No. 114, 18 June 1993

CIS

YELTSIN, KRAVCHUK AGREE ON SPLITTING BLACK SEA FLEET. Russian
President Boris Yeltsin and Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk
signed an agreement to speed up the division of the Black Sea
Fleet. Under the terms of the agreement, published by ITAR-TASS
on 17-June, Ukraine will begin forming its own national navy
in September; that navy will use as its basis the Ukrainian share
of the Black Sea Fleet which will be divided within the time
specified by the 1992 agreement in Yalta. Until its division,
the existing base system will continue to be used by the fleet;
until that time, the fleet will be financed by both sides, each
paying half of the costs. During the transition period all servicemen
in the fleet will be dual citizens. The agreement will not come
into force until it is ratified by the parliaments of both countries.
Ustina Markus

UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN SUMMIT. In addition to the accord on the Black
Sea Fleet, the two sides also committed themselves to intensify
work on a comprehensive political treaty between the two countries;
accelerate the process of reaching an agreement on dual citizenship;
cooperate in solving fuel and energy questions on mutually beneficial
terms; and draft an agreement on jointly selling off shares in
Ukrainian and Russian enterprises. Yeltsin also confirmed Russia's
readiness to give Ukraine security guarantees that would come
into force after the Ukrainian parliament ratifies START-1 and
adheres to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Speaking to reporters
afterwards, Kravchuk said that a new stage in relations between
Ukraine and Russia seemed to have been initiated. -Roman Solchanyk


RUSSIA



RUTSKOI HITS YELTSIN ON STATE OF ARMY. Vice President Aleksandr
Rutskoi on 16-June charged that the Russian armed forces were
in a disastrous state and suggested that President Boris Yeltsin
was more interested in buying off the military leadership with
promotions than with addressing the army's real problems. According
to reports published in Rossiiskaya gazeta and Sovetskaya Rossiya
on 17 June, Rutskoi criticized laudatory remarks made by Yeltsin
on 11 June to a gathering of the high command, and said that
the number of generals in the Russian army now exceeded those
in the former Soviet armed forces (Yeltsin promoted 80 officers
to general and admiral on 11 June). Rutskoi also charged that
Russian forces are not battle worthy, that social problems continue
to mount in the army, and that the military leadership was the
most corrupt part of the army. -Stephen Foye

SPEECH TIED TO OPPOSITION IN PARLIAMENT. Aside from its substance,
Rutskoi's speech was noteworthy because it demonstrated that
the parliament continues to compete with Yeltsin for support
in the armed forces. Rutskoi's appearance took place in the parliamentary
center and was sponsored by "Army Reform," a group of uniformed
deputies that has long criticized the Russian military leadership
for what it contends is a failure to pursue serious military
reform. Rutskoi called for creation of parliamentary groups to
investigate conditions in the Russian Navy, Air Force, and Ground
Forces; the "Reform Army" group is already investigating corruption
in the armed forces. Rutskoi's direct criticism of the Russian
military leadership also appears to mark a crossing of the Rubicon.
His political standing had long rested on what was perceived
as his popularity in the army, and he may hope to reverse his
sagging political fortunes by exploiting dissatisfaction among
junior and middle level officers with the current High Command,
which has publicly backed Yeltsin. -Stephen Foye

RUSSIAN TROOPS LEAVING CUBA. Farewell ceremonies were held on
16 June for the last contingent of Russian combat troops in Cuba,
according to AFP and other Western press agencies. About 500
troops and their families are scheduled to depart Cuba on 30
June. Some Russian civilians and military advisers will remain
in Cuba to operate military intelligence facilities. -John Lepingwell


ARMED FORCES SENT INTO REBELLIOUS DISTRICT IN CHECHNYA. About
fifty law enforcement officers were sent to the Nadterechnyi
district of Chechnya. The district announced independence from
the Dzhakhar Dudaev government last week after its residents
voted against Dudaev in a referendum. An RFE/RL correspondent
quoted on 17 June President Dudaev's spokesman as saying he had
no reports so far of clashes between the force that was sent
to the district by Dudaev and the opposition. The Russian media
reported the same day that the rebellious district had been placed
under martial law. Meanwhile, the Council of Nationalities at
the Russian parliament released a statement saying the Dudaev
regime in Chechnya violated internationally accepted standards
of human rights by using force to disperse peaceful opposition
meetings, ITAR-TASS reported on 17 June. -Vera Tolz

CONGRESS OF PEOPLES OF CAUCASUS AND COSSACKS. A congress of elected
representatives of the peoples of the Caucasus and the Cossacks
of southern Russia is to take place in Nalchik on 17-18 July,
ITAR-TASS reported on 17 June. The decision was taken by an organizational
committee under the chairmanship of Musa Shanibov, president
of the confederation of the peoples of the Caucasus, and the
ataman of the Stavropol krai Union of Cossacks, Petr Fedosov.
The congress is to ratify an agreement reached between the confederation
and the Cossacks about the non-use of force or the threat of
force in solving disputes. Representatives of all the North Caucasian
republics, including Chechnya, and also Abkhazia, Kalmykia, and
the Don, Kuban, Stavropol, and Terek Cossacks signed the agreement.
Upstaging the official authorities, Shanibov took the initiative
to approach the Cossacks after Yeltsin issued his decree on the
rehabilitation of the Cossacks of southern Russia which many
saw as leading to inevitable clashes between them and the North
Caucasians. -Ann Sheehy

SHAKHRAI TO FORM NEW PARTY. Sergei Shakhrai, deputy prime minister
and close advisor to Boris Yeltsin, told journalists at a news
conference on 17-June attended by an RFE/RL correspondent that
he was forming a pro-democracy party to participate in parliamentary
elections, which could be held as early as the autumn. The founding
congress of the new party, called the Party of Russian Unity
and Accord (Russian acronym PRES), may be in July or August.
Shakhrai said he wants the party's main support to come from
businessmen and people from the regions. The party will promote
a socially oriented market economy and federalism, and will defend
the rights of Russians in other former Soviet republics. Shakhrai
has been associated with the plans announced in early June to
form a pro-Yeltsin political movement. [see RFE/RL Daily Report
for 4 June]. Wendy Slater

ZORKIN CLAIMS IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH YELTSIN. Chairman of the
Constitutional Court Valerii Zorkin, who has recently shown opposition
to President Yeltsin and his constitutional plans, told the press
that relations with the president have improved. Zorkin described
his meeting with Yeltsin on 16 June as constructive and said
that further meetings between them were planned. He said that
Yeltsin has agreed to meet all the members of the Constitutional
Court on his return from a three-day visit to Yakutia which begins
today (18 June), RFE/RL reported on 17 June. -Wendy Slater

PRAVDA APOLOGIZES FOR ANTI-SEMITIC ARTICLE. The Russian daily
Pravda apologized on 17 June for publishing an article on 5 May
that accused Jews of ritual murder. The article was criticized
by the Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev and the US State
Department. In the apology on page two, the newspaper said that
"unsubstantiated, unjustified statements occurred in the article
'Satan's Tribe' through the author's fault... The editors are
offering their apologies to the readers. At the same time, we
think it necessary to underline that our newspaper, as before,
stands on positions of internationalism and is opposed to inciting
ethnic hatred." -Vera Tolz

TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA



AZERBAIJAN UPDATE. Rebels loyal to Surat Huseinov took the town
of Shemakha, 77 miles west of Baku, on 17 June, encountering
no resistance, ITAR-TASS reported. Azertadzh claimed that 3,000
Armenian troops with armored vehicles had launched an attack
on Agdam, just east of Nagorno-Karabakh; the Nagorno-Karabakh
Information and Press Department told ITAR-TASS that Azerbaijani
planes were bombing Stepanakert, but that it was not clear whether
these were under the control of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense
or of Surat Huseinov. In a message to CSCE mediator Mario Raffaelli,
acting Nagorno-Karabakh parliament chairman Karen Baburyan accused
Azerbaijan of sabotaging the CSCE peace process by launching
a new offensive against Gadrut and Mardakert. Azerbaijan President
Abulfaz Elchibey dismissed the Ministers of National Security
and Internal Affairs, reportedly at the insistence of National
Independence Party chairman Etibar Mamedov. Azerbaijan again
demanded that the UN Security Council impose sanctions on Armenia,
according to ITAR-TASS. Alikram Gumbatov, who has taken control
of the southeastern town of Lenkoran, is quoted by ITAR-TASS
as pledging his full support for the demands made by Surat Huseinov,
but denying that he is demanding secession from Azerbaijan and
the creation of an independent Talysh Republic. -Liz Fuller

UZBEKISTAN, KYRGYZSTAN SIGN AGREEMENTS. The prime ministers of
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan signed several agreements in Tashkent
on 16 June, ITAR-TASS reported. The economic accords are designed
to relieve tension between the two states over Kyrgyzstan's surprise
introduction of its own currency, the som, in May; Uzbekistan
had responded by cutting off the natural gas and petroleum supplies
upon which Kyrgyzstan is dependent. The most important feature
of the agreements is the decision to use the dollar, not the
ruble, as the basis for all inter-bank transactions between the
two republics, though barter trade will remain a large component
of economic exchange. In addition, Kyrgyzstan officially acknowledged
that, at the time of the introduction of the som, it had a debt
of $13.3 million to Uzbekistan; the Uzbek government insisted
the debt be recognized before economic transactions could be
normalized. -Keith Martin

ELECTIONS IN TAJIKISTAN. Parliamentary by-elections were held
in 19 districts of Tajikistan on 13-June to replace legislators
who were killed or fled the country during last year's civil
war. No opposition groups were allowed to take part and in most
districts, only one Communist Party candidate's name appeared
on the ballot. Among the newly elected were the Prime Minister
Abdumalik Abdulladzhanov (with over 98% of the votes cast) and
the Procurator General Makhmadnazar Salikhov, ITAR-TASS reported
on 17-June. The Supreme Soviet, which has not met in Dushanbe
since the start of the civil war one year ago, is to convene
on June 24. Keith Martin

GROWING OPPOSITION TO SHEVARDNADZE? GEORGIA'S PRO-SHEVARDNADZE
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY CLAIMED ON 15 JUNE THAT DUE TO THE
"INTRIGUES" OF RUSSIAN REACTIONARY FORCES, GEORGIAN PARLIAMENTARY
AND NON-PARLIAMENTARY OPPOSITION HAVE UNITED WITH SUPPORTERS
OF EX-PRESIDENT ZVIAD GAMSAKHURDIA TO OPPOSE THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT,
NOVOSTI REPORTED. The statement of the NDP argued that anticipated
efforts by Russian and Abkhaz troops to take Sukhumi and Ochamchira
could spark anti-government protests. The NDP also stated that
200 Russian soldiers, together with Zviadist troops, currently
maintain control of Zugdidi, in western Georgia. Maj. Gen. Iurii
Boguevskii, Chief of Staff of the Russian Forces in the Transcaucasus,
denies this. The NDP announcement was a response to a call for
Shevardnadze's resignation issued on 14 June by Iraklii Tsereteli,
leader of the National Independence Party, together with other
opposition parties. They accused Shevardnadze of responsibility
for the current political crisis sparked by 10 months of fighting
in Abkhazia. -Catherine Dale

ABKHAZ UPDATE. ITAR-TASS reported that a convoy of 30 Russian
trucks, guarded by Russian light tanks and both Russian and Georgian
troops, stopped in Ochamchira on 17 June on its way to deliver
humanitarian aid to the besieged city of Tkvarcheli, from where
approximately 5,000 refugees will be evacuated. Most of the refugees
are Abkhaz or ethnic Russians. Also on 17 June, refugees from
Sukhumi boarded ships to sail to Sochi. -Catherine Dale

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE



IS VANCE-OWEN PLAN ALIVE?. The plan is dead, say international
media on 18 June, as does Lord Owen himself, according to the
Los Angeles Times. Croatian President Franjo Tudjman said on
17 June that the plan drafted by him and Serbian President Slobodan
Milosevic "brought all sides closer to some solution which promises
to lessen the number of victims and which is closer to peace."
He also blamed inaction by the international community for the
collapse of the Vance-Owen project. Tudjman stressed that the
new plan is realistic, and Lord Owen noted that "we have to live
with what has happened on the ground." Milosevic too endorsed
the Croat-Serb proposal, but Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic
slammed it, saying: "we are all intermingled there. You cannot
draw lines between us unless you are ready to make a new round
of ethnic cleansing." Meanwhile, Tudjman denied that the project
is a Serb-Croat plot to partition Bosnia, saying that it requires
the Serbs to give up some conquered territories and grants the
Muslims areas of prime cultural and economic importance. Finally,
the 18 June Borba notes that "intensive contacts" are under way
between Zagreb and Belgrade. -Patrick Moore

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE YUGOSLAV AREA. Reuters on 17 June says
that a Serbian court magistrate ordered that opposition leader
Vuk Draskovic be sent from the court to an outside clinic. It
is not clear where Draskovic, who was badly beaten by police
after his arrest at a protest on 2 June, actually is. The brutality
of the treatment of Draskovic and his wife, together with the
violation of his parliamentary immunity, have attracted international
attention. France has repeated its call for his release, and
many other Western nations have expressed similar demands. Meanwhile
in Croatia, Vjesnik of 17 June says that lower house speaker
Stipe Mesic, who leads the liberal wing of the ruling Croatian
Democratic Community (HDZ), attended a meeting of journalists
calling for freedom of the press. He urged journalists to improve
their professional standards, but, most importantly, he demanded
that "the government and political parties get out of the media."
Many observers predict that the HDZ is likely to split into a
liberal and a rather smaller conservative faction, and Mesic
has been staking out positions on a variety of issues that put
him at odds with Tudjman. -Patrick Moore

SUCHOCKA PUSHES ON. At a press conference on 17-June, the Polish
prime minister said it would be "unacceptable" simply to "administer"
the country until new elections. She pledged to push ahead with
the implementation of "previously accepted" programs, especially
efforts to fight unemployment. She did not rule out certain "extraordinary
measures" to compensate for the absence of the parliament. This
was Suchocka's second major press conference since the parliament
was dissolved; she has pledged to inform the public regularly
of the government's actions, on the assumption that it now answers
directly to the nation. Suchocka also announced she will run
for a seat in the Sejm. She expressed "understanding" for President
Lech Walesa's attempt to form a Non-Party Bloc to Support Reform
(BBWR). Electoral blocs, she said, are more appropriate for the
coming elections than individual parties running separately.
The coalition parties supporting Suchocka's government met on
17 June in a second attempt to hammer out a joint strategy for
the elections. Given the difficulty in forming a single electoral
coalition that would include both secular liberals and conservative
Catholics, Suchocka proposed that the ruling parties enter the
elections in two blocs-a national-Catholic bloc and a liberal-centrist
one-joined by a "non-aggression pact." The coalition is to reach
a final decision on 23 June. -Louisa Vinton

CATCH-22 FOR PRIVATE POLISH BROADCASTERS. The chairman of Poland's
national broadcasting council told reporters on 17 June that
all private radio and TV stations broadcasting without a license
will face prosecution as of 1 July. This requirement, included
in the law on radio and television approved earlier this year,
will require the shut-down not only of "pirate" stations broadcasting
without official permission, but also of stations broadcasting
on the basis of temporary permits, including Warsaw's private
giant, Radio Zet. Only stations operated by the Catholic Church
are exempt. The problem here is that there is no way for private
stations now operating to legalize their status without closing
down operations for several months. Due to delays in the passage
of the radio and television law, the broadcasting council will
only begin accepting applications for licenses at the end of
June, and licenses will only be issued in October. The council
has said all applicants should have an equal chance at a license.
Private broadcasters expressed shock that the broadcasting council
had not attempted to postpone the 1 July deadline, especially
as Poland is entering an election campaign. Gazeta Wyborcza reports
that there are 56-private radio stations and 20 private TV stations
now broadcasting in Poland. -Louisa Vinton

POLISH PRODUCTION CONTINUES TO CLIMB. Industrial production in
May 1993 was 14% higher than in the same month a year ago, the
state statistical office reported on 17 June. Construction was
up by a full 18.8%. Average industrial production for the first
five months of 1993 was 8.8% higher than in the comparable period
of 1992, PAP reported. -Louisa Vinton

CZECH HEALTH CARE MINISTER TO BE RECALLED. Prime Minister Vaclav
Klaus announced on 17 June that the leadership of the ruling
Civic Democratic Party, has recommended that Czech Health Care
Minister Petr Lom be replaced. Lom is a member of the CDP. Klaus
said that among the reasons for Lom's replacement are both specific
problems in the health care system and Lom's inability to defend
the ongoing large-scale restructuring of the health care system.
(An ambitious program to privatize the health-care system was
launched at the beginning of 1993.) The prime minister also revealed
that Zdenek Rubas, a CDP parliamentary deputy and physician by
profession, is likely to replace Lom. Rubas would become the
fourth minister in the last three years to preside over the troubled
ministry. -Jiri Pehe

MECIAR MAY BE FORCED TO SACK MORE MINISTERS. In order to guarantee
a coalition between the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia of
Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and the Slovak National Party
(SNS), Meciar may be obliged to give up more cabinet posts from
his one-party government. Although Meciar has already sacked
two ministers, on 17 June Reuters reported that SNS Vice Chairman
Anton Hrnko said the party is looking to gain five cabinet posts
in order to have a "balanced coalition government." Hrnko specified
that the SNS aims to capture the economics and privatization
ministries and possibly education and health as well, in addition
to the new Ministry of Trade and Tourism. In a separate interview
with CTK, SNS Chairman Ludovit Cernak claimed that Hrnko broke
"a gentlemen's agreement" by releasing information being discussed
privately between the SNS and the MDS. A coalition with SNS is
necessary to provide MDS with a slim majority in parliament.
-Sharon Fisher

CARTER VISITS SLOVAKIA. Former US President Jimmy Carter is in
Slovakia for a two-day unofficial visit beginning on 17 June.
The first day of the visit included talks with Premier Vladimir
Meciar and a meeting with Parliament Chairman Ivan Gasparovic.
Carter and Meciar discussed increased cooperation in privatization,
tourism, and trade, as well as closer ties between the US Democratic
Party and the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia. In an interview
with TASR, Carter said that the Slovak constitution "guarantees
democracy and protects human rights." -Sharon Fisher

CSURKA ON LIST OF AGENTS? HUNGARIAN DEMOCRATIC FORUM PRESIDIUM
MEMBER ISTVAN CSURKA, WHOSE FORMAL EXPULSION FROM THE PARTY IS
IN PROCESS, TOLD MAGYAR NEMZET OF 16 JUNE THAT HIS NAME MIGHT
APPEAR ON A LIST OF AGENTS OF THE NOTORIOUS DEPARTMENT III/III
OF THE SECURITY SERVICE, WHICH WAS IN CHARGE OF DOMESTIC SURVEILLANCE
UNDER COMMUNISM. Csurka said that he had signed many statements
during his internment following the 1956 revolution but he denied
that he ever worked for the department. He predicted that as
the campaign for the 1994 national elections gets under way "new
data" will emerge against him in an attempt to undermine his
credibility. The 29-member Hungarian Truth national political
group in parliament, of which Csurka is a member, has recently
asked Prime Minister Jozsef Antall to screen its members for
ties to the III/III department. The request came in response
to a statement by Antall that former III/III agents might be
in the group. -Edith Oltay

MIGS FOR BUDAPEST. The Hungarian government has authorized the
Minister of Defense to sign an agreement with Russia under which
Russia would deliver to Hungary 28 MiG-29 interceptor aircraft
in return for partial cancellation of former Soviet debts, MTI
reports. Under the deal, Russia is also to deliver parts and
ammunition, pay for delivery of aircraft to the Hungarian-Ukrainian
border, and train Hungarian pilots. The $800-million deal erases
almost half of Russia's total debt, excluding interest. Defense
Ministry State Secretary Laszlo Szendrei said that Hungary feels
that it is safer to accept arms deliveries from Russia than to
wait for eventual cash repayment of former Soviet debts. The
MiG-29s will replace aging MiG-21s. Even with the new aircraft
Hungary remains below levels allowed by the European Conventional
Arms Limitation Agreement. -Edith Oltay

ROMANIAN OPPOSITION CLOSES RANKS. Romania's main parliamentary
opposition groups decided on 17-June to forge an alliance aimed
at winning power. According to Radio Bucharest, the parties involved
are the National Peasant Party Christian Democratic, the Social
Democratic Party of Romania, the Party of Civic Alliance, the
Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania, the Liberal Party
and the Democratic Party-National Salvation Front. The first
five groups belong to the centrist Democratic Convention of Romania.
A protocol released by the new alliance says that its aim is
to pave the way for a governing pact able to pull the country
out of the present crisis. The move comes amidst speculations
that President Ion Iliescu may replace the current cabinet, dominated
by his Democratic National Salvation Front, with a stopgap coalition
sometime this autumn. -Dan Ionescu

BULGARIAN NUCLEAR PLANT TO BE UPDATED. Western agencies report
that Bulgaria is slated to receive a grant of approximately $29
million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Much of the money will be used to update the Kozloduy nuclear
power facility. In addition, a portion of the funds will be used
to phase out four Soviet reactors at the facility deemed hazardous
and obsolete by Western standards. -Stan Markotich

BULGARIA, TURKEY SIGN ACCORDS. During a visit by Bulgarian Deputy
Prime Minister Neycho Neev to Turkey, protocols on bilateral
cooperation in the fields of science and technology were signed,
BTA reported on 17 June. Neev told journalists that agreements
on avoidance of double taxation and mutual protection of investments
are also in preparation. On 16 June an accord by which both countries
will provide each other with most-favored-nation trade status
was initialed. -Kjell Engelbrekt

BULGARIA TO CHAIR BLACK SEA COUNCIL. On 17-June Bulgaria became
the new chair of the Foreign Ministers' Council of the Black
Sea Economic Cooperation Council, taking over from Turkey. The
term will be for six months. According to Reuters, the meeting
of the foreign ministers of 11 Black Sea nations in Istanbul
reached general consensus on the organization of an international
secretariat to foster economic activity among the membership,
which includes Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and
six former Soviet republics. No agreement could be reached on
where to base BSEC's regional bank, since Bulgaria, Greece, Romania
and Turkey have each submitted bids to base the bank in their
countries. -Stan Markotich

SPEAKER OF ISRAELI PARLIAMENT APPLAUDS UKRAINIAN DEMOCRACY. Shevach
Weiss, the first senior Israeli official to visit post-Soviet
Ukraine, praised the steps taken toward democracy in Ukraine
since its independence and encouraged Ukrainian-Israeli cooperation
in the realm of energy engineering, Holos Ukrainy reported on
17 June. Weiss met with President Leonid Kravchuk and Prime Minister
Leonid Kuchma and addressed parliament. While he spoke openly
about the atrocities perpetrated against Jews and others on the
territory of Ukraine during World War-II, Weiss expressed satisfaction
with the overall treatment of Jews in present-day Ukraine. However,
as Reuters reported on 16 June, the visit was marred by protests
for the release of Ivan Demjanjuk, a Ukrainian-born man sentenced
to death in Israel for operating gas chambers during World War-II,
who claims to be a victim of mistaken identity. Parliamentarians
in Kiev and activists in Weiss' hometown of Boryslav, in western
Ukraine, demanded Demjanjuk's release. -Susan Stewart

LITHUANIA INTRODUCES ITS CURRENCY NEXT WEEK. Chairman of the
Central Bank announced on 17-June that on 25 June the national
currency, known as litas, will be introduced. All of the bills
and coins are to be introduced all at once. Initially, one litas
will equal 100 coupons, which has served as interim currency
since Lithuania left the ruble zone. The changeover is expected
to be completed by 20 July, Baltic media report. -Dzintra Bungs


FINAL RESULTS OF LATVIAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. The Central
Election Commission disseminated the final results of the parliamentary
elections in Latvia that took place on 5-6 June, Radio Riga reported
on 17 June. They also announced in alphabetical order the candidates
from each list who had been elected to the Saeima and how many
parliamentary seats each of the eight winning organizations is
to have: Latvian Way-36; National Independence Movement of Latvia-15;
Ravnopravie-7; Concord for Latvia-13; Farmers' Union-12; Christian
Democrats-6; For the Fatherland and Freedom-6; and Democratic
Center Party-5. -Dzintra Bungs

LAST RUSSIAN WARPLANE LEAVES LATVIA. Radio Riga reported on 17
June that the last Russian warplanes have left Latvia; they departed
from the military airport at Lielvarde. Recent estimates suggest
that there are still about 22,000 Russian troops and about 25
transport planes and helicopters, 44 tanks, 56 armored transport
vehicles, and a variety of weapons and vast quantities of ammunition
in Latvia. In a related development, it was reported that Latvian
customs officials have discovered an attempt by Russian servicemen
to smuggle some 5,000 tons of aviation fuel to Sweden. -Dzintra
Bungs

FIRST GENERAL FOR ESTONIA. President Lennart Meri promoted Estonian
Defense Forces Commander Col. Aleksander Einseln to the rank
of major general on 17 June. Einseln is Estonia's first postindependence
general. He fled Estonia with his mother in 1944, joined the
US Army, fought in Korea and Vietnam, and retired in 1985 with
the rank of colonel. He was named commander of the Estonian Defense
Forces earlier this year, although he did not receive formal
permission to do so from the US administration. -Mart Laanemae




[As of 1200 CET] Compiled by Dzintra Bungs and Charles Trumbull





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