect its border with Turkey and has proposed that
Russia and Georgia jointly finance protection of that section
of the frontier for the time being. (A similar arrangement has
been concluded between Russia and Azerbaijan over protection
of the frontier between Iran and Azerbaijan). (Liz Fuller)

MORE FIGHTING IN WESTERN GEORGIA. Clashes are continuing in western
Georgia between Georgian National Guard contingents and supporters
of ousted president Zviad Gamsakhurdia. Georgian forces retook
the town of Khobi last week and on 30-September repulsed an attempt
by Gamsakhurdia's supporters to occupy the police station in
Senaki; four of the attackers were killed in an ensuing gunfight,
according to ITAR-TASS. (Liz Fuller)

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

COSIC, TUDJMAN SIGN ACCORD. Radios Croatia and Serbia report
on 30 September that Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman and Dobrica
Cosic, president of the rump Yugoslavia, signed a joint 8-point
declaration in Geneva. The agreement calls for the withdrawal
of the federal Yugoslav army from Croatian Prevlaka Peninsula,
strategically located on the Croatian-Montenegrin border. The
federal forces are to leave by 20 October, thus removing the
threat of renewed attacks on Dubrovnik and formally achieving
the withdrawal of the federal army from Croatia. Prevlaka would
be demilitarized and placed under UN supervision. The leaders
also renewed pledges to use their influence to end fighting in
Bosnia, condemned "ethnic cleansing," reiterated existing commitments
that borders can not be changed by force, and agreed to consider
the normalization of relations between the Republic of Croatia
and Yugoslavia (Serbia-Montenegro). (Milan Andrejevich)

SERB REACTIONS. On 29 September, before the accord was signed,
Col. Miodrag Miladinovic, the federal commander at Prevlaka,
reportedly warned that his troops would defend the peninsula,
which protects the key naval base in the Bay of Kotor, with force
"if the politicians lose it." Upon hearing of the signing of
the Tudjman-Cosic accord, Bozidar Vucurevic, the Serb leader
from eastern Herzegovina, was said to have called it "harmful
to Herzegovina's Serbs," because Croatian forces are now in a
better position to penetrate Serb-controlled areas. Ultranationalist
Serb leaders like Vojislav Seselj have allegedly described plans
to withdraw the federal forces from Prevlaka as "shameful and
treasonous." Radio Serbia carried the reports. (Milan Andrejevich)


ETHNIC CLEANSING COMES TO SARAJEVO. The BBC on 1 October quoted
Muslim refugees as saying that armed Serbs had systematically
forced them to flee their homes in two Sarajevo suburbs the previous
day. They were given as little as 15 minutes to prepare, and
one woman told the BBC that she was raped before she could reach
Muslim lines. The Serbs have been trying to split Sarajevo into
two for some time. In Washington, the Senate voted to approve
up to $50 million in military aid to the Bosnian government,
whose forces are greatly outgunned by the Serbs, but the measure
is unlikely to be approved by the House or the White House, the
Los Angeles Times says on 1 October. Meanwhile in Geneva, international
mediators Cyrus Vance and Lord Owen announced on 30 September
that leaders of the two sides have agreed to start talks on demilitarizing
the Bosnian capital under the good offices of UNPROFOR. (Patrick
Moore)

CZECHOSLOVAKS HOLD FINAL DEBATE ON SPLIT. The Czechoslovak parliament
held its final debate on 30 September on a draft law on the division
of Czechoslovakia, with most opposition deputies rejecting the
law and calling for a referendum on the issue. The parliament
is to vote on the law on 1-October. Commenting on the prospective
split of the country, former Czechoslovak President Vaclav Havel
told CSTK that a referendum on whether Czechoslovakia should
split does not make sense any longer. He said he could not imagine
a referendum in Slovakia which would decide anything. Havel,
however, suggested that a referendum could be held to ratify
the split. In the evening of 30 September, Havel met for dinner
with Czech Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus. Speaking to reporters
afterwards, Klaus rejected the idea of a ratification referendum.
He said that "the referendum issue is a game the opposition parties
are playing" and that it is useless to "waste energy on referendum
arguments." (Jiri Pehe)

SLOVAK PRIME MINISTER ON ARMY, FOREIGN RELATIONS. Vladimir Meciar
told the Slovak Press Agency on 30 September that Slovakia will
establish its own ministry of defense. Meciar also said that,
with the exception of Hungary, Slovakia's relations with other
countries are good. He argued that the relations with Hungary
could improve but that, like Slovakia, Hungary must take steps
in that direction. The Slovak premier further said that he was
unhappy about a letter which he received on 30 September from
Hungarian Prime Minister Antall in which, in Meciar's words,
"Antall accused Slovakia of violating Hungary's borders and threatening
Hungary's sovereignty." Meciar also defended the performance
of his government during the first 100-days in office against
sharp criticism from opposition parties. (Jiri Pehe)

HUNGARIAN DEMOCRATIC FORUM POSTPONES CONVENTION. According to
MTI, the ruling party will hold its fourth national meeting at
the end of January and not at the end of November as planned.
The presidium of the party denied that the meeting was postponed
for political reasons-i.e., because of the controversy surrounding
the pamphlet written by one of the forum's vice presidents, Istvan
Csurka. Rather, they say, more time is needed to concentrate
on parliamentary work. (Judith Pataki)

RECOUNT IS CALLED IN ROMANIAN VOTE. Romania's electoral bureau
said on 30-September that some 3.6 million votes had to be declared
void because people failed to understand the complicated ballot
papers. Rompres quoted a Romanian official as saying that 13.6%
of votes cast for the Chamber of Deputies were annulled, along
with 12.9% for the Senate, and 4.8% for the presidency. In a
communique broadcast by Radio Bucharest on 30-September, Romania's
Central Electoral Bureau called for a recount within 24 hours.
The Democratic Convention, an alliance of the main opposition
forces, pointing to the unusually high number of invalid ballots,
expressed serious doubts about the accuracy of counting procedures.
The counting will now probably take several more days. (Dan Ionescu)


ILIESCU CALLS FOR COALITION. On 30 September President Ion Iliescu
called for a government of national unity to cope with Romania's
"grave problems." Speaking at a press conference, Iliescu expressed
hopes that his Democratic National Salvation Front and the centrist
Democratic Convention could find "a platform of minimal understanding."
He suggested that a wide-based coalition might include all political
groups in the new parliament. Another alternative mentioned by
Iliescu was that of a cabinet of technocrats accepted by all
parties in parliament. Iliescu also described fears of a slowdown
in economic reforms after his party's victory as unfounded, but
added that reforms should be made "tolerable." (Dan Ionescu)


HOUSE REJECTS MFN TRADE STATUS FOR ROMANIA. The US House of Representatives
rejected on 30 September by a 283 to 88 vote the restoration
of most-favored-nation trade status to Romania. There was no
debate before the vote, which had been delayed because some members
of the Congress wanted to see the results of the elections. Romania
is currently the only East European country which does not enjoy
the MFN status, which grants low tariffs to exports to the United
States. (Dan Ionescu)

ANOTHER SETBACK FOR POLISH MASS PRIVATIZATION. The Sejm voted
on 30-September to postpone any decision on whether to send the
government's mass privatization program to committee, pending
an official reckoning of the costs of the program. Privatization
Minister Janusz Lewandowski said the program would be self-financing,
thanks to World Bank and EC assistance and fees paid by participants.
But objections as to costs missed the point, he added, as mass
privatization aims to improve the performance of 600 selected
firms and rapidly broaden private ownership. Indeed, finances
do not seem to have been the real concern of the program's opponents;
their zeal for healthy state budgets is sporadic. Although the
Sejm may still approve further work on the plan, the vote for
postponement-172 to 147 (20 abstentions)-showed the parliamentary
weakness of the government coalition and the potential strength
of the state industry lobby. Mass privatization has been in the
planning stage in Poland for two years. (Louisa Vinton)

SEJM DEBATES DEFENSE INDUSTRIES. Sejm deputies also urged the
government to save Poland's defense industries, which lost virtually
their entire market with the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact.
Defense Minister Janusz Onyszkiewicz reported on 30 September
that 3-trillion of Poland's 26.5-trillion zloty defense budget
is earmarked for equipment purchases in 1992. Domestic purchases
will amount to 2-trillion zloty. The defense budget has been
cut by nearly 60% since 1986, Onyszkiewicz noted, severely limiting
state support for defense industries. Industry Minister Waclaw
Niewiarowski said that planned restructuring would reduce military
production to 19% of the 1988 level and eliminate 27,000 jobs.
Of the 80-existing defense plants, only 28 would remain. Many
deputies urged the government to expand international arms sales
and exact payment for deliveries made to the former Soviet Union.
(Louisa Vinton)

HUNGARIAN BUDGET SENT TO PARLIAMENT. On 30 September, Finance
Minister Mihaly Kupa presented next year's budget to the parliament.
A deficit of 180-185 billion forint is anticipated. Kupa said
two items are expected to spark debate: the introduction of a
double-level value-added tax system and a change in the distribution
of tax revenues between national and the local governments. Until
now, this income was divided equally, but now local governments
are to receive only 30% . Kupa said the new tax law is also ready
to be sent to parliament. (Judith Pataki)

BANKING REFORM IN BULGARIA. On 30 September, as part of the government's
economic reconstruction program, 22 of Bulgaria's commercial
banks were merged. The resulting corporation, the United Bulgarian
Bank (UBB), will commence operations in January 1993. UBB assets
are estimated at 18 billion leva ($788 million) according to
Western sources. The move is the first step in the direction
of privatizing Bulgarian banking, a process expected to take
up to three years. The next banking merger is expected to be
between Bulgaria's two largest financial institutions, the Economic
Bank and Mineral Bank, which between them are expected to control
over one third of the country's banking business. (Duncan Perry)


BULGARIA MAY FACE ENERGY CRISIS. The consequences of an incident
at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant last week, when short circuits
caused a brief fire, could lead to severe power rationing Bulgarian
officials warned on 30 September. Plant spokesman Yordan Yordanov
first told Western agencies that a single 440-megawatt reactor
would be operating during the next two months, though he later
said experts are investigating a temporary solution that would
allow a 1000-megawatt unit to be connected to the power grid
within two weeks. In the meantime the Bulgarian National Electric
Company has signed contracts for emergency electricity supplies
from Ukraine and Moldova. (Kjell Engelbrekt)

LITHUANIA, RUSSIA SIGN MUTUAL ACCOUNTING AGREEMENT. On 30 September
in Moscow Lithuanian Deputy Prime Minister Bronislavas Lubys
and his Russian counterpart Aleksandr Shokhin signed an agreement
on settling accounts between the two states after 1-October,
when Lithuania leaves the ruble zone and introduces its temporary
coupons, Radio Lithuania reports. A similar agreement was also
signed for the time when Lithuania introduces its currency, the
litas. A further protocol provides for the settling within a
month of all bills for goods and services made prior to 1 October
1992. (Saulius Girnius)

ESTONIA'S FIRST BANKRUPTCY. A regional court in Estonia declared
a merchandising company bankrupt on 30 September, marking the
first bankruptcy in Estonia in the postwar period. The case against
Norten, Ltd. is the first in what is expected to be a series
of suits the government will bring in compliance with new bankruptcy
regulations, which took force on 1-September. As of that day,
Estonian companies owed the state some 235 million kroon, BNS
reports. (Riina Kionka)

MAYOROV PROTESTS TREATMENT OF MILITARY. Diena reported on 28
September about letter of protest addressed to the Latvian government
by Col. Gen. Leonid Mayorov, commander of the Northwestern Group
of Forces, demanding a halt to what he terms as provocative behavior
of Latvian authorities against the Russian military. Mayorov
also threatened that the army would use all means at its disposal
to protect its own interests. The letter was prompted by Latvian
efforts to monitor the movements of Russian military around several
buildings in Riga and Jurmala that have been turned over to the
Latvian authorities-but not yet vacated-by the military. One
incident specifically mentioned in a report by Latvijas Jaunatne
on 25 September involved attempts of the Latvian Home Guard to
verify the documents of Mayorov's second in command, RAdm. Shestakov.
(Dzintra Bungs)

RUSSIA STEPS UP VERBAL ATTACKS ON BALTS. On 30 September Russian
Vice President Aleksandr Rutskoi urged Belgium to help defend
the rights of Russians in the Baltic States. According to Interfax,
Rutskoi made the statement to visiting Belgian Foreign Minister
Willy Claes, who responded that Russia should remove its troops
from the Baltic States. Rutskoi, in turn, said Russia wants to
remove the troops, but has no place to house them. Meanwhile,
Lithuanian Supreme Council Chairman Vytautas Landsbergis was
quoted by Interfax as saying that Moscow is carrying out a new
"Cold War" against the Baltic States. Landsbergis told reporters
in Vilnius that Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev is leading
a campaign against the Balts in talks in various international
forums. (Riina Kionka)

As of 1200 CET] Compiled by Hal Kosiba & Charles Trumbull