OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 126, 29 June 1995

UPDATE ON SLOVAK-HUNGARIAN RELATIONS. According to an opinion poll taken
by the Slovak Statistical Office in early May, a majority of Slovaks
approve the signing of the Slovak-Hungarian basic treaty in March,
Narodna obroda reports on 29 June. A total of 26% of respondents fully
approved, 29% somewhat approved, 4% somewhat disapproved, 4% fully
disapproved, 24% were not interested and 13% were undecided. Although
the Hungarian parliament recently ratified the treaty, the Slovak
parliament has yet to begin discussion on it. In other news, on 28 June
a delegation of Hungarian parliamentary deputies ended a four-day visit
to Slovakia. Visiting the district of Dunajska Streda, which is
predominantly ethnic Hungarian, discussion focused on government plans
to implement "alternative" (bilingual) education, which ethnic
Hungarians fear will lead to assimilation and threaten jobs of teachers
at Hungarian schools who cannot speak Slovak well. In a press conference
on 28 June, Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement Chairman Bela Bugar
said the Hungarian coalition will press for the removal of Education
Minister Eva Slavkovska. -- Sharon Fisher, OMRI, Inc.

HUNGARY TO GET RUSSIAN MILITARY ITEMS FOR DEBT. Russia will provide
Hungary with armored vehicles and jet fighter parts as partial repayment
for its remaining debt, CET and Reuters reported on 28 June. The reports
said the new agreement did not specify the exact amount involved. The
two sides were said to still be at odds over the exact valuation of the
Russian military equipment that will be provided. Under a deal reached
last year, Russia agreed to use goods and stakes in companies it is
privatizing to repay Hungary a $900 million debt from the communist era.
The reports said a Hungarian delegation will visit Moscow in July to
settle details of the new agreement. -- Doug Clarke, OMRI, Inc.

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Steve Kettle

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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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Thursday, 29 June 1995
Volume 2, Issue 125


REGIONAL NEWS
-------------

**RUSSIA AGREES TO REPAY HUNGARY WITH MILITARY WARES**
  Russia has agreed to provide Hungary with armored vehicles and
  fighter plane parts as repayment for some of its communist-era
  debt.  Hungary and Russia agreed in principle last year for
  Moscow to repay its 900 million dollar debt to Hungary with
  both goods and stakes in companies Russia is privatizing. The
  new agreement does not specify exactly how much of Russia's
  debt Hungary will write off in exchange for the equipment.
  Hungary wants it calculated at market prices, while Russia
  prefers a slightly higher price.  A Hungarian delegation will
  visit Moscow next month to settle the remaining details,
  thereby clearing the way for the first delivery, amounting to
  a third of the Russian shipments, by the end of this year. The
  remaining consignments will be delivered in 1996.



BUSINESS NEWS
-------------

**$300 MILLION IFC LOAN FOR HUNGARY'S MATAV TELECOM GROUP**
  The International Finance Corporation (IFC), an affiliate of
  the World Bank, says it is arranging a 300 million dollar
  syndicated loan for Hungary's telecommunications group Matav.
  The loan will be used to finance Matav's billion dollar
  investment program to expand and improve the quality of
  Hungary's telecommunications network.  Matav plans to add
  619,000 new telephone lines while two hundred thousand
  existing lines will be upgraded.  The IFC is providing 50
  million dollars from its own account and will syndicate
  another 50 million with international commercial banks.  The
  European Bank for Reconstruction and  Development will provide
  an identical financing package of 100 million dollars while
  another 100 million will be raised as parallel loans.


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

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

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