OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 30, 12 February 1996

FOREIGN EXPERTS CRITICIZE HUNGARY'S MEDIA LAW. During a conference
organized by the Prime Minister's Office, representatives of the
European Media Institute and the International Press Institute made
critical remarks about Hungary's media law, Hungarian media reported on
10 February. Many foreign experts agreed that the law was overly
complicated, and could allow for further political infighting and
exertion of political pressure. In response, Hungarian experts said
Parliament tried passing a law that is consistent with general European
principles, and the complicated nature of the law resulted from the
domestic state of affairs. They accepted the criticisms, and said the
success of the law will depend on its implementation in practice, the
future election of boards of trustees, and the intentions of political
parties.-- Zsofia Szilagyi

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Ustina Markus


OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 29, 9 February 1996

SLOVAK DEPUTY: HUNGARY SHOULD APOLOGIZE FOR OCCUPATION. Zora Lazarova on
8 February asked Foreign Minister Juraj Schenk why he has not made the
signing and ratification of the Slovak-Hungarian treaty conditional on
receiving an apology from Hungary for the occupation of southern
Slovakia during World War II, Narodna obroda reported. Lazorova is
chairwoman of the Slovak Green Alternative, which ran on the ticket of
the ruling Movement for a Democratic Slovakia in the last election. Also
on 8 February, Ladislav Pittner of the opposition Christian Democratic
Movement addressed several questions to Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar
regarding the "illegal activities" of the Slovak Information Service.
These include SIS chief Ivan Lexa's alleged efforts to transfer the
protection of constitutional officials from the police to the SIS and
his demand that violations of the law on the protection of the republic
(which has not yet been approved) be investigated by the SIS. -- Sharon
Fisher

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave


date=2/9/96
type=correspondent report
number=2-192520
title= East Euro Stocks (s only)
byline= Barry Wood
dateline= Prague
content=
voiced at:

Intro:  Stock prices in Central European markets rose sharply
again this week as investor confidence gained strength along with
the region's rapidly growing economy.  V-o-A's Barry Wood reports
from Prague.

Text:  There may be pessimism about rising unemployment and
economic  slowdown in Western Europe, but here in the center of
the continent things are booming.  Final figures for 1995 show
Poland's economy up about six percent, with the Czech Republic
and Slovakia up about five percent.  Hungary grew three percent.

Stock markets are soaring as the economic outlook brightens
further.  The Hungarian stock market rose to an all time high
with the market index gaining five percent to 22 hundred 55.  In
Warsaw the WIG index has consolidated above the ten thousand
level.  The index ended the week at ten thousand 713, a 12 month
high.  In Prague the market index was up nearly two percent to
463.  Bratislava, which had been depressed, gained more than five
percent with the 11 stock index closing at 180.  The smaller,
newer markets in the east were mixed.  Slovenia was higher while
Bulgaria and Croatia were little changed. (Signed)

neb/bdw/mh/jm

09-Feb-96 1:21 pm est (1821 utc)
nnnn

source: Voice of America


OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 31, 13 February 1996

GABCIKOVO DAM TRIAL SET FOR EARLY NEXT YEAR. The International Court of
Justice in the Hague has said the trial to resolve the legal dispute
between Hungary and Slovakia on the controversial Gabcikovo dam project
will take place in February 1997, Magyar Hirlap reported on 13 February.
Head of the international law division at the Hungarian Foreign Ministry
Gyorgy Szenasi will represent the Hungarian government in its bid to
prevent completion of the project. The two countries are expected to
seek an out-of-court settlement before the trial, although no headway
has been made in the three rounds of negotiations to date. -- Zsofia
Szilagyi

PROMINENT HUNGARIAN EMIGRES GATHER IN BUDAPEST. At the invitation of the
Prime Minister's Office, more than 90 prominent emigres met with leading
Hungarian politicians at a two-day conference titled "Hungary 2000,"
Hungarian media reported on 12 February. Prime Minister Gyula Horn
requested the emigres' help to solve domestic problems and improve the
country's international image. The emigres criticized certain
bureaucratic procedures slowing down the process of opening new
businesses and some financial aspects of the stabilization program. The
conference issued an appeal asking the 2 million-strong Hungarian emigre
community to do their best for Hungary. The participants--including
financier and philanthropist George Soros--will be invited to attend
similar meetings in the future. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

HOLBROOKE IN BUCHAREST. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Richard
Holbrooke on 12-13 February paid a visit to Romania, local and
international media reported. Radio Bucharest said Holbrooke thanked
President Ion Iliescu for Romania's contribution to the peacekeeping
process in Bosnia. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Teodor
Melescanu, Defense Minister Gheorghe Tinca, Chamber of Deputies chairman
Adrian Nastase, and other officials. The Euro-Atlantic Center in
Bucharest awarded the U.S. diplomat a diploma as "a sign of gratitude
and appreciation for his special contribution to restoring peace in
former Yugoslavia" and his "personal role in the development of
Romanian-U.S. relations." RFE/RL's correspondent in Washington quoted
U.S. State department spokesman Aric Schwann as saying Holbrooke was to
discuss with his hosts democratic reforms in Romania and the situation
of the Hungarian ethnic minority. -- Michael Shafir

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave


date=2/9/96
type=correspondent report
number=2-192504
title=Hungary / O-E-C-D (l only)
byline=Barry Wood
dateline=Prague
content=
voiced at:

Intro:  Hungary later this year is expected to become the second
former east bloc country to join the Paris based Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development, the O-E-C-D.  V-o-A's Barry
Wood reports the Czech Republic has already been admitted, and
Poland also is expected to join soon.

Text:  The O-E-C-D is the successor to the agency that
distributed  U-S Marshall Plan assistance to Europe in the years
following the Second World War.

During the 1960's and 70's, the O-E-C-D evolved into a leading
economic research organization.  Its industrial nation members
coordinated a large number of technical matters ranging from the
compilation of economic statistics to complicated definitions
like what constitutes a subsidy.  The O-E-C-D is often described
as a forum consisting of almost continuous seminars that bring
together specialists from member countries.

Hungary, like other former east bloc nations, has made O-E-C-D
membership a major foreign policy objective.  Hungary and Poland
have been mildly upset since December when the Czech Republic won
the race to be the first East European state to join what had
been a rich nations club.  A year earlier, Mexico became the
first developing country to join the O-E-C-D.

Hungarian finance minister Lajos Bokros says Budapest expects to
receive an invitation to join the O-E-C-D by the middle of March.
He says Hungary will first have to have its economic reform
program approved by the International Monetary Fund.  The I-M-F
is expected to make that determination within the next few weeks.
Should the Hungarian application go forward, Hungary would be
eligible to attend this year's O-E-C-D ministerial conference
which will be held in Paris in late May.

Poland, Europe's fastest growing economy, is also expecting to
win O-E-C-D membership by the end of 1996.  Polish finance
minister Grzegorz Kolodko says Poland first has to bring its
shipbuilding regulations into conformity with the O-E-C-D code.
Japan, a leading O-E-C-D member, has led the drive to limit
O-E-C-D subsidies to shipbuilding industries.  South Korea, the
world's leading shipbuilder, hopes to join the O-E-C-D next year.

Next week in Prague, the Czech Republic's entry into the O-E-C-D
is being marked with a gala reception and presentation by
outgoing O-E-C-D secretary general Jean Claude Paye.  (Signed)

neb/bdw/jwh/cf

09-Feb-96 10:20 am est (1520 utc)
nnnn

source: Voice of America