RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 162, 18 November 1997

HAVEL TO BE RELEASED FROM HOSPITAL. Czech President Vaclav
Havel is to leave hospital on 18 November and continue treatment at
home, Deputy Health Minister Miroslav Cerbak told CTK. Meanwhile
former Senator Robert Dole, who visited Havel in the hospital on 17
November, said that he is optimistic about the outcome of the vote in
the U.S. Senate on NATO accession of the Czech Republic, Hungary and
Poland, Reuters reported. He said the vote could take place as early
as April 1998. MS

HUNGARY FORMALLY APPLIES FOR NATO ACCESSION. Andras
Simonyi, Hungary's ambassador to NATO, has handed over a letter to
NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana, in which Hungary officially
applies to join the alliance, Hungarian media reported on 17
November. The same day, Solana welcomed the Hungarians'
overwhelming support for accession in the 16 November
referendum. Steve Flanagan, chief Central Europe expert on the U.S.
National Security Council, said in Washington that "the result of the
referendum sends a very strong positive message to the U.S. Senate
ahead of the ratification debate." MSZ

DISPUTE OVER ROMANIAN EDUCATION LAW CONTINUES. Prime
Minister Victor Ciorbea on 17 November said he does not believe the
Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR) will leave the
coalition. He added, however, that the National Peasant Party
Christian Democratic (PNTCD) will not change its position on
amending the education law. PNTCD Secretary-General Radu Vasile
rejected UDMR leader Bela Marko's recent accusation of "blackmail,"
saying the UDMR itself is the only side guilty of blackmail, RFE/RL's
Bucharest bureau reported. UDMR Senator Attila Verestoy compared
the PNTCD to a soccer player who "is fouling a member of his own
team." Meanwhile, the PNTCD faction in the Senate commented that
Hungarian investments in Transylvania are "suspiciously high,"
Mediafax reported. MS


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