No. 113, 16 June 1994

RUSSIA

MOSCOW: TENTATIVE SUPPORT FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST DPRK. Speaking to
reporters in Moscow on 15 June, Russian Foreign Minister Andrei
Kozyrev again urged the convening of an international conference
to resolve the mounting crisis on the Korean peninsula but,
according to Interfax, emphasized that if Pyongyang violated the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty the international community
would have no choice but to impose sanctions. A day earlier the
chairman of the Russian Duma's defense committee, Sergei
Yushenkov, had issued perhaps the strongest official Russian
condemnation of North Korea's actions, describing them to a
visiting British parliamentary leader as "outrageous nuclear
blackmail," ITAR-TASS reported. Meanwhile, North Korea's
ambassador to Russia was quoted by ITAR-TASS on 15 June as saying
that while Pyongyang had originally supported the idea of an
international conference, the linking of the conference to
international sanctions--as has been proposed recently--is
unacceptable to North Korea. Stephen Foye, RFE/RL Inc.

NORTH KOREAN DIPLOMATS EXPELLED? Russia's Federal
Counter-Intelligence Service (FSK) announced on 15 June that five
North Korean diplomats were expelled from the country sometime
"during the spring" of this year, allegedly for trying to obtain
materials necessary for building nuclear weapons, AFP and Reuters
reported. A spokesman for the FSK was quoted by AFP as saying
that the five were declared "persona non grata" for their
activities, but he provided no other details. Reuters noted that
he also failed to indicate if a link existed between the
deportations and the arrest in March of three employees of the
North Korean embassy for its attempts to acquire arms illegally.
According to Interfax, FSK chief Sergei Stepashin also referred
vaguely to the expulsions on 15 June during a tour of the Far
East. A Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman was reported by AFP to
have said reports of the deportations were erroneous, but he
provided no details. Stephen Foye, RFE/RL Inc.

STATE DUMA IS CONCERNED WITH YELTSIN'S DECREE ON CRIME. Deputies
of the State Duma expressed concern over President Yeltsin's
decree issued earlier this week that gives law enforcement bodies
broad powers to fight organized crime. Under the decree, Russian
security forces can check bank accounts of citizens and
organizations suspected of belonging to a criminal network.
Suspects may also be detained for up to 30 days without bail. The
decree permits law enforcement officials to search buildings and
vehicles, and check documents of suspected firms. An RFE/RL
correspondent in Moscow quoted on 15 June a member of Russia's
Choice parliamentary faction, lawyer Boris Zolotukhin, as saying
that the decree obviously contradicted existing laws and the
Constitution. The speaker of the Duma, Ivan Rybkin, said that
either the existing laws or the decree had to be amended. The
deputies agreed to discuss the decree on 17 June. Vera Tolz,
RFE/RL Inc.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN DON COSSACKS AND CRIMEAN GOVERNMENT. On 15 June
the ITAR-TASS office in Rostov-on-Don was given a copy of an
agreement "between the Union of Cossack Hosts of Russia and
Abroad and the Government of the Republic of Crimea on
Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance." The document
states that, bearing in mind the historical community of the
Cossacks and the peoples of the Crimea, the parties will promote
ties between Russian Cossackdom and the Crimean republic, will
further the unity of their economic space, and develop existing
and create new economic links. To assist their cooperation it has
been decided to open an embassy of the Union of Cossack Hosts of
Russia and Abroad in Simferopol and a representation of the
Republic of Crimea in Novocherkassk.  Ann Sheehy, RFE/RL Inc.

DUDAEV ATTACKS RUSSIA, BUT STILL READY TO MEET YELTSIN. Chechen
President Dzhokhar Dudaev told Interfax on 15 June that there was
no political opposition in the republic, "just ordinary criminals
protected by Russia" which was carrying out a policy of
aggression against Chechnya. The same day, Shmidt Dzoblaev,
Secretary General of the Democratic Forces of the North Caucasus
and a member of Yeltsin's Public Chamber, met Dudaev who
reiterated that he was ready to meet Yeltsin, ITAR-TASS reported
on 16 June citing the North Ossetian President Akhsarbek Galazov.
On 15 June Interfax also interviewed the head of the opposition
Provisional Council Umar Avturkhanov, who said the opposition
does not enjoy support from Moscow. He also denied reports that
the former speaker of the Russian parliament, Ruslan Khasbulatov,
was the shadow leader of the opposition, although he acknowledged
that they asked him for advice.  Ann Sheehy, RFE/RL Inc.

SHAKHRAI HEADS COMMISSION TO DRAW UP TREATY WITH BASHKORTOSTAN.
On 15 June Yeltsin set up a commission to prepare a draft
bilateral treaty between the Russian Federation and Bashkortostan
on delimiting their respective powers, ITAR-TASS and Interfax
reported. Deputy prime minister Sergei Shakhrai is to head the
commission. The Bashkortostan side will led by Mansur Ayupov, the
republic's state secretary, who told Interfax that he thought
that the negotiations would end by 1 July. He emphasized that the
Bashkortostan side would hold its ground on issues of principle.
If the treaty follows the pattern of that between Russia and
Tatarstan, it will not directly address the violations of the
Russian constitution in the Bashkortostan constitution, which in
any case are less glaring than those in the Tatarstan
constitution.  Ann Sheehy, RFE/RL Inc.

REFUGEES CONCENTRATED IN NORTH CAUCASUS, MOSCOW AND VOLGA REGIONS
AND SOUTHERN URALS. According to the statistics of the Federal
Migration Service, about a quarter of all registered refugees and
involuntary resettlers are in the North Caucasus where a further
influx could provoke serious conflicts between them and the
native population, ITAR-TASS reported on 14 June. About 17
percent--mostly from Transcaucasia--are in Moscow and the Moscow
area where their presence has led to a rise in property prices,
an aggravation of the crime situation, and the passive
dissatisfaction of the inhabitants; 20.5 percent are in the Volga
area and 12.2 percent in the Central Black Earth region, both
regions that can absorb large numbers in agriculture and
construction. An increased influx of migrants from Central Asia
and Kazakhstan is expected in the Southern Urals and Southern
Siberia.  Ann Sheehy, RFE/RL Inc.

                               CIS

KOZYREV QUALIFIES HIS REMARKS ON TROOPS IN MOLDOVA. Russian
Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev suggested to Interfax on 14 June
that Russia might consider withdrawing its troops from Moldova
without political conditions (see Daily Report of 15 June), but
later that same day he qualified those remarks in a statement to
ITAR-TASS. The latter quoted him as saying that "the troops'
withdrawal is linked to a whole series of political and technical
problems." Apparently alluding again to a possible
status-of-forces agreement for the Russian troops, Kozyrev added
that the troops "should not stay in Moldova unless their
stationing is codified in mutual agreements." Vladimir Socor,
RFE/RL Inc.

RUSSIA CRITICIZED AT CSCE FOR NOT WITHDRAWING FROM MOLDOVA. At a
meeting in Prague of senior diplomats of CSCE member states,
representatives of various countries criticized Russia for its
"reluctance" to withdraw its troops from Moldova, RFE/RL's
correspondent reported on 15 June. The meeting also issued a
statement expressing "disappointment" that CSCE's mission in
Moldova is being prevented from operating properly in the
Dniester security zone. That zone is controlled by Russia's 14th
Army, the Russian peacekeeping force, and "Dniester republic"
forces. Moldova's delegates to the Prague meeting called on
Russia to withdraw the 14th Army by 1996 but the Russian
delegates called for a decision to be made in three years' time.
Vladimir Socor, RFE/RL Inc.

NATO NOT TO COOPERATE WITH UKRAINIAN NAVY UNTIL BLACK SEA FLEET
DIVIDED. On 15 June Interfax reported that Gen. Antonio Milani,
deputy commander of NATO's southern flank, told journalists in
Sevastopol that NATO would not discuss cooperation with the
Ukrainian navy until the issue of dividing the Black Sea Fleet
between Ukraine and Russia is settled. Milani was in Crimea at
the invitation of the Ukrainian defense ministry. While there he
met Ukraine's navy commander, Volodymyr Bezkorovainy, who said
Ukraine needs to cooperate with NATO within the context of the
Partnership for Peace program.  Ustina Markus, RFE/RL Inc.

                 TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA

FIRST RUSSIAN PEACE KEEPERS DEPLOYED IN ABKHAZIA. Despite the
assertion by a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman at a press
briefing on 15 June that the deployment of Russian peace keepers
in Abkhazia can begin only after the operation has been approved
by the Federation Council, Russian field engineers began clearing
mines in Gali raion, on the same day, Interfax and ITAR-TASS
reported. Two Russian battalions from Akhalkalaki and Batumi in
southern Georgia were expected in Zugdidi on 15 June; they are to
take up positions immediately on both banks of the river Inguri.
The Commander in Chief of the Russian ground forces, Vladimir
Semenov, told Interfax on 15 June that the Russian peacekeeping
forces will return fire if attacked, but that "it is not their
task to disarm or eliminate" armed formations. At an
extraordinary session of the Georgian parliament, opposition
deputy Nodar Natadze called for Shevardnadze's resignation,
according to Interfax; other opposition deputies demanded the
suspension of the Abkhaz peacekeeping operation and a halt to
Russian mediation, but no vote was taken on the issue.  Liz
Fuller, RFE/RL Inc.

TAJIK OFFICIAL, RUSSIAN KILLED. Two apparently unrelated killings
in Tajikistan have underscored the tense situation in that
country before peace talks, now scheduled to begin on 18 June in
Tehran. On 15 June, the Tajik deputy defense minister, Ramazan
Radzhabov, and at least 5 bodyguards were killed in an ambush
near the town of Garm, 150 km from Dushanbe. While no one has
claimed responsibility, the region was an opposition stronghold
during the civil war, and the rebel military leader Rizwon is
known to have operated in the area. Meanwhile, a Russian
lieutenant died on 14 June in the southern Tajik town of
Kurgan-Tyube, the scene of fierce fighting in 1992; he is the
tenth Russian officer to die in Tajikistan in the last 3 weeks.
While most agencies reported that he had been killed by machine
gun fire from unidentified gunmen, ITAR-TASS quoted Tajikistan's
deputy interior minister as saying that the soldier had died as a
consequence of an unspecified accident near a military base, not
as a result of an attack. Keith Martin, RFE/RL Inc.

TAJIK PAPER BLASTS FORMER PM. The Tajik government newspaper
Sadoi Mardum (People's Voice) has published a harshly critical
article about Abdumalik Abdullodzhanov, formerly Tajikistan's
prime minister and now its ambassador to Russia. The article, as
quoted by ITAR-TASS on 13 June, accuses Abdullodzhanov of helping
cause the Tajik economy's collapse, corruption, personal
enrichment through foreign currency speculation, and of providing
economic and political assistance to the armed opposition. The
accusations are extraordinary, given that the opposition had
often itself accused Abdullodzhanov of corruption, charges which
the government denied; also, the government is preparing for the
upcoming peace talks. Keith Martin, RFE/RL Inc.

                   CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

SERBS KEEP UP ETHNIC CLEANSING. RFE/RL's South Slavic Language
Service reported on 15 June that UN officials say that the Serbs
in Banja Luka are still forcing Croats and Muslims to give up
their property, pay a fee, and leave. The New York Times on 16
June notes that "the pattern of persecution has remained the
same" and that the UN is "still getting reports of rapes." One UN
officer said that "this is a clear-cut, systematic pattern of
ethnic cleansing. It is done very quietly, very thoroughly." The
Serbs took Banja Luka in 1992 and last year finished destroying
all the town's mosques, including some medieval structures that
were UNESCO-registered international cultural properties. On 16
June the international "contact group" meets in London, but the
Serb say they will not accept proposals that splits up their
conquests.  Patrick Moore, RFE/RL Inc.

NEW LEFTIST PARTY FOUNDED IN CROATIA. Vjesnik on 16 June
continues reporting on the new Action of the Social Democrats of
Croatia (ASH) headed by prominent politician Miko Tripalo. The
party consists of all or parts of the several small parties that
make up the political Left, but minus two key leaders, Ivica
Racan and Branko Horvat. The founding of ASH is seen as vital for
the survival of a left-wing alternative in any future elections,
since none of the existing parties seems likely to win seats in a
new parliament. Perhaps unique in the former communist countries
of Eastern Europe, Croatia's Left is all but negligible as a
political force, although the former nomenklatura is prominent in
parties of the Right and Center. Elsewhere, Zagreb dailies report
on President Franjo Tudjman's visit on 15 June to Herzegovina.
Patrick Moore, RFE/RL Inc.

SESELJ ON TRIAL. On 16 June Politika reports that
ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party (SRS) leader Vojislav
Seselj, along with four fellow SRS members, went to trial in
Belgrade on 15 June. Charges of violent behavior stem from an 18
May incident in the federal rump Yugoslav parliament in which the
accused allegedly attempted to provoke a brawl. Additional
charges, which will be the subject of a trial at a later date,
have been laid and center on what Belgrade prosecutors describe
as Seselj's campaign to defame Serbia and "insult the president
of Serbia." Seselj himself has said he would attempt to turn his
trial into a political affair in which he would denounce Serbia's
political authorities. Proceedings have been adjourned until 6
July.  Stan Markotich, RFE/RL Inc.

SERBS AND ALBANIANS MANEUVER OVER TALKS ON KOSOVO. Serbian
academic and leading figure in the ruling Socialist Party of
Serbia Mihajlo Markovic said in an interview with the RFE/RL
South Slavic Language Service that the conditions for
negotiations between the Kosovar shadow state and the Serbian
government are good because of the current atmosphere conducive
to "a peaceful solution to the whole crisis in former
Yugoslavia." Markovic nonetheless charged Kosovar President
Ibrahim Rugova with refusing dialogue but agreed that Rugova
wants a peaceful settlement. The vice-president of Rugova's
Democratic League of Kosovo, Fehmi Agani, called Markovic's offer
a "positive move of the Serbian government," but added that the
referendum on the sovereignty and independence of the
self-declared Republic of Kosovo must be the basis for
negotiations, Borba reported on 13 June. Agani also stressed that
only Rugova has the mandate to negotiate. According to the
Sueddeutsche Zeitung on 11 June, Markovic, met with Veton Surroi,
the former leader of the Parliamentary Party of Kosovo and now
publisher of the Albanian weekly Koha, in the Swiss embassy in
early June. Rugova demands international mediation for the talks
but so far Belgrade says no. Borba on 16 June nonetheless wonders
aloud whether Markovic's overtures have the backing of President
Slobodan Milosevic, of whom the academic has been publicly
critical.  Fabian Schmidt, RFE/RL Inc.

SANDZAK MUSLIMS FEAR MORE ETHNIC CLEANSING. According to the head
of the Muslim-dominated Party of Democratic Action, Rasim Ljajic,
repression against the Muslim majority in the Sandzak of Novi
Pazar has been rising recently, Reuters reported on 15 June.
Ljajic charged the Serbs with "trying to change the demographic
structure of Sandzak." He mentioned the ethnic cleansing of
villages near the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992 and
1993 and "campaigns of arrests, trials and harassment aimed at
neutralizing Muslim political activity," adding that "we expect
more pressure in all fields." Ljajic also denied Serb charges
that his party seeks territorial independence, but said "we want
a certain degree of autonomy within the existing state that would
guarantee respect for individual and collective rights." His
stand was supported by the head of the Sandzak Committee for the
protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, Safet Bandzovic, who
nonetheless also said that "the idea that Serbs and Muslims
cannot live together is the biggest lie of the war." Meanwhile,
trials against a group of Muslims charged with planing an armed
uprising continued in Novi Pazar, Borba reported on 14 June.
Fabian Schmidt, RFE/RL Inc.

MACEDONIA GETS CLOSER TO CSCE MEMBERSHIP. An RFE/RL correspondent
reports that Macedonia on 15 June got past one hurdle toward
membership in the Conference on Security and Cooperation in
Europe when Albania at a meeting in Prague decided to drop its
objections. Tirana had previously insisted that Skopje grant a
better legal status to its large Albanian minority first. The
country's full participation in the organization is now opposed
only by Greece, which nonetheless reiterated its demands that
Macedonia should change its name and constitution before lifting
the veto. Skopje presently has observer status in the CSCE. Kjell
Engelbrekt, RFE/RL Inc.

BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES NEW DEPUTY PREMIER. BTA reports
that a majority of the Bulgarian National Assembly on 15 June
supported Prime Minister Lyuben Berov's proposal to dismiss
Deputy Premier and Trade Minister Valentin Karabashev, while
appointing in his place Kiril Tsochev. Karabashev had submitted
his resignation on 28 April, citing differences with Berov on how
to proceed with large-scale privatization. The 47 year-old
Tsochev has held top positions in the domestic electronics and
energy industries, and later served as chairman of the Bulgarian
Chamber of Commerce and trade representative in the Tokyo
embassy. The opposition Union of Democratic Forces boycotted the
session, saying that Tsochev represents a step back toward
communism. As a result, the caucuses which support the cabinet
had problems obtaining a quorum, and voting dragged on for
several hours. Finally, 117 voted for and 6 against.  Kjell
Engelbrekt, RFE/RL Inc.

CONTINUED LABOR UNREST IN ROMANIA. Talks between the government
and trade unions were held late on 14 June and in two rounds on
15 June, an RFE/RL correspondent and Romanian media report. The
talks on 15 June went ahead despite the fact that the unions
organizing the demonstrations refused to evacuate the square in
front of the government building in Bucharest, as demanded by the
authorities. Late on 15 June, the government released a
communique, practically rejecting all the main demands of the
unions. The unions said they plan to continue the demonstrations
and participation will increase with the arrival of workers from
several big plants in Bucharest and miners from the Rovinari
coalfields. Reports from several parts of the country say workers
prepare to strike and demonstrate for wage increases.  Michael
Shafir., RFE/RL Inc.

HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE US RESIGNS. On 15 June, Pal Tar
handed in his resignation to Foreign Minister Geza Jeszenszky,
MTI reports. Tar said that he took the ambassadorship three years
ago at the request of the late Prime Minister Jozsef Antall and
that the period of the Antall government has ended. Jeszenszky
had accepted the resignation and Tar will leave his post on 5
July.  Judith Pataki, RFE/RL Inc.

PETER BOROSS TALKS WITH HUNGARIAN PARTY LEADERS. On 15 June,
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Boross informed the leaders of the
various parliamentary parties that before leaving office he is
going to hand over to each of them a document compiled by experts
to show the exact state of the Hungarian economy. He also
informed the leaders that he will sign a document dismissing the
controversial chiefs of the Hungarian Radio and Television.
Finally, Boross discussed some theoretical and practical
questions related to the change in government. The parliamentary
leaders seem to agree that Boross is handling the period of
transition well.  Judith Pataki, RFE/RL Inc.

SLOVAK COALITION COUNCIL FAILS TO APPROVE ROAD SIGN LAW. During
its session on 15 June the coalition council again failed to
reach agreement on the issue of the controversial law, which
would allow communities with an ethnic minority population to
post bilingual road signs. The council said it considered the
previous proposal for the road-sign law, which failed to be
passed by the parliament on 3 June by one vote, the only workable
solution. In order for the law to be resubmitted to the
parliament before the elections, it will require the signature of
76 parliamentary deputies, out of a total of 150. A major
controversy has been the issue of whether to include 13 villages
which bear the names of historical Slovak personalities. Talks on
the law will continue on 17 June. The council also failed to
reach agreement on the lustration law, which was passed by the
former Czechoslovak parliament to prevent former secret police
collaborators from holding high posts in the state
administration. The Party of the Democratic Left, which is part
of the governing coalition, has demanded the cancellation of this
law, TASR reported.  Sharon Fisher, RFE/RL Inc.

SLOVAK ECONOMIC REPORT. On 14 June the Slovak Statistical Office
released a report on economic development in the first quarter of
1994, TASR reports. Real GDP for that quarter was 43.1 billion
koruny, which was 1.7% higher than in the last quarter of 1993
and 3.6% higher than in the first quarter of 1993. It was
estimated that the private sector accounted for about 40% of GDP.
Growth in the service sector was dynamic, and its share of GDP
reached 43.1%, compared with 33.9% for industrial production,
5.6% for agriculture and 4.4% for construction. The average
monthly wage was calculated to be 5,581 koruny, which is 17.4%
percent higher in nominal terms and 1.7% higher in real terms
than in the first quarter of 1993. Consumption grew by 11% over
the previous year. The trade deficit totaled 3.7 bil-lion koruny,
and the volume of foreign capital increased by 6.7% to 11.5
billion koruny. The Statistical Office predicted that real GDP
will grow by 0.9% during 1994, the unemployment rate will grow to
16% and annual inflation will be 14.7%.  Sharon Fisher, RFE/RL
Inc.

CZECH UNEMPLOYMENT DATA. The unemployment rate in the Czech
Republic dropped by 0.2%, to 3.1%, in May in comparison with
April when it stood at 3.3%. A total of 162.490 people were
officially registered as unemployed at the end of May; at the
same time, employment offices registered 74,100 job vacancies.
The unemployment rate was the highest in northern Moravia, where
it reached 7.5% in some areas. In Prague, on the other hand,
there was a shortage of labor; the unemployment rate was -0.3%.
Jiri Pehe, RFE/RL Inc.

POLAND IMPOSES DUTY ON AGRICULTURAL IMPORTS. Imported
agricultural goods will be subject to a special levy as of 21
June, PAP reported on 14 June. The "compensatory duty," as the
levy is known, is a protectionist measure to make imported
produce less competitive on the domestic market. It is equal to
the difference between domestic and world prices and will apply
to pork, poultry, milk, cucumbers, processed tomatoes, some oils
and certain types of flour. The levy will be collected at customs
points and will remain in force until GATT agreements take effect
in Poland either in January or in July 1995. Agricultural
ministry officials downplayed fears that domestic prices might
jump by as much as 20%, forecasting increases of less than 2%.
Anna Sabbat-Swidlicka, RFE/RL Inc.

"POLISH DAY" AT WEU ASSEMBLY. Polish speakers were prominent at
the WEU Assembly session in Paris on 14 June, PAP reported.
Foreign Minister Andrzej Olechowski said that Poland wished to
take advantage of the Partnership For Peace program to bring its
defense system in line with NATO's and to exploit the opportunity
it offered to enhance partnership relations with its neighbors to
the East. Olechowski expressed the hope that Russia would join in
the PFP program but warned that its relationship with NATO should
not result in the relegation to the sidelines of the remaining
countries of Central and Eastern Europe. He said that NATO
membership for the "new democracies" would increase regional
security and stability, and that the gradual extension of NATO
and its closer cooperation with Russia should be accompanied by
continued European integration.  Anna Sabbat-Swidlicka, RFE/RL
Inc.

UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT CONFIRMS MASOL AS PRIME MINISTER. The
Ukrainian parliament has confirmed President Leonid Kravchuk's
nominee for the post of prime minister, Vitalii Masol, Reuters
and AFP reported on 16 June. Masol had served as Ukraine's prime
minister under the Soviet regime from 1987-90 when he was removed
as a result of student-led anti-communist protests. Upon
nominating him for the premiership, Kravchuk said that Masol is
the most appropriate candidate for the post because he was the
only nominee acceptable to the communist- and socialist-dominated
parliament. Masol advocates a state-controlled economy. Masol's
nomination was opposed by nationalists in parliament who reject
his calls for closer ties with Russia. Some analysts believe the
nomination is an attempt on Kravchuk's part to win support from
leftist and East Ukrainian voters in the presidential race. Prior
to Masol's appointment Efim Zvyahilsky had been the acting prime
minister.  Ustina Markus, RFE/RL Inc.

CRIMEAN PARLIAMENT ALLOWS DEPUTIES TO ARM. The Crimean parliament
voted on 14 June to allow deputies to carry weapons during its
sessions, Ukrinform-TASS reported. Over the past months there
have been a number of attacks and assassinations of politicians
in Crimea.  Ustina Markus, RFE/RL Inc.

LAST RUSSIAN SHIP TO LEAVE ESTONIA BY END OF JUNE. Adm. Vladimir
Egorov, head of Russia's Baltic Sea Fleet, said that the last
Russian combat ship and the remaining 800 tons of naval
ammunition would leave Estonia by the end of June, BNS reported
on 15 June. The submarine training facility at Paldiski with two
nuclear reactors is not under his command, but that of the naval
headquarters in Moscow. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vitalii
Churkin met briefly with his Estonian counterpart Raul Malk in
Moscow on 15 June, but no information on their talks was
revealed. Working groups of the two countries are continuing
discussions on the withdrawal of Russian troops where the major
obstacle is Russia's demands for social guarantees for its
military pensioners.  Saulius Girnius, RFE/RL Inc.

WORLD JEWISH CULTURE CONGRESS IN RIGA. The congress of the World
Jewish Culture Memorial Fund opened in the Latvian capital on 14
June. Addressing the approximately 100 delegates from various
parts of the world, Latvia's president Guntis Ulmanis stressed
the special significance of 14 June for people in Latvia. On that
day in 1941, many thousands of Latvian residents, including about
5,000 Jews, were deported to remote regions of the USSR upon the
orders of the Soviet regime. Ulmanis called on people in Latvia
to remember the victims of the Holocaust and declared that Latvia
is a state with extended cultural autonomy rights for its
traditional ethnic minorities, Latvian media reported on 15 June.
The congress elected Jack Spitzer as the Fund's new president.
Dzintra Bungs, RFE/RL Inc.

MOLDOVAN AUTHORITIES REACT TO ROMANIAN IRREDENTISM. Moldovan
officials told RFE/RL on 15 June that top leaders of the ruling
Agrarian Democratic Party and of its parliamentary fraction have
as a group sued for slander in a Chisinau court the pro-Romanian
weekly Glasul Natiunii. Its Bucharest-based publisher and
Romanian officials recently listed that weekly among several
Moldovan newspapers and periodicals receiving Romanian government
funds; they all promote unification of the two countries. In a
related development, Moldova's Foreign Ministry has revoked the
accreditation of the Chisinau correspondent of Romania Libera,
the principal daily of the Romanian opposition, for "purposeful
disinformation." An executive of the daily told RFE/RL in
Bucharest on 14 June that the measure was the work of "Moldovan
forces opposed to unification with Romania." Vladimir Socor,
RFE/RL Inc.

[As of 1200 CET] Compiled by Dzintra Bungs and Patrick Moore
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