OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 66, 3 April 1995

BULGARIA, GREECE CALL FOR LIFTING OF YUGOSLAVIA SANCTIONS. Bulgarian
Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski and his Greek counterpart, Karolos
Papoulias, meeting in Sofia on 1-2 April, called for an end to the
international sanctions against rump Yugoslavia, AFP reported. They
proposed a conference of the region's main countries to press for the
sanctions to be lifted. Pirinski asked neighboring countries hit by
trade losses resulting from the embargo to appeal jointly to the United
Nations and other international organizations for compensation.
Papoulias proposed that Bulgaria, Belarus, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine,
and possibly Russia hold a conference in Athens later this month to
discuss a common strategy. Pirinski suggested that Albania, Austria,
Italy, Macedonia, and Slovenia also attend. He added that Bulgaria is
ready to accept $3 million from the International Monetary Fund in
compensation for trade losses due to the sanctions. -- Stefan Krause,
OMRI, Inc.

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave

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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.

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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
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OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 67, April 1995

SLOVAK PREMIER ON EDUCATION, AUTONOMY. Vladimir Meciar, speaking to
Slovak Radio on 31 March, said that Slovakia's education system will
have to be transformed and that raising wages is not enough, Pravda and
Sme reported the following day. He commented that "if, in fact, schools
want only money from the cabinet and [the government] does not have the
right to interfere with or influence the entire transformation process
in education, then we will reach a situation where everyone will be
dissatisfied." With regard to minorities, Meciar emphasized that
Slovakia's territory cannot be divided, saying the Slovak Republic is
the home of "Slovaks as well as all nationalities. We will not have
separation in Slovakia based on the ethnic principle. We will not create
autonomy." Meanwhile, more than 52,000 ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia
sent a letter to Pope John Paul II complaining about discrimination
within the Catholic Church in Slovakia. The letter stated that although
Hungarians make up approximately 10% of Slovakia's population, there are
almost no Hungarian representatives in the Church, Narodna obroda
reported on 1 April. -- Sharon Fisher, OMRI, Inc.

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave

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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.

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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
*****************************************************************



OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 68, 5 April 1995

CHRISTOPHER URGES ROMANIAN-HUNGARIAN ACCORD. US Secretary of State
Warren Christopher on 3 April urged Romania and Hungary to settle
through diplomacy their differences over the treatment of ethnic
minorities, an RFE/RL correspondent reported. Christopher said he was
encouraged by the treaty, concluded in March, between Hungary and
Slovakia and hoped a similar treaty could be negotiated between Hungary
and Romania. He added that "we will do all we can to encourage it."
Chrisopher was speaking at a conference of human rights activists and
minority representatives at the State Department in Washington.
-- Michael Shafir, OMRI, Inc.

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave

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A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.

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Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
*****************************************************************



OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 70, 7 April 1995

EAST EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HEADS AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT. East European
parliaments began a regular dialog with the European Parliament on 5
April, international agencies reported. Parliament leaders from
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia
attended a session on pre-membership strategy for Eastern Europe. Ivan
Gasparvic from Slovakia said they would discuss the implementation of
the Schengen accord at their next session. Romania's Radu Berceanu said
he hoped the meetings would speed the entry of the East into the EU.
Hans van den Broek, EU commissioner for foreign affairs, said he is
seeking cooperation in political as well as economic matters. He added
that entry into the EU for the six countries is only a matter of time.
-- Michael Mihalka, OMRI, Inc.

CROATIA WANTS "INTENSIVE TALKS." Hina on 6 April quotes Foreign Minister
Mate Granic as saying UN Security Council Resolution 981, which
transforms UNPROFOR into UNCRO under a changed mandate, is the strongest
document in Croatia's favor that the body has ever approved. He now
wants negotiations, first with the international community and then with
the Serb rebels, on extending Zagreb's sovereignty throughout its
internationally recognized territory. He also noted that of the prewar
population of 650,000 in Serb-held areas, only about 200,000 remain.
Even about 120,000 Serbs have left, Granic said. UN officials added that
there are no signs of demilitarization in Sector East around Erdut and
Vukovar, which Serbia reportedly intends to keep because of its oil and
agricultural wealth. The 7 April Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung noted
that Croatia and Hungary have signed an agreement aimed at protecting
the rights of the roughly 30,000 ethnic Croats in Hungary and the 25,000
ethnic Hungarians in Croatia, many of whom have become the victims of
Serbian "ethnic cleansing" in Sector East. The treaty is based on
Council of Europe norms. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave

*****************************************************************
A tovabbterjesztest a New York-i szekhelyu Magyar Emberi Jogok
Alapitvany tamogatja.

           [*]   [*]  [*]   [*]  [*][*]    [*][*][*]
           [*]   [*]  [*]   [*]  [*]  [*]  [*]
           [*][*][*]  [*][*][*]  [*][*]    [*][*] 
           [*]   [*]  [*]   [*]  [*]  [*]  [*]    
           [*]   [*]  [*]   [*]  [*]   [*] [*]

Reposting is supported by Hungarian Human Rights Foundation News
and Information Service.
*****************************************************************