OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 36, Part II, 20 February 1997

HUNGARIAN, POLISH FOREIGN MINISTERS ON NATO. Laszlo Kovacs visited
Poland and met his Polish counterpart Dariusz Rosati on 19 February,
international media reported. The two ministers applauded "the timetable
and philosophy for NATO's enlargement" set recently by U.S. Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright. They said Polish and Hungarian aims and views
relating to NATO enlargement are identical. They added that the process
of establishing NATO-Russia relations should not slow down the process
of NATO enlargement. The ministers welcomed Albright's reassurance to
countries that might not be in the first group of new NATO members that
enlargement is an open process and will be continued. -- Jakub Karpinski

HUNGARIAN FARMERS TO STAGE ROAD BLOCKADE. The National Federation of
Hungarian Farmers on 19 February announced a warning demonstration
blocking state roads, Hungarian media reported. The blockade, scheduled
for 24 February, will affect the Bacs-Kiskun and Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen
roads. The federation is demanding the revocation of tax and social
insurance laws that took effect on 1 January. If the previous
legislation is not restored by 5 March, the farmers plan to organize
state-wide action on 10 March. A meeting on 19 February between farmers
and representatives of the ministries of agriculture and finance failed
to break the deadlock. -- Sharon Fisher


[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Susan Caskie