OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 209, 26 October 1995

SLOVAK PARLIAMENT DELAYS RATIFICATION OF TREATY WITH HUNGARY. Dusan
Slobodnik, chairman of the parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, on
25 October announced that the ratification of the Slovak-Hungarian
treaty will be delayed until December, Narodna obroda reported. The
treaty was signed by the Slovak and Hungarian prime ministers in March,
and the Hungarian parliament ratified it in June. When asked why the
ratification was being delayed, Slobodnik responded "because of a
shortage of time." Discussions of the treaty in parliamentary committees
will start in November. -- Sharon Fisher

HUNGARY NARROWS SCOPE OF SCREENING LAW. A senior Interior Ministry
official on 25 October said the ministry has drawn up a bill amending
the screening law to cover only those who have had to take an oath of
office before the president and the parliament, Magyar Hirlap reported
the next day. Under the law, anyone who collaborated with or was a
member of the security service or the fascist Arrow Cross party cannot
hold a government post. The paper noted that since only 500-600 people
are affected, screening could be completed by next summer. -- Zsofia
Szilagyi

HUNGARY SAYS "YES" TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Foreign Ministry administrative
state secretary Ferenc Somogyi, during a visit to the U.S., said on 25
October that Hungary fully accepts NATO requirements, including the
readiness to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory if necessary, The
Washington Times and Hungarian newspapers reported. Somogyi met with
U.S. officials and delivered a speech to a UN General Assembly
committee. Meanwhile, Turkish Defense Minister Vefa Tanir--in Budapest
on 25 October for a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Gyorgy
Keleti--said that Turkey fully backs Hungary's intention to join NATO,
since this move would contribute to strengthening security in Central
Europe. The two ministers signed a framework agreement on military
training and military-industrial cooperation. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave