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RFE/RL Newsline, 02-07-23
CONTENTS
[01] WAGE ARREARS SOARED IN JUNE...
[02] ...POVERTY WIDESPREAD IN MILITARY...
[03] ...AND PROJECTIONS FOR THE ECONOMY RELEASED
[04] INTERIOR MINISTRY TO TAKE ON SHADOW ECONOMY
[05] CIA DEFECTOR DEAD?
[06] OFFICIAL SAYS GO SLOW ON WTO
[07] MINISTER HEAPS PRAISE ON LENINGRAD OBLAST...
[08] ...AS GOVERNOR MEETS WITH PUTIN
[09] HEAT PLUS ALCOHOL EQUALS DEATH
[10] FAR EASTERN GOVERNOR BLAMES FLOODING ON CHINA
[11] GOVERNMENT TO MULL NEW TAX AND QUOTAS FOR FOREIGN WORKERS
[12] NEW DEPARTMENT FOR COMPATRIOT RELATIONS ESTABLISHED
[13] SOROS FUND SUSPENDS ITS WORK IN RUSSIA
[14] LAST ADAMOV CRONY REPORTEDLY OUSTED
[15] CHAVASH PRESIDENT WINS MAJORITY IN LEGISLATURE
[16] FIRST STOP, THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION -- NEXT STOP, VEGAS
[17] U.S. AMBASSADOR, COUNCIL OF EUROPE OFFICIAL CRITICIZE CHECHEN
[18] RUSSIAN MILITARY DISCLOSES CASUALTY FIGURES IN CHECHNYA, DAGHESTAN
[19] BRITISH CITIZEN SENTENCED IN DAGHESTAN
[20] ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER CRITICIZES 'ASSETS FOR DEBTS' DEAL...
[21] ...AS DOES FORMER ARMENIAN PREMIER
[22] AZERBAIJAN'S PRESIDENT AGAIN CRITICIZES OSCE
[23] IMF DELAYS LOAN TRANCHE FOR AZERBAIJAN
[24] AZERBAIJAN, UZBEKISTAN SIGN ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS
[25] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT DENIES HE WILL PARDON FORMER INTELLIGENCE
[26] ...WARNS AGAINST NEW ABKHAZ OFFENSIVE
[27] GERMANY CONCERNED OVER CRIME, LAGGING REFORMS IN GEORGIA
[28] GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT DEPUTY BRINGS SLANDER SUIT AGAINST NGO
[29] KAZAKH OPPOSITION LEADER OUTLINES TACTICS...
[30] ...PROPOSES CONSOLIDATION OF FORCES
[31] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT SAYS OPPOSITION SHARES BLAME FOR AKSY DEATHS
[32] TURKMENISTAN TO REDEFINE DUTIES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
[33] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT COURTS ILO CHIEF
[34] OUR UKRAINE TO USE 'EXTREME MEASURES' AGAINST KUCHMA?
[35] ESTONIA MAKES PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL TALKS WITH EU
[36] LATVIAN PARTICIPATION WITH NATO DISCUSSED
[37] POLISH NATIONAL BANK HEAD PRAISES LITHUANIA'S FINANCIAL POLICY
[38] POLISH PREMIER DOWNPLAYS CHIRAC'S STATEMENT ON KALININGRAD
[39] FORMER CZECH FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL HELD ON SUSPICION OF
[40] ...AS JOURNALIST WRITES ABOUT HER ORDEAL...
[41] ...AND REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS CALLS FOR EXEMPLARY PUNISHMENT
[42] FORMER FOREIGN MINISTRY STAFF MEMBER WANTS HIS CASE REVIEWED
[43] GERMAN OPPOSITION PARTY PRAISES 'CZECH CHANGE' OVER BENES DECREES
[44] CZECH PRESIDENT SAYS COMMUNISTS NO DANGER TO CZECH FUTURE
[45] FORMER SLOVAK INTELLIGENCE CHIEF APPEALS AGAINST CUSTODY
[46] SLOVAK CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION SET UP, CHOOSES CHAIRMAN
[47] HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON U.S. VISIT
[48] HUNGARIAN PREMIER'S, PREDECESSOR'S ASSETS SCRUTINIZED
[49] SERBIAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE SHAPES UP...
[50] ...AS DOES MONTENEGRIN LEGISLATIVE VOTE
[51] EU IS UPBEAT ON BOSNIA...
[52] ...AND DEMANDS DISSOLUTION OF IRREGULAR ARMED GROUPS IN
[53] ...WHILE OSCE OPENS ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION IN SKOPJE
[54] CROATIA ANNOUNCES OIL-PRIVATIZATION CANDIDATES
[55] CROATIA RELEASES WAR CRIMES SUSPECTS
[56] TENSIONS PERSIST OVER CROATIAN-BOSNIAN BORDER
[57] BABO TO RUN IN BOSNIA
[58] MASS GRAVE FOUND IN BOSNIA
[59] MILOSEVIC AIDE TESTIFIES ON KOSOVA KILLINGS
[60] KFOR SAYS SITUATION IN MITROVICA IMPROVING
[61] KOSOVARS GET DRIVING LICENSES
[62] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT INTERVIEWED AHEAD OF RUSSIA VISIT
[63] BISHOP TOEKES RENEWS ATTACKS ON UDMR...
[64] ...AND RECEIVES REBUKE
[65] ROMANIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
[66] OECD SAYS ROMANIA MUST ACCELERATE REFORMS
[67] ROMANIAN AGENCY FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT OPENS ITS DOORS
[68] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT QUESTIONS VIABILITY OF GUUAM
[69] PPCD TO RENEW RALLIES IN MOLDOVAN CAPITAL?
[70] BULGARIAN PRIVATIZATION AGENCY ANNOUNCES BIDS FOR BULGARTABAC
[71] BULGARIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY LAYS OFF 9,500 TEACHERS
[72] BULGARIAN JUNIOR COALITION PARTNER CALL FIRST YEAR OF GOVERNMENT
[73] There is no End Note today.
23 July 2002
RUSSIA
[01] WAGE ARREARS SOARED IN JUNE...
At a government session on 22 July, President Vladimir Putin called on
the government and the heads of the regions to take emergency measures
to reduce wage arrears to state-sector workers, ITAR-TASS reported.
Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Kudrin announced the
same day that wage arrears now total some 3.2 billion rubles ($101
million). According to the Kudrin, the backlog grew by 1.5 billion
rubles in June alone. Part of the problem was that "a significant part
of [federal] support in June was directed in the southern regions to
eradicate the consequences of the flooding," Kudrin said. However, the
regions cited with most severe problems -- Krasnoyarsk Krai, Orenburg
and Omsk oblasts, the republics of Tuva and Khakasia, and the Koryak
Autonomous Okrug -- are not located in the Southern Federal District.
JAC
[02] ...POVERTY WIDESPREAD IN MILITARY...
Forty-six percent of Russian soldiers live at or below the poverty
line, "Die Welt" reported on 22 July. Citing a report in the Defense
Ministry newspaper "Krasnaya zvezda," the German daily wrote that about
1.2 million officers and soldiers have not received their wages for
June and that they likely will not receive their July wages on time.
Ironically, the wage arrears have accumulated just when a 1 July salary
increase for officers of 988 rubles ($32) per month, which was approved
at the initiative of President Putin, comes into effect. "We live worse
than homeless people, and this can't continue any longer," the German
paper quoted one unidentified officer as saying. The average monthly
income for an officer, including all benefits, stands at 6,114 rubles.
Moonlighting in order to make ends meet is rampant, the newspaper
asserted. RC
[03] ...AND PROJECTIONS FOR THE ECONOMY RELEASED
Inflation in Russia for the current year will amount to 10-12 percent,
Prime-TASS reported on 23 July, citing a forecast submitted to the
government by the Economic Development and Trade Ministry. According to
the forecast, GDP growth will be from 3.4-4.4 percent and productivity
is expected to grow by 3.2-4.1 percent. The report was discussed on 23
July at a meeting of the government's Council on Entrepreneurship,
which also discussed Russia's accession to the World Trade
Organization. Meanwhile, Oleg Belyi, director of the Academy of
Sciences' Transport Institute, told reporters that Russia could earn up
to $15 billion a year in cargo-transit fees, ITAR-TASS reported on 23
July. He urged active development of both east-west and north-south
transport corridors, starting with a $100 million project to connect
the Trans-Korean Railway with the Trans-Siberian. RC
[04] INTERIOR MINISTRY TO TAKE ON SHADOW ECONOMY
Interior Ministry Boris Gryzlov will present a radical new program
aimed at underground businesses as early as this fall, "Vremya
novostei" reported on 23 July. According to the report, the plan will
target the most criminalized sectors of the economy including gaming,
the production and sale of tobacco products, and the export of consumer
goods. The ministry believes that the plan could bring in an additional
$5 billion to $6 billion in budget revenues each year. The daily
reports that the plan includes requiring Russian fishing vessels to
return to a Russian port before off-loading their catches, taxing
casinos at a fixed rate per gaming table or slot machine, and
renationalizing some of the country's leading domestic cigarette
brands. Ultimately, the plan envisages state control over the tobacco
industry analogous to that presently exercised over hard liquor. RC
[05] CIA DEFECTOR DEAD?
The U.S. State Department reported on 22 July that it believes former
CIA officer Edward Lee Howard, who defected to the Soviet Union in
1985, has died, Western and Russian news agencies reported. Spokesman
Richard Boucher said that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow had received
reports that Howard died on 12 July after falling down a flight of
stairs in his home near Moscow. Russian authorities have declined to
comment. Howard began working for the CIA in 1981 and was dismissed in
1983 under suspicion of selling information to the Soviets. Although he
always maintained his innocence, U.S. authorities believe that the
information he disclosed led to the execution of at least one Soviet
agent working for the CIA. RC
[06] OFFICIAL SAYS GO SLOW ON WTO
Federation Council Chairman Sergei Mironov, winding up a tour of Altai
Krai, told reporters in Barnaul on 22 July that Russia should not be in
a hurry to join the World Trade Organization, "Kommersant-Daily"
reported the next day. "Russia shouldn't rush to enter the WTO until it
is able to negotiate away the burdensome conditions that some
governments in the WTO want to impose on our country," Mironov was
quoted as saying. Mironov said that a government working group is now
focusing on 17 specific conditions that he feels must be eliminated.
Mironov also lauded the krai town of Belokurikha, which he said has
"considerable perspectives of becoming a world-class resort." He called
on the federal government to assist the krai in developing the town's
alpine skiing potential. Krai Governor Aleksandr Surikov told the same
press conference that he believes President Putin will visit the resort
this winter. RC
[07] MINISTER HEAPS PRAISE ON LENINGRAD OBLAST...
Deputy Prime Minister and Labor and Social Affairs Minister Valentina
Matvienko on 22 July praised Leningrad Oblast as one of the most
rapidly developing regions in the country, ITAR-TASS reported. She
noted that the oblast leads the country in industrial-production growth
and that it has no wage arrears to state-sector workers. On the
contrary, she pointed out, teachers and doctors in the region receive
additional payments from a regional fund to supplement their state
salaries. Matvienko urged other regions to follow Leningrad Oblast's
model. She also categorically denied that she will run for governor of
St. Petersburg in 2004. RC
[08] ...AS GOVERNOR MEETS WITH PUTIN
Leningrad Oblast Governor Valerii Serdyukov met in the Kremlin with
President Putin on 23 July, RosBalt reported. Serdyukov reported on
plans for the celebration of the oblast's 75th anniversary, which will
be marked on 1 August. He also discussed regulation of the forestry
industry and the status of property at previously closed military
settlements. Putin informed Serdyukov of his views of a plan to develop
small business that was submitted earlier this year by a committee
headed by Serdyukov. RC
[09] HEAT PLUS ALCOHOL EQUALS DEATH
Moscow continues to swelter in record temperatures around 33 degrees
Celsius with forecasts of daily highs above 30 degrees for the rest of
the week, ntvru.com reported on 23 July. Meanwhile, the number of
Muscovites reported drowned in city swimming areas continues to mount,
"Izvestiya" reported the same day, comparing the daily reports to
"dispatches from the front lines." "Since the opening of the swimming
season -- that is, in the period from 1 June to 21 July -- 138 people
have drowned in Moscow and 87 have been rescued," reported the press
office of the municipal rescue service. "The majority were in a
condition of extreme drunkenness." According to the daily, 30 people
have drowned this year in Novgorod Oblast, and 94 in Bashkortostan. RC
[10] FAR EASTERN GOVERNOR BLAMES FLOODING ON CHINA
Russian news agencies reported on 22 July that the Oktyabrskii and
Ussuriiskii raions in Primorskii Krai were flooded. According to
ITAR-TASS, some 1,500 people were affected, as 783 houses and 20,000
hectares of cropland were inundated. According to TV-6, Governor Sergei
Darkin said that the flooding might have been caused by opened
spillways at a Chinese water reservoir located near the krai's border.
He added that Chinese officials have so far not confirmed that the
spillways were open. However, some specialists at the federal Ministry
for Natural Resources believe that the northeastern part of China does
not have enough water in its system to cause the kind of damage that
occurred in the krai, "Izvestiya" reported on 22 July. JAC
[11] GOVERNMENT TO MULL NEW TAX AND QUOTAS FOR FOREIGN WORKERS
Minister Vladimir Zorin, who oversees nationalities policies, announced
on 22 July that the government commission on migration policy will
consider at its meeting in September new migration regulations for
Russia, as well as the introduction of quotas and taxes on foreign
labor, Russian news agencies reported. The tax on employers that hire
foreign workers would amount to 200-3,000 rubles (about $6-$95),
depending on the jobs the foreign workers perform, rbc.ru reported.
According to Zorin, foreigners may be employed in Russia in positions
that are not sought after by the domestic labor force, Interfax
reported. Zorin told reporters that Russia's population drops by
500,000-600,000 people per year, and therefore immigration is "an
important resource for adding to population numbers," ITAR-TASS
reported. At the same time, he noted, the Russian Federation's
migration policy "should proceed only in correspondence with the
interests of the government." MD
[12] NEW DEPARTMENT FOR COMPATRIOT RELATIONS ESTABLISHED
The presidential administration has created a department to work with
"compatriots" abroad, RIA-Novosti reported on 22 July. The department
was created within the main administration on external policies of the
presidential administration, which is headed by Sergei Prikhodko, but
its activities will be overseen by deputy presidential administration
head Vladislav Surkov. Aleksei Sitnin, who will head the new
department, said the Kremlin considers compatriots to be "all those who
speak Russian, are interested in Russian culture, and want to support
connections with Russia" and are not defined by "citizenship or
nationality, which is secondary." Sitnin is a former head of
information policy for the presidential administration on external
policy. He also headed the press service for the Alfa Group, where
Surkov also worked (see "RFE/RL Russian Political Weekly," 1 May 2001).
JAC
[13] SOROS FUND SUSPENDS ITS WORK IN RUSSIA
Late in the day on 22 July, the employees of the Soros Foundation's
Open Society Institute-Russia found themselves locked in their Moscow
office, RIA-Novosti reported. According to Open Society
Institute-Russia President Yekaterina Genieva, she and five of her
colleagues found themselves trapped in their offices when
representatives of Nobel Technologies hung a lock on the gate at about
6:30 p.m., preventing them from leaving the building. The Soros
Foundation and Nobel Technologies are engaged in litigation, both
claiming the right to the premises located at 8 Ozerkovskaya
Naberezhnaya. Genieva insists that Nobel Technologies' claim is
baseless and says that no arbitration court has ever ruled in favor of
Nobel Technologies in any of its suits. "Such a situation forces me to
suspend the activity of the Soros Foundation in Russia until the
foundation is provided with normal working conditions," RIA-Novosti
quoted her as saying. MD
[14] LAST ADAMOV CRONY REPORTEDLY OUSTED
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov has signed a decree dismissing Bulat
Nigmatulin from his post as deputy atomic energy minister and naming
Andrei Malyshev to replace him, "Izvestiya" reported on 20 July.
Malyshev was most recently director of the Atomenergoproekt Institute.
According to the daily, Nigmatulin was one of the last close associates
of former Atomic Energy Minister Yevgenii Adamov still at the ministry.
Adamov was dismissed by President Putin last spring amid corruption
charges (see "RFE/RL Russian Political Weekly," 12 March 2001).
Nigmatulin also supported the bill allowing Russia to import spent
nuclear fuel for reprocessing. The daily noted that current Atomic
Energy Minister Aleksandr Rumyantsev has managed to cleanse the
ministry of all the officials who lobbied for that law. However, it
concluded that their departure does not mean that the controversial
idea itself has been rejected. JAC
[15] CHAVASH PRESIDENT WINS MAJORITY IN LEGISLATURE
The majority of deputies selected for the Chavash Republic's
legislature in 21 July elections allegedly come from the so-called
presidential list, although the republic's executive continues to deny
that such a list exists, RFE/RL's Cheboksary correspondent reported the
next day. The majority of the new legislators are also directors of
agricultural enterprises, medium-sized industrial enterprises, and
various state-sector enterprises, particularly in the field of heath
care. The administration can look forward to a productive relationship
with the legislature since the only organized opposition party in the
republic, the Communist Party, won in only eight of 73 districts.
According to ITAR-TASS, the Chavash elections are one of the last to be
conducted under the old rules, which did not require that at least half
of the legislators be selected according to party lists. JAC
[16] FIRST STOP, THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION -- NEXT STOP, VEGAS
Novosibirsk Oblast Governor Viktor Tolokonskii has launched a weekly
concert series in a central park of Novosibirsk featuring -- himself,
"Izvestiya" reported on 22 July. At the first concert on 21 July,
around 200 people -- most of them pensioners -- gathered to hear
Tolokonskii offer up his renditions of musical hits from the past 15
years such as "Lilac Fog" (Sirenevyi tuman). The audience was
enthusiastic, responding at the end of each song with applause and
bouquets of lilies-of-the-valley, according to the daily. Yurii
Korobchenko, director of the oblast's information department, explained
that "singing is an opportunity for the governor to become closer to
the people" and to relate to them not as an authority figure but "as an
ordinary person." Meanwhile, local political analysts offered a
different explanation: They told the daily that they consider the
governor's decision to take up crooning as an indication that the next
gubernatorial campaign has already begun. JAC
[17] U.S. AMBASSADOR, COUNCIL OF EUROPE OFFICIAL CRITICIZE CHECHEN
SEARCH OPERATIONS
In separate presentations at a Moscow Oblast conference on human
rights, Alexander Vershbow and Council of Europe Human Rights
Commissioner Alvaro Gil-Robles both denounced human rights violations
committed by Russian troops during search operations in Chechnya,
Interfax reported on 22 July. Vershbow advocated beginning negotiations
with Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov's supporters. LF
[18] RUSSIAN MILITARY DISCLOSES CASUALTY FIGURES IN CHECHNYA, DAGHESTAN
Interfax on 22 July quoted unidentified Russian military officials as
saying that a total of 4,200 Russian troops have been killed since the
start of the Chechen-led incursion into Daghestan in August 1999. That
is more than double the figure of 1,670 cited by President Putin in
November 2000. The same unidentified source told Interfax that 13,500
Chechen fighters have been killed since the beginning of the war in
Chechnya in October 1999. LF
[19] BRITISH CITIZEN SENTENCED IN DAGHESTAN
Daghestan's Supreme Court has sentenced British citizen John Benini to
seven years' imprisonment on charges of illegal possession of weapons
and membership in an illegal armed group, Interfax reported. Benini was
detained in November 2001 on the border between Daghestan and Chechnya
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 19 November 2001). LF
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[20] ARMENIAN OPPOSITION LEADER CRITICIZES 'ASSETS FOR DEBTS' DEAL...
People's Party of Armenia (HZhK) Chairman Stepan Demirchian has
criticized as "wrong" a deal signed last week under which Armenia ceded
several major enterprises, including the Mars electronics factory of
which Demirchian is director, to Moscow in payment of its $98 million
debt, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported on 22 July (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 17 and 18 July 2002). Demirchian said it is "not normal" to
cede major assets for debts, and it would have been more appropriate to
set up joint ventures with Russia. He also pointed out that there is no
guarantee that the enterprises in question will continue to function
under Russian ownership. He denied that his own previously unannounced
visit to Moscow last week was connected with the deal; some observers
in Yerevan had suggested that he had hoped to obtain assurances from
the Russian government that he will retain his position as Mars
director. LF
[21] ...AS DOES FORMER ARMENIAN PREMIER
National Democratic Union Chairman Vazgen Manukian, who served as prime
minister in 1990-1991, similarly told RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau on 19
July that he considers the exchanging assets for debt "a very outdated
business model." He added that although he believes it is important to
strengthen economic ties between Armenia and Russia, he doubts the
assets-for-debt deal will contribute to doing so. LF
[22] AZERBAIJAN'S PRESIDENT AGAIN CRITICIZES OSCE
Heidar Aliev met with journalists at the Baku Press Club on 22 July,
which Azerbaijan observes as National Press Day, Turan reported. Aliev
said he does not consider he has made any mistakes over the past nine
years in the ongoing negotiations aimed at resolving the Karabakh
conflict. He criticized the OSCE, whose Minsk Group is tasked with
mediating such a solution, for its passivity and failure to achieve
that objective, casting doubts on its commitment to the principles of
territorial integrity and the inviolability of state borders. Aliev
said with regard to domestic politics that his priority is political
stability, and that he does not believe personal changes are a major
factor in preserving it. He ruled out the "Yeltsin option" of resigning
in order to hand over power to a chosen successor, affirming once again
that he is in good health and will run for a third presidential term in
2003. LF
[23] IMF DELAYS LOAN TRANCHE FOR AZERBAIJAN
The Azerbaijani government's failure to act on International Monetary
Fund (IMF) recommendations to privatize two large state-owned banks and
to raise domestic prices for oil and heating oil impelled the fund to
withhold until later this year the third $10 million tranche of a $100
million Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility Loan agreed on last year,
Turan and "Ekho" quoted IMF official John Odling-Smee as telling
journalists in Baku on 19 July. He added that the Azerbaijani
government has agreed to draft plans within two weeks for complying
with the recommendations. LF
[24] AZERBAIJAN, UZBEKISTAN SIGN ECONOMIC AGREEMENTS
The fifth session of the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Commission for Economic
Partnership took place in Baku on 19 July, Turan and uza.uz reported.
Delegations from the two governments expressed satisfaction that
bilateral trade increased in 2001 and in the first quarter of 2002, and
that Azerbaijan has discharged part of its $1.23 million debt to
Uzbekistan. Three bilateral cooperation agreements were signed. But the
outcome of discussions on the leasing by Azerbaijani Airlines of Uzbek
passenger aircraft, the possible purchase by Azerbaijan of drilling
equipment for the oil sector, and cooperation in the chemical sector is
unclear. LF
[25] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT DENIES HE WILL PARDON FORMER INTELLIGENCE
CHIEF...
Eduard Shevardnadze on 22 July rejected as misplaced widespread media
speculation that he will pardon former intelligence chief Igor
Giorgadze, Caucasus Press reported. But he added that he will no longer
pressure Moscow to extradite Giorgadze. Giorgadze is accused of
masterminding the car-bomb attempt on Shevardnadze in August 1995; last
month, Shevardnadze formally pardoned three members of the paramilitary
organization Mkhedrioni who were jailed for their alleged role in that
attack. Giorgadze left Georgia in the fall of 1995, and his current
whereabouts are unknown. He has given several interviews in recent
years to Russian media saying that he plans eventually to return to
Georgia where, he says, many people support him (see "RFE/RL Caucasus
Report," Vol. 3, No. 6, 11 February 2000). LF
[26] ...WARNS AGAINST NEW ABKHAZ OFFENSIVE
Shevardnadze also said on 22 July during his weekly press briefing that
he does not support calls for a Georgian guerrilla campaign to bring
the breakaway Republic of Abkhazia back under Georgian
central-government control, Caucasus Press reported. Imereti Governor
Temur Shashiashvili last year warned that Georgian guerrilla formations
would launch such an offensive if the Georgian government failed to
reach a negotiated solution to the conflict, and Abkhaz parliament in
exile Chairman Tamaz Nadareishvili was quoted last week as expressing
his support for new hostilities (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 19 July 2002).
In late May, Shashiashvili extended his original deadline for reaching
a settlement from 26 May to 31 July. LF
[27] GERMANY CONCERNED OVER CRIME, LAGGING REFORMS IN GEORGIA
Meeting on 22 July with Minister of State Avtandil Djorbenadze and
Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili, German Ambassador Uwe Schramm
expressed concern that the Georgian authorities are apparently
incapable of taking measures to prevent abductions, religious
intolerance, and violence against NGOs, Caucasus Press reported. He
referred specifically to the still unsolved murder last December of a
German diplomat serving with the EU mission in Tbilisi (see "RFE/RL
Newsline, 10 December 2001), and the disappearance two weeks ago of
businessman Klaus Droege (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 8 July 2002). At a
separate meeting with Djorbenadze, the head of a delegation from
Germany's Ministry for Scientific Cooperation and Development expressed
dissatisfaction with the slow pace of economic reform in Georgia,
especially in the energy sector, Caucasus Press reported. LF
[28] GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT DEPUTY BRINGS SLANDER SUIT AGAINST NGO
OFFICIAL
Guram Sharadze has brought a slander suit against Levan Ramishvili of
the Liberty Institute, Caucasus Press reported. During a TV talk show
two weeks ago, Ramishvili dubbed Sharadze a fascist and former KGB
official (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 July 2002). LF
[29] KAZAKH OPPOSITION LEADER OUTLINES TACTICS...
In an address to Kazakhstan's opposition parties carried by
forumkz.org, Republican People's Party of Kazakhstan (RNPK) Chairman
Akezhan Kazhegeldin suggested how they should best respond to the most
recent repressive measures undertaken by the Kazakh authorities, in
particular the law on political parties that bars from reregistration
any party with fewer than 50,000 members (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 24,
26, and 27 June and 16 July 2002). Kazhegeldin attributed the passage
of that law to the erosion of support within the country's leadership
for President Nursultan Nazarbaev. He advised opposition parties to
ignore the requirement to reregister before the end of the year and to
continue functioning as before. That is, he said, especially important
in the case of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan, as Nazarbaev is
prepared to reregister that party and then try to persuade the West
that further repression is the only way to prevent the Communists from
returning to power. LF
[30] ...PROPOSES CONSOLIDATION OF FORCES
Kazhegeldin noted that although his RNPK joined forces late last year
with two other opposition parties to create the Unified Democratic
Party (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 January 2002), subsequent talks between
that alignment and the opposition movement Democratic Choice for
Kazakhstan proved inconclusive. He said the only possible course of
action now remaining is for opposition parties to set aside disputes
among themselves, to align to create a new organization that would be
capable of mobilizing all opposition forces and removing Nazarbaev from
power, and to form an election bloc to contest democratic elections
under international supervision. He affirmed his readiness to join the
collective leadership of such an opposition bloc. LF
[31] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT SAYS OPPOSITION SHARES BLAME FOR AKSY DEATHS
In an interview published by "Nezavisimaya gazeta" on 19 July, Askar
Akaev said "irresponsible would-be politicians who incited the
population to disorder and disregard for the law" share the blame for
clashes in Aksy in March between police and demonstrators in which five
people died. At the same time, Akaev noted that "democratic traditions
have not yet become a behavioral norm" and, for that reason, "excesses
of any kind" should not be "overdramatized." Akaev said he will not
seek a third presidential term in 2005, and that although he has
identified several candidates qualified to succeed him as president, he
will not "create hot-house conditions" or undertake any measures to
facilitate the election of any one of those candidates. LF
[32] TURKMENISTAN TO REDEFINE DUTIES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
President Saparmurat Niyazov announced at a meeting of heads of law
enforcement agencies that next month's session of the People's Council
will adopt a decree redefining the rights and duties of the Defense
Ministry, Interior Ministry, National Security Committee, Supreme Court
and the Prosecutor-General's office, Interfax and turkmenistan.ru
reported on 22 and 23 July respectively. Niyazov said that measure is
necessary in order to ensure that such agencies are staffed by honest
individuals. Dozens of National Security Ministry officials have been
fired in recent months for abuse of office and crimes including murder
and drug trafficking. The defense minister has also been replaced (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 15 March, 18 June, and 9 July 2002). LF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[33] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT COURTS ILO CHIEF
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has sent a letter to Juan Somavia,
director-general of the International Labor Organization (ILO), Belapan
reported on 22 July, quoting the presidential press service. "Fruitful
social dialogue is regarded in Belarus as an important condition of
harmonizing the interests of different strata of society. We are
grateful to the International Labor Organization for [its] readiness to
assist in this work," Lukashenka said in his message. The Belarusian
president emphasized that Belarus will continue contributing to the
achievement of the ILO's goal of securing proper labor conditions for
everyone. Alyaksandr Bukhvostau, a trade union leader, told Belapan on
16 July that last week's election of deputy presidential administration
chief Leonid Kozik as the chairman of the Trade Union Federation of
Belarus (see "RFE/RL Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine Report," 23 July
2002) took place under pressure from the executive and constituted a
blatant violation of ILO rules. JM
[34] OUR UKRAINE TO USE 'EXTREME MEASURES' AGAINST KUCHMA?
UNIAN on 22 July quoted Our Ukraine lawmaker Roman Bezsmertnyy as
saying that "the parliamentary elections and repeat elections have
shown that there is no constitutional way in Ukraine's political
realities to change the power system." Bezsmertnyy was commenting on
the repeat parliamentary elections on 14 July in three constituencies
-- No. 18, No. 35, and No. 201. A court invalidated the election
results in constituency No. 18 in Vinnytsya Oblast where the winner was
Mykola Odaynyk supported by Our Ukraine. Bezsmertnyy added that Our
Ukraine is now pondering whether to use "extreme measures" against the
existing power system. "It is becoming obvious that [the presidential
administration] is working on scenarios to elect President Leonid
Kuchma for a third term, and the repeat elections tested the mechanisms
that will be put in operation in 2004," Bezsmertnyy said. JM
[35] ESTONIA MAKES PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURAL TALKS WITH EU
Agriculture Minister Jaanus Marrandi announced on 22 July that talks on
agriculture with the European Union are progressing favorably, BNS
reported. He said Estonia has already been offered larger quotas for
milk and grain output, with the annual milk quota of 560,000 tons
initially proposed by the European Commission increased by 100,000
tons. Marrandi cautioned that these were the results of technical
discussions and that "the political aspect will follow later." Estonia
is still seeking a milk quota of 900,000 tons, but Marrandi noted that
the quota system may be eliminated altogether if the EU's farming
policy is changed to become more open and market-oriented. Estonian
farmers fear that any milk quota below 900,000 tons is too small and
could drive Estonia's dairy-farming sector into decline. SG
[36] LATVIAN PARTICIPATION WITH NATO DISCUSSED
Defense Ministry State Secretary Edgars Rinkevics held talks on 22 July
with Lieutenant General Luis Feliu, the Spanish military representative
to NATO, LETA reported. The two discussed NATO expansion and the
development of Latvia's armed forces. Feliu expressed Spain's support
for Latvia's NATO bid and said the country is prepared to offer
assistance to help Latvia reach its goal. Feliu also said Latvia should
have no difficulties in integrating with NATO upon accession, as it has
already met most of the accession targets set by the alliance. In
addition, Feliu noted Latvia's achievements in forming specialized
military units and emphasized NATO's need for military medical
specialists. SG
[37] POLISH NATIONAL BANK HEAD PRAISES LITHUANIA'S FINANCIAL POLICY
Following discussions with Finance Minister Dalia Grybauskaite in
Vilnius on 22 July, Polish National Bank Governor Leszek Balcerowicz
gave a positive evaluation of Lithuania's fiscal policy and hailed the
country's success in reducing its budget deficit and improving
macroeconomic indicators, ELTA reported. The two spoke about their
respective countries' efforts to join the EU and recent financial
developments such as the fall in the value of the U.S. dollar against
the euro. During the meeting, Balcerowicz and Bank of Lithuania
President Reinoldijus Sarkinas signed a banking supervision appendix to
the cooperation agreement between the two countries' central banks that
was signed in December 2000. Lithuania has signed similar agreements
with Finland, Germany, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, and Belarus. The bank
heads later discussed the macroeconomic situations in the two countries
with President Valdas Adamkus. SG
[38] POLISH PREMIER DOWNPLAYS CHIRAC'S STATEMENT ON KALININGRAD
Premier Leszek Miller told Polish Radio on 22 July that last week's
pronouncement by French President Jacques Chirac opposing the
introduction of EU visas for residents of Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast
was mere "propaganda" and will not entail any practical moves.
Following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on
19 July, Chirac said it would be "unacceptable" to require Russians to
get visas "to go from one part of Russia to another" following expected
EU expansion. "I think [Chirac's] declaration...was a public utterance
without any real consequences, and that France will not change its
position," Miller said. He stressed that EU leaders in June confirmed
the need for countries joining the EU to tighten border controls and
extend visa requirements for non-EU residents. JM
[39] FORMER CZECH FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIAL HELD ON SUSPICION OF
CONTRACTING MURDER...
Four people, including former Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Karel
Srba, have been taken into custody for allegedly plotting to have Czech
journalist Sabina Slonkova murdered, CTK and international media
reported on 22 and 23 July. Srba was forced to resign from his post in
March 2001 after Slonkova, a journalist for the daily "Mlada fronta
Dnes," wrote a series of articles describing the suspicious
circumstances under which the ministry leased the Cesky Dum (Czech
House) in Moscow to a private firm. Srba had submitted the lease
contract to then-Foreign Minister Jan Kavan for signing. Slonkova said
on 22 July her murder was planned for 17 July and that three contract
assassins intended to shoot her with a pistol and slash her face to
prevent identification. According to AP, Srba contracted the assassins
through his girlfriend, who is also among those arrested. MS
[40] ...AS JOURNALIST WRITES ABOUT HER ORDEAL...
Writing in "Mlada fronta Dnes" on 23 July, Slonkova said police took
her under their protection prior to the planned murder and hid her for
10 days, CTK reported. On 22 July, CTK, quoting prosecution sources
from Ceske Budejovice, reported that police were informed of the plot
by one of the potential perpetrators. The man is not among the four
detained suspects, who face between 12 and 15 years in prison if
convicted. MS
[41] ...AND REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS CALLS FOR EXEMPLARY PUNISHMENT
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on 22 July called on Czech authorities
to "see to it that nobody escapes punishment, whatever their position,
especially if it is true that one or more top Foreign Ministry
officials ordered the murder or knew about the plan," according to a
RSF press release. The organization said, "With only a few months to go
before the country joins the EU, police and the courts must
demonstrate, through exemplary measures, that they will no longer
compromise where press freedom is concerned." Pavel Safr, editor in
chief of "Mlada fronta Dnes," told Czech radio on 22 July that the
daily's management has taken additional measures to protect its
journalists and that the publication will not lower its standards as a
result of the threat and will keep watching and reporting on dubious
practices in the civil service or elsewhere. MS
[42] FORMER FOREIGN MINISTRY STAFF MEMBER WANTS HIS CASE REVIEWED
Vaclav Hruby, former director of the Czech Foreign Ministry's Stirin
conference center, on 22 July said he wants the investigation over the
so-called "Stirin affair" to be reopened, CTK reported. Hruby, who was
dismissed as director of the center in 1999, claimed at that time that
Srba forced him to falsely testify that former Foreign Minister Josef
Zieleniec had bribed journalists. He told CTK on 22 July that he has
also been threatened by people connected with Srba and that his life
and his family's safety are in danger. Police shelved the "Stirin
affair" and Hruby subsequently lost a lawsuit against Srba, who called
him a "blackmailer." MS
[43] GERMAN OPPOSITION PARTY PRAISES 'CZECH CHANGE' OVER BENES DECREES
The German opposition Christian Democratic Union-Christian Social Union
(CDU-CSU) on 22 July praised what it described as indications that the
new Czech government is changing Prague's position of refusing to
discuss the controversial Benes Decrees, CTK reported. CDU-CSU
spokesman Hartmut Koschyk said that a "nascent readiness" to discuss
the decrees is evident, and that such discussions would be "a great
step forward" in Czech-German relations. In an interview with the daily
"Lidove noviny" last week, Czech Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda said
the new government supports the parliament's resolution ruling out
compensation or property restitution for Sudeten Germans but that
discussion with the German government over the issue is not ruled out.
"Democrats have the courage to talk on issues on which they disagree,"
Svoboda said. Koschyk said the German government must "immediately
seize" the opportunity and added that it must "push for the abolition
of the Benes Decrees." MS
[44] CZECH PRESIDENT SAYS COMMUNISTS NO DANGER TO CZECH FUTURE
In an interview with the French weekly "Marianne," President Vaclav
Havel said on 22 July that despite its recent electoral success, he
does not believe the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia (KSCM)
poses a threat to the country's future, CTK reported. Havel said those
who voted for the KSCM "can develop" and that such an evolution is to a
large extent dependent on the impact politicians and the media will
have on pro- KSCM voters. Havel said the traditional KSCM voters belong
to the older generation and those who devoted their lives to "building
up the paradise of socialism." However, Havel said, these voters were
joined by new social categories in the June ballot whose members voted
for the KSCM as a "protest vote." He added that the KSCM's nationalist
rhetoric draws support, and that people "incapable of adopting to
freedom and facing personal responsibility" are attracted to the KSCM.
MS
[45] FORMER SLOVAK INTELLIGENCE CHIEF APPEALS AGAINST CUSTODY
On 22 July, lawyers representing former Slovak Information Service
chief Ivan Lexa formally appealed before the Supreme Court against
their client's detention, CTK reported. The lawyers said the detention
is illegal because as a member of parliament Lexa enjoys immunity, and
that his detention must be approved by the legislature. The lawyers
also claimed that Lexa's extradition from South Africa was carried out
under pressure from the Slovak government. MS
[46] SLOVAK CENTRAL ELECTION COMMISSION SET UP, CHOOSES CHAIRMAN
The Central Election Commission on which all parties running in the
September elections are represented, was set up on 22 July, CTK
reported. The commission should have 29 members, each representing a
party, but since three formations have not designated a representative
just 26 political parties and movements are represented on the
commission. The representatives were unable to agree on a candidate for
commission chairman and deputy chairman, and as a result the two
officials were selected by draw. They are Christian Democratic Movement
Pavol Baxa and Communist Party representative Ladislav Jaca. Ahead of
the ballot, the chief task of the commission is to approve the
registration of parties running in the elections. Its decision can be
appealed before the Supreme Court. MS
[47] HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON U.S. VISIT
In Washington on 22 July, Laszlo Kovacs said during a live interview on
CNN that Hungary is prepared to contribute to the establishment of a
new Afghan army by providing military hardware, primarily radio and
electronic equipment. In addition, he said Hungary is also prepared to
dispatch surgeons and nurses to assist the international military
mission in Afghanistan. Hungary is playing a role in fighting terrorism
through its new law to combat money laundering, he said, noting that
law enforcement officers are being trained on antiterrorism tactics at
an FBI academy in Budapest. Kovacs later met with U.S. Secretary of
State Colin Powell to discuss tasks facing NATO and stability in
Southeast Europe. He also met with national security adviser
Condoleezza Rice. MSZ
[48] HUNGARIAN PREMIER'S, PREDECESSOR'S ASSETS SCRUTINIZED
Socialist parliamentary deputy Alajos Jozsef Geczi, chairman of the
parliament's Immunity Commission, said on 22 July that Prime Minister
Peter Medgyessy has clarified the controversial aspects of his
declaration of assets, and that the commission does not need to convene
to consider the matter, Hungarian media reported. Geczi said he
received a letter from Medgyessy that says that by law, he is not
required to declare properties he has access to but does not own (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 12 and 17 July 2002). Geczi also said he has
received a letter from former Prime Minister Viktor Orban regarding his
assets declaration and will study it before deciding whether to launch
proceedings against him (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 July 2002). In his
letter Orban denied any inconsistencies in his asset declarations. MSZ
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[49] SERBIAN PRESIDENTIAL RACE SHAPES UP...
Following the declaration by Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Miroslav
Labus that he will seek the Serbian presidency in the 29 September
elections, the governing Democratic Opposition of Serbia coalition
announced in Belgrade on 22 July that it will discuss its presidential
choice on 26 July, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 July 2002). In Cacak, Mayor Velimir
Ilic of the New Serbia party announced his candidacy. The Democratic
Party of Serbia (DSS) decided in Belgrade that President Vojislav
Kostunica will declare his intentions on 8 September, which is one day
before the deadline. The Socialist Party of Serbia and the Serbian
Radical Party will decide on their respective candidates by 27 July. PM
[50] ...AS DOES MONTENEGRIN LEGISLATIVE VOTE
The governing Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and the Social
Democrats (SDP) will run joint slates in the 6 October elections
consisting not only of their own candidates but also of independent
intellectuals, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported from Podgorica on 22 July (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 July
2002). PM
[51] EU IS UPBEAT ON BOSNIA...
At their meeting in Brussels on 22 July, the EU foreign ministers said
in a statement that they "strongly condemn local obstruction of
population return and urge the respective countries to honor their
commitment to address outstanding legal and administrative issues,"
Reuters reported. An estimated 1 million refugees and displaced persons
still seek to return to their prewar homes, while about 1.5 million
have already done so throughout the former Yugoslavia, including
300,000 members of ethnic minorities. The ministers stressed, however,
that more must be done to facilitate refugee return, especially for
members of Kosova's Serbian minority. The ministers were optimistic in
their report on Bosnia, which is in stark contrast to their attitude
one year ago, Deutsche Welle's Bosnian Service reported. Bosnia has
completed almost all 18 of the tasks the European Union gave it to
fulfill as it seeks to move toward a stability and association
agreement with Brussels. The ministers appealed to Bosnians to hold
orderly elections in October. PM
[52] ...AND DEMANDS DISSOLUTION OF IRREGULAR ARMED GROUPS IN
MACEDONIA...
At their session on 22 July in Brussels, the EU foreign ministers
called on all sides in Macedonia to dissolve irregular armed groups
before the parliamentary elections slated for 15 September, Macedonian
media reported. Ever since the Ohrid peace agreement was signed in
August 2001, irregular armed groups as well as special police units
subordinate to Interior Minister Ljube Boskovski have been involved in
a number of violent incidents (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 July 2002).
"The organization of the pre-election campaign and the [holding] of
elections -- [if]...free and fair and [without]...violence and
intimidation -- will contribute to the improvement in relations between
Macedonia and the EU," the daily "Utrinski vesnik" quoted the EU
statement as saying. UB
[53] ...WHILE OSCE OPENS ELECTION OBSERVATION MISSION IN SKOPJE
The Warsaw-based OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (ODIHR) officially opened a large-scale election-observation
mission in the Macedonian capital Skopje on 22 July, an ODIHR press
release said. The mission will include 17 election experts, 45 mid-term
and long-term observers, and some 750 short-term election observers.
"The forthcoming elections are an important step in closing the chapter
of violence and instability the country witnessed last year," said
Julian Peel Yates, who heads the observation mission. UB
[54] CROATIA ANNOUNCES OIL-PRIVATIZATION CANDIDATES
The government has narrowed to five the list of candidates for a 25
percent-plus-one-share stake in the state-run INA oil company, Hina
reported on 22 July. The five are: Austria's OMV, Russia's LUKoil and
Rosneft, Hungary's MOL, and Italy's Edison Gas. In Ljubljana, the
Slovenian oil company Petrol said it is disappointed that it was left
off the list. Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel will take up
the matter with his Croatian counterpart Tonino Picula on 23 July. PM
[55] CROATIA RELEASES WAR CRIMES SUSPECTS
A panel of judges in Split decided on 22 July to release seven former
policemen held in detention in conjunction with the torture of hundreds
of Serbs and Yugoslav Army servicemen at Split's Lora military prison
during the 1991-95 war, AP reported. The seven men are expected to
return when their trial resumes in the fall. Such rulings are very rare
in Croatian courts. The presiding judge, Stanko Lozina, is widely
regarded as sympathetic to former military and police officials who
have been indicted for war crimes (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 July 2002).
Critics charge that the behavior of judges such as Lozina shows that
Croatia is not yet able to try indicted Croatian war criminals in a
serious fashion. Human rights groups have protested the decision to
release the seven. PM
[56] TENSIONS PERSIST OVER CROATIAN-BOSNIAN BORDER
The Croatian Foreign Ministry has sent a note to its Bosnian
counterpart saying the Bosnian government's statement of 22 July on
resolving the dispute about the exact location of the frontier at
border crossing at Kostajnica does not go far enough to settle the
matter, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported
on 23 July. The Bosnian ministers called for preserving the status quo
-- set down provisionally in a 1999 agreement -- until a definite
solution is worked out, which is the view of the government of the
Republika Srpska. The Croatian ministry argues that this approach
limits Croatia's right to exercise sovereignty on its own territory.
During the past weekend, UN officials ordered Bosnian border police to
withdraw 50 meters into Bosnian territory in order to relieve tensions.
On 23 July, Bosnian European Integration Minister Dragan Mikerevic is
scheduled to lead a delegation to inspect the disputed border crossing,
Deutsche Welle's Bosnian Service reported. PM
[57] BABO TO RUN IN BOSNIA
On 23 July, the Election Commission in Sarajevo ruled that Fikret Abdic
may run for a seat on the Presidency in the 5 October general elections
despite the fact that his is standing trial in Karlovac, Croatia, for
war crimes, dpa reported. The commission made its ruling after Croatian
Interpol confirmed that Abdic had turned himself into the authorities
there voluntarily. He is charged with war crimes committed while he
ruled the Bihac pocket in northwest Bosnia as a private fiefdom between
1993-95. Known locally as "Babo," or Daddy, Abdic was a powerful
kingpin in the Bihac area for many years. A Muslim politician at odds
with Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic, Abdic collaborated with Serbs
and Croats alike. Abdic maintains that he worked only for the good of
the Bihac region and that he is a victim of a frame-up by the Muslim
political establishment. PM
[58] MASS GRAVE FOUND IN BOSNIA
Forensic experts have discovered a grave containing the remains of
perhaps 100 Muslims near Kamenica northeast of Sarajevo, AP reported on
23 July. It is believed that the victims were males who fled Srebrenica
in July 1995. The grave appears to be a "secondary mass grave," where
victims were reburied to conceal evidence at the place where they were
killed and originally buried. PM
[59] MILOSEVIC AIDE TESTIFIES ON KOSOVA KILLINGS
Serbian police Captain Dragan Karleusa told the war crimes tribunal in
The Hague on 22 July that, as early as March 1999, former President
Slobodan Milosevic discussed with top security officials the "clearance
of battlefields in Kosovo and removing traces of anything that might be
of interest of the tribunal," AP reported. Karleusa added that later
that same year, former Interior Minister Vlajko Stojiljkovic and police
General Vlastimir Djordjevic ordered the reburial of 86 Kosovars whose
bodies were originally dumped into the Danube River in a refrigerator
truck. The bodies were moved to a police-training base near Belgrade,
where they have since been exhumed. PM
[60] KFOR SAYS SITUATION IN MITROVICA IMPROVING
KFOR commander General Marcel Valantin of France said in Mitrovica on
22 July that the UN civilian authority (UNMIK) is now regularly present
in the northern, Serb-held part of the town, and that the overall
situation has improved, Hina reported. Valantin noted the plan for
Mitrovica put forward by UNMIK head Michael Steiner stresses the
economic development of the town, particularly of the north. In the
first six months of 2002, "only" 44 murders were reported, which
included 42 Albanians, one Serb, and one Bosnian Muslim. Valantin added
that he does not agree with a recent report by the NGO International
Crisis Group (ICG), which called for some of the French peacekeepers to
be replaced by British troops. The Albanians generally consider the
French to be pro-Serbian. PM
[61] KOSOVARS GET DRIVING LICENSES
Steiner presented the first UNMIK-issued driver's licenses to five
motorists in Prishtina on 22 July, dpa reported. The plastic cards have
laser engravings and are printed by the Gieseke and Devrient security
printing firm in Munich. Since 1999, Kosovars have been driving with
old Yugoslav licenses or with none at all. PM
[62] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT INTERVIEWED AHEAD OF RUSSIA VISIT
President Ion Iliescu, in a 22 July interview with ITAR-TASS ahead of
his visit to Moscow, said that relations between the two countries have
"good prospects" and that the basic treaty between them will be signed
during the visit, as will a joint political statement. He said Romania
"hails the changes in Russia in recent years," observing that the
country's political climate has been "more stable" and there is
"consistent economic growth." Iliescu added that Russia "actively
participates in the settlement of international conflicts, in the
alliance against international terrorism, [and] in the development of
the trans-European energy network." The president said his visit to
Russia, which is likely to take place in September, will come at a time
when "the international climate" is favorable to objectives pursued by
both states, such as "economic reform, consolidation of democracy,
building a state based on the rule of law," and that this atmosphere
should be "maximally used for the benefit of both countries." MS
[63] BISHOP TOEKES RENEWS ATTACKS ON UDMR...
Speaking at the traditional summer university at Balvanyos, near Tusnad
Bai, on 22 July, Bishop Laszlo Toekes, honorary chairman of the
Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR), said that communist
values survive in Romania "under the euphemistic disguise" of social
democracy, Mediafax reported. Toekes said national communism is
powerfully at work to annihilate any effort for autonomy and, in a hint
to the UDMR leadership, warned against the "risk of becoming servants
of foreign interests." He said Romania's ethnic Hungarians must not
give up promoting values such as autonomy and self-determination and
added that the UDMR is not representing the interest of the Hungarian
ethnic community and instead promotes "short-term political interests."
He said the current UDMR leadership "has nothing in common with
pluralism" and its "relations with the traditional Hungarian churches
in Transylvania" are "problematic." The actions of the UDMR leaders, he
added, are "demagogic," as demonstrated by an agreement with the ruling
Social Democratic Party (PSD). He said that agreement transformed the
UDMR into an "instrument of Romanian policy," and is "helping the
government in Bucharest improve its image in the West." MS
[64] ...AND RECEIVES REBUKE
UDMR Senator Attila Verestoy countered that Toekes's declarations show
that he is "far from political reality," Romanian radio reported on 23
July. Verestoy said that if Toekes considers the extension of teaching
in Hungarian, the law on the local administration giving more rights to
minorities, the legislation on individual property restitution, and
that on restitution of church property to be "short-term policy," then
"I believe the Bishop is not sufficiently lucid to produce a valid
analysis of our realities." He added that if Bishop Toekes presents the
policies of the current UDMR leadership as being "integrationist,"
there is probably no way to escape concluding that, "We have become
political adversaries, and we find ourselves in different camps." MS
[65] ROMANIAN PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION ON CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
BEGINS WORK
The ad hoc parliamentary commission on constitutional amendments began
its work on 22 July, discussing debate procedure, RFE/RL's Bucharest
bureau reported. The UDMR representative on the commission, Attila
Varga, said his formation wants the proposals made by the UDMR and not
included on the previously approved list of amendments -- which
includes only proposals backed by a two-thirds majority in the
commission -- to be rediscussed. PSD representative Valer Dorneanu said
his party is ready to revisit the issues, provided other political
formations agree, but National Liberal Party representative Valeriu
Stoica and Democratic Party representative Emil Boc said the two-thirds
majority agreement must be abided by. The Greater Romania Party earlier
withdrew from the debates. MS
[66] OECD SAYS ROMANIA MUST ACCELERATE REFORMS
In a report published on 22 July, the Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) said that in order to join NATO and
the EU, Romania must accelerate reform, reduce its annual rate of
inflation, and intensify the struggle against corruption, Romanian
radio reported. The OECD at the same time noted positive developments
in macroeconomic trends and said it expects annual growth in 2002 to be
between 3.5 and 4 percent of GDP. MS
[67] ROMANIAN AGENCY FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT OPENS ITS DOORS
The Agency for Foreign Investments, which was set up in June, was
formally inaugurated on 22 July in the presence of Premier Adrian
Nastase, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. Nastase said the agency,
whose task is to promote investments in Romania, must provide
information on opportunities for investment and added that Romania's
image as an investment country has suffered as a result of the
country's general negative foreign image. Foreign direct investment in
Romania in the last 12 years has totaled only $7.8 billion, while
neighboring Hungary has taken in $20 billion during the same period.
Last year, investments were $1.3 billion, while investments in the
first three months of 2002 were a disappointing $112 million, according
to data provided by Romanian television on the same day. MS
[68] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT QUESTIONS VIABILITY OF GUUAM
President Vladimir Voronin told the recent meeting of GUUAM members in
Yalta that his country has grounds for concern about the organization's
viability, Flux reported, citing a presidential office press release.
Voronin told his counterparts from Georgia, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan
that the results of GUUAM cooperation are not in line with "the
declarations we make" on the occasions of summits. He said Moldova is
"practically excluded" from debates when these focus on important
projects such as Caspian Sea oil transportation, and that on such
occasions he feels Moldova is occupying "the seat of an observer"
because of the country's "reduced economic potential." Voronin also
said he shares U.S. fears that GUUAM has become an "atrophied" body. He
said Moldova wants the organization to "clarify" its relations with the
CIS and the EU. "GUUAM must find its place and role in this dialogue,
in order to make a contribution to the intensification of the process
of global integration," he said. MS
[69] PPCD TO RENEW RALLIES IN MOLDOVAN CAPITAL?
Popular Party Christian Democratic (PPCD) Chairman Iurie Rosca on 22
July wrote to Chisinau Mayor Serafim Urechean to announce that the PPCD
intends to hold a "National Assembly of Electors" in the city's main
square on 31 August. Rosca wrote that the rally will mark 13 years
since "Romanian" was granted the status of official language and 11
years since the proclamation of independence. Rosca also said the rally
will debate the implementation of the 24 April recommendations of the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the plan to
federalize Moldova presented by the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe. MS
[70] BULGARIAN PRIVATIZATION AGENCY ANNOUNCES BIDS FOR BULGARTABAC
TENDER
The Privatization Agency on 22 July opened the final bids for the state
tobacco company Bulgartabac, BTA reported. Four bidders submitted their
offers in the tender. The Privatization Agency assessed the bids on the
basis of a number of criteria, including the price offered and planned
investment in the company. According to the initial assessment, the
consortium Tobacco Capital Partners, of which Deutsche Bank and the
Netherlands-based Clar Innis are members, made the best offer. The
Sofia-based consortium Metatabak, which is backed by Russian
businessman Mikhail Chernyi, had the second-best bid, according to the
Privatization Agency. Observers believe that the final assessment of
the offers, which is to take place in the coming weeks, will be
overshadowed by a smear campaign against Tobacco Capital Partners (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 18 and 21 July 2002). UB
[71] BULGARIAN EDUCATION MINISTRY LAYS OFF 9,500 TEACHERS
Since 1 July, the Education Ministry has laid off some 9,500 teachers,
BTA reported on 22 July, citing a ministry press release. The job cuts
are part of a plan to streamline school operations that envisions
cutting some 11,000 jobs, according to the ministry. Yanka Takeva, the
chairwoman of the Bulgarian Teachers Union, said the union's executive
committee will meet on 25 and 26 July to discuss ways to fight the
layoffs. UB
[72] BULGARIAN JUNIOR COALITION PARTNER CALL FIRST YEAR OF GOVERNMENT
'DIFFICULT'
Ahmed Dogan, the chairman of the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and
Freedoms (DPS), on 22 July referred to the first year of Prime Minister
Simeon Saxecoburggotski's government as "difficult," mediapool.bg
reported. Dogan said the first year was "a time of adaptation as well
as clear definition and redefinition of the priorities in the country
in the context of NATO and EU integration," adding, "If we talk about
EU integration and NATO, one has to understand that the voters have
little interest in the issue. For the administration it is important
that the [people's] fridges are full and that there is security for the
next day -- these are the basic indicators for what we have achieved."
UB
END NOTE
[73] There is no End Note today.
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