OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 35, 19 February 1997

HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER IN NORWAY. Gyula Horn on 18 February began a
two-day official visit to Norway to discuss European integration,
international media reported. Horn said Hungary has proved its value to
NATO by serving as a base for international peacekeeping forces in
former Yugoslavia. Norwegian Prime Minister Thorbjoern Jagland refused
to directly back Hungary's NATO integration efforts, emphasizing that
the application must be reviewed in the spring by all NATO members. Also
on 18 February, Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs began a two-day
official visit to Poland, Hungarian media reported. Talks between Kovacs
and his Polish counterpart, Darius Rosati, focused on NATO and EU
integration, regional cooperation, and bilateral ties. -- Sharon Fisher

HUNGARY CONTINUES TO LEAD REGION IN FOREIGN INVESTMENT. A UN report on
18 February said Hungary continues to rank first in foreign investment
in the former Soviet bloc, RFE/RL reported. Total direct foreign
investment in the region topped $46 billion from late 1989 to mid-1996.
Of that amount, Hungary received about $14 billion, Poland $9 billion,
Russia $6.6 billion, and the Czech Republic $6 billion. About 70% of all
direct foreign investment in the region has gone to Hungary, the Czech
Republic, Poland, Slovenia, and Slovakia. In contrast, Moldova received
just $104 million and Belarus $350 million. On a per capita basis,
Ukraine ranked last with only $17 of direct foreign investment per
person. -- Sharon Fisher

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Susan Caskie