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OMRI: Daily Digest, Vol. 3, No. 37, 97-02-21
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 3, No. 37, 21 February 1997
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED ILLEGAL ARMS SUPPLIES TO
ARMENIA . . .
[02] . . . AMID AZERBAIJAN'S ACCUSATIONS OF CEASEFIRE VIOLATION.
[03] LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT IN UZBEKISTAN.
[04] COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS CRITICIZES KYRGYZ PRESIDENT.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[05] SFOR ATTACKED IN MOSTAR, BOSNIA.
[06] BOSNIA FAILS TO AGREE ON COMMON ECONOMIC RULES.
[07] SERBIAN UPDATE.
[08] MACEDONIAN STUDENTS CONTINUE PROTESTS AGAINST ALBANIAN-LANGUAGE
TUITION.
[09] INFLATION REACHES NEW RECORD IN ROMANIA.
[10] FRENCH PRESIDENT ON ROMANIA AND NATO.
[11] ROMANIAN PRISONERS' PROTEST SPREADS TO NINE CITIES.
[12] ROMANIA'S CURRENT, FORMER PRESIDENTS DUEL OVER PRIVILEGES.
[13] NEW PARTY SET UP IN MOLDOVA.
[14] BULGARIA'S EMPLOYMENT, FOOD, ENERGY WOES DEEPEN.
[15] BULGARIAN INTERIM PREMIER ON NUCLEAR PLANT.
[16] MORE VIOLENCE IN ALBANIA.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] RUSSIAN PARLIAMENT TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGED ILLEGAL ARMS SUPPLIES TO
ARMENIA . . .
The Russian State Duma on 19 February assigned three of its standing
committees to investigate Minister for Relations with the CIS Aman Tuleev's
allegations that Russia has illegally supplied $50 million worth of arms to
Armenia over the past year (see OMRI Daily Digest, 17 February 1997),
RFE/RL and Noyan Tapan reported. The motion was submitted by Communist
deputy Nikolai Bindyukov. Several deputies, including deputies from the
liberal Yabloko faction and the leftist Narodovlastie group, argued that an
open discussion of the issue could harm Russian-Armenian relations. Russian
ultranationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky said that it is in Russia's
interests to offer military aid to its "strategic ally Armenia...even for
free, if necessary." -- Emil Danielyan
[02] . . . AMID AZERBAIJAN'S ACCUSATIONS OF CEASEFIRE VIOLATION.
Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev has charged that by "illegally"
receiving military equipment, Armenia has violated the May 1994 Nagorno-
Karabakh ceasefire agreement, RFE/RL reported. Georgian President Eduard
Shevardnadze said in Baku that he does not exclude the possibility that the
alleged arms supplies were delivered to Armenia from Russian military bases
stationed in Georgia, Turan reported on 20 February. Shevardnadze claimed
that a "group of servicemen" has been arrested in Georgia on suspicion of
illegal weapons sales to Armenia. -- Emil Danielyan
[03] LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT IN UZBEKISTAN.
Algirdas Brazauskas and his Uzbek counterpart, Islam Karimov, signed
several agreements on legal aid and transportation in Tashkent on 20
February, ELTA and BNS reported. Karimov praised Lithuania as an "extremely
reliable partner," adding that he supports Lithuania's bid to join NATO. He
also said the two countries see eye to eye on "virtually everything."
Lithuania and Uzbekistan aim to increase trade cooperation. Bilateral trade
turnover doubled last year to $66 million; Uzbek firms currently owe their
Lithuanian counterparts $6 million. -- Lowell Bezanis
[04] COMMITTEE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS CRITICIZES KYRGYZ PRESIDENT.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed "grave concern about
reports of increasing harassment of the independent press in Kyrgyzstan" in
a letter sent to Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev, RFE/RL reported on 20
February. The letter criticized the Justice Ministry's decision to shut
down the newspaper Kriminal and the legal action threatened against
Ryspek Omurzakov -- a reporter who was earlier given a suspended sentence
for insulting the president -- for his coverage of opposition figure
Topchubek Turgunaliev's trial. -- Lowell Bezanis
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[05] SFOR ATTACKED IN MOSTAR, BOSNIA.
An armored vehicle of the NATO-led Stabilization Force was hit by a tank
rocket on 21 February on the former front line in the divided southern city
of Mostar, AFP reported. No one was injured. According to a spokesman, the
rocket came "from the western [Croat-held] side of the river." Meanwhile,
SFOR has withdrawn the accreditation of a UNHCR official in Mostar, Jacques
Franquin, who had said that SFOR troops were "useless" during the Muslim-
Croat clash in Mostar on 10 February that resulted in one dead and over 30
wounded. Franquin was declared persona non grata for his comments,
described as a "personal and individual assessment," AFP reported on 19
February. In other news, UN human rights envoy Elisabeth Rehn visited
Mostar on 20 February and called for the resignation of those responsible
for the recent violent incident. Rehn called on the Croatian government to
exert pressure on Bosnian Croats to respect human rights in Herzegovina. --
Daria Sito Sucic
[06] BOSNIA FAILS TO AGREE ON COMMON ECONOMIC RULES.
The Bosnian Council of Ministers on 20 February failed to adopt a quick-
start package of draft laws because of differing opinions of the two
Bosnian entities composing the council, Onasa reported. One of the
council's two co-chairmen, Haris Silajdzic, a Muslim, said the officials
discussed draft laws on privatization, property restitution, and ownership
relations and agreed on rules of procedure. While Silajdzic says that such
laws are the responsibility of Bosnia and the Council of Ministers, the
Serbian co-chairman, Boro Bosic, says they are the responsibility of the
respective entities. The council also discussed an unpaid gas bill of the
Republika Srpska, for which the Russian gas supplier GazExport threatens to
cut off gas supplies to Bosnia. Bosic said the Republika Srpska will pay
its part of the debt. GazExport will significantly reduce gas deliveries to
Bosnia starting 24 February, Onasa reported. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[07] SERBIAN UPDATE.
Zoran Djindjic, head of the Democratic Party and a leader of the opposition
Zajedno coalition, is to become Belgrade's first non-communist mayor in 52
years on 21 February, local independent media reported. Djindjic said
reform of the state-run electronic media, controlled by Serbian President
Slobodan Milosevic, is his priority. "Starting March 9, we will demonstrate
daily in front of the [state-run] television," he said. In unrelated news,
Vladan Kovacevic (also known as Vlada Tref), a 39-year-old business partner
of Milosevic's son Marko, was gunned down in a hotel parking lot on 20
February. -- Stan Markotich
[08] MACEDONIAN STUDENTS CONTINUE PROTESTS AGAINST ALBANIAN-LANGUAGE
TUITION.
Several thousand ethnic Macedonian students on 20 February continued their
protest against a new law introducing lessons in Albanian at the teacher-
training faculty (see OMRI Daily Digest, 18 February 1997), AFP reported.
It was the fourth consecutive day of protest against the law. The
protesters called for the resignation of Education Minister Sofija
Todorova. Despite the protests, the teacher-training faculty at Skopje
university went ahead with lessons in Albanian and said it was recruiting
teachers. -- Stefan Krause
[09] INFLATION REACHES NEW RECORD IN ROMANIA.
The monthly inflation rate rose to a record 13.7% in January, Romanian and
Western media reported. The surge follows recent steps taken by the
government to deregulate currency rates and prices and eliminate subsidies
for energy and staples. The measures are part of a shock therapy program
aimed at healing the ailing Romanian economy. Radio Bucharest quoted
Romanian National Bank Director Mugur Isarescu as saying that the annual
inflation rate for 1997 would be 90%, less than a 97% forecast made by
Premier Victor Ciorbea. -- Dan Ionescu
[10] FRENCH PRESIDENT ON ROMANIA AND NATO.
In an interview with the Bucharest daily Adevarul published on 20
February, Jacques Chirac said he tried to gather support for Romania's
application to join NATO during recent talks with U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright. He praised Romania's democratic change of power of last
November and the "historic accord" with Hungary signed last September.
Chirac said that Romania is "very important [for NATO], especially for the
southern flank" and that France will spare no efforts to convince its NATO
allies that Romania must be part of the first wave of enlargement. The
French president is expected today in Bucharest for a two-day visit. --
Zsolt Mato
[11] ROMANIAN PRISONERS' PROTEST SPREADS TO NINE CITIES.
The protest of Romanian inmates against poor living conditions, started on
17 February in Bucharest, has spread to nine cities across the country,
Libertatea reported on 21 February. While most of the protesters are
peacefully hunger striking, in some prisons the inmates have become violent,
setting fire to their prisons. (See OMRI Daily Digest, 20 February) --
Zsolt Mato
[12] ROMANIA'S CURRENT, FORMER PRESIDENTS DUEL OVER PRIVILEGES.
Former President Ion Iliescu rejected a proposal by current President Emil
Constantinescu that the parliament passes a law granting Iliescu a flat, a
car, and a team of bodyguards. He described the offer as "hypocritical"
since, he said, it came after a series of political attacks on him. Iliescu
added that he wanted a "public apology" instead of "acts of reparation" and
stressed that he already owns a flat, which he bought while still
president. The prime minister's control office, however, recently denounced
as "illegal" Iliescu's purchase of an apartment that had been nationalized
by the Communists in the 1950s. -- Dan Ionescu
[13] NEW PARTY SET UP IN MOLDOVA.
Some 400 delegates in Chisinau on 19 February set up a new party, BASA-
press reported. The new formation, the United Labor Party of Moldova (PUMM),
defines itself as a centrist party in quest of a "third way," distinct from
capitalism and socialism. PUMM leader Andrei Safonov, a leading political
scientist in Moldova's breakaway Dniester region, said his organization
will favor market economy reforms while promoting a high level of social
protection. -- Dan Ionescu
[14] BULGARIA'S EMPLOYMENT, FOOD, ENERGY WOES DEEPEN.
Unemployment in Bulgaria reached 13.4% in January, the highest level since
July 1994, Pari reported on 21 February. Observers fear that unemployment
may double this year after a currency board is introduced. Meanwhile, the
country's bread shortage has worsened, with Sofia having only enough flour
for 5-6 days; caretaker Premier Stefan Sofiyanski said wheat will be taken
from the state's reserves to fill the gap. Bulgargas has stopped supplying
Russian gas to 63 industrial plants that did not pay their bills for
January and February. The current price covers only one-third of the cost
of the gas, for which the Russians now demand full advance payment in hard
currency. Finally, the interim cabinet on 20 February set up a Structural
Reform Council to negotiate with the IMF and World Bank on industrial
reforms. -- Michael Wyzan
[15] BULGARIAN INTERIM PREMIER ON NUCLEAR PLANT.
Stefan Sofiyanski on 20 February said the controversial Kozloduy nuclear
power plant should not be shut down, RFE/RL reported. Sofiyanski reacted to
a statement by Energy Minister Georgi Stoilov the previous day that
Kozloduy is highly dangerous and the risk from it is "above the socially
acceptable limits." Sofiyanski refused to comment on the reactor's security
and said he has not discussed the issue with Stoilov. Kozloduy's director,
Kiril Nikolov, called the plant "absolutely safe." In other news, former
Tsar Simeon II sent a letter to royalist organizations saying he will
publicly distance himself from them if they fail to unite before the April
elections, 24 chasa reported. Various monarchist organizations will meet
in Varna on 22 February to decide on a joint electoral list, separate from
the main opposition Union of Democratic Forces. -- Stefan Krause
[16] MORE VIOLENCE IN ALBANIA.
As protests against the government of President Sali Berisha, triggered by
the collapse of a series of pyramid schemes, continued into a sixth week in
Tirana, violence once again surfaced. Riot forces prevented some 1,000
supporters of the opposition from marching to the central part of the
capital, Reuters reported. Marchers hurled stones at the police, who
retaliated with shots into the air. Meanwhile, some senior members of the
Democratic Party on 20 February urged the government to resign, AFP
reported. -- Stan Markotich
This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media
Research Institute, a nonprofit organization with research offices in
Prague, Czech Republic.
For more information on OMRI publications please write to info@omri.cz.
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