RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 171, 3 December 1997

HUNGARY, BOSNIA CONCLUDE TRADE AGREEMENT. Hungarian
Industry and Trade Minister Szabolcs Fazakas and Edham Bicakcic,
the premier of Bosnia's Muslim-Croat Federation, met in Budapest on
2 December and signed a trade agreement that could lead to
Hungarian investments in Bosnia totaling several hundred million
dollars, Hungarian media reported. Fazakas said the agreement would
increase Hungarian exports to Bosnia from the current $100 million
a year to $200 million or more in the future. The two leaders also
discussed building a "superhighway" to connect Budapest and the
Adriatic Sea via Sarajevo. MSZ

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RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 172, 4 December 1997

SLOVAK OPPOSITION TO  COOPERATE WITH HUNGARIAN
ETHNIC PARTIES. Five opposition parties and the Slovak
Democratic Coalition, formed by three Hungarian ethnic parties, have
issued  a joint declaration saying they will "join efforts" in
cooperating against Vladimir Meciar's government. The declaration
says the Hungarian ethnic alliance "will not push for ethnic
autonomy in either its political program or in practice," RFE/RL's
Bratislava bureau reported. President Michal Kovac told journalists
in Bratislava on 3 December that a lack of communication between
the government and the country's ethnic Hungarians is hurting
Slovakia's international reputation. He added, however, that in some
respects, the observation of rights of minorities in Slovakia is
"above standard." MS

HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION PARTIES SIGN COALITION PACT.
Viktor Orban, chairman of the Alliance of Young Democrats-
Hungarian Civic Party (FIDESZ-MPP), and Democratic Forum (MDF)
chairman Sandor Lezsak have formally concluded the agreement to
run joint candidates in the spring 1998 parliamentary elections,
chairman Sandor Lezsak have formally concluded the agreement to
run joint candidates in the spring 1998 parliamentary elections,
Hungarian media reported on 3 November. Orban said his party wants
a broad cooperation of "middle-class forces" in an effort to
guarantee freedom and welfare. Lezsak told reporters that the
alliance will seek to restore a "healthy confidence" to society.  A
"peaceful co-existence" among the different opposition forces will
foster the likelihood of removing the present coalition, he added.
Under the agreement, FIDESZ will field 42 of the 63 joint candidates
and the MDF 21. MSZ

HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE OBJECTS TO LAND
REFERENDUM.   The parliamentary Constitutional Committee on 3
December recommended  that the legislature vote against approving
a referendum on foreign ownership of land, despite the fact that
opposition parties have collected more than 200,000 signatures
supporting the petition, Hungarian media reported. The committee
said that if voters were to approve the opposition recommendation
to reject foreign land ownership, the parliament would have to pass
a law that was not in line with  Hungary's international
commitments. The Constitutional Court on 2 December refused to
rule whether a decision against holding the  referendum would  be
unconstitutional. MSZ

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               Copyright (c) 1997 RFE/RL, Inc.
                     All rights reserved.
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