No. 204, 22 October 1993

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc.



RUSSIA



TEN SUSPENDED PARTIES ALLOWED TO RESUME ACTIVITIES. The Justice
Ministry said ten political parties and organizations, suspended
after the 3 October disturbances, had been allowed to resume
their activities, an RFE/RL correspondent in Moscow reported
on 20-October. The decision follows the end of a state of emergency
in Moscow. Only two of those parties would be allowed to participate
in the 12-December elections-the Russian Communist Party and
the People's Party of Free Russia. The leaders of these parties
told RFE/RL, however, that they doubted that they would have
enough time to register their electoral lists. Among other groups
that can now resume activities but not take part in the elections
are the National Salvation Front, the Russian Communist Workers'
Party, the Officers' Union, the Society for the Social Protection
of Servicemen (Shield), the Russian Communist Youth Union, and
the Russian National Unity Movement. -Vera Tolz

YELTSIN PROMISES TO GUARANTEE PRESS FREEDOM. In an interview
with Novaya ezhednevnaya gazeta on 21 October, President Boris
Yeltsin said that deviations by officials from the liberal Russian
press law would be straightened out. The president stressed that
"freedom of the press is as important to me as it is to you (the
newspaper) and to all citizens of Russia." He said he was preparing
a decree guaranteeing freedom of information during the current
election campaign. On 20 October, a group of Russian journalists
accused the security forces of arbitrarily beating and arresting
correspondents during the state of emergency in Moscow. The journalists
also feared that the government's attempts to limit press freedom
would negatively affect the parliamentary elections. Meanwhile,
the Information Ministry rejected criticism of a decision to
ban some opposition newspapers. The ministry's statement, released
by ITAR-TASS on 21 October, said the decision abided by the 1966
convention on civil and political rights. The statement said
the banned newspapers had disseminated fascist propaganda and
thereby violated the Russian press law. -Vera Tolz

LIBERAL PRESS EXPRESSES DOUBT ABOUT FAIRNESS OF ELECTION CAMPAIGN.
Complaints about the strong influence of the government and the
presidential apparatus on the election campaign are being expressed
by the liberal independent Russian press. Moscow News no. 43
said that "the number of reports in the state-run electronic
and print media on the activities of the pro-Yeltsin 'Russia's
Choice' bloc is so high that not only the president's opponents,
but even his supporters from other blocs cannot dream of such
publicity." Last weekend, a leader of "Russia's Choice," Deputy
Prime Minister Vladimir Shumeiko, said that the bloc intended
to become a ruling party. On 20 October, Kommersant criticized
deputy chief of the presidential apparatus Vyacheslav Volkov
for stating "with full confidence" at a 19-October press conference
that "Russia's Choice" would get up to 38 % of seats in the new
parliament. The newspaper said such statements cast doubt on
the fairness of the election campaign. -Vera Tolz

LEADER OF REPUBLICAN PARTY COMMENTS ON ELECTIONS. In an interview
with Delovoi mir on 20-October, a leader of the reformist Republican
Party, Vyacheslav Shostakovsky, also criticized what he said
was the privileged position of "Russia's Choice." The Republican
Party initially wanted to cooperate with this bloc, but then,
according to Shostakovsky, dropped the idea, despite the fact
that the platforms of the bloc and the party were similar. Shostakovsky
said he objected to the fact that the bloc was making extensive
use of executive structures appointed by the president in its
election campaign. He also criticized the fact that the bloc's
electoral list included a number of members of the current government.
This situation was also criticized by the leaders of the Russian
Movement for Democratic Reforms, Gavriil Popov and Anatolii Sobchak.
Shostakovsky said that the privileged position enjoyed by "Russia's
Choice" compared to other blocs would likely win it an overwhelming
majority of seats in the new parliament. He said he feared there
will be no "constructive opposition" in the parliament. -Vera
Tolz

CENTRISTS PREPARE FOR ELECTIONS. The leader of the Party of Russian
Unity and Concord, Sergei Shakhrai, told Russian TV "Vesti" on
21 October that his party has endorsed Prime Minister Viktor
Chernomyrdin as its top candidate for parliamentary elections.
But Shakhrai added that Chernomyrdin has not yet given his approval
to that step. The Chelyabinsk branch of the centrist Entrepreneurs'
and Industrialists' Union said it supports Deputy Prime Minister
Oleg Soskovets in the parliamentary elections. The future of
the major centrist political force-the Civic Union-remains unclear
after the loss of its leader, former Vice President Aleksandr
Rutskoi. The head of the industrialist Union "Renewal", Aleksandr
Vladislavlev, told ITAR-TASS on 21 October that a new centrist
bloc must be created. -Alexander Rahr

YELTSIN ENLARGES SECURITY COUNCIL. President Yeltsin has enlarged
the composition of the Security Council, ITAR-TASS reported on
21 October. Apart from permanent members of the Council (Yeltsin,
Prime Minister Chernomyrdin, Secretary of the Security Council
Oleg Lobov) and ordinary members (heads of the "power" ministries,
the Foreign Minister, and the director of the Foreign Intelligence
Service), Yeltsin appointed Deputy Prime Ministers Egor Gaidar,
Boris Fedorov, Sergei Shakhrai, and the ministers of ecology,
justice, and health, as members. The Security Council is regarded
as the inner cabinet of the country's executive. Judging from
its composition, liberal forces will have a strong influence.
-Alexander Rahr

SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES FORMED. On 22 October, ITAR-TASS
reported that President Yeltsin had signed a decree creating
a number of interdepartmental committees within the Russian Security
Council. Committees are being formed in the following areas:
foreign policy, environmental security, defense security, information
security, societal security, and health protection. In addition,
a standing interregional committee under the security council
will be established, presumably to coordinate security issues
with the regions. Standing committees on the fight against corruption
and for scientific-technical questions concerning the defense
industry were also set up. This plethora of committees would
seem to widen the reach of the Security Council, but whether
these committees will have any real power remains unclear. -John
Lepingwell

NATIONAL SALVATION FRONT AND ELECTIONS. Although the National
Salvation Front is not permitted to participate in elections,
some of its constituent members and leaders will be standing,
Interfax reported on 21 October. One of the NSF cochairmen, Gennadii
Saenko, a former parliamentary deputy, told Interfax that he
was resigning his leadership post in the NSF, in order to avoid
"provoking the authorities to use force and . . . limit the freedom
of democratic institutions." He said that some of the opposition
leaders in the parliament, who belonged to the Russian Unity
bloc, closely connected with the NSF, were planning to stand
for election to the State Duma. They included Sergei Baburin
and Nikolai Pavlov of the Russian All-People's Union; and Vladimir
Isakov, standing for the Agrarian Party. -Wendy Slater

LATEST UNEMPLOYMENT DATA. The head of the Federal Employment
Service, Fedor Prokopov, released the data on unemployment as
at 1 October at a news conference on 21-October, Interfax and
Reuters reported. The number officially registered as jobless
was 706,000; 968,000 were listed as out of work; and 3.7-million
were on unpaid leave or on part-time during the first half of
1993. Prokopov warned that the number of unemployed could rise
to 10-12 million in 1994. During the first 8 months of 1993,
a total of 18.1 billion rubles (roughly $15 million) was paid
out in unemployment benefits. -Keith Bush

PROTEST OVER AGRICULTURAL FUNDING. Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr
Zaveryukha stormed out of a cabinet meeting on 21 October in
protest over alleged underfunding of the agroindustrial complex,
Interfax and Reuters reported. Zaveryukha, who has the thankless
portfolio on agriculture, has long been battling with his colleagues-and
notably with Finance Minister Boris Fedorov-to maintain or increase
agricultural subsidies that constitute an estimated 12-13% of
GDP. He is now complaining about payment arrears: farmers are
said to be owed 700 billion rubles for grain deliveries while
processing and marketing enterprises are reportedly owed 500
billion rubles. Zaveryukha intimated that he may resign. -Keith
Bush

RUSSIA TO CONTINUE TESTING MORATORIUM. Citing a government statement,
Interfax reported on 21-October that the Russian government has
asserted its intention to abide by its moratorium on nuclear
weapons testing. However, the statement notes that continued
testing by other states could force Russia to reconsider its
policy. There was also implicit criticism of China for its recent
nuclear test, which the statement observed could complicate the
negotiation of a comprehensive test ban treaty. -John Lepingwell


GRACHEV TO STAY OUT OF POLITICS. Reaffirming the military's intention
to stay out of politics in the wake of the October crisis, Defense
Minister Pavel Grachev has announced that he will not run for
office in the December elections. According to an Interfax report
of 21-October, Grachev implicitly criticized other ministers
for participating in the elections, suggesting that a minister
should "mind his own business, not join political campaigns."
On a related note, Krasnaya zvezda on 16 October carried an editorial
extolling the virtues of "one-man leadership" in the military
and warning of the dangers of political factionalism within the
ranks. The article implies that the military leadership remains
concerned about the degree of disunity within the military. -John
Lepingwell

TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA



GAMSAKHURDIA DENOUNCES RUSSIAN MOVES ON GEORGIA. The situation
in western Georgia remained unclear on 21 October; a Reuters
correspondent reported that contrary to Georgian government claims
of 20 October, forces loyal to ousted president Zviad Gamsakhurdia
still controlled the Black Sea port of Poti. In an appeal to
the UN, Gamsakhurdia accused Russia of "interfering in Georgia's
internal affairs" and of "propping up the Shevardnadze junta;"
he denied that his men were blocking vital transport arteries.
US President Bill Clinton has sent Georgian parliament chairman
Eduard Shevardnadze an official invitation to visit the US, and
has proposed that the US participate as an observer in the ongoing
UN-sponsored negotiations on a political solution to the Abkhaz
conflict, Western agencies reported. -Liz Fuller

RAFSANJANI IN BISHKEK. Speaking at a press conference on 21 October
in Bishkek, the second stage of his Central Asian tour, where
he attended the ceremonial opening of the Iranian Embassy, Iranian
President Ali-Akbar Rafsanjani expressed confidence that the
Muslim population of Kyrgyzstan will succeed in building democracy
"in accordance with the basic principles of Islam", Reuters reported.
Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev asked Rafsanjani at the same press
conference to use his influence to help end conflicts in Central
Asia and the Caucasus. The two presidents signed 13 agreements
on developing trade, on Kyrgyzstan's use of Iranian transport
facilities, and on humanitarian cooperation. Kyrgyzstan is to
export livestock products, flax, cotton, and metal goods to Iran,
in return for oil, food products, medications, and agricultural
machinery, ITAR-TASS reported. -Liz Fuller

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE



NATO REBUFFS EASTERN EUROPE. Meeting in TravemŸnde, Germany on
21 October, NATO defense ministers unanimously endorsed a US
proposal to offer "partnerships for peace" to former Warsaw Pact
countries interested in joining the alliance. Ruling out the
rapid expansion of NATO to include the new East European democracies,
the gathering agreed to put off consideration of new members
into the "distant future." NATO officials said the "peace partnership"
offer would be open to virtually any nation in the region, including
Russia and Ukraine. It would be based on bilateral agreements
enabling partners to participate in such joint NATO operations
as peace-keeping, crisis management, and search and rescue missions.
But NATO officials stressed that the partnership arrangements
would not entail any security guarantees. The US proposal was
apparently designed to placate Russia without leaving the East
European countries empty-handed, but it is sure to disappoint
Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia, which had
hoped for a firmer commitment. Asked if NATO had yielded in the
face of a Russian diktat, NATO General Secretary Manfred Woerner
told reporters that "NATO will not do anything against Russia
nor anything that could threaten its security. We do not want
to divide Europe." -Louisa Vinton

POLES REACT TO NATO DECISION. Polish officials have reacted with
diplomatic skepticism to NATO's decision not to enlarge the alliance
in the near future. Foreign Minister Krzysztof Skubiszewski told
PAP on 21-October it was inconceivable that the Cold War should
be followed by a "cold peace." He said that NATO's "zone of stable
security" should move to embrace those parts of Europe not yet
covered by it, and that Central Europe is the prime candidate
for inclusion. Responding to a question whether Russia should
also be included in the security zone, Skubiszewski said that,
as a superpower, Russia would have good relations with NATO and
that the presence of Poland within NATO would work to ensure
Russian security. Defense Minister Janusz Onyszkiewicz said on
20 October that there is no doubt that Poland will join NATO
but that this would not necessarily happen today or tomorrow.
He also downplayed alarmist reports about the potential threat
to Poland of Russia's new defense doctrine. -Anna Sabbat-Swidlicka


CZECH OFFICIALS COMMENT ON NATO ANNOUNCEMENT. On 21 October,
at a news conference in Warsaw after his meeting with Polish
President Lech Walesa, Czech President Vaclav Havel said that
associate membership in NATO for East European states cannot
be a substitute for future security guarantees and that his country
will continue to push for full membership. Havel stressed that
a treaty of association with NATO must not exclude "our membership
in the alliance." He also said that he was concerned the West
is bowing too much to the demands of Russia and thus creating
the possibility for the reappearance of the "ghost of Yalta."
Also on 21 October, at a press conference in Prague, Czech Defense
Minister Antonin Baudys welcomed the possibility of associate
membership. "It is clear that NATO wants to cooperate," he said.
-Jiri Pehe

SLOVAKIA'S KOVAC ON NATO. On 21 October Slovak President Michal
Kovac said the US proposal is "evidence of intensive discussion
held on this issue in NATO," TASR reports. Kovac stressed that
Slovakia has several times "presented its interest in joining
the contemporary political, economic, and security structures
established by democratic countries, including NATO" and that
his country "will strive to create suitable inner political and
foreign political conditions for accomplishment of this goal."
-Sharon Fisher

US SECRETARY OF STATE IN HUNGARY. On 20-October, on his way to
Moscow and Kiev, US Secretary of State Warren Christopher paid
a one-day official visit to Hungary, MTI reports. Prior to his
arrival, Christopher telephoned Prime Minister Jozsef Antall,
who remains hospitalized in Cologne after a recent operation.
In Budapest, Christopher held official talks with Foreign Minister
Geza Jeszenszky, President Arpad Goncz, and Interior Minister
Peter Boross, who is standing in for Antall. A main topic of
discussion was NATO's potential role in filling the regional
security gap in Eastern Europe. Christopher stressed that, at
NATO's next summit meeting in January, the door could be opened
to NATO's expansion as an "evolutionary process." The time has
come, Christopher stressed, "to change the relationship between
NATO and the new democracies." However, the Secretary of State
also emphasized that the actual NATO membership for Hungary is
still a matter for the distant future. Christopher also met with
US businessmen in Budapest and encouraged them to invest in Hungary.
-Judith Pataki

SLOVAK PARTIES COMMENT ON COALITION. During a press conference
of the Slovak National Party on 21 October, chairman Ludovit
Cernak said his party is entering the coalition with the Movement
for a Democratic Slovakia "for the sake of overcoming the current
political crisis." He said the talks "were not aimed at gaining
offices" for the SNP, but rather at solving some crucial problems
in Slovakia. According to Cernak, future privatization "will
be so fast that I am afraid of criticism of its exaggerated acceleration."
Also on 21-October Christian Democratic Movement Deputy Chairman
Frantisek Miklosko said that by signing the coalition agreement
with the MDS, the SNP "signed its death certificate," TASR reports.
By yielding to Meciar's demands, Cernak "will witness his own
departure from the forefront of the party" and "Slovakia will
face a period of dull stagnation," Miklosko added. -Sharon Fisher


SLOVAK NATIONAL BANK REPORTS ON ECONOMY. On 21 October National
Bank of Slovakia Governor Vladimir Masar presented a report to
the parliament on the development of the Slovak currency during
the first six months of the year. According to the report, GDP
fell by 6%, but the currency remained relatively stable because
of a positive balance of payments, low debt, and comparatively
low inflation. Slovakia's balance of payments at the end of June
registered a surplus of 3.9-billion koruny ($139 million), despite
a 5 billion koruny ($179 million) deficit in convertible currencies.
Money in circulation fell by 6.9-billion koruny, as households
saved more because of the Czech-Slovak currency split. In the
first six months of the year, the volume of loans given to the
private sector rose by 17%, while loans to state firms fell by
8.5%. Interest rates for bank credits rose from 13.38% in January
to 14.71% in June; interest rates were highest in banks with
foreign capital involvement. By June, 17 commercial banks with
11-billion crowns worth of property had operations in Slovakia.
Inflation, which climbed to 14.2% in the first six months of
1993, could reach 30% by December, the reports says. -Sharon
Fisher

POLISH SEJM CONSTITUTES COMMISSIONS. Completing its interrupted
inaugural session, the Sejm on 21-October constituted its 24
standing commissions and elected 46-deputies to the joint Sejm-Senate
Constitutional Commission. The chairmanship of these commissions
is traditionally settled in advance through bargaining between
representatives of the different caucuses. This time, however,
the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) tried to prevent the Democratic
Union (UD) from having the chairmanship of the 5 commissions
it considers vital to the continuation of the reform process.
Ultimately, the UD managed to have its candidate-Bronislaw Geremek-elected
to head the foreign affairs commission with the votes of the
Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), in the face of opposition from
ruling coalition partner the PSL, but the PSL prevailed over
the UD in imposing its candidate in the privatization commission.
The SLD won the chairmanship of 9 commissions; the PSL won 7;
the UD won 4; the Labor Union won 2; and the Nonparty Reform
Bloc and the Confederation for an Independent Poland have one
each. -Anna Sabbat-Swidlicka

UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT VOTES TO KEEP CHERNOBYL OPEN. On 21 October
the Ukrainian parliament voted 221 to 38 to allow the Chernobyl
nuclear reactors to continue running after this year and lifted
a moratorium on the construction of new nuclear power stations.
The decision was prompted by Ukraine's energy shortage. International
reaction has been highly critical of the decision. The International
Atomic Energy Agency expressed understanding of Ukraine's position,
although it feels Chernobyl should be closed permanently. The
EC has also expressed concern over the decision, and German environment
minister, Klaus Toepfer, said the move "disregards international
safety concerns." Nuclear power generates one-third of Ukraine's
energy and the country may become even more dependent on it as
Ukraine is having problems meeting its payments to Russia for
its energy supplies. -Ustina Markus

BELARUS CUTS GAS TO ENTERPRISES. The Belarusian government has
cut gas supplied to 30 large enterprises because of non-payment
for previous deliveries and warned a number of others that they
too face cutoffs, Reuters reported on 21 October. According to
the acting head of the state company Beltopgas, Alexandr Karets,
Belarus is unlikely to meet its payments to Russia's state supplier,
Gazprom, and will, therefore, probably receive even less gas
than it is getting now. Currently it is receiving 15% less than
its daily needs. Last month Belarus agreed to pay off its $100
million gas debt to Russia by 1 November. -Ustina Markus

BULGARIAN-RUSSIAN POWER TALKS SUSPENDED. A Bulgarian government
official told Reuters on 21-October that negotiations with Russia
on emergency power supplies have been interrupted because of
sharp disagreement over prices. Dyanko Dobrev, Chairman of the
Bulgarian Electric Company, told a press conference in Sofia
that the Russian negotiators are demanding significantly more
than the 2.72 cents per kilowatt Bulgaria has agreed to pay to
Ukraine and have also presented the offer as a take-it-or-leave-it
opportunity. Bulgaria, which last winter had to import large
amounts of power following repeated stoppages at the Kozloduy
nuclear power plant, has this year already signed a deal with
Ukraine to ensure emergency electricity supplies. Sofia hopes
to reach a similar arrangement with Moldova. -Kjell Engelbrekt


RUSSIA REBUFFS MOLDOVAN FOREIGN MINISTER. A statement by Russia's
Foreign Ministry, distributed by Russia's Permanent Mission to
the UN on 18 October, departed from diplomatic etiquette in accusing
Moldovan Foreign Minister Nicolae Tiu of having "completely misrepresented"
Russia's policy in his speech to the UN General Assembly. In
that speech, Tiu had described Russia's 14th Army as the catalyst
of the Dniester conflict, cautioned the international community
against granting Russia the mandate of "peacemaker" on the territory
of the former USSR, and complained at Russia's refusal to admit
UN or CSCE observers to the deadlocked talks on the withdrawal
of the 14th Army from Moldova. The Russian Foreign Ministry's
statement falsely claimed that the troop talks are proceeding
"constructively," but insisted that the talks are a bilateral
Russian-Moldovan matter, ruling out other participants, and opposed
Tiu's request for the inclusion of that issue in the General
Assembly's agenda. -Vladimir Socor

ISRAEL PLEASED WITH SITUATION OF MOLDOVA'S JEWS. Nahum Keren,
a senior diplomat with Israel's embassy in Moscow, currently
in charge of setting up Israel's mission in Chisinau, told Nezavisimaya
Moldova of 14 October, as quoted by Basapress, that "Moldova
is a far more hospitable place of residence for Jews than, for
example, Russia. The Moldovan authorities' attitude toward Jews
is far more considerate, and the social environment is nonaggressive
and far less crime-prone." Moldovan Jews also make better immigrants
to Israel, Keren said. Israeli officials have periodically expressed
satisfaction with the situation of Jews in Moldova. -Vladimir
Socor

REACTION TO MILOSEVIC'S DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT. Serbian opposition
leaders have reacted with protest and alarm to Serbian President
Slobodan Milosevic's decision to dissolve the National Assembly
and call new parliamentary elections for 19 December. Most threatened
to boycott the elections if opposition parties are denied equal
access to the Socialist-controlled broadcast media. Serbian Radical
Party (SRS) leader Vojislav Seselj said Milosevic has "lost his
head as well as his nerve" in an effort to save the Socialist
government, while opposition Democratic Party leader Dragoljub
Micunovic called the move "surprisingly premature." Vuk Draskovic
told both the Belgrade and international media that Milosevic's
decision was "a totalitarian move" and accused him of wanting
to reestablish one-party rule. He added that under such "extraordinary
circumstances" all democratic forces must unite, forget their
past disagreements and urgently formulate conditions for the
elections and "insist on them without backing down." Janos Vekas
of the Democratic Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians stated his
party is again accepting the challenge, as in all previous multi-
party elections in Serbia. The last elections were held in December
1992. Radio Serbia and Croatian TV carried the report on 21 October.
-Milan Andrejevich

ALBANIAN OPPOSITION PARTY ENDS BELGRADE VISIT. Radio Serbia and
Reuter report on 21 October that leaders of the Albanian opposition
party Aleanca Demokratike (Democratic Alliance) returned from
a controversial visit to Belgrade aimed at opening a dialogue
between the Balkan rivals. Spartak Ngjela of the Democratic Alliance,
told a news conference in Tirana that talks with Serbian leaders
"impartially analyzed the situation" and relations between Albania
and Serbia. Ngjela said the three Democratic Alliance leaders
held talks with Serbian opposition and government leaders, including
deputy prime minister Danilo Markovic, foreign minister Vladislav
Jovanovic, and opposition leader Vuk Draskovic. Earlier in the
week, Albania's ruling Democratic Party and the official media
sharply criticized the three-day visit to Belgrade, accusing
the delegation of supporting "Serb violence, terror and oppression
against Albanians in Kosovo." ATA carried a statement by the
ruling Democratic Party saying, "Their mission gives world-isolated
Milosevic an argument to claim he is talking with Albanians."
-Milan Andrejevich

ROMANIANS TO GET 35,000 LEI MINIMUM WAGE. On 21 October, Romania's
Premier Nicolae Vacaroiu discussed with government economic officials
recent price hikes and a new salary indexing policy. Octavian
Partenie, the cabinet's official in charge of relations with
the country's trade unions, told Radio Bucharest after the meeting
that a decision had been reached to raise the minimum monthly
wage by 5,000 to 35,000 lei (about $35 at the official exchange
rate). The move aims at helping Romanians face the coming winter,
following substantial price increases over recent weeks in heating,
electricity, and basic food products, including sugar, edible
oil, and meat. Romania's trade unions have warned the government
of possible social unrest during the coming winter unless action
is taken. -Dan Ionescu

US ALLOWS EINSELN TO HEAD ESTONIAN ARMED FORCES. The US State
Department, reversing its earlier stand, has decided to allow
Retired US Army Col. Aleksander Einseln to wear a foreign uniform
and serve as head of Estonia's armed forces, without risking
his citizenship or his standing as a retired US officer, RFE/RL's
correspondent in Washington reported on 22-October. A State Department
spokesman said that Einseln's performance and the fact that neighboring
countries, including Russia, were not upset were the deciding
factors. Furthermore, Einseln's position was supported by a number
of US congressmen. -Dzintra Bungs

GERMAN PRESIDENT VISITS LITHUANIA. On 21-October German president
Richard von Weizsacker started his tour of the Baltic States
in Vilnius. The principal topic of discussion with his Lithuanian
counterpart, Algirdas Brazauskas, was Lithuania's integration
into Europe and German-Lithuanian relations. The German president
welcomed the completion of the withdrawal of Russian troops from
Lithuania and expressed hope that this would give a positive
impetus for solving other unsettled issues in the Baltic region,
Baltic media report. -Dzintra Bungs

[As of 1200 CET] Compiled by Stephen Foye and Louisa Vinton







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