No. 236, 10 December 1993

RUSSIA



YELTSIN APPEALS TO POPULATION ON CONSTITUTION. Amid signs that
the leadership is seriously concerned that the draft constitution
may be rejected in the referendum on 12-December, either because
of a "no" vote or because apathy leads fewer than the requisite
50% of the electorate to go to the polls, Boris Yeltsin issued
a last-minute appeal to the electorate. Appearing on Ostankino
TV on 9 December, the president acknowledged that it was impossible
to draft an ideal constitution that would satisfy everyone and
last for all time, but warned that, as long as the country was
without a constitution, Russia would remain under the threat
of civil war. -Elizabeth Teague

OPPOSITION CLAIMS ELECTIONS MAY BE RIGGED. Starting on 4 December,
various opposition figures have been speculating that the results
of the 12 December elections and/or referendum may be falsified.
Such claims were voiced by the leader of the Democratic Party
of Russia, Nikolai Travkin, Aleksandr Tsipko of the centrist
Civic Union, Mikhail Lapshin of the Agrarian Party, and Sergei
Dergunov of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party (Interfax,
8 and 9 December). On 4 December, Moscow human rights activist
Gleb Pavlovsky told the Ostankino TV show "Politburo" of his
fears that the vote-counting in Moscow may be rigged. Pavlovsky
said that the Movement for Democracy and Human Rights, of which
he is a leader, was going to appeal to Western observers to monitor
more closely the votes counted in the capital. -Julia Wishnevsky


ELECTORAL BLOCS COMPLAIN TO YELTSIN OVER HOUSING OF NEW PARLIAMENT.
Six blocs handed an official protest to President Yeltsin over
the future housing of the new parliament on 9 December. The parties,
which include Russia's Choice, the Democratic Reform Movement,
the Agrarians, Cedar, the Party of Unity and Concord, and "Russia's
Future-New Names," objected to Yeltsin's proposal to house the
two chambers separately-the State Duma in the Moscow Mayor's
Office, and the Federation Council in the Russian Press House.
Reuters suggested that Yeltsin was unwilling to give "even ceremonial
importance to the new parliament." In an interview with ITAR-TASS,
Gennadii Burbulis, a candidate for Russia's Choice, said that
a more suitable location for the new legislature would be either
the Kremlin or the former Russian parliament building, the White
House, after its restoration. -Wendy Slater

REPUBLICAN ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS ON 12 DECEMBER. In some
republics voters will also be taking part in republican elections
and referendums on 12 December. New republican parliaments are
being elected in Kabardino-Balkaria and Marii-El, presidential
elections are taking place in Bashkortostan and Chuvashia, and
referendums are being held in Dagestan, Karelia, and Komi on
the introduction of a presidency, and in Tuva on the new Tuvin
constitution. Candidates for the presidency in Bashkortostan
are the speaker, Murtaza Rakhimov, and the 38-year-old president
of the "Vostok" commercial bank Rafiz Kadyrov, both Bashkirs.
In Chuvashia the candidates include the speaker Eduard Kukarev,
and former Russian Minister of Justice Nikolai Fedorov. Buryatia,
North Ossetia, and Udmurtia will be holding presidential elections
in early 1994. Mordovia, which abolished the presidency earlier
in 1993, is the only republic currently without a president that
is not considering introducing one. -Ann Sheehy

BASHKORTOSTAN SPEAKER WIRES YELTSIN ON FILATOV'S REMARKS. The
chairman of the Bashkortostan parliament, Murtaza Rakhimov, sent
a telegram to Yeltsin on 9-December, expressing surprise at the
statement by the head of the Presidential administration, Sergei
Filatov, on 8 December accusing Bashkortostan, together with
Tatarstan and Tuva, of declaring war on the draft Russian constitution,
Interfax reported. Rakhimov said that preparations for the elections
and referendum on the constitution were proceeding and such statements
could destabilize the situation. He demanded that Yeltsin see
that no more such unfriendly acts towards the republics be taken
in future. At the same time Rakhimov reiterated that the draft
constitution was a blatant attempt to try to curtail the rights
of the republics. -Ann Sheehy

RUSSIA, EUROPEAN UNION SIGN DECLARATION. During the second day
of Boris Yeltsin's two-day visit to Brussels, Russia and the
European Union (formerly European Community) signed an agreement
on economic cooperation. The document signed falls short of the
comprehensive agreement that both sides had hoped for, but Foreign
Minister Andrei Kozyrev expressed his assurance that the full
agreement would be signed within the next twelve months. Kozyrev
announced in an interview with ITAR-TASS on 9 December that the
discriminatory barriers for Russian exports, which existed in
the first versions of the treaty, had all been removed. -Suzanne
Crow

YELTSIN HAILS DECLARATION AS HISTORIC. Boris Yeltsin hailed the
signing of the EU agreement as an unprecedented event: "The East
and the West of Europe took a big step toward one another . .
. The declaration we have signed guarantees that henceforth we
will . . . get closer." Yeltsin noted that attempts to build
prosperity in a single state or group of states is "pernicious,"
warning that "sooner or later the barrier of self-alienation
will be breached. And prosperity will entail very difficult problems."
"We are all Europeans," Yeltsin claimed, and noted that Russia
is ready to "become a real partner of Western Europe." Expressing
Russia's exasperation with barriers between Europe and Russia,
Yeltsin said: "I find it offensive that even now some forces
are attempting to set Russia aside and withdraw it from the sphere
of European cooperation. I am convinced that this is not a farsighted
policy. You cannot distance the Russian factor from Europe. .
. . We all have unfortunate experience of the Cold War. Europeans
understand what this Russian factor meant for them then," ITAR-TASS
reported. -Suzanne Crow

NATO MEMBERSHIP AND THE ELECTIONS. Boris Yeltsin and NATO Secretary
General Manfred Woerner met in Brussels on 9 December for further
discussions on NATO expansion. Yeltsin's press secretary, Vyacheslav
Kostikov, said that the Russian side had reiterated its opposition
to the expansion of NATO into the former Warsaw Pact states.
Kostikov also said that "for the first time" the prospect of
Russian membership in the alliance was raised, although Kostikov
was eager to note that this question is one for the distant,
not near, future. The importance of the question in Russian domestic
politics was illustrated by the appearance of an article in Izvestiya
on 10 December arguing that movement toward the incorporation
of central European countries into NATO was expected and that
its absence would cost Yeltsin votes in the 12 December elections.
Just as Yeltsin sought to use his trip to Brussels to boost support
for his program in the elections, his opponents are attempting
to belittle any positive effects this visit might have on the
Russian electorate. -Suzanne Crow

SHAKHRAI URGES FOREIGN POLICY CHANGE. The leader of the Party
of Russian Unity and Concord, Sergei Shakhrai, told Ostankino
TV's "Word To the Voter" on 8 December that Russia should change
its foreign policy away from focusing on the West to "the political
and diplomatic conquering of markets for Russian businessmen"
in Asia and Eastern Europe. He said that since Russia's products
cannot compete on the Western markets, "the center of Russia's
entire foreign economic activities should in the next years be
concentrated on the CIS states, Eastern Europe and the Pacific
rim. " He stated that he favors state protectionism in running
Russia's economy. Shakhrai urged the abandonment of Russian economic
sanctions against Abkhazia because a conflict with Abkhazia could
spoil Russia's peace efforts in the Caucasus. -Alexander Rahr


CIS

BALTIN ACCUSES UKRAINE OVER BLACK SEA FLEET FUNDING. The Russian
commander of the Black Sea Fleet, Eduard Baltin, accused Ukraine
of "playing games" with the fleet's funding, UNIAN reported on
7-December. According to Baltin, in early November Russia deposited
its share of the fleet's funding, 35-billion karbovantsy, in
Ukraine's Dnipopetrovsk bank, the "Privatbank." At that time
the money could have bought six multi-unit apartment buildings.
The money was only released to the fleet on 6 December, however,
after price rises were introduced in Ukraine. Baltin complained
that, as a result, these funds now cannot buy even a single building.
The same apparently happened to 21 billion karbovantsy which
the Ukrainian government had allotted to the shipbuilding industry.
In all, Baltin claims, Ukraine's leadership wasted 56 billion
karbovantsy needed by the fleet by freezing the funds until after
the December price hikes. -Ustina Markus

TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA



NAZARBAEV IN PARLIAMENT. Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev
made an unscheduled speech to the legislature on 9 December,
approving the Supreme Soviet's decision to dissolve itself and
warning that the unresolved issues of dual citizenship and state
language are worrying the country's Russian population, Interfax
reported. The president left the session in a huff after some
deputies accused him of political intrigues to force the dissolution
of local soviets; he returned after receiving an apology. The
Supreme Soviet had voted to disband those local soviets which
have not already dissolved themselves and Nazarbaev asked the
legislature for additional powers until the new parliament to
be elected in March can meet. The Supreme Soviet also adopted
a new election code under which 135 of the deputies to the new
parliament will be elected in single-member constituencies and
42-will be elected from a list compiled by the president. -Bess
Brown

KYRGYZ PARLIAMENT CLASHES WITH PRIME MINISTER. Kyrgyzstan's parliament
is raising questions of confidence in Prime Minister Tursunbek
Chyngyshev over the issue of gold exports from the country, Russian
news agencies reported on 9 December, but Chyngyshev said the
Supreme Soviet would never succeed in sacking him. He told Interfax
that he was convinced the parliament was using the gold affair
as an excuse to dump Chyngyshev and his government. The prime
minister and other officials have been accused of complicity
in a scheme with a Swiss company to smuggle gold to Switzerland.
Chyngyshev says there were no violations of the law in the government's
use of the country's gold reserves. -Bess Brown

SEPARATIST LEADER ARRESTED IN AZERBAIJAN. Alikram Gumbatov, who
seized power in the Caspian border town of Lenkoran in late June
and proclaimed an autonomous Talysh-Mugan Republic, was apprehended
by Azerbaijani law enforcement officials on 8-December, ITAR-TASS
and Interfax reported on 9-December. After unsuccessful negotiations
with Prime Minister Suret Huseinov, Gumbatov had been driven
out of the town by force in August and has since then been in
hiding. -Liz Fuller

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE



MOVEMENT IN CROAT-SERB RELATIONS? TWO CROATIAN WEEKLIES PRESENT
THEIR READERS WITH WHAT THEY CALL SCOOPS IN REPORTED TALKS BETWEEN
CROATIAN AND SERBIAN AUTHORITIES. Globus on 10 December says
that Zagreb plans to offer most Serbian officials and police
in Krajina the opportunity to keep their jobs if Croatian control
is formally extended to the breakaway region. The Serbs, however,
do not seem to be interested, even though the offer would mark
a departure from previous Croatian plans to limit Serbs in government
to those few individuals who had not fought against Zagreb's
authority. Meanwhile, Nedjeljna Dalmacija on 8-December suggests
that the issue might partly become moot, since the Serbs plan
to offer the Croats Knin and Vukovar in exchange for Baranja,
which borders Serbia. There has long been speculation that Serbia
would try to swap the impoverished and remote Knin region for
something better and closer to home, but Zagreb has reportedly
rejected the idea, saying it will not swap Croatian territory
for Croatian territory. -Patrick Moore

FRENCH GROUP PROTESTS DEPORTATIONS OF YUGOSLAV ARMY DESERTERS.
AFP says on 10-December that the European Civic Forum, which
is dedicated to better East-West relations, has warned that up
to 100,000 deserters and conscientious objectors from the Yugoslav
area stand to be shipped home from Western Europe. Countries
involved include Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Germany, and in
some cases deportations have already begun. In October the European
Parliament passed a resolution calling for special status for
these men. -Patrick Moore

DNIESTER COURT SENTENCES MOLDOVAN MILITANT TO DEATH. On 9 December
the Supreme Court of the self-styled Dniester republic in Tiraspol
pronounced the sentences on the six supporters of the Moldovan
Popular Front accused of murder and diversion in the armed conflict
between Moldova and the Dniester republic in summer 1992, ITAR-TASS,
Interfax and Western agencies reported. Ilie Ilascu was sentenced
to be shot, and the rest to long terms in jail. The sentences
are likely to complicate the current talks being held between
Chisinau and Tiraspol with Russian mediation on a peaceful settlement
of the Dniester conflict. The Moldovan leadership had repeatedly
asked that the defendants be handed over to Moldova, and the
presidents of Russia and Romania, the leaders of the European
Council, CSCE and other international organizations had called
on Tiraspol to show good will. -Ann Sheehy

REACTIONS TO SENTENCE. The sentences brought angry protests from
both the Moldovan and Romanian governments, Reuters reported.
Moldovan president Mircea Snegur described them as "a challenge
to the world community," and the Romanian government issued a
statement saying that it was deeply concerned at the sentences,
while President Ion Iliescu spoke of a "premeditated crime by
an anachronistic and primitive regime." Hundreds of people demonstrated
in front of the Russian embassy in Bucharest in favor of Ilascu's
release. Meanwhile, Nikolai Medvedev, the Russian mediator in
the talks between Chisinau and Tiraspol, called for calm and
urged the Dniester authorities to hand over the six to the Moldovan
authorities, Reuters added. -Ann Sheehy

SERBIAN POLITICAL LEADER GIVES PRESS CONFERENCE. On 9 December
Serbian media reported on a news conference staged by Vojislav
Kostunica, leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). The
DSS, which is vying for seats in the Serbian parliamentary elections
scheduled for 19 December, has the support of an estimated 7.2%
of Belgrade voters, according to polling data taken in early
November. Politika wrote that the DSS leader emphasized economic
problems as being among the most serious plaguing rump Yugoslavia.
Kostunica, in what amounted to an indirect attack on Serbian
president Milosevic's economic and financial policies, said that
inflation had to be curbed if Serbia were ever to return to a
stable economy. Hyperinflation and the "monetary collapse", which
has rendered the dinar virtually valueless, is threatening "to
throw [Serbia] back to a barter economy . . . back to the Middle
Ages," said Kostunica. He also remarked that the DSS would be
willing to form a post-election coalition with any and all parties,
except Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia. -Stan Markotich


STRUGGLE FOR MACEDONIAN ALBANIAN LEADERSHIP CONTINUES. There
are currently three groups vying for control of the Albanian
Party for Democratic Prosperity in Macedonia. One called a congress
on 8-December in Gostivar to choose new party leaders. Former
PDP President Nevzat Halili denounced this gathering as illegal,
Vecer reported on 8-December. Journalists were banned from the
meeting, which was attended by two leaders from neighboring Albania.
Meanwhile, Albanian deputies in the Macedonian parliament also
declared the meeting illegitimate; and sent delegations to Kosovo
and Albania to explain the situation and seek aid in restoring
party discipline. According to Vecer of 9 December, Eduard Selami,
president of Albania's Democratic Party, said that the DP leadership
has no wish to meddle in the affairs of other parties in other
countries. -Ismije Beshiri

ALBANIAN MINORITY IN SOUTHERN SERBIA TO TAKE PART IN THE ELECTIONS.
The leader of the Party for Democratic Activity, Riza Halimi,
said in an interview in NIN on 3-December that both ethnic Albanian
parties in southern Serbia, namely his own and the Democratic
Party of Albanians, will take part in the Serbian elections scheduled
for 19-December. Both parties want to form a coalition in the
communities of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medveda and promote the
"realization of citizens' and national rights in the framework
of political and territorial autonomy," Halimi said. He added
that his party wants to solve all problems in a democratic way
and institutionalize its political influence through parliament.
On 1 May 1992 the majority of Albanians in all three communities
voted for political and territorial autonomy with the option
of joining the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. Halimi said
that right now their policy is not to join Kosovo but to gain
autonomy within Serbia. He nonetheless added that "since the
trend in the Balkans is towards the creation of ethnic and national
states, the Albanians might not be an exception." -Fabian Schmidt


FRENCH PRESIDENT IN PRAGUE. Fran�ois Mitterrand arrived in Prague
on 9 December on a one-day visit. In remembrance of the fifth
anniversary of a breakfast meeting with eight leading Czech dissidents,
Mitterrand met for lunch with some of these former dissidents,
including Czech President Vaclav Havel and former Czechoslovak
Foreign Minister Jiri Dienstbier. CTK quotes Dienstbier as saying
that Mitterrand and his guests discussed mainly the integration
of the Czech Republic into European structures. Later, Havel
and Mitterrand officially opened the French Institute in Prague.
The French president also met with Czech Prime Minister Vaclav
Klaus, who told journalists after the meeting that the upcoming
elections in Russia were the main topic discussed. According
to Klaus, both politicians agreed that the creation of "a normal
political and economic system in Russia" will take a generation.
-Jiri Pehe

POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS CZECH OFFICIALS. Polish Foreign
Minister Andrzej Olechowski, on a one-day visit to Prague, met
on 9 December with Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, President Vaclav
Havel, and Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec. In a joint statement
issued after their meeting, Olechowski and Zieleniec said that
next month's NATO summit should send a clear signal that the
alliance will sooner or later accept Central and East European
countries as members. CTK also quotes the statement as saying
that the two ministers consider the US "partnership for peace"
plan an important step in NATO's transformation and expansion.
Olechowski told journalists that he does not see "a single reason
why the admission of Poland into NATO should in any way threaten
the security of Russia." Should Russia feel threatened by such
a development, argued Olechowski, "it would mean that it puts
more emphasis on its imperial traditions than on hopes for democracy
and prosperity." Zieleniec and Olechowski also discussed Czech-Polish
relations, especially the liberalization of bilateral trade.
The same theme dominated the meeting between Olechowski and Klaus.
Olechowski's meeting with Havel focused on the preparation of
a planned meeting in Prague in January between the leaders of
the Visegrad countries and American President Bill Clinton. -Jiri
Pehe

MDS ON ZLATA IDKA SPEECH. On 9 December Movement for a Democratic
Slovakia spokeswoman Irena Salczerova commented on Premier Vladimir
Meciar's controversial speech given during a 27 and 28-November
private meeting of the MDS in Zlata Idka. The speech, parts of
which were printed in several newspapers on 3 December, has since
been harshly criticized by various political, cultural and religious
groups. Salczerova argued that Meciar's words were taken out
of context and that other politicians could also become the object
of such games of the media. Also on 9 December, the Civic Democratic
Youth filed a suit against Meciar at the office of the Attorney
General. The group claimed that Meciar's statements in Zlata
Idka may be considered a criminal offense involving the abuse
of power. Christian Democratic Movement Deputy Chairman Ivan
Simko said Meciar's statements at Zlata Idka "sound like those
of an absolute monarch." In a 10-December interview with Narodna
Obroda Foreign Minister Jozef Moravcik harshly criticizes Meciar
for his speech, saying that Meciar's words "contradict the principles
on which the MDS is built and testify about political naivete
and the vulgarization of relations within the party" -Sharon
Fisher

HUNGARIAN DEMOCRATIC FORUM PREPARES FOR ELECTIONS. HDF spokesman
Karoly Herenyi told MTI on 9 December that the upcoming weekend
meeting of the party's national steering committee will be "decisive"
since discussion about the HDF's campaign strategy for the 1994
national elections will begin. The meeting will take place in
Lakitelek, the locality where the HDF was founded. Reiterating
that Prime Minister Jozsef Antall remains the HDF's leading candidate
in the elections, Herenyi dismissed as "superfluous and dumb"
rumors that the steering committee would discuss Antall's succession.
Antall is in the hospital undergoing treatment for cancer. According
to government spokeswoman Judit Juhasz, Antall is actively participating
in the work of the government working several hours daily and
consulting closely with government members. -Edith Oltay

ROMANIA FORMALLY APPLIES FOR NEW IMF LOAN. At a ceremony in Bucharest
on 9-December Romania formally applied for a new standby credit
from the International Monetary Fund, Radio Bucharest reports.
The request came in a letter of intent and a memorandum that
Romanian authorities handed to Maxwell Watson, the head of an
IMF team currently visiting Romania. The Romanian side was represented
by Secretary of State Mircea Cosea, head of the cabinet's Council
for Economic Coordination, Strategy and Reform, Finance Minister
Florin Georgescu, and National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu.
The IMF delegation included Godert Posthumus, head of the organization's
European Department, and Joshua Green, IMF's representative in
Bucharest. Romania expects up to $500-million in IMF loans in
1994, to be distributed in several installments starting with
a first disbursement early in the year. Earlier this year, the
IMF refused to deliver a $75 million tranche from a loan approved
in 1992 due to Romania's failure to meet economic and financial
performance standards. -Dan Ionescu

BLACK SEA STATES SET UP JOINT BANK. On 9-December the 11 member
states of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation agreed to create
a joint bank aimed at supporting regional trade and industrial
projects, according to Bulgarian and Western agencies. The participants
decided that the Bank for Black Sea Trade and Development, which
has a founding capital of $300-million, will be based in Thessaloniki,
Greece. Addressing the one-day ministerial-level meeting, President
Zhelyu Zhelev called on the Black Sea countries to work together
to "overcome anachronistic confrontations and ethnic- or religious-based
hatred." Zhelev further said that Bulgaria is of the opinion
that the development of a modern communications and transport
infrastructure in the Black Sea area should rate high on the
BSEC's agenda. Evgenii Kotovoi of Russia was elected head of
the BSEC Secretariat. -Kjell Engelbrekt

BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT DECLASSIFIES STATE SECURITY RECORDS. Bulgarian
dailies on 10 December report on a parliamentary decision to
declassify secret police archives, taken on the previous day.
According to resolution adopted by 104 votes to 85 (16-abstentions),
all information about the organizational structure, methods and
means used by the State Security, as well as data collected by
its agents, should no longer be considered state secrets. The
State Security was technically terminated in 1991, but had already
been replaced by several new security and intelligence agencies.
The caucus of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, which opposed the
resolution, argued that the adopted resolution is not enough
to declassify secret police files since a legal ban on spreading
information linked to the activity of secret collaborators is
still in force. Other BSP legislators charged the parliamentary
chairman, Aleksandar Yordanov of the Union of Democratic Forces,
of having violated the voting procedure by not allowing late
arriving Socialist deputies to cast their ballots. -Kjell Engelbrekt


UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE DENIES STATE OF EMERGENCY REPORTS.
The deputy head of the press service of the President and the
Cabinet, Heorhii Kosykh, denied rumors which had been circulating
all week about the introduction of a state of emergency, UNIAN
reported on 9 December. (See RFE/RL Daily Report no. 235). According
to Kosykh, "the Cabinet has no information about the introduction
of such a state." He added that such a decision would have to
be taken by parliament. -Ustina Markus

FIRST ARREST IN MURDER OF LITHUANIAN JOURNALIST. On 9 December
at a press conference, broadcast live by Radio Lithuania, Prosecutor-General
Arturas Paulauskas announced that Igor Akhremov, a 28-year old
Russian from Vilnius, had been charged with the murder on 12
October of the owner and deputy editor of the Respublika newspaper
Vitas Lingis. He said that enough evidence had been gathered
to bring charges against three other individuals, whom he declined
to name. Paulauskas said that the murder had been planned, arranged,
and executed by the "Vilnius brigade," a notorious organized
criminal group in the city that according to Interior Minister
Romasis Vaitiekunas was also planning terrorist acts, including
explosions to "destabilize" Lithuania. -Saulius Girnius

NOVEMBER INFLATION IN LITHUANIA AND ESTONIA. On 10 December the
director general of the Lithuanian Statistics Department Kestutis
Zaborskas announced that inflation in November was 6.8%, Radio
Lithuania reports. While this was a slight drop from the 7.2%
rate in October, it indicated that the tight monetary policy
that had reduced inflation to only .9% in August had been counterbalanced
by the continuing increases in wages and pensions. It seems unlikely
that Lithuania will be able to fulfill its agreement with the
IMF to keep inflation in 1994 to 10%. Inflation in Estonia increased
from 2.6% in October to 4.0% in November, BNS reported on 7 December.
This was the highest monthly rate in 1993 exceeding the former
high level of 3.6% in March. The greatest increases in prices
were for health services (7.5%), clothing and footwear (5.8%),
manufactured goods (5.2%), and leisure (5.0%). Food prices increased
3.8% with costs of fruits and vegetables growing by 16%. -Saulius
Girnius

ALBANIAN-TURKISH COOPERATION. Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet
Cetin, Albanian President Sali Berisha, and Albanian Prime Minister
Aleksander Meksi discussed a trans-Balkan highway project on
6 December, Rilindja reports on 8 December. The road will connect
the port of Durres with Skopje, Sofia, and Istanbul, thereby
enabling Albania, Macedonia, and Bulgaria to vary their trade
patterns and permit Albania and Macedonia in particular to reduce
their dependence on Serbia and Greece. Other topics were joint
projects in promoting telecommunications; military cooperation;
a Turkish trade credit of $15 million; humanitarian aid; and
dual taxation. Referring to the Albanian desire for fast integration
into NATO, Cetin said that "the North Atlantic Alliance will
grow, and Turkey will promote the membership of Albania." Cetin
expressed hope that the Kosovo conflict will ease, while Berisha
stressed that the sanctions against rump-Yugoslavia should not
be lifted until a solution is found in that province. -Fabian
Schmidt

[As of 1200 CET] Compiled by Keith Bush and Dan Ionescu





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