RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE  4 April 2000 
HUNGARY, NEIGHBORS AGREE ON ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION. The
Environmental Ministers of Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, and
Hungary met in Budapest on 3 April to sign an agreement on
preventing future transnational ecological disasters. The
four countries will pinpoint potential sources of ecological
damage, involve international experts in damage assessment,
and form joint monitoring teams. Romanian Environmental
Minister Romica Tomescu, however, rejected a proposal for
"integrated pollution prevention and regional development."
His Hungarian counterpart, Pal Pepo, said the Romanian
state's responsibility in the recent cyanide spill cannot be
avoided. "According to our laws, the polluter pays, but there
is nothing about the Romanian state's responsibility in any
bilateral international agreement," Tomescu replied. MSZ 
HUNGARY UNVEILS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN. Economics Minister
Gyorgy Matolcsy has presented an ambitious plan designed to
boost the country's economy, Hungarian media reported on 3
April. Under that plan, the budget will allot 434 billion
forints ($1.6 billion) over the next two years, of which $1
billion will be earmarked in the 2001 budget. The plan
includes a 120 billion forint highway project, measures to
boost tourism, and the construction of 35,000-40,000 new
homes a year. Matolcsy remarked that the plan "will not cure
all our ills" and that total spending on the program will
depend on the economy's performance. MSZ

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