No. 111, 15 June 1993

RUSSIA



EIGHTY OFFICERS PROMOTED TO GENERAL, ADMIRAL. In a ceremony attended
by the Russian military leadership, Russian President Boris Yeltsin
on 11 June conferred the rank of major general or rear admiral
on eighty officers from the Russian army and navy, ITAR-TASS
reported. (ITAR-TASS had reported on 9 June, apparently erroneously,
that 112 officers would receive promotion to general's rank.)
The promotions, which come amid charges by Defense Ministry critics
that the Russian army is already overburdened with generals and
admirals, suggest that Yeltsin continues to court the military
leadership. Yeltsin told the assembled officers that the Russian
military doctrine, which would have a defensive character, was
approaching completion. -Stephen Foye, RFE/RL, Inc.

DEFENSE MINISTER CONCEDES COURT CASE. A Moscow Military District
Court has discontinued proceedings against Russian Defense Minister
Pavel Grachev following an admission by Grachev himself that
he had acted incorrectly in discharging Colonel Vladimir Kandalovsky
from the armed forces in December of 1992. According to Rossiiskaya
gazeta of 10 June, the original dishonorable discharge had come
as a result of Kandalovsky's activities as chief of the Coordinating
Council of the Baltic region Officers Assembly; the group had
opposed the withdrawal of Russian troops from the region on the
grounds that facilities had not yet been prepared for them in
Russia. Kandalovsky will not rejoin the armed forces, but the
status of his discharge has been changed so that he will now
receive the full benefits due to an honorably discharged officer.
This is the second case of this sort that Grachev has lost (the
first involved the head of the nationalist Officers Union, Stanislav
Terekhov) and, according to the report, a number of other officers
intend to contest their discharges from the armed forces. -Stephen
Foye, RFE/RL, Inc.

RUSSIAN ARMS SALES TO CHINA. A US intelligence official said
at a congressional hearing on 11 June that China has become Russia's
most important purchaser of arms, Reuters reported. William Grundmann
of the Defense Intelligence Agency said that Beijing had received
26 SU-27 (Flanker) aircraft in 1992, and that it had signed a
contract to receive the SA-10 (Grumble) air defense missile system.
Other purchases are being negotiated. Grundmann said that both
Russia and Ukraine faced problems in peddling their weaponry
because of what is perceived as their poor performance in the
Gulf War and because of concerns about the reliability of supplies
coming out of the former Soviet Union. He said that Russian leaders
were focusing on increasing arms sales to China, Iran, and India.
-Stephen Foye, RFE/RL, Inc.

OIL JOINT VENTURES ALLEGE DISCRIMINATION. At a news conference
in Moscow on 8 June, the president of the Association of Joint
Ventures, International Associations, and Organizations accused
the state pipeline monopoly of discrimination against privately
owned oil companies, ITAR-TASS reported. Lev Vainberg said that
the Transneft state pipeline company halted shipments of private
oil on 1 June, but continued to move state-produced oil. Transneft
has attributed the halt to limited capacity. Vainberg said that
the halt violates the law on foreign investments which gives
joint ventures with more than 30% foreign capital the right to
export all of their products. -Keith Bush, RFE/RL, Inc.

GOVERNMENT POSITION ON JOINT-VENTURE OIL EXPORT BAN. Deputy Prime
Minister Aleksandr Shokhin told a news conference on 11 June
that access to export pipelines was denied joint venture oil
companies because they were violating government regulations,
Western agencies reported on 11 June. In particular, he said
there were cases of joint ventures exporting quantities of oil
above what they produce and failing to provide the Energy Ministry
with information on production and export activity. Illegal exports
of large amounts of energy and raw materials have been a concern
for the Russian government for some time now; however, it was
not yet clear why the government chose to deny all joint ventures
export capability instead of targeting specific companies that
were violating regulations. -Erik Whitlock, RFE/RL, Inc.

STATE MONOPOLY OF VODKA MARKET REINSTATED. President Yeltsin
signed a decree on 11 June on the reimposition of the state monopoly
on the production, storage, and sale of alcohol, ITAR-TASS reported
on 12 June. The government freed prices on vodka last year, but
retained its monopoly on production. Since then the market has
been flooded with foreign spirits and the locally produced vodka
is often reported to be diluted or impure. It is claimed that
the state monopoly over storage and sales of vodka is being reintroduced
because of concerns about public health: there have been increasing
reports of alcohol poisoning, and it is hoped that the issuing
of state licenses to producers and vendors will guarantee health
and quality standards. Another concern is that the government
has been losing tax revenue from the uncontrolled sale and production
of spirits. -Sheila Marnie, RFE/RL, Inc.

OPPOSITION FAILS TO PICKET TV CENTER. The threatened picket of
the Ostankino Television center by hardline opposition groups,
led by Viktor Anpilov's neo-communist "Working Russia" movement,
failed to take place on 12 June because of police action, Russian
agencies reported. Police not only cordoned off the television
center, but also prevented the demonstrators from marching to
Ostankino from their meeting point at Moscow's central exhibition
grounds, thus forcing them to hold their rally there. The demonstrators
were demanding daily television airtime to publicize their views,
but Ostankino management refused to grant it or to negotiate
with the opposition leaders. Russian Vice President Aleksandr
Rutskoi said on 11 June that the opposition's demand was justified,
but that the planned picket was not the best way to achieve it.
-Wendy Slater, RFE/RL, Inc.

RUTSKOI SAYS RUSSIA IS A "MAFIA STATE." Vice President Rutskoi
told foreign correspondents on 11-June that Russia had passed
from the control of a communist Mafia to that of a "Democrat
Mafia," Western agencies reported. He called for early presidential
elections to prevent the collapse of the state, accusing Yeltsin's
government of financial incompetence and repeating earlier accusations
that corruption was rife at the top level of government and in
the armed forces. He pledged to make public evidence to support
these claims in the near future, but denied that he was aiming
for power. -Wendy Slater, RFE/RL, Inc.

TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA

TATAR OPPOSITION LEADER ON TRIAL. The trial of Zinnur Agliullin,
chairman of the All-Tatar Public Center, started in Kazan on
14 June, ITAR-TASS reported. Agliullin was arrested on 10 June
for the illegal possession of firearms, but the court started
hearing two earlier charges first, namely that Agliullin had
sent a telegram to Tatarstan President Mintimer Shaimiev in October
1992 saying that a mass meeting in Naberezhnye Chelni had condemned
him to death and that on 26 November 1992 he had led an attack
on the procurator's office in the same city. Agliullin refused
to accept the court documents because they were not written in
Tatar. He was given until 15 June to change his mind. There has
been a split in the formerly moderate All-Tatar Public Center
since the radical Agliullin became chairman. -Ann Sheehy, RFE/RL,
Inc.

NAGORNO-KARABAKH ACCEPTS PEACE PLAN. Western and Russian
news agencies reported on 14-June that the Supreme Soviet Presidium
of the self-styled Nagorno-Karabakh republic had voted 6-5 to
accept the CSCE peace plan; the plan has already been accepted
by Azerbaijan and Armenia. The proposal calls for a renewable
60-day cease-fire, deployment of unarmed CSCE observers to supervise
troop withdrawal, and resumption of peace talks. The Nagorno-Karabakh
authorities asked for a one-month delay in implementation, due
to the internal strife in Azerbaijan; the Armenian offensive
against the Azeri city of Agdam is reported to be continuing.
According to Radio Rossii of 15 June, Georgii Petrosyan resigned
his position as chairman of the Nagorno-Karabakh Supreme Soviet
to protest the ratification of the peace plan; he and various
military authorities believe that the plan does not sufficiently
protect the predominantly Armenian enclave. -Keith Martin, RFE/RL,
Inc.

AZERBAIJAN UPDATE. Various Western and CIS reports on 14 and
15 June indicated that troops loyal to rebel commander Surat
Husseinov are moving closer to Baku; advance detachments are
said to be less than 100-km from the capital, with the bulk of
the force in Hajikabul, 120 km southwest of Baku. There were
no reports of resistance or bloodshed. Troops loyal to President
Elchibey are reported to be preparing to defend the capital,
and Elcihbey himself has threatened to use all necessary force
to stop "the country from falling into the control of criminals."
The Popular Front, which supports the president, has been staging
demonstrations in downtown Baku, calling for swift action against
Husseinov; more than 5,000 demonstrators were said to be massed
in the city center. Former Azeri Communist Party boss Haidar
Aliev held talks with Husseinov throughout the night of 13-14
June, but the talks ended without any sign that Husseinov was
willing to compromise on his main demand, i.e. Elchibey's resignation.
Upon returning to Baku late on 14 June, Aliev held talks with
Elchibey; there are no signs that a solution was being considered.
Meanwhile, ITAR-TASS on 14 June quoted the chief US and Turkish
diplomats in Baku as saying that they supported the "lawfully-elected
president." -Keith Martin, RFE/RL, Inc.

AZERBAIJAN LEAVES THE RUBLE ZONE. Following similar moves by
Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan's authorities issued a decree
that, as of 15 June, the ruble will no longer be used for official
transactions. The manat, which was introduced last winter as
a parallel currency, is to be the sole legal tender; the ruble
is to be removed from circulation by 20 June, Western agencies
report. Until then, Azerbaijan's citizens can exchange any amount
of rubles for manat, at the official exchange rate of 10 rubles
per manat. It is unclear why the authorities have insisted on
going ahead with the changeover in the midst of the civil strife
gripping the republic, but the timing hardly seems auspicious.
-Keith Martin, RFE/RL, Inc.

CENTRAL ASIAN STATES POISED TO JOIN ADB. According to The Guardian
of 10 June, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to admit
six former Soviet republics - the five Central Asian states and
Azerbaijan - as members. The Bank, of which Japan is the prime
shareholder, could provide an alternative for funding to these
states, which up to now were limited to the World Bank/IMF and
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for loans.
There is speculation that the ADB may not be as concerned about
human rights as the other lending institutions, which would increase
its attractiveness for several of the Central Asian states. -Keith
Martin, RFE/RL, Inc.

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE



KRAVCHUK SHOCKS PARLIAMENT WITH CALL FOR REFERENDUM ON PRESIDENCY.
At the opening of the session on 15 June Ukrainian President
Leonid Kravchuk delivered an unexpected and impassioned statement
outlining his proposals for getting the country out of its present
political and economic crisis. Instead of holding an expensive
referendum on confidence in the parliament and the President-this
is what the striking miners are demanding and parliament is debating-Kravchuk
urged parliament promptly to pass the bill on democratic, multiparty
elections that has been in preparation for some time and hold
new elections. Kravchuk also proposed that, on the same day as
the elections, a referendum be held on whether Ukraine should
continue to have a presidency. He is tired, he said, of the endless,
debilitating political confrontation resulting from the unresolved
question of the division of powers among the parliament, president,
and government (reflected in the long delay in adopting a new
constitution) and said that it is time for the people to decide
if they want a president or not. -Bohdan Nahaylo, RFE/RL, Inc.


PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER STRIKERS' DEMANDS. The day before-on 14
June-parliament had voted overwhelmingly to consider whether
a referendum should be held on public confidence in President
Leonid Kravchuk and the parliament, ITAR-TASS and Western agencies
report. The strikers' political demands, which were read out
by people's deputy Aleksandr Charodeev, also include regional
autonomy for the Donbass. Rukh leader Vyacheslav Chornovil argued
that not all miners favor autonomy, citing a threat to Ukraine's
territorial integrity. In the meantime, the Donetsk regional
parliament passed a vote of no-confidence in Kravchuk and supported
the strikers' political demands. In Donetsk itself, protest meetings
and demonstrations continue in the city center against the economic
policies of the Kiev government. -Roman Solchanyk, RFE/RL, Inc.


MOROZOV MEETS FRENCH CHIEF OF STAFF. On 11-June Ukrainian Minister
of Defense Konstantin Morozov met with French Chief of Staff
Adm. Jacques Langsad, Ukrainian Radio reports. In the course
of the official visit the two discussed the ratification of START-1,
the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and the Black Sea Fleet
issue. Following the meeting Langsad told a press conference
that Ukraine's decisions on these issues are likely to hinge
on the attitudes of other nations and their commitments to security
in Europe. He also stated that France hopes the two states can
cooperate on military issues, including the problem of nuclear
disarmament. The same day Ukrainian Foreign Minister Anatolii
Zlenko met with his French counterpart Alain Juppe in Athens
at a North Atlantic conference, where they discussed European
security and Ukrainian ideas for an East-Central European security
zone. -Ustina Markus, RFE/RL, Inc.

ANTI-ZHELEV PROTESTS IN BULGARIA. On 14 June supporters of the
Union of Democratic Forces, Bulgaria's main opposition party,
staged protests in Sofia and in other major cities demanding
the resignation of President Zhelyu Zhelev. According to Reuters,
police estimate the size of the crowd in Sofia at approximately
30,000. The protesters accused Zhelev of failing to prosecute
former communists for crimes they allegedly committed while in
office. Zhelev, founder and one-time leader of the UDF, was also
accused of attempting to undermine the democratic opposition.
The demonstrations came one day after Zhelev slammed the UDF
in a TV speech. -Stan Markotich, RFE/RL, Inc.

BEROV CANCELS TRIP TO VIENNA. Prime Minister Lyuben Berov on
14 June told Bulgarian National Radio he has canceled a scheduled
trip to the Vienna human rights conference because of the unrest
at home. Berov said he does not believe that the UDF-sponsored
protests pose a major threat to the government and its policies
but that his presence in Bulgaria nevertheless may be required.
Much as President Zhelev had done the previous day, at a press
conference Berov spoke of a plan aimed at "destabilizing the
state." In a televised address, Vice President Blaga Dimitrova
called for new elections to restore public confidence in Bulgarian
politicians, thus in effect siding with the UDF against Zhelev.
-Kjell Engelbrekt, RFE/RL, Inc.

BOUTROS-GHALI WANTS 7,500 MORE PEACEKEEPERS FOR BOSNIA. International
media on 15 June report that the UN secretary-general called
the previous day for these additional forces to be backed by
air power to protect the six UN-designated safe areas for Muslims
in that embattled republic. He also called for a new international
conference on the former Yugoslavia to revive peace efforts.
It is difficult to see, however, where the additional military
personnel can be found, and the concept of safe areas itself
appears increasingly doubtful as the Serbs continue to press
their attacks on Gorazde, one of those designated places and
the last major Muslim center in eastern Bosnia. On 14 June the
VOA reported that international negotiator Lord Owen called for
"equitable political settlements" in Bosnia, reflecting his statement
the previous day that negotiations must correspond to "the actual
situation." This would appear to rule out reversing ethnic cleansing,
and thus would mean shelving the Vance-Owen plan. -Patrick Moore,
RFE/RL, Inc.

CONFUSING PICTURE ON THE GROUND IN BOSNIA. On 14 June Serb forces
continued to shell Sarajevo, while to the west of that city Croat
and Muslim units battled near Kiseljak. International media also
reported that the Croats and Muslims have nonetheless reached
a power-sharing agreement governing their future relations in
the nearly defunct Bosnian government. The BBC's Serbian Service
on 15 June added that the Croats and Muslims have concluded a
pact on population exchanges, whereby Croats in Muslim-controlled
areas can exchange apartments and homes with Muslims in places
assigned by the Vance-Owen plan to the Croats. AFP notes that
the Serbs and Croats also reached an agreement on population
transfers and exchanges of residencies, but it appears to be
more limited in scope. It includes the exchange of 900 Croatian
HVO soldiers and other males who surrendered to the Serbs near
Travnik last week for some 1,000 Serb civilians from Livno and
Tomislavgrad in Croatian-controlled western Herzegovina. -Patrick
Moore, RFE/RL, Inc.

MUSLIMS FACE UNCERTAIN FUTURE IN CROATIA. On 15 June AFP reports
from Zagreb that local Muslims increasingly worry about revenge
actions by Croats in the wake of Muslim attacks on Croats in
central Bosnia these past two weeks. So far only minor incidents
have been reported, but the atmosphere in interethnic relations
has worsened. Muslims point to increasingly hostile remarks by
some hard-line Croatian politicians and to the aggressive tone
in the Croatian media when reporting on the Croat-Muslim conflict.
On 13 June the head of the Islamic community in Croatia, Imam
Sevko Omerbasic, told Vecernji list that what happened to the
Croats near Travnik is terrible, and he appealed for an end to
the blood-letting between the two erstwhile allies. The Croats,
for their part, fear that the addition of 250,000 Muslim refugees
from Bosnia to Croatia's population, together with the arrival
of tens of thousands more Muslims to Croat-inhabited areas of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, will lead to cultural tensions and eventual
demographic changes at the Croats' expense. -Patrick Moore, RFE/RL,
Inc.

CROATIAN RIGHT-WING LEADER GOES ON TRIAL. On 15 June Dobroslav
Paraga, president of the Croatian Party of [Historic] Rights
(HSP), goes on trial for alleged terrorism. Charges against him
and three others stem from the earlier activities of the party's
paramilitary wing, which has since been more or less integrated
with the regular Croatian army. Paraga has also been under heavy
attack in recent weeks by the ruling Croatian Democratic Community
(HDZ) and the government-controlled media for statements he had
previously made in the US that were critical of the HDZ and of
President Franjo Tudjman. The HDZ seems determined to crush Paraga
and the HSP as a political force through hounding and by encouraging
rival organizations, even though in the August 1992 Croatian
elections the HSP took only 7% of the parliamentary vote nationally
while Paraga himself racked up only 5% against Tudjman's massive
landslide victory. The reason for the HDZ's unease is probably
that it fears that the HSP is always a potential threat to it
from the political right as long as a quarter of Croatian territory
is under Serb occupation and hundreds of thousands of refugees
are unable to go home. Paraga's party has also shown proven voter
appeal in some specific areas near the front. -Patrick Moore,
RFE/RL, Inc.

PLANS FOR PRIVATIZATION COUNCIL IN SLOVAKIA. Speaking at a press
conference in Bratislava on 14 June, Slovak Prime Minister Vladimir
Meciar said he intends to form a special council to speed up
the privatization process. Meciar argued that privatization must
be accelerated in order to fit the needs of the market. Aides
to Meciar explained that the privatization council intends to
sell 30-40% of all state-owned companies by the end of 1993.
They also revealed that the privatization process will begin
by focusing on small regional businesses, rather than large firms.
Meciar's announcement comes in the wake of the decision of the
leadership of the ruling Movement for a Democratic Slovakia to
sack Privatization Minister Lubomir Dolgos. The minister has
repeatedly criticized Meciar's government for slowing down or
blocking important privatization projects. The announcement also
coincides with a visit to Slovakia by a delegation of the International
Monetary Fund, which is to determine whether Slovakia should
receive hard-currency loans. A group of IMF experts that visited
in February 1993 left the country early after failing to agree
with the government on an economic strategy. -Jiri Pehe, RFE/RL,
Inc.

CZECH BANK GOVERNOR SAYS INFLATION UNDER CONTROL. At a bankers'
meeting in Switzerland, Jozef Tosovsky, governor of the Czech
Central Bank, said inflation in the Czech Republic is under control
and should stay at current levels the rest of the year, Czech
Radio reports on 13 June. Tosovsky stressed that inflationary
pressures have been suppressed by government moves to restrain
wage increases and higher than expected payments for new taxes
in the first three months of this year. He added that because
of the healthy inflation picture, the Czech Central Bank cut
its discount rate last week by 1.5% to 8%. -Jan Obrman, RFE/RL,
Inc.

HAVEL CRITICIZES UN OVER DALAI LAMA. Speaking at a press conference
during a visit to northern Moravia on 14 June, Czech President
Vaclav Havel said he considers the decision to ban the Dalai
Lama from participating in a UN-sponsored conference in Vienna
on human rights to be scandalous. Havel argued that it is absurd
for representatives of large groups such as the people of Tibet
to be denied access to a conference on human rights. In Havel's
opinion, by taking its decision, the UN mars all discussion of
the worst human rights violations. The conference opened in Vienna
on 14-June. China pressured the UN to prevent the Dalai Lama
from addressing the conference. Austrian Foreign Minister Alois
Mock later announced that the Dalai Lama will be allowed to address
a meeting of non governmental organizations taking place parallel
to the UN conference. -Jiri Pehe, RFE/RL, Inc.

CSURKA SETS UP NEW PARLIAMENTARY GROUP. MTI reports that Istvan
Csurka, the controversial former member and vice president of
the ruling Hungarian Democratic Party, has set up a new 10-member
parliamentary faction, called Hungarian Justice. Many fewer deputies
support Csurka's group than was expected. Csurka said that his
group will neither be in opposition nor independent, but will
support the government. It will, however, not support the pending
1993 supplementary budget bill. The goals of Hungarian Justice
are "to keep in eye the national interest," promote a more national-oriented
policy and show more sensitivity to social problems, a spokesman
said. The group also wants to serve as a bridge between the HDF
and "other deputies who would like to have an informal, national
conservative policy." Csurka said he expects to attract more
members in the future. Relations between the new faction and
Csurka's Hungarian Way movement were left unclear. -Karoly Okolicsanyi,
RFE/RL, Inc.

ROMANIAN RAILWAYS ON STRIKE. The Free and Independent Federation
of Engine Drivers went on strike on 14 June, bringing rail traffic
to a virtual standstill. The indefinite strike was called to
press for a rise in monthly wages from 60,000 to 69,000 lei ($89
to $102). The strike stopped almost all rail traffic, including
international trains transiting Romania. Romanian rail officials
have declared the strike illegal, but Transport Minister Paul
Teodoru has offered to mediate. -Michael Shafir

ROMANIANS REMEMBER MINERS' RAMPAGE. Thousands demonstrated in
central Bucharest on 14 June to mark the third anniversary of
the violent crackdown of progovernment miners against protesters
in the capital's University Square. The demonstrators shouted
slogans against President Ion Iliescu, anti-Communist and promonarchy
slogans. In June 1990 the miners were summoned to Bucharest to
save the government from what Iliescu called "a fascist-like
coup attempt." Six people were killed in the violence. Emil Constantinescu,
the president of the Democratic Convention of Romania, told demonstrators
the 1990 rioting was "a savage attempt to use brutal force to
kill democracy," Radio Bucharest said. People in the square laid
flowers, lit candles and attended a mass near a wall of the university
building, where a plaque was installed to commemorate the 1990
events. -Michael Shafir, RFE/RL, Inc.

FINLAND BACKS ROMANIAN BID TO JOIN COUNCIL OF EUROPE. Finnish
Foreign Affairs Minister Heikki Haavisto said Finland supports
Romania's bid to join the Council of Europe and pledged $2.5
million in loans to support Romanian reforms. An agreement on
the loan, representing Finland's share of the promised G-24 assistance,
was signed following a meeting between Haavisto and Romanian
Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu, Radio Bucharest said. Haavisto
also met President Iliescu, Premier Vacaroiu, and opposition
leaders, Radio Bucharest said. -Michael Shafir, RFE/RL, Inc.


RUBIKS TRIAL POSTPONED. Baltic media report that on 14 June the
Latvian Supreme Court postponed indefinitely the trial of former
Latvian Communist Party leader Alfreds Rubiks and party functionary
Ojars Potreki. Rubiks suffers from circulatory problems in his
right leg, and the prison doctor said it would be too dangerous
to transport him. Rubiks and Potreki are accused of trying to
overthrow the Latvian government in January and August 1991.
-Dzintra Bungs, RFE/RL, Inc.

RUSSIAN CRITICISM OF ESTONIA, PRAISE FOR LITHUANIA. Russia's
envoy to Lithuania Nikolai Oberyshev told Ekho Litvy on 12 June
that during the past six months "substantial changes for the
better" have taken place in Lithuanian-Russian relations and
asserted that "things will move faster" at the upcoming bilateral
talks in mid-June. The previous round ended inconclusively. Baltic
media also reported on 14 June that Russian delegation chief
Nikolai Medvedev complained that Estonia is not upholding the
basic principles of relations between the two countries. The
Russian delegation is on a two-day visit to Estonia that includes
meetings with Estonia's top leaders and stopovers in the predominantly
Russian towns of Narva and Sillamae. -Dzintra Bungs, RFE/RL,
Inc.

BALTS REMEMBER MASS DEPORTATIONS. On 14-June people throughout
the Baltic States commemorated the victims of the first mass
deportations to Siberia that took place in 1941. Much larger
numbers were later forcibly taken to remote regions of the USSR,
where most of them died, Baltic media report. Although precise
figures are not known, it is estimated that in the 1940s and
early 1950s about 875,000 persons were deported from Estonia,
Latvia, and Lithuania. -Dzintra Bungs, RFE/RL, Inc.

LATVIA CONDEMNS DESECRATION OF JEWISH CEMETERY. Supreme Council
Chairman Anatolijs Gorbunovs has issued an official condemnation
of the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Riga and extended
apologies to the Jewish people. Gorbunovs depicted the act as
a provocation related to the congress of Latvia's ethnic Jews
that was taking place in Riga, Baltic and Western media reported
on 13 June. -Dzintra Bungs, RFE/RL, Inc.



CORRECTION: IN YESTERDAY'S RFE/RL DAILY REPORT LORD LEON BRITTAN'S
POSITION WAS GIVEN INCORRECTLY. He is European Community commissioner
for external economic relations.

[As of 1200 CET]

Compiled by Dzintra Bungs and Charles Trumbull





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