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RFE/RL Newsline, 02-01-07
CONTENTS
[01] RUSSIAN PRESIDENT SENDS CHRISTMAS GREETINGS...
[02] ...AS RUSSIAN CHURCH HEAD LEADS ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION...
[03] ...AND OPENS PARISH IN ANTARCTIC...
[04] ...AS CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS ON NEW RUSSIAN PASSPORTS CRITICIZED
[05] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRAISES UNDERSTANDING AMONG 'SHANGHAI
[06] PUBLIC COMMITTEE FOR PASKO'S DEFENSE CREATED
[07] A NEW TWIST IN TV-6'S LEGAL SAGA
[08] RUSSIAN GREENPEACE BRANCH TO STEP UP ITS FIGHT AGAINST NUCLEAR
[09] NEW RAILWAYS MINISTER IS 'VETERAN OF SOVIET BUREAUCRACY'
[10] GOVERNMENT MULLS INCREASE ON TAX FOR USED AUTO IMPORTS...
[11] ...AND REDUCES LEVY ON OIL EXPORTS BY TWO-THIRDS
[12] RUSSIAN ARMY TO BE REDUCED TO UNDER 1 MILLION IN 2002
[13] ST. PETERSBURG MOSQUE REPORTS INCREASED ATTENDANCE...
[14] ...AS TATARSTAN SEEKS TO REGAIN ICON OF OUR LADY OF KAZAN
[15] SOME REGIONS LEFT WITHOUT WATER...
[16] ...AND PHONE SERVICE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
[17] ALLEGED WOULD-BE MURDERER DOES WELL IN LOCAL ELECTION
[18] RENEWED FIGHTING IN ARGUN
[19] CHECHEN MINISTER KILLED BY FRIENDLY FIRE
[20] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT LAUDS ECONOMIC PROGRESS IN 2001...
[21] ...IS NAMED 'FRIEND OF MEDIA'
[22] INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS BARRED FROM NAKHICHEVAN PARLIAMENT SESSION
[23] MOSCOW PRESSURES GEORGIA OVER PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN ABKHAZIA
[24] OPPOSITION POLITICIANS QUESTION CALL FOR 'CONCESSIONS' IN ABKHAZ,
[25] INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS TO EXAMINE GEORGIAN RADIOACTIVITY LEAK
[26] KAZAKHSTAN REGISTERS STEEP RISE IN SERIOUS CRIME
[27] ARRESTED KYRGYZ PARLIAMENT DEPUTY BEGINS HUNGER STRIKE
[28] TAJIKISTAN TO CRACK DOWN ON ALCOHOL SALES
[29] EXILED TURKMEN OPPOSITION CALLS ON PRESIDENT TO RESIGN
[30] UZBEKISTAN RETURNS DETAINED POLITICIAN TO KAZAKHSTAN
[31] U.S. SENATORS VISIT UZBEKISTAN
[32] BELARUSIAN FARMING IN THE RED
[33] TWO JAILED, EIGHT FINED FOR ANTI-LUKASHENKA PROTEST
[34] PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER DEEMS UKRAINE'S 2002 BUDGET UNREALISTIC
[35] UKRAINIAN COMMUNISTS STRIVE FOR MAJORITY IN FUTURE PARLIAMENT
[36] UKRAINE'S SECURITY CHIEF INVESTIGATED FOR INVOLVEMENT IN ILLEGAL
[37] CENTER PARTY WANTS PEOPLE'S UNION IN ESTONIA'S NEW RULING
[38] DAIRY EXPORT PERMISSION RENEWED FOR FIVE LATVIAN COMPANIES
[39] FORMER RUSSIAN PREMIER OPPOSED TO NATO ENTRY FOR LITHUANIA
[40] POLL SAYS 60 PERCENT OF POLES SUPPORT INTEGRATION INTO EU
[41] CZECH REPUBLIC PLANS TO ADDRESS PERCEIVED SEGREGATION IN 'SPECIAL
[42] CZECH PRESIDENT SAYS CHARTER 77 STILL CONTAINS LESSONS FOR SOCIETY
[43] SECOND CZECH SOCCER KINGPIN CHARGED WITH FRAUD
[44] SLOVAK OPPONENTS INCREDULOUS AS MECIAR DECLARES AFFINITY FOR NATO,
[45] ...WHILE U.S. AMBASSADOR WARNS OF ISOLATION IF SLOVAK ELECTIONS
[46] SLOVAK NATIONALIST CALLS FOR CHILLIER RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY
[47] SENIOR OFFICIAL CAUTIONS SLOVAKIA OVER SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL
[48] HUNGARIAN CABINET REASSURES TRADE UNIONS OVER STATUS LAW
[49] HUNGARY'S SOCIALISTS SLAM STATUS LAW MEMORANDUM
[50] HUNGARIAN PARTIES PREPARE FOR ELECTIONS
[51] SERBIAN BANK EMPLOYEES CONTINUE PROTEST...
[52] ...AND DEMAND AN END TO 'SHOCK THERAPY'
[53] RIVAL CHURCHES MARK ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS IN MONTENEGRO
[54] BOSNIA WANTS SACIRBEY ARRESTED
[55] FORMER BOSNIAN PRESIDENT RETURNS HOME
[56] BOSNIAN SERB HELSINKI COMMITTEE SLAMS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
[57] GERMAN MILITARY BISHOP DETAINED IN MACEDONIA
[58] KOSOVA PEACEKEEPERS TIGHTEN SECURITY AFTER SERB KILLED
[59] CROATIAN CAPITAL'S MAYOR IN DRUNKEN HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT
[60] ROMANIANS TRAVEL WITHOUT VISAS TO SCHENGEN COUNTRIES
[61] INFORMATION OFFICES ON IMPLEMENTING HUNGARIAN STATUS LAW BEGIN
[62] COMMITTEE FOR 'DE-RUSSIFICATION' OF MOLDOVAN SCHOOLS ESTABLISHED
[63] BULGARIA RENEWS RELATIONS WITH IRAN
[64] BULGARIA FORMS ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE
[65] BULGARIA TO CONCLUDE EU ACCESSION TALKS IN 2003?
[66] ANALYSIS SAYS BULGARIA HAS IMPROVED INTERNATIONAL STANDING
[67] There is no End Note today.
7 January 2002
RUSSIA
[01] RUSSIAN PRESIDENT SENDS CHRISTMAS GREETINGS...
On 6 January, President Vladimir Putin conveyed his Christmas greetings
to Orthodox believers and followers of other Christian denominations in
Russia, Interfax reported the same day. "Orthodoxy, which occupies a
special place in Russian history, continues to play a paramount role in
preserving the moral pillars of social life," the presidential press
service reported on 6 January. "The Russian Orthodox Church, acting
closely together with members of other traditional religions and
creeds, makes remarkable efforts to improve the spiritual health of our
compatriots, foster patriotism, and strengthen civil peace and accord,"
the greeting read. VC
[02] ...AS RUSSIAN CHURCH HEAD LEADS ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION...
On 6 January, Patriarch Aleksii II led the Orthodox Christmas liturgy
in Moscow's Church of Christ the Savior before 3,000 believers. The
liturgy was broadcast nationwide by the ORT and RTR television
channels, and online by the official website of the Moscow Patriarchate
(http://www.russian-orthodox-church.org.ru), RIA-Novosti reported on 6
January. Meanwhile, the number of Russians celebrating Orthodox
Christmas is growing steadily, ITAR-TASS reported the same day. The
agency said that in 1997 only 58 percent perceived Orthodox Christmas
as a religious holiday; in 1998, 57 percent; in 1999, 62 percent; and
some 67 percent in 2000. VY
[03] ...AND OPENS PARISH IN ANTARCTIC...
Russia sees the expansion of Russian Orthodox Church services to
Antarctica as a symbol of the strengthening of Russia's presence on the
continent, "Rossiiskaya gazeta" reported on 4 January. With Patriarch
Aleksii II's blessing, it was decided to open a church at Russia's
"Bellingshausen" polar station, which is located on the Antarctic
island King George I. The priest will be Valerii Lukin, a famous polar
scientist, and churchgoers will primarily be made up of polar
researchers. VY
[04] ...AS CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS ON NEW RUSSIAN PASSPORTS CRITICIZED
"Severnyi kuryer" published a reader's letter criticizing the fact that
new Russian passports are decorated with crosses as symbols of the
Christian faith, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported on 4 January, citing
nns.ru. The author of the letter, who identified himself as Russian,
said that such a decoration lumps together all Russians, including its
20 million Muslims, as Christians, which will cause problems with
passport exchange throughout the country. JAC
[05] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRAISES UNDERSTANDING AMONG 'SHANGHAI
SIX' MEMBERS
On 7 January, at the end of the special conference of foreign ministers
from member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (Russia,
China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan), Igor Ivanov
said the organization wants Afghanistan to become a neutral state,
RIA-Novosti reported the same day. Such a scenario, Ivanov added, would
allow Afghanistan to respect its international commitments, as well as
the rights of its citizens. Ivanov stressed that the struggle against
international terrorism should not be confined to Afghanistan alone and
that the UN and its Security Council should play a central coordinating
role, Russian agencies reported. Ivanov added that a global
antiterrorist system should rely on regional structures, and that is
why the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is working to set up a
regional antiterrorist structure, according to RIA-Novosti. Smi.ru
commented on 6 January that the appearance of U.S. military forces in
Central Asia is of concern to Moscow, and that it seeks to discuss with
Beijing what to do about their mutual Central Asian allies' recent
rapprochement with the U.S. VC/VY
[06] PUBLIC COMMITTEE FOR PASKO'S DEFENSE CREATED
A group of human rights activists including Elena Bonner, the widow of
Andrei Sakharov, the leader of the Soviet Union's democratic movement;
Aleksei Simonov, the chairman of Sakharov Fund; and Sergei Grigoryants,
the president of the civil rights foundation "Glasnost," have announced
the creation of a public committee in defense of military journalist
Grigorii Pasko, "Rossiiskaya gazeta" reported on 4 January. The
committee, which includes journalists and scientists, said it will
demand the release of Pasko, who was recently sentenced to four years
imprisonment for "divulging state secrets" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 28
December 2001). VY
[07] A NEW TWIST IN TV-6'S LEGAL SAGA
TV-6 received a notification on 4 January that the presidium of the
Higher Arbitration Court will convene on 11 January to discuss a
protest filed by Higher Arbitration Court Deputy Chairman Eduard Renov
against a 29 December ruling that invalidated an earlier ruling
ordering the liquidation of TV-6 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 January
2002). TV-6's press spokesperson, Tatyana Blinova, expressed surprise
that the higher arbitration court had reacted so quickly, a speed that
she charged is unprecedented, ITAR-TASS reported. Blinova added that
through his protest Renov is trying to reinstate the earlier decision
calling for the liquidation of TV-6, according to ntvru.com. JAC
[08] RUSSIAN GREENPEACE BRANCH TO STEP UP ITS FIGHT AGAINST NUCLEAR
WASTE IMPORTS
Yevgenii Usov, the spokesman for Greenpeace Rossii, the Russian
affiliate of the international ecological organization Greenpeace, told
the RosBalt news agency on 4 January that "it is impossible to build up
a democratic society in Russia while ignoring ecological problems."
Usov also noted that in the past year the greatest achievement made by
his organization was the incorporation of Lake Baikal onto the World
Wildlife Fund's ecological heritage protection list, while the greatest
defeat was the adoption by the Russian parliament of legislation
allowing for the import of nuclear waste into the country. In 2002,
Greenpeace Rossii plans to launch campaigns for a total ban of nuclear
waste imports, the protection of forests, and the ratification by
Russia of a convention to reduce the output of organically
indestructible substances, Usov said. VY
[09] NEW RAILWAYS MINISTER IS 'VETERAN OF SOVIET BUREAUCRACY'
President Putin signed a decree on 5 January appointing Gennadii Fadeev
as Russia's new railways minister, Russian media reported. He replaces
Nikolai Aksenenko, who was sacked as the result of a corruption scandal
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 January 2002.) Fadeev is a seasoned veteran
of the agency. In different stages of his career he has been the head
of both the Moscow and St. Petersburg (Oktyabrskaya) railroads; first
deputy minister of USSR Railways (1988-1991); and railways minister of
the Russian Federation (1992 to 1996). Politically, his party
affiliation is to Fatherland-All Russia. Media reports also mentioned
that he is related to the dismissed Aksenenko. VY
[10] GOVERNMENT MULLS INCREASE ON TAX FOR USED AUTO IMPORTS...
Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Kudrin, who heads the interbranch
commission for national foreign trade protection measures, said on 5
January that his commission has recommended that the government approve
increased customs duties for used foreign cars, RBK news agency
reported. According to Kudrin, after the measure is implemented, the
price of automobiles seven years and older will more than double, and
three- to seven-year-old autos by 1.5 to two times. The measure would
not change the customs tax for imported autos aged three years or less.
The government adopted this policy in principle last September, but
Kudrin said that until recently there has been no political will to
proceed with it for fear of "negative social consequences." VY
[11] ...AND REDUCES LEVY ON OIL EXPORTS BY TWO-THIRDS
The same commission also asked the government to cut the export tax on
oil from 23.4 to eight euros per ton, Kudrin said the same day. The
reduction of the oil export tax is intended to compensate for the loss
of revenues suffered by Russian oil companies resulting from the fall
in global oil prices and the decision by Kasyanov's government to cut
Russia's oil quota by 150,000 barrels a day beginning this year,
according to Kudrin. VY
[12] RUSSIAN ARMY TO BE REDUCED TO UNDER 1 MILLION IN 2002
Nikolai Kormiltsev, the commander in chief of the Russian army's ground
forces, said on 5 January that the number of military personnel will
fall to under 1 million this year, Interfax reported. According to
Kormiltsev, the changes will most dramatically affect the officers'
corps, which has already seen a significant amount of officers leave
its ranks. "Those who stay want to serve...even it is a service in the
very hard conditions of the Dalnevostochnii and Sibirskii military
districts," he concluded. VY
[13] ST. PETERSBURG MOSQUE REPORTS INCREASED ATTENDANCE...
The Kazan administration will help repair a St. Petersburg mosque by
the 300th anniversary of the northern capital, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau
reported on 4 January, citing Tatar-inform. The number of parishioners
at the mosque has been growing rapidly due to increasing migration from
Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, the North Caucasus, and Arab countries, as well
as from new converts, St. Petersburg Mufti Dzhafar Ponchaev told
islam.ru. Ponchaev added that he has begun saying prayers in both the
Tatar and Russian languages. JAC
[14] ...AS TATARSTAN SEEKS TO REGAIN ICON OF OUR LADY OF KAZAN
President of Tatarstan Mintimer Shaimiev hopes that the icon of Our
Lady of Kazan, which is currently held in the Vatican, will be returned
to Tatarstan before Kazan celebrates its 1,000th anniversary in 2005,
Interfax reported on 6 January. In commenting on reports that Pope John
Paul II intends to bring the icon to Russia on his own (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 13 November 2000), Shaimiev told Interfax that he learned
from the media that the leader of Tatarstan's Muslims and member of the
Council of Muftis Gusman Iskhakov has invited John Paul II to visit
Kazan. VC
[15] SOME REGIONS LEFT WITHOUT WATER...
As the Orthodox Christmas holiday approached, residents in a number of
regions were experiencing a variety of outages of key services. On 4
January, almost 98,000 residents of Arkhangelsk were left without water
in their homes because of an accident to a water pipeline, RIA-Novosti
reported. Drinking water was being delivered to the area by trucks. In
Volkhov, Leningrad Oblast, some 11,000 residents were left without heat
on 3 January; however, by 5 January, the press service of the oblast's
governor's office said heating had been restored, ITAR-TASS reported.
Also left without heat on 3 January were more than 8,000 residents in
the city of Ust-Kut in Irkutsk Oblast, Interfax reported. In a village
in Sakha Republic, some 700 people were without heat as the outdoor
temperatures dipped to minus 40 degrees Celsius. JAC
[16] ...AND PHONE SERVICE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
For other residents, the outages were not a temporary result of an
accident but the result of a longer-term problem. For example, in
Murmansk Oblast, residents of several raions plan to appeal to the
prosecutor-general because they have not had working telephones since
last fall as the result of a conflict between the local telephone
service provider and railway, ntvru.com reported on 6 January. JAC
[17] ALLEGED WOULD-BE MURDERER DOES WELL IN LOCAL ELECTION
A Moscow district court on 4 January turned down an appeal to release
former Krasnoyarsk Aluminum head Anatolii Bykov from custody pending
the next hearing in his case for conspiracy to commit murder, ITAR-TASS
reported on 4 January. Bykov is accused of trying to arrange the murder
of businessman and alleged criminal Vilor Struganov. Law enforcement
officials earlier faked Struganov's murder in order to snare Bykov (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 16 October 2000). Meanwhile, despite his
incarceration, Bykov continues to play a significant role in
Krasnoyarsk politics: the Bloc of Anatolii Bykov came in second in
elections for the krai's Legislative Assembly held on 24 December.
Candidates in Bykov's bloc attracted 17.13 percent of the total vote
compared to 15.26 percent for the "For Lebed" bloc, and 8.8 percent for
the pro-Kremlin Unity party. Aleksandr Lebed is the governor of
Krasnoyarsk and foe of Bykov, "Kommersant-Daily" reported on 25
December. JAC
[18] RENEWED FIGHTING IN ARGUN
Russian forces claim to have detained a total of 38 people during a
special operation that got underway on 3 January in the town of Argun,
east of Grozny, to round up Chechen fighters who escaped from a battle
last week in the village of Tsotan-Yurt, Russian agencies reported. The
town has been surrounded and roads leading from it to Grozny, Shali,
and Gudermes have been blocked. Russian military spokesmen denied on 4
January either using artillery during the operation in Argun or
incurring any casualties. Argun was the scene of a similar operation
last month in which up to 60 civilians were detained and Russian troops
indulged in looting (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 December 2001). LF
[19] CHECHEN MINISTER KILLED BY FRIENDLY FIRE
Chechen Deputy Emergency Situations Minister Ruslan Yunusov died in
Grozny hospital on 4 January after Russian servicemen opened fire on a
suspicious vehicle he was trying to prevent from leaving the ministry's
parking lot, Russian agencies reported. Two Russian contract servicemen
have been arrested in connection with the killing. LF
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[20] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT LAUDS ECONOMIC PROGRESS IN 2001...
In his televised New Year's address to the Azerbaijani people,
President Heidar Aliev announced GDP growth of 10 percent in 2001,
according to "Xalq qazeti" on 3 January, as cited by Groong. Industrial
production increased by 5 percent, agricultural output by 11 percent,
and foreign trade turnover by an estimated 22 percent. As a result,
Aliev said, the average monthly salary has increased to 260,000 manats
($54). He said 63 percent of expenditures foreseen in the 2002 budget
will be for the social sphere. But former Deputy Premier Ali Massimov
took issue with that latter statement, telling Turan on 4 January that
the true figure is closer to 20 percent, while almost 25 percent of all
expenditures are earmarked for police, security, and intelligence
agencies. Massimov further pointed out that the allowances for
pensioners and other socially vulnerable individuals that have been
abolished totaled some 450-500 billion manats ($99-$104 million), while
the payments that have been introduced to replace them will not cost
more than 183 billion manats, Turan reported on 7 January. LF
[21] ...IS NAMED 'FRIEND OF MEDIA'
Presumably as a result of his 27 December decree on alleviating the
conditions under which the media operate (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3
January 2002), President Aliev was named as Friend of the Media in 2001
by 14 of 56 participants in the annual poll organized by the Committee
for Journalists' Rights, Turan reported on 5 January. Democratic Party
of Azerbaijan General Secretary Sardar Djalaloglu deplored that choice
as ignoring official reprisals against the independent media over the
past eight years, while Aydin Guliev, editor of the newspaper
"Hurriyet," said he believes the outcome of the poll was falsified.
Aliev's brother Djalal, who has brought numerous libel cases against
journalists, was named enemy No. 1 of the media, followed by Siyavush
Novruzov, deputy executive secretary of the ruling Yeni Azerbaycan
Party, and presidential administration head Ramiz Mekhtiev. LF
[22] INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS BARRED FROM NAKHICHEVAN PARLIAMENT SESSION
Only journalists from state-owned media were permitted to attend the 5
January session of the parliament of Azerbaijan's Nakhichevan
Autonomous Republic, Turan reported the same day. The parliament
session approved the region's budget for 2002, but contrary to
predictions by some independent newspapers it apparently did not call
for the dismissal of numerous ministers. Meanwhile a member of the
editorial board of the independent newspaper "Azadlyg" said all issues
of that day's edition were confiscated at Nakhichevan airport on 5
January because the issue contained an article highlighting
irregularities in the privatization process in Nakhichevan. Police at
the airport denied, however, that the paper was confiscated. On 4
January, Turan reported that residents of the village of Bananiyar were
told by Nakhichevan's Economic Development Minister Famil Seyidov that
they would not be allowed to participate in the auction for a winery
and motor and tractor plant in nearby Djulfa, as only relatives of
those enterprises' directors would be permitted to bid. LF
[23] MOSCOW PRESSURES GEORGIA OVER PEACEKEEPING FORCE IN ABKHAZIA
In a statement released on 4 January, the Russian Foreign Ministry
urged Tbilisi to come to a decision on whether the mandate of the CIS
peacekeeping force deployed in the Abkhaz conflict zone should be
renewed, Interfax reported. The Georgian parliament voted in October to
demand the peacekeepers' withdrawal within three months of the expiry
of their mandate on 31 December (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 October
2001), and on 7 January Caucasus Press reported that parliament
deputies from across the political spectrum will insist that deadline
be met. During talks on 4 January in Tbilisi with CIS Executive
Secretary Yurii Yarov, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze said that
the Georgian National Security Council will discuss the issue this week
after which a decision will be made on whether to insist on the
peacekeepers' withdrawal or a revision of their mandate, Caucasus Press
reported. LF
[24] OPPOSITION POLITICIANS QUESTION CALL FOR 'CONCESSIONS' IN ABKHAZ,
SOUTH OSSETIAN CONFLICTS
Three opposition politicians have responded with skepticism to
Shevardnadze's statement in his New Year's address that 2002 should be
a year of "historic compromises" that will end the conflicts between
the central Georgian government and the breakaway republics of Abkhazia
and South Ossetia, Caucasus Press reported on 7 January. (According to
the weekly "Qovelkvireuli kronika," only 29 percent of Georgians
questioned bothered to listen to that address. The only two parliament
deputies who did so were Communist Panteleimon Giorgadze and Socialist
faction leader Irakli Mindeli; their colleagues preferred to watch the
"Puppets" show on independent Rustavi-2 TV.) David Gamkrelidze, who
heads the New Right Wing parliament faction, said he does not
understand what concessions Shevardnadze has in mind, but agreed with
the president that "we can only build a common Georgian state by means
of mutual concessions." Republican Party leader David Berdzenishvili
for his part argued that it is impossible to speak of compromise as
long as Shevardnadze and Abkhaz President Vladislav Ardzinba remain in
power, and "utopian" to believe that any compromise can be reached in
the near future. Labor Party leader Shalva Natelashvili accused
Shevardnadze of aiming to split Georgia into several independent states
under the guise of what Natelashvili termed "a Caucasian version of
European confederationalism." LF
[25] INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS TO EXAMINE GEORGIAN RADIOACTIVITY LEAK
Experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency arrived in Tbilisi
on 5 January to assess the danger posed by two containers with
strontium-90 found in a forest in western Georgia last month, Caucasus
Press and ITAR-TASS reported. Three foresters who brought the
containers to their village to use as a source of heating have been
hospitalized with severe radiation sickness. LF
[26] KAZAKHSTAN REGISTERS STEEP RISE IN SERIOUS CRIME
The number of crimes committed in Kazakhstan in 2001 rose by 3.9
percent compared with the previous year to reach 127,969, Interfax
reported on 5 January, citing the National Statistical Agency. The
number of serious and extremely serious crimes jumped by 15.4 percent
to reach 67,767, but economic crime fell by 2.7 percent and
drug-related crimes by 20.7 percent. LF
[27] ARRESTED KYRGYZ PARLIAMENT DEPUTY BEGINS HUNGER STRIKE
Azimbek Beknazarov, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on
court reform, began a hunger strike on 5 January after his arrest
earlier that day in Djalalabad Oblast on charges of abuse of power
while serving as an investigator in a murder case there in 1995,
RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. On 6 January, some 20 parliament
deputies to the Legislative Assembly (the lower chamber of the Kyrgyz
legislature) addressed an open letter to President Askar Akaev
condemning Beknazarov's arrest as politically motivated and demanding
his immediate release. On 18 December, 17 parliament deputies had
written to Akaev to protest an ongoing campaign by the
Prosecutor-General's Office to unearth materials incriminating
Beknazarov, who has repeatedly criticized border agreements under which
Kyrgyzstan has ceded territory to China and Uzbekistan (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 19 December 2001). LF
[28] TAJIKISTAN TO CRACK DOWN ON ALCOHOL SALES
In a bid to stamp out trade in counterfeit alcoholic beverages, the
Tajik government has issued new regulations stipulating that no
alcoholic drinks may be sold unless they bear a certificate stating
their provenance, ITAR-TASS and Asia Plus-Blitz reported. Only
producers and importers of such beverages will be empowered to issue
such certificates. LF
[29] EXILED TURKMEN OPPOSITION CALLS ON PRESIDENT TO RESIGN
In a New Year's address to the people of Turkmenistan dated 4 January
and posted on gundogar.com, the Provisional Executive Committee of the
National Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan, which is headed by former
Foreign Minister Boris Shikhmuradov, deplored the fact that during the
10 years of Turkmenistan's independence President Saparmurat Niyazov
has transformed the country into "an outcast" which "no one apart from
himself takes seriously," that Niyazov rejected constructive
cooperation with the international antiterrorism coalition, and failed
to express support for the new Afghan government of Hamid Karzai.
Defining their aim as "ridding Turkmenistan of Turkmenbashi," the
committee's members deny that they are motivated by careerism or
personal ambition. "We have only one goal -- to create a healthy
democratic atmosphere in the country in which the law will reign and
not Niyazov's evil will." They suggest that the best New Year's gift
Niyazov could offer the people of Turkmenistan would be to resign
voluntarily, following the example of former Russian President Boris
Yeltsin. LF
[30] UZBEKISTAN RETURNS DETAINED POLITICIAN TO KAZAKHSTAN
Azat movement leader Oral Saulebay, who was detained by Uzbek police
during a protest demonstration in the village of Baghys on the
Kazakh-Uzbek border on 28 December (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 and 4
January 2002), was handed over to the Kazakh authorities on 4 January,
AP reported the following day. According to Interfax on 4 January, the
Kazakh-Uzbek border agreement signed in November (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 19 November 2001) delineates 96 percent of the two
countries' shared border but does not include a 60-kilometer section
including Baghys and the village of Turkestanets. LF
[31] U.S. SENATORS VISIT UZBEKISTAN
Visiting Tashkent on 6 January, a group of nine U.S. Senators headed by
Joseph Lieberman (D-Connecticut) and John McCain (R-Arizona) met with
President Islam Karimov, Defense Minister Kadyr Gulamov, and Deputy
Foreign Minister Sadyk Safaev to express their appreciation of
Uzbekistan's decision to make its territory available to U.S. forces
participating in the antiterrorism operations in Afghanistan, Russian
agencies reported. They also pledged an increase in bilateral political
and economic cooperation. LF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[32] BELARUSIAN FARMING IN THE RED
According to preliminary data from the Statistics Ministry, 1,403
state-run agricultural enterprises, or 58.9 percent of the total
number, ended last year in the red, Belapan reported on 5 January. The
number of profitable agricultural enterprises fell from 1,237 in 2000
to 978 in 2001. The average profitability rate in the entire
agricultural sector was minus 3.1 percent. JM
[33] TWO JAILED, EIGHT FINED FOR ANTI-LUKASHENKA PROTEST
A district court in Brest on 5 January sentenced Uladzimir Maley and
Henadz Samoylenka to 15 days in jail for their participation in an
unauthorized demonstration, Belapan reported. Eight other participants
were fined some $125 each. On 9 December in Brest, some 30 persons
formed a "chain of indifferent people" to remind the public and
authorities about the disappearances of opponents of President
Alyaksandr Lukashenka's regime. JM
[34] PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER DEEMS UKRAINE'S 2002 BUDGET UNREALISTIC
Presidential economic adviser Anatoliy Halchynskyy told the Kyiv-based
"Fakty i Kommentarii" on 5 January that the 2002 budget signed by
President Leonid Kuchma last week is "completely unrealistic."
Halchynskyy said Kuchma signed the budget for political considerations.
"Had he not done that, the country would have been left without a
budget for at least six months, which was unacceptable," he added. The
budget law sets the 2002 deficit at 4.3 billon hryvni ($810 million),
or 1.7 percent of GDP. "[The budget] does not include the money needed
to reimburse VAT, which is almost 5 billion hryvni. Additionally, we
have no funds to finance many social benefits. The most conservative
estimates suggest that this will add another 7 billion hryvni to the
hidden deficit, bringing the total figure to 16.3 billion hryvni, or 4
percent of the GDP," Halchynskyy noted. JM
[35] UKRAINIAN COMMUNISTS STRIVE FOR MAJORITY IN FUTURE PARLIAMENT
At a congress on 5 January, the Communist Party of Ukraine approved its
parliamentary election program and 225 candidates who will seek
parliamentary mandates on a countrywide list, Interfax and UNIAN
reported. The list is topped by Communist Party head Petro Symonenko
and includes Crimean parliamentary speaker Leonid Hrach (No. 11) and
Prosecutor-General Mykhaylo Potebenko (No. 20). Symonenko told the
congress that the party's task in the 31 March election is to win more
than 50 percent of parliamentary seats in order to take control of the
parliament and form a new government. JM
[36] UKRAINE'S SECURITY CHIEF INVESTIGATED FOR INVOLVEMENT IN ILLEGAL
ARMS TRADING
The Prosecutor-General's Office has opened a criminal investigation
against National Security and Defense Council head Yevhen Marchuk,
former Security Service chief Leonid Derkach, and Derkach's son,
lawmaker Andriy Derkach, for alleged involvement in illegal arms
trading, Interfax reported on 4 January, quoting Deputy
Prosecutor-General Oleksandr Atamanyuk. The investigation was launched
following an inquiry lodged by lawmakers Hryhoriy Omelchenko and
Anatoliy Yermak. Marchuk has said the allegations of his involvement
are provocations aimed at discrediting him and the Security Service
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 20 December 2001). JM
[37] CENTER PARTY WANTS PEOPLE'S UNION IN ESTONIA'S NEW RULING
COALITION
Center Party Chairman Edgar Savisaar told the Kanal 2 TV channel on 5
January that he cannot understand why People's Union Chairman Villu
Reiljan is stating that the 2002 state budget would not allow his party
to join a coalition with the Center and Reform Parties, BNS reported.
Savisaar noted that the current ruling coalition has made significant
revisions to the budget drawn up by the previous government of Mart
Siimann and that a new coalition could do the same. Reiljan has
expressed his dissatisfaction that the budget provides too little
support for local governments. He also mentioned that although other
Center Party officials have mentioned that the People's Union could be
given posts heading the Environment and Agriculture Ministries,
Savisaar has not yet contacted him about joining the new coalition. SG
[38] DAIRY EXPORT PERMISSION RENEWED FOR FIVE LATVIAN COMPANIES
The Food and Veterinary Service restored the export certificates to the
European Union for the dairies Limbazu piens, Vidzemes piens, Preilu
siers, Rigas piena kombinats, and Rigas piensaimnieks on 4 January,
LETA reported. The service suspended the certificates of nine dairies
in early December after European Commission experts found shortcomings
in milk sorting. The certificates were not restored to the dairies
Tukuma piens, Valrit, Bauskas piens, and Pampali because they only plan
to take measures to eliminate their shortcomings in February-May. SG
[39] FORMER RUSSIAN PREMIER OPPOSED TO NATO ENTRY FOR LITHUANIA
Recently elected Russian Trade and Industry Chamber Chairman and former
Premier Yevgenii Primakov stated during a private visit to Vilnius on 5
January that he does not want Lithuania to receive an invitation to
join NATO at the Prague summit in November, BNS reported. He said such
a move could threaten the international campaign against terrorism.
Primakov asserted that there "are no obstacles" for the Russian State
Duma to ratify the 1997 border agreement with Lithuania, and if new
visa requirements are established should Lithuania become a member of
the European Union, "Lithuania will suffer more because for each
Kaliningrad resident crossing the Lithuanian border there are four
Lithuanians going to Kaliningrad." An article in "Lietuvos rytas" on 7
January questioned this, noting that the Lithuanian budget would
actually gain from stricter requirements since many Lithuanians only
travel to Kaliningrad to purchase cheaper gasoline, alcohol, and sugar.
SG
[40] POLL SAYS 60 PERCENT OF POLES SUPPORT INTEGRATION INTO EU
The CBOS polling center found in a poll conducted on 7-10 December that
60 percent of respondents support Poland's integration into the EU, PAP
reported on 4 January. According to CBOS, this is the highest
percentage of integration supporters ever recorded in Poland. Of those
polled, 44 percent believe that the Polish government is too compliant
in talks with the EU, 27 percent are satisfied with the attitude of the
Polish negotiators, 5 percent believe they are too "tough," and 24
percent have no opinion on the matter. JM
[41] CZECH REPUBLIC PLANS TO ADDRESS PERCEIVED SEGREGATION IN 'SPECIAL
SCHOOLS'
The Education Ministry has drafted a program to enhance Romany
children's education that includes the closure of "special schools,"
which critics say lead to de facto segregation of Roma, CTK reported on
7 January, citing a report in the daily "Hospodarske noviny." More
elementary schools will include classes that target "specific needs of
children with social or cultural disadvantages," the paper said,
instead of forcing such children into alternative institutions.
Separate schools will remain only for children with severe mental
disorders, the agency said. Local advocacy groups and international
organizations, including Human Rights Committee, have called on the
Czech government to take resolute steps to end segregation in the
education system. Figures published by the Education Information
Institute estimate that 30,000 children are enrolled in 432 "special
schools" across the country. AH
[42] CZECH PRESIDENT SAYS CHARTER 77 STILL CONTAINS LESSONS FOR SOCIETY
Vaclav Havel commemorated the 25th anniversary of the former
Czechoslovakia's best-known dissident manifesto by saying Charter 77
should still inspire people, CTK reported on 5 January. Havel, who was
among the document's 242 signatories and one of its first spokesmen,
said the declaration's spirit of decency, mutual respect, and
solidarity carries lessons for people even today. He added that it also
expresses the will to fight for good, even when such a struggle has no
immediate hopes for success, the agency reported. AH
[43] SECOND CZECH SOCCER KINGPIN CHARGED WITH FRAUD
A former deputy chairman of the Bohemian and Moravian Soccer
Association, Jan Gottvald, has been charged with fraud and breach of
fiduciary duties, CTK reported on 5 January, citing the daily "Mlada
fronta Dnes." It is the second high-profile case of suspected fraud
within that governing body's former leadership in the Czech Republic,
following the arrest last year of former association Chairman Frantisek
Chvalovsky. Gottvald has come under scrutiny over 200 million crowns
($5.6 million) in bills of exchange issued when he was chairman of the
company Setuza, including to a firm within Chvalovsky's former
industrial empire. The charge was delivered to Gottvald's lawyer in
late December, and police regard Gottvald as a fugitive, CTK said. An
anonymous police source was quoted as saying authorities believe
Gottvald is inside the country. AH
[44] SLOVAK OPPONENTS INCREDULOUS AS MECIAR DECLARES AFFINITY FOR NATO,
EU...
Resurgent former Premier Vladimir Meciar told a Slovak Radio audience
on 5 January that he is a supporter of that country's membership in
NATO and the European Union, CTK reported. The leader of the opposition
Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) also reiterated his call for
an agreement by all parties to maintain the country's current foreign
policy orientation after the fall elections, the agency said. But
political opponents remain skeptical, noting that hopes of quickly
joining those institutions were eliminated under Meciar's 1993-98
administration. "It was this governing coalition that corrected a gross
failure of the previous governing elite which pushed Slovakia away from
NATO enlargement in 1997 and EU accession talks," Democratic Left Party
Chairman Peter Weiss said. AH
[45] ...WHILE U.S. AMBASSADOR WARNS OF ISOLATION IF SLOVAK ELECTIONS
USHER IN NON-NATO VALUES
U.S. Ambassador to Slovakia Ronald Weiser warned in a newspaper
interview on 7 January that Slovakia will not be invited to join NATO
if elections result in a government with "different values than the
alliance," Reuters reported. If NATO passes on Slovakia, its bid to
join the European Union by 2004 will be delayed, at best, the agency
reported Weiser saying. "The forming of the future government will
influence whether Slovakia gets an invitation [to join NATO] or not. In
1998, Slovakia had a government that had different values than the
alliance. If the situation repeats itself, there will not be an
invitation," Reuters reported, quoting an interview Weiser gave to the
daily "Pravda." NATO will not try to influence Slovak voters' choice,
he reportedly said, and in the same way Slovakia cannot influence
people in NATO or make them think differently. AH
[46] SLOVAK NATIONALIST CALLS FOR CHILLIER RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY
Real Slovak National Party (PSNS) leader Jan Slota said his country
should withdraw from an agreement on good relations and friendly
cooperation with Hungary in response to that country's introduction of
the controversial Hungarian Status Law, TASR-Slovakia reported on 7
January. After charging arrogance and rudeness on the part of Hungarian
representatives and ethnic Hungarian politicians in the country, Slota
characterized Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan as being silent on
the issue. He warned that Hungarians will always see Slovakia as their
"upper land" and seek its return. AH
[47] SENIOR OFFICIAL CAUTIONS SLOVAKIA OVER SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL
UTILITY
The chairman of the State Assistance Office, Miroslav Hladik, warned on
4 January that current efforts to aid power company Slovenske Elektrane
could complicate the country's goal of EU membership, TASR-Slovakia
reported. The Finance Ministry has requested a state guarantee on 2.9
billion crowns in bonds to help the company, a move that Hladik calls
unreasonable, the agency said. "Slovakia would probably have to give up
hopes of closing the chapter of EU law on economic competition this
year," he said. Hladik said his long-running feud with the government
played no part in his assessment of the effort to prop up Slovenske
Elektrarne, which would be effected through a bond issue underwritten
by Slovenska Sporitelna savings bank. The cabinet approved a guarantee
on the Slovenske Elektrarne bonds on 13 December, the same day
shareholders at the power company approved the issue. AH
[48] HUNGARIAN CABINET REASSURES TRADE UNIONS OVER STATUS LAW
The Hungarian-Romanian memorandum of understanding signed by the two
countries' premiers on 22 December does not overwrite Hungary's Status
Law, Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi said at a meeting of the National
Labor Council on 4 January, Hungarian media reported. Martonyi said the
memorandum merely states that work permits cannot be denied to Romanian
citizens of any nationality if jobs are available in the Hungarian
market. Romanian job seekers will not have to wait 30 days for permits,
he explained. However, the Employment Act authorizes the Economy
Ministry to determine the number of job permits issued, which implies
that the number of foreign job seekers allowed to enter the country
could not reach 100,000, Martonyi concluded. For his part, Economy
Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy told the Labor Council that 37,300 foreigners
were issued job permits in Hungary last year, about half of whom were
Romanian nationals. MSZ
[49] HUNGARY'S SOCIALISTS SLAM STATUS LAW MEMORANDUM
The opposition Socialist Party's (MSZP) candidate for prime minister,
Peter Medgyessy, called on 6 January for the cabinet to suspend the
implementation of the Hungarian-Romanian memorandum of understanding on
Hungary's Status Law, saying the issue should be left for the next
cabinet to resolve, Hungarian media reported. Medgyessy said that
although the Socialists will not withdraw their support for the Status
Law, new elements are needed to implement it. MSZP Chairman Laszlo
Kovacs said it is not the law, but the memorandum of understanding and
its implementation that jeopardizes Hungary's labor market. For his
part, Socialist former Prime Minister Gyula Horn said it is the duty of
all parties to support ethnic Hungarians abroad, but not in a way that
causes tensions. Responding to the Socialists' objections, FIDESZ
Chairman Zoltan Pokorni said that suspending the memorandum would be
tantamount to suspending the Status Law itself in Romania, which in
turn would lead to tension and serve the interests of anti-Hungarian
forces. MSZ
[50] HUNGARIAN PARTIES PREPARE FOR ELECTIONS
The Hungarian Democratic Forum's national council unanimously approved
a joint FIDESZ-Forum list of election candidates on 5 January for all
176 individual parliamentary constituencies. The forum chose 27 of the
joint candidates, in addition to PHARE Funds Minister Imre Boros, a
former Smallholder, who will run in Zala County. In other news,
Independent Smallholders' Party Chairman Jozsef Torgyan announced on 4
January that he will return to "grand politics" at the 19 January
opening of his party's election campaign. Torgyan predicted that after
the elections the Smallholders will become a factor in forming a new
cabinet, according to Hungarian dailies. MSZ
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[51] SERBIAN BANK EMPLOYEES CONTINUE PROTEST...
Several hundred employees of Beogradska Banka, Beobanka, Jugobanka, and
Investbanka remain in their offices to protest a decision by Yugoslav
National Bank Director Mladjan Dinkic to close the four debt-ridden
institutions, Deutsche Welle's Serbian Service reported on 7 January
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 January 2002). Police have succeeded in
preventing employees from returning to join the lockout at Investbanka
by allowing persons to leave the premises but not to enter them. In
keeping with reforms sponsored by the World Bank, Dinkic has ruled out
a bailout of the four banks, which would cost an estimated one-third of
the GDP, Reuters reported on 4 January. Yugoslav President Vojislav
Kostunica disagrees with the decision to close the banks but will not
contest it. However, Yugoslav Finance Minister Jovan Rankovic quit his
post to protest the move. He belongs to Kostunica's Democratic Party of
Serbia (DSS), which has often espoused populist positions at odds with
the Serbian government's more reform-minded approach. Meanwhile, bank
workers plan to continue their protests. PM
[52] ...AND DEMAND AN END TO 'SHOCK THERAPY'
Union leaders representing bank employees appealed to President
Kostunica on 7 January to stop what they called "shock therapy" and
reverse Dinkic's decision, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages
Service reported from Belgrade. The union leaders warned of adverse
social consequences if the four banks' 8,500 employees lose their jobs.
PM
[53] RIVAL CHURCHES MARK ORTHODOX CHRISTMAS IN MONTENEGRO
In what has become an annual tradition, members of the Serbian Orthodox
Church and the breakaway Montenegrin Orthodox Church staged rival Yule
Log festivals in the historical capital, Cetinje, on 6 January,
RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. No
incidents were reported there. But in Berane in eastern Montenegro,
police broke up a violent incident, arresting several people. In his
Christmas greetings, Serbian Orthodox Bishop Amfilohije called for
"peace to all" and wished members of the rival church a "Merry
Christmas," AP reported from Cetinje. Montenegrin Orthodox Bishop
Mikhail said in his greetings that "we must extend a hand of friendship
to our enemies to save them from themselves and their uncontrollable
evil that has shaken all of Montenegro." PM
[54] BOSNIA WANTS SACIRBEY ARRESTED
Bosnian Foreign Ministry officials said in Sarajevo on 5 January that
they have asked Interpol to issue an arrest warrant for Muhamad
Sacirbey, a former ambassador to the UN and foreign minister, Reuters
reported. Sacirbey, who is known locally as Sacirbegovic, is charged
with embezzling at least $610,000 from the UN mission in 2000 alone,
his last year in the post. He has denied the charges, claiming that
"postwar chaos" led to bookkeeping mistakes. But his critics note that
he has ignored two requests to appear in court in Sarajevo to answer
the charges and has made contradictory remarks regarding the case.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ivica Misic said that "it is up to U.S. legal
institutions" to determine what will happen to Sacirbey, who holds U.S.
and Bosnian citizenship and lives in the U.S., AP reported on 6
January. "Mo" Sacirbey, who played soccer for Tulane and speaks native
American English, was his country's chief international spokesman
during much of the 1992-1995 conflict. His father spent years in
communist jails as a political prisoner together with veteran Muslim
leader Alija Izetbegovic. PM
[55] FORMER BOSNIAN PRESIDENT RETURNS HOME
Izetbegovic arrived in Sarajevo on 6 January after receiving medical
treatment in Saudi Arabia for a recurring heart problem, Reuters
reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3 January 2002). Doctors used electric
shock treatments to help regulate Izetbegovic's heartbeat. He suffers
from weak heart muscles stemming from a blocked artery. The 76-year-old
founder of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) has a weakened
constitution as a result of his long imprisonment. PM
[56] BOSNIAN SERB HELSINKI COMMITTEE SLAMS HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Branko Todorovic, who heads the Republika Srpska's Helsinki Committee,
told Deutsche Welle's Bosnian Service on 3 January that human rights
violations continue to be "systematic" in the Bosnian Serb entity. He
said the main reason for this is that the same people who previously
made war and carried out "ethnic cleansing" are still in power. The
only thing that has changed is that they now use more "perfidious"
means than outright violence to achieve their goals, he said. Todorovic
stressed that it is vital that Muslims, Serbs, and Croats all enjoy the
same legal status throughout Bosnia if the power of all nationalists is
to be broken. PM
[57] GERMAN MILITARY BISHOP DETAINED IN MACEDONIA
Macedonian border authorities detained an unidentified member of KFOR
upon his return from a visit to Kosova, the Skopje daily "Utrinski
vesnik" reported on 3 January. The authorities had found about 400,000
German marks in an automobile belonging to the German KFOR contingent.
The same day, the main German television news program "Tagesschau"
reported that the detainee was Dr. Walter Mixa, bishop of Eichstaett
and Roman Catholic military bishop of the Bundeswehr. Mixa was arrested
upon returning from a visit to German troops stationed in various parts
of the Balkans. On 6 January, German television quoted Mixa as saying
that according to German law, it is legal for him to transport the
money. But it is not yet clear whether he violated Macedonian law.
According to the bishop, the Macedonian Catholic diocese had asked him
to deposit the money in a German Catholic bank. UB
[58] KOSOVA PEACEKEEPERS TIGHTEN SECURITY AFTER SERB KILLED
A KFOR spokesman said in Prishtina on 7 January that additional forces
have been sent to Kamenica and patrols there increased following the
killing of a Serbian shopkeeper there the previous day, AP reported.
KFOR called the killing with a booby-trap grenade a "vicious and
cowardly act." A curfew from midnight to 5:00 a.m. has been extended
from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Local Serb politicians said they condemn
the "loathsome terrorist act on [Orthodox] Christmas Eve, before the
great Christian holiday," Reuters reported on 6 January. PM
[59] CROATIAN CAPITAL'S MAYOR IN DRUNKEN HIT-AND-RUN ACCIDENT
State-run television reported on 6 January that police chased and
pulled over Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic after he caused a traffic
accident and then drove on without stopping, according to dpa. Bandic
tested positive for alcohol consumption. No one was injured in the
incident. He now faces a fine and his driver's license has been
suspended, Western news agencies reported. Bandic denied that he tried
to escape a police chase, and explained his behavior as the result of
his not being used to drinking. Bandic belongs to Prime Minister Ivica
Racan's Social Democrats and is considered one of Croatia's more
influential politicians. PM
[60] ROMANIANS TRAVEL WITHOUT VISAS TO SCHENGEN COUNTRIES
The implementation of the EU's decision to lift visas for Romanian
citizens has gone smoothly, according to a Romanian Foreign Ministry
press release issued on 4 January. According to the report, the border
authorities of the Schengen countries applied "in their spirit and
letter" the EU's decision of last December. Romanian consuls supervised
most important border crossings and reported no major problems. The
Foreign Ministry reported, however, that a group of 23 Romanian
tourists were denied entrance into Greece. Greek border authorities at
a land border-crossing point with Bulgaria argued that the travelers
had no proof that they had a place to stay while in Greece. The report
stressed that Romanians traveling to Greece by plane and entering the
country in Athens were not asked for any such proof of lodging. ZsM
[61] INFORMATION OFFICES ON IMPLEMENTING HUNGARIAN STATUS LAW BEGIN
WORK IN ROMANIA
Local offices giving information on implementing the provisions of the
Hungarian Status Law have already started work, Mediafax reported on 4
January. Only hours after opening, hundreds of ethnic Hungarians
expressed their will to get the Hungarian ID card that will grant them
special rights in Hungary. In related news, the Romanian government's
secretary-general, Serban Mihailescu, said Slovakia and Ukraine have
told Hungary that they intend to follow Romania's example in
implementing the Status Law. Romania and Hungary signed an agreement on
22 December that prohibits the law's enforcement in Romania (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 28 December 2001). ZsM
[62] COMMITTEE FOR 'DE-RUSSIFICATION' OF MOLDOVAN SCHOOLS ESTABLISHED
Participants at a 3 January meeting in Chisinau protesting the
introduction of compulsory Russian-language classes in schools
established the "Committee for De-Russification of Moldovan Schools,"
Flux reported. According to a press release, the committee is a
response to the "dramatic situation in the educational system." The
committee is to fight against the "abusive and totalitarian measures of
the Communist government." The committee launched a
signature-collecting campaign against the introduction of Russian
classes. ZsM
[63] BULGARIA RENEWS RELATIONS WITH IRAN
During his three-day official visit to Iran, Bulgarian Foreign Minister
Solomon Pasi met his Iranian counterpart, Kamal Kharazi, in Tehran on 5
January, BTA reported (see also "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 January 2002).
After the meeting, the ministers expressed their satisfaction that the
two countries have renewed relations, which had been suspended for more
than 10 years. "We discussed various options for fuel transportation
from this region to Europe, and one of these options is a corridor via
Bulgaria," Kharazi said after the meeting. Pasi, who was accompanied by
a business delegation, was also received by Iranian President Mohammad
Khatami. "If just a few of the 30 businessmen who accompany me manage
to establish fine business relations with Iranian partners, this will
be a success," Pasi said. UB
[64] BULGARIA FORMS ANTI-HUMAN TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE
Bulgarian authorities inaugurated a National Human Trafficking Task
Force Center at the National Service for Combating Organized Crime, BTA
reported on 4 January. The staff of the new center will be made up of
members of the National Police Service, the Border Police, and the
National Central Bureau of Interpol. A special agent of the FBI, Victor
Moore, will assist the center in its efforts to coordinate the work of
several involved government services. The U.S. State Department
supported the facility with a $90,000 grant. Interior Minister Georgi
Petkanov thanked U.S. Ambassador Richard Miles for that help. Last
year, Bulgarian authorities registered some 10,000 cases of illegal
border crossings. UB
[65] BULGARIA TO CONCLUDE EU ACCESSION TALKS IN 2003?
Bulgarian chief negotiator with the EU Meglena Kuneva said in an
interview with Bulgarian National Radio that EU accession talks could
be completed in 2003, BTA reported on 6 January. Her statement came
following a visit by a delegation from the European Commission.
Dimitris Kourkoulas, who headed the delegation, said he is optimistic
about Bulgaria's EU membership prospects. He added that the European
Commission will continue to assist Bulgaria in the negotiation process.
UB
[66] ANALYSIS SAYS BULGARIA HAS IMPROVED INTERNATIONAL STANDING
An analysis by the investment bank J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. said that
Bulgaria's international reputation has improved considerably during
the past months, BTA reported on 7 January. The IMF and the World Bank
are ready to support the government's economic plans with new loans
worth $500 million to $1 billion over the coming two or three years,
according to the agency. Main European institutions acknowledge the
country's progress toward a market economy. The Bulgarian Finance
Ministry published a version of the report, which states that the most
critical issues in the short term will be the reform of the energy
sector, the privatization of large enterprises, and the implementation
of the 2002 budget. UB
END NOTE
[67] There is no End Note today.
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