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RFE/RL Newsline, 02-10-23
CONTENTS
[01] RUSSIA UNHAPPY WITH U.S. IRAQ RESOLUTION...
[02] ...AS WEBSITE SUGGESTS MOSCOW MIGHT TOPPLE HUSSEIN BEFORE
[03] ENVOY SAYS TRANSITIONAL SOLUTION TO KALININGRAD ISSUE PENDING...
[04] ...AS ATOMIC ENERGY MINISTER ADDS TO RUSSIAN PRESSURE ON EU...
[05] ...AND PRIME MINISTER ORDERS FERRY SERVICE FOR KALININGRAD
[06] MORE RESOURCES, STAFF DEVOTED TO KALININGRAD ISSUE
[07] SPS PERSUADES UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION LEADER TO DROP DEMAND FOR
[08] RUSSIANS, IRANIANS DISCUSS NUCLEAR TIES
[09] RUSSIAN-TURKISH GAS PIPELINE COMPLETED
[10] OPPOSITION CANDIDATE IN KALMYKIA CALLS FOR FEDERAL
[11] ...AS QUICK TURNAROUND FOR SECOND ROUND SAID TO BENEFIT LEADER
[12] PROSPECT OF KOKH AS BOSS HAS TVS JOURNALISTS THREATENING TO BOLT
[13] PROSECUTOR-GENERAL ISSUES FRAUD INDICTMENT FOR BEREZOVSKII
[14] CONSORTIUM BIDS FOR CONTROL OVER FAIRCHILD DORNIER
[15] BATTLE BETWEEN SARATOV GOVERNOR AND MAYOR HEATS UP...
[16] ...AS COLD CLOSES FAR EASTERN SCHOOLS...
[17] ...AND COUNTRY BRACES FOR ANOTHER WINTER
[18] ALL IN THE FAMILY
[19] LEBED MUSEUM IN THE WORKS
[20] WALKING TOGETHER MARCHES ON LENIN'S TOMB
[21] SENATOR WONDERS IF KYOTO ACCORD IS IN RUSSIA'S INTERESTS
[22] CHECHEN PRESIDENT SAYS HE CONTROLS 'ALMOST' ALL RESISTANCE
[23] ...DENIES LINKS WITH AL-QAEDA...
[24] ...EVALUATES PEACE PROPOSALS
[25] FEDERATION COUNCIL SPEAKER RULES OUT TALKS WITH MASKHADOV
[26] CHECHEN PREMIER SAYS WESTERN ESTIMATES OF WAR CASUALTIES TOO HIGH
[27] PRO-PRESIDENTIAL PARTY QUESTIONS REPORTED OUTCOME OF ARMENIAN
[28] ARMENIAN JOURNALIST INJURED IN GRENADE ATTACK
[29] DETAINED SPY IMPLICATED IN THWARTED ARMENIAN HOTEL BOMB ATTACK
[30] AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARY DEPUTIES VOTE TO DONATE PART OF SALARY
[31] GEORGIAN OFFICIALS DENY HANDING AL-QAEDA MEMBERS OVER TO U.S.
[32] GEORGIAN INTERIOR MINISTER ANNOUNCES 'NEW PHASE' OF PANKISI
[33] PARLIAMENTARY DEPUTIES FROM ADJARIA FAIL IN BID TO IMPEACH
[34] ...ACCUSE ABKHAZ PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILE CHAIRMAN OF PLANNING
[35] GEORGIAN MINISTER OF STATE APPEALS TO EU TO RELEASE GRANTS
[36] GEORGIAN NGOS, OPPOSITION PROTEST DELAY IN LOCAL-ELECTION VOTE
[37] GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES CONCORDAT
[38] NEW KAZAKH DRAFT LAW ON LAND OWNERSHIP UNVEILED
[39] RUSSIAN PRESIDENT HAILS 'STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP' WITH KAZAKHSTAN
[40] NEW CHAIRMAN OF KAZAKH 'PRESIDENTIAL PARTY' APPOINTED
[41] TAJIK PRESIDENT COMPLAINS THAT AID PLEDGES NOT MET
[42] UN SECRETARY-GENERAL VISITS TURKMENISTAN
[43] TURKMENISTAN SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH DANISH OIL COMPANY
[44] CHINA GRANTS UZBEKISTAN INTEREST-FREE LOAN
[45] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT WANTS TO EXPAND TIES WITH IRAQ
[46] BELARUSIAN SCHOOLGIRL, SEEKING INSTRUCTION IN MOTHER TONGUE, PLAYS
[47] UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR-GENERAL DECLINES TO HALT CASE AGAINST
[48] ...AND CLAIMS TO HAVE CONVINCED U.S. OFFICIALS THAT UKRAINE DIDN'T
[49] MORE THAN 100,000 UKRAINIAN CHILDREN SAID TO BE HOMELESS
[50] ESTONIA'S CULTURE FUND GETS NEW MANAGER
[51] ESTONIA WON'T CANCEL ILLEGALLY ISSUED PASSPORTS
[52] OFFICIAL RESULTS OF LATVIAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED
[53] EURO TO BECOME LEGAL TENDER IN LITHUANIA
[54] LITHUANIA DEEMED 'MOST DEPENDENT' ON NUCLEAR POWER
[55] SOLIDARITY PROTESTS POLISH GOVERNMENT POLICY IN SHIPYARD
[56] ...AND STRIKES COOPERATION DEAL WITH LEFTIST TRADE UNION IN
[57] POLISH DAILY ACCUSES MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OF PROFITING FROM
[58] CZECH OPPOSITION PARTY SUBMITS AMENDMENT AIMED AT DIRECT
[59] EU HOPEFULS HOLD TALKS IN PRAGUE
[60] REPORT: CZECHS WILL MAKE 'MORAL GESTURE' ON BENES DECREES
[61] SLOVAKIA SEEKS TO INCREASE ROLE IN WAR ON TERRORISM
[62] LARGE MAJORITY OF SLOVAKS SAID TO SUPPORT EARLY EU MEMBERSHIP
[63] HUNGARIAN BY-ELECTIONS DUE IN 38 MUNICIPALITIES
[64] HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT ADRESSES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
[65] HUNGARIAN RADIO PROGRAM'S EDITOR FIRED FOR VIOLATING CAMPAIGN
[66] WASHINGTON WARNS BELGRADE OVER ARMS SALES TO IRAQ...
[67] ...AS YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT MEETS IN EMERGENCY SESSION...
[68] ...AND QUESTIONS REMAIN
[69] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT ACCUSED OF HOLDING UP THE ARREST OF MLADIC
[70] HAGUE TRIBUNAL REJECTS CROATIAN APPEAL
[71] KOSOVA'S CIVILIAN HEAD OUTLINES IDEAS ON DECENTRALIZATION...
[72] ...TO A LUKEWARM RECEPTION FROM THE SERBS...
[73] ...AND A MIXED RESPONSE FROM THE ALBANIANS
[74] UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VISITS MACEDONIA
[75] FORMER QUEEN OF ALBANIA DIES
[76] ROMANIAN RULING PARTY AND ALLY EVALUATE COOPERATION
[77] DUMA SPEAKER ADMITS RUSSIA HAS SUPPORTED TRANSDNIESTER
[78] ...HINTS THAT RUSSIA MIGHT NOT MEET OSCE DEADLINES ON TROOP
[79] ...AND WANTS RUSSIAN LANGUAGE TO HAVE MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN
[80] BULGARIAN SOCIALIST PARTY OPPOSES CALLS TO AMEND CONSTITUTION
[81] There is no End Note today.
23 October 2002
RUSSIA
[01] RUSSIA UNHAPPY WITH U.S. IRAQ RESOLUTION...
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said the latest draft of a new UN
resolution on Iraq proposed by the United States is unacceptable to
Russia, RTR and other Russian news agencies reported on 23 October. "We
want the UN resolution to ensure the efficient work of the UN [weapons]
inspectors. It must be realistic and not include a provision for the
automatic use of force," he said. Ivanov added that Russia will
continue to work on a compromise version of the resolution. VY
[02] ...AS WEBSITE SUGGESTS MOSCOW MIGHT TOPPLE HUSSEIN BEFORE
WASHINGTON DOES
The Russian government and Russian oil giants, especially LUKoil, have
serious concerns that a post-Saddam Hussein Iraqi government installed
by the United States might be unfriendly to Russia and its economic
interests, pravda.ru wrote on 23 October. LUKoil has more than $20
billion in contracts in Iraq, and company Vice President Leonid Fedun
has expressed the fear that a post-Hussein regime might break some or
all of those agreements. He said the company has had no reassurances
from the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. At the same
time, Hussein's regime also irritates Russia's oil majors by urging
them to undertake projects that challenge international sanctions
against Iraq. Therefore, the website speculated, it is not
inconceivable that forces of Russian military intelligence (GRU) could
appear suddenly in Baghdad and arrange the quick, honorable surrender
of Hussein "in order to save the country from the horror of another
war." The website recalled the rapid movement of Russian paratroopers
into the Prishtina airport in Kosova in 1999, which took NATO
completely by surprise. VY
[03] ENVOY SAYS TRANSITIONAL SOLUTION TO KALININGRAD ISSUE PENDING...
The EU's Council of Foreign Ministers has decided to postpone a final
decision on the Kaliningrad issue, presidential envoy to the EU on
Kaliningrad Dmitrii Rogozin told reporters on 22 October, ITAR-TASS
reported. Rogozin said that Lithuania "will be allowed to find,
together with Russia, a form of control over railway transit that will
satisfy both sides," and, in the meantime, the current status of such
transit will continue until 1 July 2003. According to Rogozin, while a
final decision on Kaliningrad will not be adopted in the near future, a
solution for the transition period will be "legally formalized."
Speaking on the same day, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said a
solution to the problem of access to Kaliningrad Oblast following
expected European Union expansion will be resolved at an EU-Russia
summit in Copenhagen on 11 November (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 October
2002). JAC
[04] ...AS ATOMIC ENERGY MINISTER ADDS TO RUSSIAN PRESSURE ON EU...
Atomic Energy Minister Aleksandr Rumyantsev told Ekho Moskvy on 22
October that his ministry is considering constructing a floating
nuclear-power plant in Kaliningrad. Rumyantsev said the future prospect
of the closure of the Ignalina nuclear-power plant in Lithuania has
prompted the ministry to look into the feasibility of building a
floating station using nuclear reactors decommissioned from atomic
icebreakers or submarines. He said the ministry already has about 20
blueprints. Ekho Moskvy reported that Rumyantsev described the move not
as a threat but as an economic necessity. JAC
[05] ...AND PRIME MINISTER ORDERS FERRY SERVICE FOR KALININGRAD
Speaking at a session of the Naval Collegium in Kaliningrad, Prime
Minister Kasyanov said he has directed authorities to launch a ferry
service between the Kaliningrad Oblast port of Baltiisk and St.
Petersburg by 1 January 2003, Russian news agencies reported. The ferry
"Rus," capable of carrying 70 cars, 40 trailer trucks, and up to 400
passengers, will be brought to the exclave from the Far East, Kasyanov
said. He also said that, under the terms of a bilateral agreement,
Russian cargo trains crossing Lithuanian territory after that country
enters the EU will not have to undergo customs inspections. VY
[06] MORE RESOURCES, STAFF DEVOTED TO KALININGRAD ISSUE
State Duma Deputy Sergei Shishkarev (People's Deputy) has been named
head of Rogozin's Kaliningrad office, BNS reported on 22 October.
Rogozin, who is also chairman of the Duma's Foreign Relations
Committee, is a member of the People's Deputy faction. It was not clear
from the BNS report whether Shishkarev will give up his Duma seat or
will continue in both capacities as Rogozin has. Shishkarev was elected
from a single-mandate district in Krasnodar Krai. JAC
[07] SPS PERSUADES UKRAINIAN OPPOSITION LEADER TO DROP DEMAND FOR
KUCHMA'S RESIGNATION
Speaking to reporters after a 22 October meeting in Moscow with Viktor
Yushchenko, head of the Our Ukraine opposition bloc, Union of Rightist
Forces (SPS) leaders Boris Nemtsov and Irina Khakamada said they have
convinced Yushchenko to drop his call for Ukrainian President Leonid
Kuchma's resignation, ntvru.com reported. Nemtsov also said that
Yushchenko was invited to Moscow by SPS in order to strengthen his ties
with the Kremlin. Yushchenko has agreed to open an Our Ukraine office
in Moscow as part of an effort to dispel his image as a "pro-American"
politician. VY
[08] RUSSIANS, IRANIANS DISCUSS NUCLEAR TIES
A delegation from Iran's Atomic Energy Organization met in Moscow on 22
October with Atomic Energy Minister Rumyantsev, Interfax-AVN reported.
Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Gholam Reza Shafei also attended the
meeting, at which the two countries discussed the possibility of
amending the agreement on Russian assistance in the construction of a
nuclear-power plant in Bushehr ("RFE/RL Newsline," 20 August 2002). The
amendment concerns the return of spent nuclear fuel to Russia. "The
Washington Post" reported the same day that U.S. officials have failed
to persuade their Russian counterparts to cease work on the Bushehr
plant. The U.S. officials reportedly promised that the White House
would work on lifting restrictions on Russia's import of spent nuclear
fuel in exchange for an end to Moscow's nuclear cooperation with
Tehran. The Russians indicated their skepticism of U.S. promises,
noting that the U.S. commitment to lift the Jackson-Vanik trade
restrictions has not yet been fulfilled. Atomic Energy Ministry
spokesman Yurii Bespalko said Russia would rather have the $800 million
from the Bushehr project than depend on U.S. promises of future
benefits, according to "The Washington Post." BS
[09] RUSSIAN-TURKISH GAS PIPELINE COMPLETED
Turkish Energy Minister Zeki Cakan on 20 October welded together the
last two sections of the $3.2 billion Blue Stream gas-export pipeline
in the Black Sea port of Samsun, the "Turkish Daily News" reported on
21 October. The underwater section of the pipeline extends 360
kilometers from the Russian port of Dzhubga to Samsun. A separate
501-kilometer section extends from Samsun to Ankara. The first test
deliveries of gas will be made in December. The agreement to build Blue
Stream was signed in December 1997, and construction began in September
2001. The pipeline will increase Turkey's reliance on Russian natural
gas from 66 percent to around 80 percent. In 2003, Turkey will import 3
billion cubic meters of Russian gas, rising to 16 billion in 2008. LF
[10] OPPOSITION CANDIDATE IN KALMYKIA CALLS FOR FEDERAL
INTERFERENCE...
In an interview with RFE/RL's Russian Service aired on 22 October, High
Technology Bank Chairman Baatyr Shondzhiev, who is a candidate in
Kalymkia's presidential race, said he hopes federal government
officials will intervene in Kalmykia. Shondzhiev will compete against
incumbent President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in the second round of elections
on 27 October. "[Ilyumzhinov's] regime is that of a typical Asian
despot, but fortunately the republic is located in the Russian
Federation. Therefore, the smallest federal interference will pull down
the whole system, the whole pyramid of Eastern despotism," Shondzhiev
said. Ivan Ryzhkov, head of Yabloko's regional organization, told
RFE/RL that the federal election law, which stipulates that all
candidates be allowed some free airtime on local television and radio,
was not observed during the election's first round. JAC
[11] ...AS QUICK TURNAROUND FOR SECOND ROUND SAID TO BENEFIT LEADER
"Kommersant-Daily" reported on 23 October that holding the second round
so quickly after the first all but guarantees that Ilyumzhinov will
win. Ilyumzhinov received 46.7 percent of the vote in the first round
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 October 2002). According to the daily, the
republican election commission announced the date of the second round
in record time, one minute after midnight on the date established by
law. JAC
[12] PROSPECT OF KOKH AS BOSS HAS TVS JOURNALISTS THREATENING TO BOLT
Journalists at TVS, which holds the license for Russia's Channel 6 and
was formerly known as TV-6, have reportedly declared their intention to
quit if former Gazprom-Media head Alfred Kokh is named the station's
general director, lenta.ru reported on 22 October. The possibility of
Kokh serving in that capacity was raised at a session of the station's
board of directors on 22 October. According to "The Moscow Times," all
the station's shareholders had agreed to Kokh's candidacy.
"Kommersant-Daily" on 21 October quoted Yevgenii Kiselev, who heads the
station's journalists, as saying Kokh's nomination is "absolutely
unacceptable." The board subsequently announced that the decision of
who will be appointed general director will be taken up at the board's
next session, which is expected to be held next week. Meanwhile, "The
Moscow Times" cited an unidentified source at the Media Ministry as
saying that TVS has lost as much as $180 million so far this year.
JAC/RC
[13] PROSECUTOR-GENERAL ISSUES FRAUD INDICTMENT FOR BEREZOVSKII
Deputy Prosecutor-General Vladimir Kolesnikov announced on 22 October
that his office has issued an indictment against self-exiled tycoon
Boris Berezovskii for "particularly massive fraud," polit.ru reported.
Indictments were also issued against two close Berezovskii associates,
Badri Patarkatsishvili and Yurii Dubrov. Kolesnikov said the indictment
stems from an investigation into a car-sale fraud allegedly arranged
through Berezovskii's automobile dealership LogoVAZ (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 12 September 2002), where Patarkatsishvili and Dubrov worked
as executives. Because all three men are currently living abroad,
Kolesnikov said Russia will ask Interpol to expedite their extradition
to Russia. Kolesnikov said that arrest warrants for all three men will
be issued soon and that prosecutors will seek to freeze all of
Berezovskii's assets in Russia. VY
[14] CONSORTIUM BIDS FOR CONTROL OVER FAIRCHILD DORNIER
The Base Element holding, which is controlled by aluminum magnate Oleg
Deripaska, and Irkutsk Aviation Corporation (IAPO), Russia's leading
producer of Sukhoi combat aircraft, have submitted a joint bid for
control of bankrupt German aircraft producer Fairchild Dornier,
"Vedomosti" and other Russian news agencies reported on 22 October.
Fairchild Dornier controls 20 percent of the global market in regional
jets. Aircraft producers Ilyushin and OKB Sukhoi have also submitted a
bid together with U.S. producer Boeing, while MiG is bidding jointly
with Tupolev. VY
[15] BATTLE BETWEEN SARATOV GOVERNOR AND MAYOR HEATS UP...
Saratov Oblast Vice Governor Aleksandr Miroshin has sent a telegram to
the oblast's prosecutor asking that Saratov Mayor Yurii Aksenenko be
held criminally liable for not fulfilling his duties, regions.ru
reported on 22 October. According to the website, Miroshin contends
that Aksenenko's neglect was responsible for the lack of heat in
downtown Saratov that day, which left 18 schools and the homes of some
300,000 residents in the cold. Because of the lack of heat, more than
16,000 schoolchildren were sent home. This is only the most recent
attempt by Saratov Governor Dmitrii Ayatskov and his deputies to
dismiss Aksenenko. Last May, according to the local newspaper
"Bogatei," Miroshin was coordinating the collection of signatures
demanding Aksenenko's resignation. JAC
[16] ...AS COLD CLOSES FAR EASTERN SCHOOLS...
Five schools and four kindergartens in Kamchatka were closed on 22
October because of a lack of heat, ntvru.com reported. According to the
report, Unified Energy Systems has not yet agreed to supply heat to
homes and businesses in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii because debts from
last year have not yet been restructured. Temperatures inside the
closed schools fell to 8-10 degrees Celsius. There is also no heat in
Municipal Hospital No. 2, according to the report. RC
[17] ...AND COUNTRY BRACES FOR ANOTHER WINTER
Deputy Chairman of the State Construction Committee Sergei Kruglik said
the winter heating season is in full swing in 42 subjects of the
Russian Federation, RosBalt reported on 21 October. Eighty-eight
percent of the country's housing is prepared for the coming winter, as
are 92 percent of its heating plants and 92 percent of the heating
pipelines. He reported that 58 percent of the needed coal and 46
percent of the necessary fuel oil has been stockpiled. He conceded that
the two latter indicators are about 20 percent lower than at the same
time last year, primarily because suppliers are withholding shipments
over debt issues. RC
[18] ALL IN THE FAMILY
Bashkortostan President Murtaza Rakhimov is reportedly grooming his
son, Ural, to replace him as president following the end of his current
term, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported on 22 October citing
"Ekspert-Ural." The weekly said recent changes in Bashkortostan's
economic policy, including the privatization of the republic's largest
industrial companies, such as the Bashkir Fuel Company, Bashneftekhim,
and Bashneft, were likely initiated by Ural Rakhimov. In the same
commentary, the weekly added that resentment over Ural Rakhimov's
growing influence is rising among Bashkir politicians. The paper said
that Prime Minister Rafael Baidavletov is losing his traditional role
supervising economic policy, and influential Deputy Prime Minister
Engels Qolmokhemetov, who used to be in charge of the oil sector in the
republican cabinet of ministers, was recently given the task of
monitoring a less important sector of the economy. The paper said a
broad coalition of disgruntled politicians has emerged, although they
are not likely to voice their displeasure too loudly yet. JAC
[19] LEBED MUSEUM IN THE WORKS
The government of the Republic of Khakasia decided on 22 October to
open a museum dedicated to late Krasnoyarsk Krai Governor Aleksandr
Lebed in the city of Chernogorsk, ntvru.com reported on 22 October.
Lebed's younger brother, Aleksei, is president of Khakasia. The small
museum will be located in a wing of a veterans' hospital, which will
itself be named for Aleksandr Lebed. According to the website, the
Cadets Corps in Krasnoyarsk Krai also plans to open a Lebed museum. JAC
[20] WALKING TOGETHER MARCHES ON LENIN'S TOMB
The pro-Putin youth movement Walking Together held a demonstration in
front of Vladimir Lenin's mausoleum on Red Square on 22 October, dni.ru
and other Russian news agencies reported. "Young people don't
understand well Lenin's place in the history of Russia, and this
enables contemporary proletarian leaders to continue speculative
maneuvers with his corpse, drawing from it new political and financial
profits," Walking Together leader Vasilii Yakimenko was quoted by
Interfax as saying. Activists handed out brochures with figures on the
number of people who died during the Civil War of the 1920s and the
amount of gold that was sold abroad by the Bolsheviks, as well as a
list of writers, scientists, and philosophers who fled the country
after the revolution. The group symbolically visited the mausoleum "one
last time" before calling for Lenin's body to be buried. RC
[21] SENATOR WONDERS IF KYOTO ACCORD IS IN RUSSIA'S INTERESTS
Russia should not rush to ratify the Kyoto Accord on Global Climate
Change, Federation Council Science, Culture, Education, Health, and
Ecology Committee Chairman Viktor Shudergov said on 21 October, RosBalt
reported. "We must calculate and anticipate the maximum possible
improvement for our own industry so that in a few years we don't find
ourselves purchasing [pollution] quotas," Shudergov said. He said
Russia is currently the world's "major supplier" of oxygen in the
atmosphere and that other countries are using Russia's biological
resources to develop their industries. He was also sharply critical of
the United States, saying that that country has every possibility to
reduce its own emissions but refuses to do so. Commenting on the recent
global development summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Shudergov
said, "It would have been more useful if the main source of ecological
pollution, the United States, had participated." RC
[22] CHECHEN PRESIDENT SAYS HE CONTROLS 'ALMOST' ALL RESISTANCE
FIGHTERS...
In an interview carried by chechenpress.com on 23 October, Aslan
Maskhadov admitted that at the beginning of the current war, Chechnya's
"numerous enemies" succeeded in driving a wedge between the various
contingents of Chechen fighters. (It is not clear whether that
statement is intended as direct corroboration that the FSB played a
role in persuading field commander Shamil Basaev to launch his
ill-fated incursion into Daghestan in August 1999.) But, he added,
since then, those commanders who initially fought independently have
come to him and requested to fight under his leadership. Maskhadov
professed to be "extremely satisfied that almost all those bearing arms
are under my control." But elsewhere in the interview he claimed, "All
armed fighters are under my leadership." LF
[23] ...DENIES LINKS WITH AL-QAEDA...
Maskhadov also categorically denied that any of the guerrillas fighting
under his command have any connections with Al-Qaeda. He said that if
concrete evidence is provided to the contrary, he will act "in
accordance with accepted international practice." Maskhadov estimated
the number of mercenaries who have fought in the Chechen ranks since
the outbreak of the 1994-96 war as "a couple of hundred, most of whom
are Caucasians." He said the number of Arab mercenaries who came to
fight for the Chechen cause "can be counted on the fingers [of both
hands]." LF
[24] ...EVALUATES PEACE PROPOSALS
Maskhadov described the Chechen peace plan proposed by Zbigniew
Brzezinski, Alexander Haig, and Max Kampelman, which envisages Chechnya
remaining a subject of the Russian Federation (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
21 June 2002), as a demonstration of U.S. concern over the ongoing war,
and he expressed the hope that the initiative will be developed. He
hailed former Security Council Secretary Ivan Rybkin's involvement in
the search for a settlement of the conflict, noting Rybkin's
contribution to the signing in May 1997 of the bilateral Treaty on
Peace and the Principles of Mutual Relations, which Maskhadov termed a
basis for determining future relations between Russia and Chechnya.
Maskhadov also stressed that former Prime Minister Yevgenii Primakov's
call for peace talks (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 September 2002) is "a
good sign," coming from "a very experienced and knowledgeable
politician." Maskhadov was clearly less enthusiastic about former
Russian Duma Speaker Ruslan Khasbulatov's proposal that Chechnya be
granted internationally guaranteed autonomous status (see "RFE/RL
Caucasus Report," 15 February 2002 and 19 July 2002). Maskhadov said he
does not agree with all its provisions, but that it could become "a
basis for negotiations." He added that he maintains regular contact
with Khasbulatov. LF
[25] FEDERATION COUNCIL SPEAKER RULES OUT TALKS WITH MASKHADOV
Sergei Mironov told journalists in Moscow on 22 October that he
considers the upcoming talks in Switzerland between Maskhadov's envoy,
Chechen Vice Premier Akhmed Zakaev; Rybkin; and Khasbulatov pointless,
Interfax reported. He argued that, instead, Moscow should seek contacts
in Chechnya with "those healthy and constructive forces that are
clearly observing the laws and the Russian Constitution." LF
[26] CHECHEN PREMIER SAYS WESTERN ESTIMATES OF WAR CASUALTIES TOO HIGH
Interfax on 22 October quoted Stanislav Ilyasov as claiming that
Western estimates of the number of people killed during the first and
second Chechen wars are too high. He said the combined death toll is no
higher than 10,000. Western estimates put the death toll in the 1994-96
war at between 80,000 and 100,000 and in the second war at between
20,000 and 40,000. Ilyasov further argued that it is impossible to try
to estimate the current Chechen population on the basis of the 1989
Soviet census figures, because since 1989 "many people have left
Chechnya." LF
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[27] PRO-PRESIDENTIAL PARTY QUESTIONS REPORTED OUTCOME OF ARMENIAN
LOCAL ELECTIONS
Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan on 22 October, Artur
Baghdasarian, chairman of the Orinats Yerkir (Law-Based State) party,
accused Prime Minister Andranik Markarian's Republican Party of Armenia
(HHK) of using its leverage with local officials to "distort" the
outcome of the 20 October local elections in which the HHK won an
impressive victory, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. Baghdasarian
claimed that some voters cast two ballots for HHK candidates and that
some ballots were cast on behalf of deceased voters. At the same time,
Baghdasarian said his party is satisfied with the outcome of the poll,
in which it appears to have won the second largest representation on
local councils after the HHK. In an interview with Armenian Public
Television, Central Election Commission Chairman Artak Sahradian
admitted the voting was marred by shortcomings, according to Arminfo,
as cited by Groong. LF
[28] ARMENIAN JOURNALIST INJURED IN GRENADE ATTACK
Caucasus Media Institute Deputy Director Mark Grigorian was
hospitalized late on 22 October with serious injuries after a grenade
exploded under his feet on the street in Yerevan, according to Noyan
Tapan and Arminfo, as cited by Groong. LF
[29] DETAINED SPY IMPLICATED IN THWARTED ARMENIAN HOTEL BOMB ATTACK
One of the four persons arrested two months ago on charges of spying
for Azerbaijan was allegedly involved in a failed bid to explode a bomb
at Yerevan's Erebuni Hotel in May 1993, Noyan Tapan reported on 22
October, quoting the National Security Ministry (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
22 and 28 August 2002). LF
[30] AZERBAIJANI PARLIAMENTARY DEPUTIES VOTE TO DONATE PART OF SALARY
TO DEFENSE FUND
Parliamentary deputies voted on 22 October to contribute 25 percent of
their monthly salary of 2 million manats (approximately $408) to a
charitable fund created two months ago by President Heidar Aliev to
help modernize and equip the Azerbaijani armed forces, Turan reported
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 August 2002). Donations to the fund to date
total 500 million manats. Organizations that have donated money or
announced their intention to do so are named daily on the main
television news programs, Turan added. LF
[31] GEORGIAN OFFICIALS DENY HANDING AL-QAEDA MEMBERS OVER TO U.S.
Georgian presidential press secretary Kakha Imnadze on 22 October
denied that in a telephone conversation the previous day with the
"Washington Post" he confirmed a "Time" magazine report that Tbilisi
has "very probably" handed over to the United States more than a dozen
Arab militants apprehended in a raid on the Pankisi Gorge, including
two alleged Al-Qaeda operatives, Interfax and Caucasus Press reported.
Imnadze said that he neither confirmed nor denied the "Time" report.
But he admitted to journalists in Tbilisi on 22 October that several
Arabs have been detained in Pankisi. Deputy Interior Minister Nika
Laliashvili said on 22 October that the "Time" report is untrue,
Interfax reported on 22 October. LF
[32] GEORGIAN INTERIOR MINISTER ANNOUNCES 'NEW PHASE' OF PANKISI
OPERATION
Following a visit with Interior Minister Koba Narchemashvili to eastern
Georgia on 22 October, Georgian State Security Minister Valeri
Khaburzania announced that a new stage of the antiterrorism operation
in the Pankisi Gorge will be launched soon, Caucasus Press reported.
The new phase will entail locating and apprehending the estimated 50-60
Chechens still on Georgian territory (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 October
2002). Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze said on 30 September that
the "active phase" of the antiterrorism operation in Pankisi was over,
while RIA-Novosti quoted Narchemashvili on 1 October as announcing the
beginning of the fourth stage. The next stage will therefore presumably
be the fifth. LF
[33] PARLIAMENTARY DEPUTIES FROM ADJARIA FAIL IN BID TO IMPEACH
GEORGIAN PRESIDENT...
The opposition Aghordzineba (Revival) faction collected only 30
signatures on 22 October in support of its bid to impeach President
Shevardnadze, less than half the minimum 79 required, Caucasus Press
reported. Faction head Djemal Gogitidze argued that Shevardnadze's
"weak" and "criminal" policy has resulted in the central authorities'
loss of control over the breakaway republics of Abkhazia and South
Ossetia. Caucasus Press observed that other factions are unlikely to
support the impeachment initiative, which they consider an extension of
the ongoing standoff between Shevardnadze and Adjar Supreme Council
Chairman Aslan Abashidze over Adjaria's systematic withholding of the
tax revenues it should transfer to the central Georgian budget. LF
[34] ...ACCUSE ABKHAZ PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILE CHAIRMAN OF PLANNING
ABASHIDZE'S MURDER
In a 22 October statement, Gogitidze accused Tamaz Nadareishvili,
chairman of the Tbilisi-based Abkhaz parliament-in-exile, of planning
Abashidze's assassination, Caucasus Press reported. Gogitidze claimed
that Nadareishvili controls most of the Georgian guerrillas active in
the Abkhaz conflict zone. LF
[35] GEORGIAN MINISTER OF STATE APPEALS TO EU TO RELEASE GRANTS
Meeting in Tbilisi on 22 October with ambassadors from EU member
states, Minister of State Avtandil Djorbenadze pleaded for the EU to
release the grants earmarked for Georgia and upon which fulfillment of
this year's budget largely depends, Caucasus Press reported. The EU has
said it will not make the grants available until the Georgian
authorities secure the release of British consultant Peter Shaw, who
was abducted in Tbilisi four months ago (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 2 and
10 October 2002). LF
[36] GEORGIAN NGOS, OPPOSITION PROTEST DELAY IN LOCAL-ELECTION VOTE
RECOUNT
Members of the opposition National Movement blocked traffic on
Tbilisi's main Rustaveli Prospect on 22 October to demand that the
Central Election Commission speed up the recount of votes cast for the
Tbilisi City Council in the 2 June local elections, Caucasus Press
reported. Commission Chairman Djumber Lominadze promised NGOs last week
that the recount will be completed by the end of this month. LF
[37] GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT RATIFIES CONCORDAT
By a vote of 203 in favor and one against, deputies on 22 October
ratified the Concordat signed last week between the Georgian State and
the Georgian Orthodox Church, Caucasus Press reported (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 15 October 2002). The Holy Synod ratified the accord on 17
October. LF
[38] NEW KAZAKH DRAFT LAW ON LAND OWNERSHIP UNVEILED
At its first session in Astana on 22 October, Kazakhstan's National
Council -- which comprises representatives from the government,
parliament, trade unions, presidential administration, and business
community -- approved a draft Land Code that would legalize private
ownership of farm land and ordered the government to submit the final
version to parliament by 1 December 2002, Interfax reported. Addressing
the council, President Nursultan Nazarbaev said he would agree to a
national referendum on private land ownership. An earlier draft bill
allowing private ownership of agricultural land was abandoned due to
widespread protests. The long-term leasing of agricultural land is,
however, permitted (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 December 2000). LF
[39] RUSSIAN PRESIDENT HAILS 'STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP' WITH KAZAKHSTAN
In a message to Nazarbaev to mark the 10th anniversary of diplomatic
relations between their two countries, Russian President Vladimir Putin
characterized bilateral relations as "a strategic partnership," and
Kazakhstan as "Russia's closest and most consistent ally," Interfax
reported on 22 October. During a telephone conversation the same day,
the two presidents discussed Nazarbaev's proposal to designate 2003 the
Year of Kazakhstan in Russia and ways to increase the effectiveness of
the CIS Collective Security Treaty Organization and the Eurasian
Economic Union, according to Interfax. LF
[40] NEW CHAIRMAN OF KAZAKH 'PRESIDENTIAL PARTY' APPOINTED
Nazarbaev signed a decree on 22 October removing former Premier Sergei
Tereshchenko from the post of chairman of the pro-Nazarbaev OTAN party,
which he has occupied since the party was established in the wake of
the January 1999 presidential elections, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 January 1999). Tereshchenko's new
post has not yet been disclosed. His successor is Almaty businessman
Amangeldy Ermegiyaev. LF
[41] TAJIK PRESIDENT COMPLAINS THAT AID PLEDGES NOT MET
During talks on 21 October with visiting UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan, Imomali Rakhmonov said that post-war reconstruction has been
hampered by donors' failure to provide more than a fraction of the more
than $1 billion in aid they pledged at the end of the Tajik civil war
in 1997, Asia Plus-Blitz reported. He noted that donors are now
similarly failing to make good on promises of aid for post-war
reconstruction in Afghanistan. Rakhmonov and Annan discussed post-war
reconstruction and democratization in Tajikistan -- which Annan praised
-- and the struggle against drug trafficking. Rakhmonov requested that
the UN continue to provide funding for the Tajik Drug Control Agency.
LF
[42] UN SECRETARY-GENERAL VISITS TURKMENISTAN
During talks in Ashgabat on 22 October with Turkmenistan's President
Saparmurat Niyazov, Annan expressed the hope that Turkmenistan will
continue providing comprehensive assistance to restore peace and
stability in neighboring Afghanistan, ITAR-TASS reported. Turkmenistan
has to date done no more than permit the use of its transport
infrastructure to ship aid to Afghanistan. Annan noted Turkmenistan's
role in mediating peace in both Tajikistan and Afghanistan, according
to turkmenistan.ru. Niyazov, for his part, solicited UN support for the
planned gas-export pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via
Afghanistan. LF
[43] TURKMENISTAN SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH DANISH OIL COMPANY
President Niyazov and a top Maersk Oil Company official signed a
production-sharing agreement in Ashgabat on 22 October for blocks No.
11 and No. 12 of Turkmenistan's sector of the Caspian Sea, which
contain estimated reserves of 300 million tons of hydrocarbons, Russian
agencies reported. Precise details of the agreement were not disclosed.
LF
[44] CHINA GRANTS UZBEKISTAN INTEREST-FREE LOAN
Uzbek Prime Minister Utkir Sultanov and Chinese Deputy Minister of
Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Wei Tsang-Go have signed an
agreement under which China will make available to Tashkent a 30
million-yuan ($3.6 million) interest-free loan, uza.uz reported on 21
October. The purpose of the loan is unclear. LF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[45] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT WANTS TO EXPAND TIES WITH IRAQ
President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on 22 October charged presidential
administration deputy head Mikalay Ivanchanka with the task of
expanding Belarus's ties with Iraq by involving Belarusian enterprises
in mutual-cooperation programs, Belapan reported, quoting the
presidential press service. Ivanchanka, who co-chairs the
Belarusian-Iraqi Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation, was
briefing Lukashenka on his recent trip to Iraq. Ivanchanka said Belarus
has an opportunity to participate in a number of humanitarian programs
in Iraq by supplying medical equipment and sending Belarusian medical
personnel to Iraq on a paid basis. The presidential press service
stressed that Belarus cooperates with Iraq strictly within the
framework of the UN oil-for-food program. JM
[46] BELARUSIAN SCHOOLGIRL, SEEKING INSTRUCTION IN MOTHER TONGUE, PLAYS
HOOKY
Maryya Karalkova, a fifth-grader from the town of Horki (Mahilyou
Oblast), has skipped her classes for the past two months to protest her
school's inability to ensure instruction in the Belarusian language,
Belapan reported on 22 October. Maryya's parents told the agency that
in previous years it was sufficient for the girl to miss school for a
couple of weeks to make local authorities open a Belarusian-language
class. "We have been promised that our demand [to educate Maryya in
Belarusian] will be satisfied as soon as [local authorities] get an
instruction 'from the top,'" Maryya's mother said, according to
Belapan. JM
[47] UKRAINIAN PROSECUTOR-GENERAL DECLINES TO HALT CASE AGAINST
KUCHMA...
The Supreme Court on 22 October rejected an appeal by
Prosecutor-General Svyatoslav Piskun to rule the criminal case
initiated against President Leonid Kuchma earlier this month illegal,
Ukrainian and international news agencies reported. On 15 October, Kyiv
Court of Appeals Judge Yuriy Vasylenko opened the case against Kuchma
in which the president is charged with violating 11 articles of the
Criminal Code, including his alleged involvement in the illegal sale of
military technology to Iraq and the murder of journalist Heorhiy
Gongadze (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 15 October 2002). Piskun argued that
the Constitution grants Kuchma prosecutorial immunity, but the Supreme
Court sent his appeal to the Court of Appeals, which is expected to
proceed with the case. JM
[48] ...AND CLAIMS TO HAVE CONVINCED U.S. OFFICIALS THAT UKRAINE DIDN'T
SELL KOLCHUGA RADAR SYSTEMS TO IRAQ
"I feel I have managed to convince American experts and lawyers that
Ukraine didn't sell Kolchugas to Iraq," Piskun told journalists on 22
October, referring to his trip to Washington last week. Piskun also
announced that a group of U.S. experts is to come to Kyiv "soon" to
consult Ukrainian officials investigating Gongadze's killing. Moreover,
Piskun said Ukraine has proposed to the United States that a group of
German and Russian experts, with the participation of specialists from
the United States and Ukraine, examine the authenticity of audio
recordings allegedly made by former presidential bodyguard Mykola
Melnychenko in Kuchma's office. JM
[49] MORE THAN 100,000 UKRAINIAN CHILDREN SAID TO BE HOMELESS
Valentyna Shevchenko, chairwoman of the State Committee for Family and
Youth Matters, said on 22 October that there are more than 100,000
homeless children in Ukraine, UNIAN reported. Shevchenko noted that
nearly 20 percent of these children have lost both of their parents.
She also said there are nearly 70,000 families in Ukraine that are
poorly provided for. "We need to work with such families, since most
homeless children and child beggars come from families that are
socially dysfunctional, have many children, or have lost at least one
parent," Shevchenko said. JM
[50] ESTONIA'S CULTURE FUND GETS NEW MANAGER
The Culture Promotion Fund's (Kultuurkapital) governing council elected
Raul Altmae, a 30-year-old former security-police official, from a list
of 17 candidates for managing director on 22 October, BNS reported.
Former Director Avo Viiol was fired after admitting he embezzled some 8
million kroons ($533,000) from the fund's account and gambled it away
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 19 August 2002). The scandal resulted in the
resignation of Culture Minister Signe Kivi on 16 August. Her successor,
Margus Allikmaa, complained it was not easy to find a manager capable
of restoring the fund's reputation and credibility. Altmae will start
working on 1 November. SG
[51] ESTONIA WON'T CANCEL ILLEGALLY ISSUED PASSPORTS
The Estonian cabinet on 22 October endorsed amendments to the
citizenship law that allow people who were ineligible for citizenship
but were given passports 10 years ago due to administrative errors to
keep them, BNS reported. The amendments also would authorize new
identification cards for those whose passports have expired. At least
1,500 passports were issued on the basis of defective documents or
unchecked data, according to research by the Citizenship and Migration
Board. The board sent letters to these individuals telling them they
will have to apply for naturalization again and pass language tests to
gain citizenship. Prime Minister Siim Kallas said people who acted in
good faith should not suffer because of mistakes by officials, but
added that this will not apply to people who knowingly submitted false
information. SG
[52] OFFICIAL RESULTS OF LATVIAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED
The Central Election Committee said on 22 October that official results
of this month's parliamentary elections differ slightly from the
preliminary results (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 7 October 2002), LETA
reported. The left-wing For Human Rights in a United Latvia (PCTVL) was
awarded an additional seat, raising its total to 25, which the rightist
People Union lost to put the number of its deputies at 20. Of the 100
deputies -- 82 men and 18 women -- 33 served in the previous
parliament. Four deputies chose not to list their nationalities, while
the others declared themselves as Latvian (79), Russian (14), Polish
(1), Karelian (1), and Jewish (1). SG
[53] EURO TO BECOME LEGAL TENDER IN LITHUANIA
Parliament voted 63 to one with four abstentions on 22 October to adopt
amendments to the laws on foreign currency and money that eliminate a
provision defining the litas as that the sole legal tender in
Lithuania, ELTA reported. Settlements in foreign currencies will also
be allowed in noncash transactions, and use of the euro will be
permitted by mutual agreement for both cash and noncash settlements.
Parliament Budget and Finance Committee Chairman Algirdas Butkevicius
said, according to ELTA: "This amendment makes the euro equal to the
litas in terms of settlements, except for the provision that these
settlements can be made only upon mutual agreement of the parties." The
move is intended to ease transactions when banks are closed, for
instance, and there is no place to exchange currency. SG
[54] LITHUANIA DEEMED 'MOST DEPENDENT' ON NUCLEAR POWER
The International Atomic Energy Agency (TATENA) released a report on 22
October that put Lithuania's share of nuclear-generated electricity at
77.6 percent of the total 2001 national output, BNS reported. Nuclear
plants produced 11.36 billion of the country's total, 14.64 billion
kilowatt hours, the study found. Lithuania was followed by France (77.1
percent), Belgium (58 percent), Slovakia (53.4 percent), Ukraine (46.4
percent), Sweden (43.9 percent), Bulgaria (41.5 percent), South Korea
(39.3 percent), Hungary (39.1 percent), and Slovenia (39 percent). At
the end of 2001, there were 438 nuclear power plants worldwide
generating 16.2 percent of total electricity. In 2000, France was the
leader with a 76.4 percent share and Lithuania second at 73.7 percent.
SG
[55] SOLIDARITY PROTESTS POLISH GOVERNMENT POLICY IN SHIPYARD
INDUSTRY...
Some 5,000 Solidarity trade unionists led by Solidarity's newly
appointed head, Janusz Sniadek, staged a protest in front of the prime
minister's office in Warsaw on 22 October against what they call the
government's "bad policy" in the shipyard industry, Polish media
reported. Demonstrators demanded a comprehensive rescue plan for Polish
shipyards. Protesters threw firecrackers and set several tires alight
during the rally. A small group clashed with riot police, who cordoned
off the government office. JM
[56] ...AND STRIKES COOPERATION DEAL WITH LEFTIST TRADE UNION IN
SILESIA
Solidarity and the left-wing National Trade Union Accord (OPZZ) in
Silesia Province have agreed to cooperate in defending jobs and
employee rights, PAP reported on 22 October. An accord to this effect
is to be signed by leaders of the regional branches of Solidarity and
OPZZ "soon," the news agency added. "This kind of [cooperation] is
taking place in this country for the first time," said Henryk Moskwa,
chairman of the OPZZ in Silesia. "[It is a signal to the authorities]
that, in the face of threats, we are capable of pushing the divisions
of the past away and standing together above those differences in
defense of our mutual union and employee interests," he added. JM
[57] POLISH DAILY ACCUSES MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OF PROFITING FROM
ILLEGAL ARMS TRADE
"Rzeczpospolita" on 22 October published a lengthy report charging the
Military Information Services (WSI) with profiting from illegal arms
sales conducted by the companies Steo and PHU Cenrex in 1992-96 with
the participation and collaboration of WSI officers. According to the
daily, weapons from Polish Army arsenals were allegedly sold -- through
a middleman, suspected international terrorist Monzer al-Kassar -- to
Croatia and Somalia (which were under UN embargo) and to the Russian
mafia. The District Court in Gdansk on 22 October resumed the trial of
a dozen defendants in a case involving illegal arms trading by Steo and
PHU Cenrex before immediately postponing it due to the report in
"Rzeczpospolita." Meanwhile, Defense Ministry spokesman Eugeniusz
Mleczak told PAP that some information in the daily's report came from
WSI classified files. Mleczak added that the ministry is considering
suing "Rzeczpospolita" for disclosing state secrets. JM
[58] CZECH OPPOSITION PARTY SUBMITS AMENDMENT AIMED AT DIRECT
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
A group of lawmakers from the opposition Civic Democratic Party (ODS)
on 22 October submitted a draft amendment to the Czech Constitution
providing for a one-round direct election of the president, CTK
reported, citing ODS legislator Jiri Pospisil. On 15 October, the
ruling government coalition submitted a separate draft amendment for a
two-round popular vote to elect a president (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 15
and 16 October 2002). The ODS in early October reversed its position
and said it supports a direct vote. Analysts and politicians regard the
move as stemming from the party's realization that ODS leader Vaclav
Klaus does not have sufficient support in parliament to win the
presidency. Vaclav Havel's second term as president ends early next
year. BW
[59] EU HOPEFULS HOLD TALKS IN PRAGUE
Foreign ministers from 10 countries vying to join the EU in 2004 held
talks in Prague on 22 October, Czech media reported the same day. Czech
Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda, who initiated the talks, said that
while EU aspirants have their own specific national interests, certain
matters are important to all of them. Among these, Svoboda named
budgetary issues and agricultural policy. BW
[60] REPORT: CZECHS WILL MAKE 'MORAL GESTURE' ON BENES DECREES
The Czech government is planning to make a "moral political gesture" to
address German and Austrian concerns about the post-World War II Benes
Decrees, dpa news agency reported on 22 October. The gesture would
include a joint declaration of regret by Prague and Berlin, similar to
the 1997 declaration issued by the Czech and German governments.
Despite demands from politicians in Germany and Austria, the Czech
government has refused demands to repeal the decrees, which expelled
ethnic Germans and Hungarians and resulted in the confiscation of their
property while also amnestying crimes against them at the conclusion of
the war. BW
[61] SLOVAKIA SEEKS TO INCREASE ROLE IN WAR ON TERRORISM
Contributing meaningfully to the fight against international terrorism
is a high priority for the new Slovak government, newly appointed
Defense Minister Ivan Simko said on 22 October, TASR reported the same
day. Slovakia's armed forces should be actively engaged in fighting
terrorism rather than playing a supporting role, Simko said, adding
that he will propose reforms to create rapid-reaction forces. Simko
said he will seek to raise defense spending in the 2003 budget to 2
percent of gross domestic product. BW
[62] LARGE MAJORITY OF SLOVAKS SAID TO SUPPORT EARLY EU MEMBERSHIP
Slovakia's goal of joining the European Union in 2004 is supported by
68 percent of the population, with 27 percent opposed, TASR reported on
22 October, citing a poll by the UVVM agency. The survey of 1,067
people was conducted from 1-10 October. Support for joining the EU was
highest among young people between 18 and 29 years of age, university
graduates, businesspeople, and city dwellers. BW
[63] HUNGARIAN BY-ELECTIONS DUE IN 38 MUNICIPALITIES
By-elections must be held within six months in 38 Hungarian settlements
where balloting was canceled for lack of candidates or where a runoff
is required, the National Election Office reported on 22 October on its
website (http://www.valasztas.hu). Local voting on 20 October was not
held in seven communities due to a lack of candidates. Mayoral
elections in 18 villages resulted in ties. The office also reported
that mayoral candidates ran unopposed in a total of 645 settlements.
MSZ
[64] HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT ADRESSES EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
President Ferenc Madl on 22 October delivered a speech at the plenary
session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, commemorating the
outbreak of the 1956 anti-Soviet uprising, Hungarian television
reported. Madl told reporters afterward that support for EU membership
in Hungary is the highest among candidate countries, and therefore it
is likely that the country will be the first among candidates to hold a
referendum on the matter. During his one-day working visit to
Strasbourg, Madl conferred with the heads of the major groupings in the
European Parliament and held talks with European Commission President
Romano Prodi on Hungary's EU accession. In other news, Hungarian
government spokesman Gal Zoltan announced on 22 October that President
Bush has invited Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy for an
official U.S. visit between 6 and 11 November, the MTI news agency
reported. MSZ
[65] HUNGARIAN RADIO PROGRAM'S EDITOR FIRED FOR VIOLATING CAMPAIGN
SILENCE
Andras Haeffler, editor of the "Vasarnapi Ujsag" (Sunday News) program
on Hungarian radio, on 22 October was suspended from his post after the
National Election Office ruled that two interviews broadcast on the
program on the day of the 20 October local elections violated a ban on
campaign publicity, the MTI news agency reported. "Vasarnapi Ujsag" has
been strongly criticized by representatives of the Socialist-Free
Democrat government as well as by local and international media
organizations for its right-wing propaganda. MSZ
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[66] WASHINGTON WARNS BELGRADE OVER ARMS SALES TO IRAQ...
The Untied States has "accused two state-owned companies in Yugoslavia
and Bosnia of repairing the engines of Iraqi MiG fighters and demanded
that the two countries' governments act to stop the trade," the
"Washington Post" reported on 23 October (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22
October 2002). Serbian experts are also believed to be helping Iraq
improve its air defenses. Speaking in Washington on 22 October, U.S.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said there is "clear
evidence" of dealings with Baghdad by the Belgrade-based Yugoimport
firm and the Orao company, which is located in Bijeljina in the
Republika Srpska. In Sarajevo, the U.S. Embassy repeated the
accusations in a statement. NATO spokesman Lieutenant Commander Yves
Vanier said SFOR peacekeepers "did find something very significant" in
their recent search of Orao's premises, AP reported. He did not
elaborate. Reuters reported from Sarajevo on 22 October on Orao's
involvement with Iraq and its alleged attempt to cover up the evidence.
Donald Hays, a deputy to High Representative Paddy Ashdown, confirmed
that Orao exported goods to Iraq via a third party. PM
[67] ...AS YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT MEETS IN EMERGENCY SESSION...
The government held an emergency session on 22 October to discuss the
growing scandal over illegal arms sales to Iraq, RFE/RL's South Slavic
and Albanian Languages Service reported. The cabinet did not formally
admit that Yugoimport has been dealing with Baghdad but fired two
generals involved in arms trading. They are Deputy Defense Minister
Ivan Djokic and Jovan Cekovic, who heads Yugoimport. Serbian Deputy
Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic blamed the deals on "remnants of the past
regime [of President Slobodan Milosevic], spurred on by pro-fascist and
criminal elements," AP reported. Covic stressed, "We must not allow the
entire country to be dragged into problems created by [Milosevic's]
deals." Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran Zivkovic argued that, "The
very suspicion of such an embargo-busting trade endangers our top state
interests." The government has promised an investigation of the
charges, as has Dusan Mihajlovic, who is both Yugoimport's chairman of
the board and Serbian police chief. The "Washington Post" noted that,
"Yugoslav leaders view the alleged trade as the biggest threat to
relations with the United States" since the ouster of Milosevic at the
end of 2000. PM
[68] ...AND QUESTIONS REMAIN
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Zarko Korac expressed what appears to be
Belgrade's official position in the Iraqi arms-deal affair, saying the
illegal trade was carried out by "individuals who are beyond control,"
The "Washington Post" reported on 23 October. The Yugoslav Defense
Ministry denied in a statement that it approved any deals with Iraq,
RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. But many
questions remain. Given that the current authorities ousted Milosevic
in 2000, why did it take so long for the affair to come to light? Put
differently, what did the Belgrade authorities know about illegal arms
sales and when did they know it? What is the role of Mihajlovic, who
holds key positions in the Serbian government and Yugoimport? Will
Washington be content with Belgrade's reaffirmation that it is
cooperating in the war against terrorism, or will the United States
want to take a closer look at the possibility that some Serbs have been
involved in other unsavory dealings? PM
[69] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT ACCUSED OF HOLDING UP THE ARREST OF MLADIC
Carla Del Ponte, chief prosecutor of the war crimes tribunal based in
The Hague, said in Sarajevo on 22 October that Yugoslav President
Vojislav Kostunica is holding up the arrest of former General Ratko
Mladic and his extradition to The Hague, Deutsche Welle's Bosnian
Service reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline, 21 October 2002). Earlier that
day, she said in Prishtina that she expects to have an indictment
against an unnamed member of the ethnic Albanian Kosova Liberation Army
(UCK) ready by the end of the year. This would be the first indictment
from The Hague of an UCK member for crimes committed during 1998-99
conflict in Kosova. PM
[70] HAGUE TRIBUNAL REJECTS CROATIAN APPEAL
The war crimes tribunal turned down a request by Croatia that it
reconsider its indictment of former General Janko Bobetko, RFE/RL's
South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported from The Hague on
22 October (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 17 and 18 October 2002). The
tribunal called on Croatian authorities to arrest and extradite him
immediately. In Zagreb, Prime Minister Ivica Racan said he regrets the
tribunal's decision. In Sarajevo, Del Ponte said she is unhappy that
Croatia has not arrested and extradited Bobetko and General Ante
Gotovina. She added that cooperation with the tribunal by the various
Balkan states has never been worse during the past three years than it
is now. PM
[71] KOSOVA'S CIVILIAN HEAD OUTLINES IDEAS ON DECENTRALIZATION...
Michael Steiner, who heads the UN civilian administration in Kosova
(UNMIK), announced a plan on 21 October to discuss and develop his
ideas on decentralization of self-government in areas where there are
large ethnic minorities, namely the Serbs, Deutsche Welle's "Monitor"
reported the next day (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 8 and 9 October 2002 and
"RFE/RL Balkan Report," 23 August 2002). Steiner stressed that his plan
for self-government will involve only areas where there will have been
significant participation in the 26 October local elections. He will
discuss his ideas with representatives of political parties that take
part in the local elections after the vote, namely on 1 November in
Gjilan. Self-government will center on education, health, community
planning, and some elements of infrastructure. PM
[72] ...TO A LUKEWARM RECEPTION FROM THE SERBS...
Following a meeting with Kostunica on 22 October, the Serbian National
Council agreed to take part in the elections, but only in areas where
Serbs form a majority, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages
Service reported from Prishtina. Kostunica said Steiner's latest
statement indicates some progress from the Serbian point of view but
that it does not meet enough Serbian demands to be completely
acceptable. PM
[73] ...AND A MIXED RESPONSE FROM THE ALBANIANS
Representatives of President Ibrahim Rugova's Democratic League of
Kosova (LDK) hailed Steiner's latest statement as evidence of continued
engagement by the international community in Kosova, Deutsche Welle's
Albanian Service reported on 21 October. But officials of the
Democratic Party of Kosova (PDK) said Steiner's statement involves
concessions to the local Serbs and to Belgrade. The PDK added that the
concessions could have an adverse effect on the long-term status of
Kosova. The Alliance for the Future of Kosova (AAK) said Steiner's plan
is "wrong" because it amounts to a partition of Kosova along ethnic
lines. PM
[74] UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT VISITS MACEDONIA
Leonid Kuchma arrived in Skopje on 22 October for a two-day official
visit, MIA news agency reported. Kuchma met with President Boris
Trajkovski, parliamentary speaker Nikola Popovski, and outgoing Prime
Minister Ljubco Georgievski. Kuchma's talks focused on future economic
relations. At a joint press conference, Kuchma and Trajkovski said
relations are good -- as was evident during the conflict in Macedonia
in 2001, when Ukraine supported the Macedonian Army with helicopter
gunships, fighter jets, and pilots. Kuchma stressed that both countries
were in constant touch with NATO regarding their military cooperation
during that conflict. UB
[75] FORMER QUEEN OF ALBANIA DIES
Geraldina Zog, the wife of the late King Zog, died in Tirana after a
series of heart attacks on 23 October, aged 87, AP reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 17 October 2002). PM
[76] ROMANIAN RULING PARTY AND ALLY EVALUATE COOPERATION
On 22 October, central and local leaders of the ruling Social
Democratic Party (PSD) and the Hungarian Democratic Federation of
Romania (UDMR) evaluated their cooperation, Mediafax reported. PSD
Chairman and Premier Adrian Nastase said the leaders revealed no major
problems, adding that they decided to continue their cooperation next
year. The parties' cooperation has provided political stability
domestically and facilitated successes at the international level, such
as the lifting of visa restrictions for Romanian citizens traveling to
EU member states and the increasing likelihood of Romania joining NATO,
according to Nastase. UDMR Chairman Bela Marko said he expects any
issues stemming from the 2002 cooperation agreement to be resolved by
the end of the year and that there are prospects for signing a new
agreement for 2003. While not a formal PSD ally, the UDMR supports the
ruling party's initiatives in parliament and holds some government
positions. ZsM
[77] DUMA SPEAKER ADMITS RUSSIA HAS SUPPORTED TRANSDNIESTER
SEPARATISTS...
In Chisinau on 22 October, Russian Duma Speaker Gennadii Seleznev told
a news conference that Russia supported the Transdniester separatists
in the early 1990s when Russia feared that Moldova was on the verge of
merging with Romania, an RFE/RL correspondent in Chisinau reported.
"Someone had to say 'no' [to a Romania-Moldova merger]," he said,
"Tiraspol did so," Flux reported. Russia considers Transdniester's
"tough actions against Chisinau...absolutely justified," Seleznev said.
"At that moment that was necessary." However, Seleznev said Moldova's
aspirations to merge with Romania are not so strong today and that, as
a sovereign state, Moldova "should solve its territorial problems on
its own." He also said that last year he personally asked Tiraspol
leader Igor Smirnov to "help [Moldovan President Vladimir] Voronin win
the [parliamentary] elections." Popular Party Christian Democratic
(PPCD) Chairman Iurie Rosca responded that this "uncovers Russian
diplomacy for good," as Russia has consistently insisted that it had no
influence on the Tiraspol regime. ZsM
[78] ...HINTS THAT RUSSIA MIGHT NOT MEET OSCE DEADLINES ON TROOP
REMOVAL...
Seleznev also said Russia might not be able to remove its troops and
armaments from the breakaway Transdniester region by the end of this
year, as required in the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Summit resolution, Flux
reported. "We are aware of our commitments," Seleznev said, but "there
are some problems." He argued that if Russia cannot meet the deadline
it will discuss with the OSCE "the possibility of delaying the
process." Seleznev added that it is important that not meeting the OSCE
deadline should not be considered "a serious violation of the OSCE
decisions." ZsM
[79] ...AND WANTS RUSSIAN LANGUAGE TO HAVE MORE PROMINENT ROLE IN
MOLDOVA
Seleznev also spoke of the importance of the Russian language in
Moldova, saying he would like to see Moldova proclaim Russian as its
second official language, Flux reported. However, he said he
understands that "there are problems" associated with doing so. The
importance of the Russian language in Moldova "is an objective
reality," as there are 600,000 ethnic Russians in Moldova and all
Moldovan citizens speak Russian, according to Seleznev. Furthermore,
the two languages "enrich the culture," he said. In related news,
Seleznev said that he believes it is "natural" for Moldovan authorities
to try to boost bilateral economic relations with Russia, as "the
Russian market is very accessible for Moldovan goods." ZsM
[80] BULGARIAN SOCIALIST PARTY OPPOSES CALLS TO AMEND CONSTITUTION
Opposition Socialist Party (BSP) spokesman Angel Naydenov said on 22
October that his party opposes making amendments to the constitution
prior to 2003 local elections, as proposed by the conservative
opposition Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) and President Georgi
Parvanov, mediapool.bg reported. The SDS proposals include
strengthening local self-government. Naydenov said the BSP will assess
the situation and come up with counterproposals of its own, adding that
the constitution itself is not the problem, but compliance with it. BSP
member and Regional Development Minister Kostadin Paskalev, however,
has expressed his support for any legal changes that would strengthen
local authorities. Paskalev also supports the SDS's proposal that
district governors be elected rather than appointed by the central
government. UB
END NOTE
[81] There is no End Note today.
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