Voice of America, 98-08-10

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] KOSOVO DIPLOMACY (S UPDATE) BY ART CHIMES (PRISTINA)

[02] EDITORIAL: TURKEY: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

[03] EURO STOCKS (S-ONLY) BY PAUL FRANCUCH (LONDON)

[04] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)

[05] MONDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW N. GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

[01] KOSOVO DIPLOMACY (S UPDATE) BY ART CHIMES (PRISTINA)

INTRO: SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY CONTINUED TODAY (MONDAY) IN YUGOSLAVIA'S EMBATTLED KOSOVO PROVINCE, AS AMERICAN ENVOY CHRISTOPHER HILL MET WITH YUGOSLAV OFFICIALS AND POLITICIANS FROM KOSOVO'S ETHNIC ALBANIAN MAJORITY. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ART CHIMES REPORTS FROM THE PROVINCIAL CAPITAL, PRISTINA.

TEXT: MR. HILL IS CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON BRINGING THE VARIOUS ETHNIC ALBANIAN FACTIONS TOGETHER IN A NEGOTIATING TEAM THAT CAN SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

THERE WAS NO SIGN OF PROGRESS MONDAY, AND SOURCES CLOSE TO THE TALKS SAY THE PROCESS IS GETTING MORE DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE.

THE MAIN STICKING POINT IS GETTING SOME REPRESENTATION ON THE TEAM FOR THE GUERRILLAS OF THE KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY. IT WILL HAVE TO BE AN INDIRECT PRESENCE, SINCE THE SERBS SAY THEY WILL NOT NEGOTIATE WITH THE GUERRILLAS, WHOM THEY CALL "TERRORISTS."

AMBASSADOR HILL MET WITH IBRAHIM RUGOVA, AN ETHNIC ALBANIAN POLITICAL LEADER, WHO LATER ANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM INTERNET USERS (ON MSNBC.COM). IN HIS ON-LINE CHAT, MR. RUGOVA SAID THERE HAS BEEN "TOO MUCH NOISE" ABOUT THE PROBLEMS IN FORMING AN ALBANIAN NEGOTIATING TEAM. HE SAID FORMING A TEAM "IS NOT DIFFICULT AT ALL," BUT THAT REGARDLESS OF THE TEAM'S MAKEUP, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THOSE WHO OBJECT.
NEB/AC/LTD/KL
10-Aug-98 3:46 PM EDT (1946 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] EDITORIAL: TURKEY: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

ANNCR: THE VOICE OF AMERICA PRESENTS DIFFERING POINTS OF VIEW ON A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES. NEXT, AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.

VOICE:

THE UNITED STATES HAS BEEN WORKING WITH TURKEY ON THE PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. THE ABSENCE OF SUCH PROTECTION HARMS NOT ONLY U.S. EXPORTERS AND INVESTORS, BUT ALSO THE TURKISH ECONOMY. U.S. COMPANIES LOSE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS EVERY YEAR BECAUSE OF THE WIDESPREAD PRODUCTION AND SALE OF PIRATED AMERICAN PRODUCTS IN TURKEY -- FROM BOOKS TO RAZOR BLADES, FROM MEDICINE TO THE LATEST COMPUTER GAMES.

AS MARK PARRIS, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY, SAID RECENTLY, INADEQUATE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION IS A MAJOR REASON WHY FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN TURKEY HAS NEVER COME CLOSE TO THE LEVEL IT SHOULD. HIGH-TECH, INFORMATION-BASED INDUSTRIES SUFFER THE MOST. TURKEY TODAY HAS NO SIGNIFICANT COMPUTER INDUSTRY.

IN RECENT YEARS, TURKEY HAS MADE SOME PROGRESS ON PROTECTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. THE GOVERNMENT PUSHED THROUGH AMENDMENTS ON COPYRIGHTS, PATENTS AND TRADEMARKS IN ORDER TO CORRECT THE MOST OUTDATED LAWS. BUT MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE.

AS AMBASSADOR PARRIS SAID, THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO ENFORCE EXISTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS LAWS. TURKEY NEEDS TO STRENGTHEN ITS COPYRIGHT LAW TO INCREASE PROTECTION FOR FILMS, SOFTWARE AND RECORDINGS PUBLISHED BEFORE 1995. AND THE GOVERNMENT MUST AVOID BACKTRACKING ON EXISTING COMMITMENTS. IN PARTICULAR, THE PATENT LAW PROVIDED FOR PROTECTION OF PHARMACEUTICALS TO BEGIN IN 1999. BUT UNDER NEW DRAFT LEGISLATION, THE TRANSITION PERIOD WOULD BE EXTENDED TO 2005. SUCH A LAW WOULD SEND THE WRONG MESSAGE.

A KEY BUILDING BLOCK OF THE TURKISH ECONOMY IS AN INSTITUTIONALIZED SYSTEM OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PROTECTION. WITH INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS FULLY PROTECTED, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC INVESTORS CAN BE EXPECTED TO FINANCE CUTTING-EDGE, INFORMATION-BASED INDUSTRIES IN TURKEY. THIS A CRITICAL STEP TOWARD REALIZING TURKEY'S POTENTIAL AS A GLOBAL ECONOMIC FORCE IN THE NEXT CENTURY.

ANNCR:

THAT WAS AN EDITORIAL EXPRESSING THE POLICIES OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. IF YOU HAVE A COMMENT, PLEASE WRITE TO EDITORIALS, V-O-A, WASHINGTON, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. YOU MAY ALSO COMMENT AT WWW-DOT-VOA-DOT-GOV-SLASH-EDITORIALS, OR FAX US AT (202) 619-1043.
10-Aug-98 3:52 PM EDT (1952 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] EURO STOCKS (S-ONLY) BY PAUL FRANCUCH (LONDON)

INTRO: EUROPE'S BIG STOCK MARKETS OPENED THE WEEK'S TRADING ON A SHARPLY DOWNWARD PATH. FROM LONDON, V-O-A'S PAUL FRANCUCH HAS THE CLOSING FIGURES.

TEXT: MARKET ANALYSTS SAY IT IS THE CONTINUING FEAR OF FINANCIAL DECLINES IN THE FAR EAST WHICH IS HAVING FAR-FROM-SUBTLE RIPPLE EFFECTS IN EUROPE. THAT WAS EVIDENT WHEN THE WEEK'S TRADING BEGAN, WITH FRANKFURT, LONDON, AND PARIS ALL CLOSING SHARPLY LOWER.

HERE IN LONDON -- EUROPE' BIGGEST MARKET -- THE "FINANCIAL TIMES" 100 INDEX OF STOCKS ENDED DOWN ALMOST 93-POINTS -- A DECLINE OF MORE THAN ONE-AND-ONE-HALF-PERCENT. FARING WORSE WAS THE FRANKFURT "DAX" INDEX -- OFF 138-POINTS FOR THE DAY, OR JUST UNDER TWO-AND-ONE-HALF-PERCENT. THE BIGGEST DECLINE WAS REGISTERED ON THE PARIS "CAC 40," WHICH LOST MORE THAN 104-POINTS MONDAY -- IN VALUE TERMS, MORE THAN TWO-AND-ONE-HALF-PERCENT.

ON THE CURRENCY EXCHANGES IN EUROPE MONDAY, THE U-S DOLLAR TRADED IN A NARROW RANGE WITH THE GERMAN MARK, THE JAPANESE YEN AND THE BRITISH POUND. (SIGNED)
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10-Aug-98 2:36 PM EDT (1836 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] N-Y ECON WRAP (S & L) BY BRECK ARDERY (NEW YORK)

INTRO: STOCK PRICES IN THE UNITED STATES WERE DOWN TODAY (MONDAY) IN LACKLUSTER TRADING. VOA CORRESPONDENT BRECK ARDERY REPORTS FROM NEW YORK.

TEXT: THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE CLOSED AT 85 HUNDRED 74, DOWN 23 POINTS. THE STANDARD AND POOR'S 500 INDEX CLOSED AT ONE THOUSAND 83, DOWN SIX POINTS.

IT WAS A RATHER SUBDUED SESSION AFTER LAST WEEK'S THREE PERCENT DROP. STOCKS MOVED UP AND DOWN IN A FAIRLY NARROW RANGE BEFORE FINALLY CLOSING DOWN.///BEGIN OPT///SOME ANALYSTS, SUCH AS DAVID BRAVERMAN OF THE STANDARD AND POOR'S RESEARCH COMPANY, EXPECT A FURTHER DOWNWARD MOVE.

I THINK WE ARE GOING TO GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE AND I THINK WE ARE EVENTUALLY GOING TO TURN AROUND. BUT I DO NOT THINK THAT INVESTORS OUGHT TO EXPECT THE GAINS THAT WE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

A PLAN TO CREATE THE LARGEST HEALTH MAINTENANCE COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES HAS COLLAPSED. THE BOARDS OF UNITED HEALTH CARE AND THE HUMANA CORPORATION CANCELLED THEIR PLANNED STOCK DEAL AFTER THE VALUE OF UNITED'S STOCK DROPPED BY 40 PERCENT LAST WEEK.

THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY SAYS THE AVERAGE PRICE OF ITS 1999 MODEL CARS AND TRUCKS WILL BE THREE-TENTHS OF ONE PERCENT LOWER THAN 1998. IT IS THE FIRST OVERALL PRICE CUT AT FORD IN 30 YEARS AND ANALYSTS SAY IT REFLECTS THE INCREASING PRICE COMPETITION FROM ASIAN IMPORTS.

AMERICAN AIRLINES HAS RESCINDED A FOUR PERCENT INCREASE IN DOMESTIC FARES WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED JUST THREE DAYS AGO. ANALYSTS SAY AMERICAN WAS FORCED TO BACK DOWN WHEN OTHER MAJOR AIRLINES REFUSED TO GO ALONG WITH THE FARE HIKE.

THE STOCK OF BRITISH AIRWAYS FELL AS TRADERS WORRIED ABOUT FUTURE EARNINGS. SOME ANALYSTS SAY, ALTHOUGH TRAFFIC ON BRITISH AIR REMAINS STRONG, TOO MANY PASSENGERS ARE FLYING AT DEEPLY DISCOUNTED FARES.

ANOTHER CONSOLIDATION MOVE IN THE U-S GAMBLING CASINO INDUSTRY WAS ANNOUNCED. THE HARRAH'S COMPANY WILL ACQUIRE THE RIO CASINO FIRM IN A DEAL WORTH ABOUT ONE-HALF BILLION DOLLARS.

A STRIKE IS UNDERWAY AGAINST BELL ATLANTIC, THE LARGEST REGIONAL TELEPHONE COMPANY IN THE UNITED STATES. HOWEVER, COMPANY OFFICIALS SAY THAT, SINCE ROUTINE TELEPHONE SERVICE IS AUTOMATED, MOST CUSTOMERS ARE NOT BEING INCONVENIENCED BY THE STRIKE. (SIGNED)
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10-Aug-98 5:07 PM EDT (2107 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[05] MONDAY'S EDITORIALS BY ANDREW N. GUTHRIE (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: PAPERS THAT DO NOT PUBLISH OVER THE WEEKEND, SUCH AS THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, ARE GETTING THEIR FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT ON THE TWIN EMBASSY BOMBINGS IN AFRICA.

OTHER EDITORIALS GREETING READERS AT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW WORK WEEK INCLUDE: THE ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS; THE LESS THAN HONEST CAMBODIAN ELECTION; SOME CHANGES TOWARD EAST TIMOR BY THE NEW INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT; AND THE RELENTLESS SUDANESE FAMINE AND CIVIL WAR. NOW, HERE WITH SOME QUOTES AND A CLOSER LOOK IS _____________ AND TODAY'S EDITORIAL DIGEST.

TEXT: "THE WALL STREET JOURNAL" HEADLINES ITS COMMENTARY ON THE EMBASSY BOMBINGS "OUTRAGE IN AFRICA" AND AGREES WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON'S ASSESSMENT THAT THESE WERE "COWARDLY ATTACKS."

VOICE: MR. CLINTON VOWED 'TO BRING THOSE RESPONSIBLE TO JUSTICE, NO MATTER WHAT OR HOW LONG IT TAKES.' THIS, TOO, IS THE APPROPRIATE THING FOR THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT TO SAY. ONE MAY ASK, THOUGH, WHETHER ACTION OF ANY REAL SUBSTANCE WILL FOLLOW. IT IS PLAINLY EVIDENT THAT COWARDS AGAIN FEEL FREE TO BOMB CITIZENS AND SYMBOLS OF THE UNITED STATES. ... RECALL THE 1996 TERRORIST TRUCK BOMBING OF THE KHOBAR TOWERS HOUSING COMPLEX IN SAUDI ARABIA. NINETEEN U-S SERVICEMEN DIED AND MORE THAN 500 AMERICANS AND SAUDIS WERE INJURED. IRAN IS THE MAIN SUSPECT. MR. CLINTON WAS DETERMINED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. BUT THE INVESTIGATION HAS BOGGED DOWN IN DISPUTES WITH THE SAUDIS, AND ... WHEN MR. CLINTON MET LAST MONTH WITH A SAUDI PRINCE, THE KHOBAR CASE WAS NOT ON THE AGENDA. ... THIS DOES NOT SEND A MESSAGE TO COWARDS THAT THERE IS A PRICE TO BE PAID FOR BOMBING AMERICANS.

TEXT: "USA TODAY" IS ALSO SOMEWHAT FATALISTIC ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF REIGNING IN TERRORISTS.

VOICE: THE CHANGING FACE OF TERRORISM WAS MADE PLAIN FRIDAY IN TANZANIA AND KENYA, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS: BIGGER, MORE MALEVOLENT, MORE CRUEL THAN BEFORE. GIVEN THAT THE TERRORIST WARS CAN NEVER BE WON OUTRIGHT, THE NEWS OUT OF AFRICA IS A POWERFULL REMINDER THAT THE HEIGHTS OF TERRORISM ARE RISING FAST. ... BY SUNDAY, WASHINGTON WAS AWASH WITH PROMISES TO PROSECUTE FRIDAY'S BOMBERS. BUT EVEN IF JUSTICE CAN BE OBTAINED, THE TERRORIST BAR HAS BEEN RAISED ANOTHER MALEVOLENT NOTCH. WHAT CAN PREVENT THAT RISING STANDARD FROM JUMPING ANOTHER RUNG? THERE IS NO ANSWER YET, NOT IN AFRICA NOR ANY PLACE ELSE.

TEXT: MOVING ON TO THE ASIAN FINANCIAL CRISIS, TODAY'S "NEW YORK TIMES" SAYS THERE IS '-- NO QUICK FIX -- ON THE HORIZON, AS IT NOTES THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE FALL OF THAILAND'S CURRENCY, THE BAHT, WHICH SIGNALED THE REGION-WIDE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE.

VOICE: THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THAN IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BECAUSE JAPAN WAITED TOO LONG TO DEAL WITH THE AFTER EFFECTS OF THE COLLAPSE OF ITS STOCK AND REAL ESTATE MARKETS EIGHT-YEARS AGO. HOWEVER, JAPAN'S NEW PRIME MINISTER, KEIZO OBUCHI, HIT ALL THE RIGHT NOTES IN HIS FIRST MAJOR POLICY SPEECH ON FRIDAY, PROMISING ECONOMIC DEREGULATION, TAX CUTS, INCREASED PUBLIC SPENDING, AND A PROGRAM TO RESCUE THE COUNTRY'S BANKING SYSTEM. BUT IMPORTANT DETAILS ARE STILL VAGUE ... EARLIER IN THIS DECADE, ASIA'S STRENGTH HELPED BRING PROSPERITY TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. NOW IT APPEARS THAT THE WORLD WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH A WEAK ASIA FOR SOME TIME TO COME.

TEXT: STILL IN THE REGION, "THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER" IS UPSET AT HOW THE WORLD HAS BASICALLY IGNORED WHAT THE PAPER FEELS WAS A FRAUDULENT NATIONAL ELECTION IN CAMBODIA.

VOICE: LAST WEEK, RESULTS WERE ANNOUNCED FOR THE SECOND OF CAMBODIA'S DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS, HELD JULY 26. THE INCUMBENT, HUN SEN, AN EX-MEMBER OF THE GENOCIDAL KHMER ROUGE, WON A MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT. REPORTS INDICATE THAT BALLOT MANIPULATIONS AND VOTER INTIMIDATION WERE WIDESPREAD. BUT A MUCH-TOO-SMALL CONTINGENT OF INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS GAVE THE ELECTIONS ITS SWIFT STAMP OF APPROVAL AND WENT HOME. CAMBODIAN VOTERS RISKED SO MUCH TO VOTE. THEY HAVE BEEN BETRAYED.

TEXT: YET ANOTHER ASIAN TOPIC, THE OCCUPATION OF EAST TIMOR BY THE INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT, DRAWS A COMMENT FROM "'THE NEW YORK TIMES" AS THE NEW POWERS IN JAKARTA MODERATE THEIR STANCE TOWARD THE BELEAGUERED ISLAND.

VOICE: INDONESIA'S PRESIDENT, B-J HABIBIE, HAS APPARENTLY DECIDED THAT WITH SO MANY PROBLEMS TO DEAL WITH, HE CAN LIVE WITHOUT THE INTERNATIONAL HARANGUE INDONESIA HAS RECEIVED FOR ITS BRUTAL OCCUPATION OF THE FORMER PORTUGUESE COLONY ... INDONESIAN OFFICIALS MET WITH THEIR PORTUGUESE COUNTERPARTS LAST WEEK AND PLEDGED TO SEEK AN AGREEMENT ON 'WIDE-RANGING AUTONOMY' FOR THE REGION ... THE PROPOSAL STOPS SHORT OF THE REFERENDUM ON INDEPENDENCE THAT THE EAST TIMORESE RIGHTLY DEMAND. BUT EAST TIMOR ACTIVISTS BELIEVE IT IS A SIGNIFICANT STEP THAT COULD EVENTUALLY LEAD TO INDEPENDENCE.

TEXT: ON LONG ISLAND, "NEWSDAY" CONTINUES TO LAMENT THE FAMINE IN SUDAN BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE CIVIL WAR BETWEEN THE MUSLIM NORTH AND THE CHRISTIAN OR ANIMIST SOUTH, NOTING:

VOICE: FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A DECADE, A DEVASTATING FAMINE IS RAVAGING SUDAN'S SOUTHERN BELT, PUTTING NEARLY HALF A MILLION PEOPLE AT RISK OF IMMINENT STARVATION. AND AS IN THE PAST, THE TRUE CAUSE OF HUNGER ... IS NOT SO MUCH CROP FAILURES OR CLIMATIC SHIFTS AS THE MURDEROUS CIVIL WAR RAGING SINCE THE EARLY 1980'S BETWEEN KHARTOUM'S ISLAMIC GOVERNMENT AND THE SOUTH'S CHRISTIAN AND ANIMIST REBELS. ... AT THIS MOMENT, THERE IS PLENTY OF FOOD BEING SHIPPED INTO THE COUNTRY TO NOURISH MOST OF THOSE WHO ARE STARVING, BUT THE FOOD ITSELF HAS BECOME HOSTAGE TOT HE CIVIL WAR. MUCH OF IT IS JUST NOT GETTING TO THOSE FOR WHOM IT IS INTENDED.

TEXT: ON THAT NOTE, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF EDITORIAL COMMENT FROM TODAY'S U-S PAPERS.
NEB/ANG/RAE
10-Aug-98 10:43 AM EDT (1443 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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