Voice of America, 99-01-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] KOSOVO/EXCHANGES (L ONLY) BY PHILIP SMUCKER (PRISTINA)

[02] ROMANIA STRIKE (L) BY RON PEMSTEIN (BRUSSELS)

[03] ROMANIA-WORKERS (L ONLY) (BUCHAREST)

[04] SLOVAKIA/NATO (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

[01] KOSOVO/EXCHANGES (L ONLY) BY PHILIP SMUCKER (PRISTINA)

INTRO: BOTH THE SERB AND ALBANIAN SIDES IN THE KOSOVO CONFLICT RELEASED PRISONERS INTO THE CUSTODY OF THE KOSOVO VERIFICATION MISSION SATURDAY IN MOVES THAT EASED TENSIONS ACROSS THE TROUBLED PROVINCE. PHILIP SMUCKER REPORTS FROM PRISTINA.

TEXT: OFFICIALS IN THE KOSOVO VERIFICATION MISSION (THE K-V-M) SAID THAT FIVE SERB CIVILIANS KIDNAPPED BY ETHNIC ALBANIAN GUERRILLAS HAD BEEN RELEASED NEAR THE REBEL BASE OF LIKOVAC IN CENTRAL KOSOVO.

THEY WERE EXCHANGED FOR NINE ETHNIC ALBANIAN PRISONERS WHO HAD BEEN TAKEN CAPTIVE IN DECEMBER BY THE YUGOSLAV ARMY. THOSE PRISONERS WERE BROUGHT FROM A PRISON IN THE SERBIAN CITY OF NIS SATURDAY TO BE EXCHANGED FOR THE SERBS.

THE RELEASE WAS A PART OF DEAL THAT HAD BEEN IN THE MAKING FOR TEN DAYS SINCE THE RELEASE OF EIGHT YUGOSLAV ARMY SOLDIERS BY GUERRILLAS IN THE KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY (THE K-L-A)

TEN DAYS AGO, KOSOVO VERIFIERS ASSURED LEADERS OF THE K-L-A THAT THEY WOULD GAIN THE RELEASE OF NINE ETHNIC ALBANIAN FIGHTERS IF THEY RELEASED EIGHT YUGOSLAV ARMY SOLDIERS.

WILLIAM WALKER, THE U-S HEAD OF THE KOSOVO VERIFICATION MISSION, STANDS BEHIND HIS ACCUSATION LAST WEEK THAT SERBIAN SECURITY FORCES SLAUGHTERED 45 ETHNIC ALBANIANS IN THE VILLAGE OF RACAK.

THAT KILLING OF CIVILIANS -- MANY OF THEM ELDERLY -- HAS CAST A SHADOW OVER INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO KEEP THE PEACE IN KOSOVO.

BUT MR. WALKER ALSO CONDEMNED THE ABDUCTION OF FIVE SERB CIVILIANS SATURDAY BEFORE THEIR RELEASE -- AS WHAT HE CALLED, "A TERRORIST ACTION IN VIOLATION OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS."

IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THE K-V-M HAS USED THE WORD "TERRORIST" TO DESCRIBE THE ACTIONS OF THE ALBANIAN GUERRILLAS.

DESPITE SATURDAY'S RELEASES, WESTERN DIPLOMATS SAY A CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT REACHED BETWEEN YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC AND U-S OFFICIALS IN OCTOBER IS ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE. (SIGNED)
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23-Jan-99 1:50 PM EST (1850 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] ROMANIA STRIKE (L) BY RON PEMSTEIN (BRUSSELS)

INTRO: THE COAL MINERS STRIKE IN ROMANIA IS APPARENTLY OVER. V-O-A'S CORRESPONDENT RON PEMSTEIN REPORTS FROM BUCHAREST, THE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT HAS LEFT MANY DETAILS TO LATER.

TEXT: IT TOOK FOUR HOURS OF NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE ROMANIAN PRIME MINISTER AND THE LEADER OF THE COAL MINERS. THE MINERS WERE 170 KILOMETERS SHORT OF THEIR GOAL OF MARCHING ON BUCHAREST. THEY HAD BEEN DEMANDING PAY RAISES AND AN END TO THE GOVERNMENT PROGRAM OF SHUTTING DOWN UNPRODUCTIVE MINES.

AFTER PROMISES BY PRIME MINISTER RADU VASILE THAT THEIR GRIEVANCES WILL BE DEALT WITH IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS, THE COAL MINERS BOARDED BUSES TO RETURN TO THE MINES IN THE JIU VALLEY.

THEIR LEADER, MIRON COZMA AGREED TO CALL OFF THE MARCH AND JOINED THEM FOR THE RIDE HOME. ANOTHER ROMANIAN OFFICIAL SAYS TWO COAL MINES SCHEDULED FOR CLOSURE WILL REMAIN OPEN.

PRIME MINISTER VASILE SAYS NEITHER THE GOVERNMENT NOR THE MINERS WON. ROMANIA WON, HE SAYS, BECAUSE PEACE HAS BEEN PRESERVED.

TWICE BEFORE IN THIS DECADE, COAL MINERS HAVE MARCHED TO BUCHAREST AND TWICE BEFORE THERE HAS BEEN VIOLENCE IN THE STREETS. LOCAL PEOPLE DISAGREED WITH THE SETTLEMENT AND THE PEACEFUL END TO THE MINERS MARCH. THEY ATTACKED POLICE WHO IN TURN RESPONDED WITH TEAR GAS AND BATONS. A LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAYS ORDER HAS BEEN RESTORED.

THE NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MINERS FOLLOWED THURSDAY'S VIOLENCE IN WHICH MORE THAN 100 PEOPLE WERE HURT INCLUDING A NUMBER OF POLICEMEN. ROMANIAN PRESIDENT EMIL CONSTANTINESCU THREATENED TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY SUSPENDING CIVIL RIGHTS UNTIL MR. COZMA AGREED TO TALK TO THE PRIME MINISTER FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

MR. COZMA MADE NO COMMENT BEFORE RETURNING TO JIU VALLEY AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN VAGUE ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN PROMISED. THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS A DETAILED PROGRAM ABOUT CUTTING PRODUCTION COSTS AND LOSSES WILL BE NEGOTIATED IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS. THE TWO COAL MINES REMAINING OPEN ARE AMONG MORE THAN 100 THE ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN TRYING TO CLOSE THIS YEAR BECAUSE THEY CONTINUALLY LOSE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

AS THURSDAY'S VIOLENCE DEMONSTRATED, THE JIU VALLEY MINERS ARE THE MOST MILITANT IN ROMANIA. DECISIONS TAKEN FOR GOOD ECONOMIC REASONS CAN HAVE BAD SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES HERE. (SIGNED)
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22-Jan-99 7:05 PM EST (0005 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] ROMANIA-WORKERS (L ONLY) (BUCHAREST)

CORRESPONDENT=RON PEMSTEIN CONTENT=
VOICED AT:

INTRO: ROMANIAN COAL MINERS ARE BACK HOME AFTER WINNING CONCESSIONS FROM THE ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT THAT BROUGHT THEIR STRIKE TO AN END. V-O-A'S RON PEMSTEIN REPORTS FROM BUCHAREST THAT THE CONCESSIONS TO THE MINERS LEAVE THE GOVERNMENT IN A QUANDARY.

TEXT: AS PART OF ITS ECONOMIC REFORM, THE ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT WANTS TO CLOSE 140 MONEY-LOSING COAL MINES.

THE FIRST STEP WAS TO CLOSE TWO OF THEM. THE RESULT WAS THE VIOLENT STRIKE BY THE MINERS WHO MARCHED TOWARD BUCHAREST. THEY BROKE THROUGH POLICE BLOCKADES TWICE, AND ROMANIAN PRESIDENT EMIL CONSTANTINESCU THREATENED TO DECLARE A STATE OF EMERGENCY, SUSPENDING CIVIL RIGHTS, TO STOP THEM.

AFTER A VIOLENT INCIDENT THURSDAY IN WHICH SEVERAL POLICEMEN WERE SEVERELY INJURED, THE MINERS AGREED TO MEET THE PRIME MINISTER, 170 KILOMETERS NORTH OF HERE. UNION LEADER, MIRON COZMA, CONTENDS THE MINERS ACHIEVED MOST OF THEIR DEMANDS IN THE TALKS FRIDAY WITH PRIME MINISTER RADU VASILE.

THE GOVERNMENT CONCEDES THAT THE TWO MINES IT WANTED TO CLOSE WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR THE TIME BEING. THE PRIME MINISTER SAYS ROMANIA IS STILL COMMITTED TO ECONOMIC REFORM BUT ALSO WANTS SOCIAL PEACE.

WHAT PRICE FOR THAT PEACE? A DELEGATION FROM THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND IS SCHEDULED TO NEGOTIATE A NEW LOAN AGREEMENT FOR ROMANIA NEXT WEEK. ONE OF THE CONDITIONS FOR THAT LOAN IS CLOSING UNPRODUCTIVE COAL MINES, A REMNANT FROM COMMUNIST ROMANIA'S EMPHASIS ON HEAVY INDUSTRY.

TWICE IN THE EARLY 1990S, THE MINERS USED VIOLENCE ON MARCHES TO BUCHAREST WHERE THEY SUCCEEDED IN PREVENTING ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL REFORMS. EVEN THE ELECTION OF A CENTER-RIGHT GOVERNMENT IN 1996 HAS NOT PRODUCED SUFFICIENT ECONOMIC CHANGE. OF THE 11 CANDIDATES FOR EUROPEAN UNION EXPANSION, ROMANIA IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE LEAST ADVANCED. /// END OPT ///

ONE OF THE WORRYING SIGNS FOR THE POLITICIANS IS THAT THE MINERS WERE JOINED ON THEIR VIOLENT MARCH BY VILLAGE PEOPLE ANGRY ABOUT FALLING LIVING STANDARDS.

WHILE THE POLITICIANS ARE RELIEVED A WIDER CONFLICT HAS BEEN PEACEFULLY AVOIDED FOR THE MOMENT, THEY KNOW THESE PAINFUL ECONOMIC CHANGES MUST STILL BE MADE.

THE GOVERNMENT IS TYING WAGE INCREASES FOR THE MINERS TO THE CLOSING OF UNPRODUCTIVE MINES. THAT MEANS THE COAL MINERS CELEBRATION CAN ONLY BE TEMPORARY. (SIGNED)
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23-Jan-99 10:20 AM EST (1520 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] SLOVAKIA/NATO (L-ONLY) BY BARRY WOOD (WASHINGTON)

INTRO: SLOVAKIA'S NEW FOREIGN MINISTER, EDUARD KUKAN, WAS IN WASHINGTON FRIDAY WHERE HE MET WITH SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT AND EMPHASIZED HIS GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO GAIN ENTRY INTO NATO. V-O-A'S BARRY WOOD REPORTS.

TEXT: MRS. ALBRIGHT PRAISED SLOVAKIA'S NEW CENTRIST GOVERNMENT FOR BEING ON THE RIGHT TRACK. DURING A 30 MINUTE MEETING, SHE TOLD MR. KUKAN THAT SLOVAKIA IS ON ITS WAY TO RECLAIMING ITS RIGHTFUL PLACE AS A FULL PARTNER WITH WESTERN NATIONS. WHILE SAYING NO EARLY INVITATION TO JOIN NATO IS LIKELY, SHE SAID IF REFORMS CONTINUE SLOVAKIA IS A STRONG CANDIDATE FOR EVENTUAL MEMBERSHIP.

MR. KUKAN SPOKE OF THE NEW FACE OF SLOVAKIA SINCE SEPTEMBER ELECTIONS BROUGHT A DISPARATE COALITION TO POWER REPLACING THE AUTHORITARIAN, PRO-RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT OF VLADIMIR MECIAR. MR. KUKAN, WHO WAS SLOVAK FOREIGN MINISTER IN 1994, SAYS HIS GOVERNMENT IS PRO-WESTERN AND HAS AS ITS PRIORITY GAINING MEMBERSHIP IN NATO AND THE EUROPEAN UNION. STRATEGICALLY PLACED IN CENTRAL EUROPE, SLOVAKIA WAS PASSED OVER WHEN ITS NEIGHBORS, THE CZECH REPUBLIC, HUNGARY AND POLAND WERE ASKED TO BE THE FIRST FORMER SOVIET BLOC COUNTRIES TO JOIN NATO.

IN AN APPEARANCE AT THE INTERNATIONAL REPUBLICAN INSTITUTE, MR. KUKAN APPEALED FOR WESTERN FOREIGN INVESTMENT. HE SAID SLOVAKIA WILL BROADEN ITS MILITARY COOPERATION WITH THE WEST AND BEHAVE AS IF IT IS A NATO MEMBER. HE SAID THE POPULAR ELECTION OF A NEW STATE PRESIDENT IN MAY SHOULD PUT TO REST FEARS THAT SLOVAKIA IS NOT YET POLITICALLY STABLE. MR. KUKAN WAS ASKED IF MR. MECIAR WILL BE A CANDIDATE.

I THINK HE WILL NOT ENTER THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. I WOULD BE GLAD IF HE RUNS BECAUSE I AM SURE HE WOULD LOSE. AND THAT WOULD BE HIS FINAL BLOW.

MR. KUKAN SAYS THE NEW GOVERNMENT HAS INHERITED ECONOMIC PROBLEMS FAR WORSE THAN EXPECTED. HE SAID FORMER PRIME MINISTER MECIAR TREATED RUSSIA VERY FAVORABLY AND THERE ARE SUSPICIONS THAT HE SIGNED SECRET MILITARY OR INTELLIGENCE AGREEMENTS WITH MOSCOW. SO FAR, HE SAYS, NO EVIDENCE OF THAT HAS BEEN FOUND BUT THAT INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE. (SIGNED)
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22-Jan-99 8:19 PM EST (0119 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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