From: msirbu@next5.cs.umr.edu (Mihai Sirbu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.romanian
Subject: RFE/RL Daily Report 04 SEP, 1992
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:24:41 GMT
Article-I.D.: umr.1992Sep4.162441.11050
Organization: University of Missouri-Rolla, Missouri's Technological University

The RFE/RL Daily Report is a digest of lastest developments
in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. It is published
Monday through Friday (except German holidays) by the
RFE/RL Research Institute (a division of Radio Free Europe/
Radio Liberty, Inc.). Copyright 1992 RFE/RL, Inc.


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                    RFE/RL Daily Report

                                       No. 170, September 4, 1992

                   SUCCESSOR STATES TO THE USSR

SHAPOSHNIKOV ON PEACEKEEPING FORCE FOR TAJIKISTAN.  Last week
Marshal Evgenii Shaposhnikov, commander-in-chief of the CIS armed
forces, reached an agreement with Tajik President Rakhmon Nabiev
on sending CIS peacekeeping forces to Tajikistan.  But on 3
September, after the announcement of Nabiev's ouster, Shaposhnikov
told ITAR-TASS that it would be difficult to deploy a CIS
peacekeeping force in Tajikistan now. He said that CIS members
must make every effort to prevent the spread of the Tajik turmoil
to other states, but that the deployment of a peacekeeping force
would require that the opinions of all parties to the conflict in
Tajikistan be taken into account. Anti-Nabiev forces are unlikely
to agree to a peacekeeping force, which they see as Russian
interference.  (Bess Brown)

CIS LEADERS SEE DANGER IN TAJIK CONFLICT. The presidents of
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia issued a warning on
3 September to the government and political groups of Tajikistan,
branding the civil war in that country a danger to the
Commonwealth, and announcing that Russia and the Central Asian
states intend to intervene. The statement mentions as concrete
dangers the large-scale smuggling of arms from Tajikistan's
southern neighbors and the danger that Tajikistan could be taken
out of the CIS and lose its sovereignty. The only specific measure
mentioned in the statement was the sending of additional border
troops to Tajikistan; the implication was, however, that other
types of intervention might follow if the Tajiks cannot restore
order themselves. (Bess Brown)

DEMONSTRATORS STILL HOLED UP IN PRESIDENTIAL PALACE.  Western
agencies report from Dushanbe that the demonstrators who took over
the Presidential Palace were still holed up there on 3 September,
although they had released all their hostages. The militants, from
a Dushanbe youth group, say they refuse to leave before the
opening of the Supreme Soviet session scheduled for 4 September,
because their departure might mean that President Nabiev could
reestablish himself in power. (Bess Brown)

STRIKES IN UKRAINE CONTINUING. The strike action in Ukraine called
by the independent Association of Free Trade Unions, which is
disrupting rail and air transport, is continuing (see Daily
Report, 3 September, 1992). Western and CIS agencies report that
government and union negotiators failed to reach agreement at
their first round of talks held in Kiev on 3 September. The
government has declared the strike illegal but has reportedly
offered to drop legal action against the organizers if they end
their work stoppage. According to Ukrinform-TASS, the government
has also ordered the Ministry of Defense to take over air traffic
control. (Bohdan Nahaylo)

CEASEFIRE AGREED IN ABKHAZIA.  After several hours of tough
negotiations in Moscow, Russian President Yeltsin, Georgian State
Council Chairman Eduard Shevardnadze, Abkhaz parliament leader
Vladislav Ardzinba and representatives of the peoples of the North
Caucasus signed a ceasefire agreement on 3 September, whereby
Georgia will withdraw virtually all its troops from Abkhazia,
leaving only a small contingent to guard roads and railways.  The
ceasefire is to begin at noon local time on 5 September, and a
joint Russian-Abkhaz-Georgian commission will be created to
monitor it. Shevardnadze admitted that the ceasefire agreement
would be difficult to implement; Ardzinba said he was not happy
with the agreement, but expressed hope that "Yeltsin will not
permit the annihilation of the Abkhaz people," ITAR-TASS reported.
(Liz Fuller)

"REFORM" DEPUTIES CALL FOR KHASBULATOV'S OUSTER.  A group of
Russian democratic parliamentary deputies, called "Reform,"
strongly criticized the parliament's speaker, Ruslan Khasbulatov,
at its press conference on 2 September, and proposed his ouster.
A coalition leader, Leonid Volkov, was quoted by ITAR-TASS as
saying Khasbulatov regularly exceeds his authority.  The same day,
a leader of the Democratic Russia movement, Lev Ponomarev, said
representatives of the movement would propose to the Presidium of
the Russian Supreme Soviet that it discuss Khasbulatov's ouster at
the presidium's session scheduled for 7 September. (Vera Tolz)

RUSSIAN BUDGET DEFICIT MOUNTS. Addressing a Kremlin conference on
24 August on the progress of regional economic reform, Russian
Finance Minister Vasilii Barchuk announced that the budget deficit
to date amounted to almost 1 trillion rubles, Radio Mayak
reported. He warned that the deficit threatens to rise to 2
trillion rubles by the end of the year "which is tantamount to
hyperinflation." In current prices, the Russian GNP is thought to
be something like 15 trillion rubles. This would suggest that the
budget deficit, on an annual basis, is running at over 13% of GNP,
i.e., well over government projections and far higher than Russian
commitments to the IMF and G-7. (Keith Bush)

MORE ON RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT, CENTRAL BANK RIFT. Central Bank Deputy
Chairman Voilukov said in an interview with Trud, summarized by
ITAR-TASS on 3 September, that the government's promises about
inflation and financial stabilization by the end of the year were
not realistic. Voilukov also said, apparently referring to the
issue of new credits during the rest of 1992, that the economy
would need an injection of 1.5 to 2 trillion rubles--much more
than the ceiling on credit creation demanded by the IMF. In a
related story, Interfax on 3 September reported that a Russian
parliamentary commission would soon consider a Yeltsin memorandum
explaining his veto of the Law on Currency Regulation.  Many
members of the government consider that the law, passed on 14 July
by parliament, gives the Central Bank too much power in
determining hard currency regulations in Russia. (Erik Whitlock)

CAPITAL FLIGHT FROM RUSSIA. Unidentified "monetary sources" in
Moscow told Reuters on 3 September that over $5 billion in
convertible currency was stashed away in overseas bank accounts by
Russian exporters during the first half of the year.  Other
estimates have put the amount of illegal holdings much higher.
Russian TV on 10 July quoted Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs
figures suggesting that deposits totaling $20 billion belonging to
enterprises, commercial organizations, and individuals were lodged
in Western banks.  In March, the Russian government hired Kroll
Associates to help it track down and repatriate the billions of
dollars held abroad by enterprises and by former party and
government officials. (Keith Bush).

POLITICAL PARTIES GET ACCESS TO TV IN ST. PETERSBURG. As of 1
September, representatives of all parties and movements that are
active in St. Petersburg have been granted access to local TV.
Representatives of local political forces are now given an hour of
broadcasting time per week to express their views, Pravda reported
on 3 September.  The Committee for Glasnost and Mass Media at the
St.  Petersburg City Soviet is concerned about the decision of the
city TV management to grant broadcasting time to all political
parties, because some of them adhere to extreme right-wing views.
(Vera Tolz)

WILL YELTSIN MAKE IT TO JAPAN? An announcement from the Russian
Federation President's Security Service carried by ITAR-TASS on 3
September said: "during the process of the preliminary study of
the issues connected with ensuring security for the Russian
president's visit to Japan, there have appeared a number of
material negative factors indicating the absence of a complete
guarantee of the security" for the Russian delegation during the
13-16 September visit to Japan. It is unclear whether security
concerns expressed on the Russian side are genuine or if they are
meant to prepare the ground for the cancellation of the
visit--something which conservatives in Russia have demanded over
the last several weeks. (Suzanne Crow)

ON CIS DEFENSE MINISTER MEETING. Serious differences between
Russia and Ukraine on the issue of control over nuclear weapons
appeared at the CIS Council of Defense Ministers meeting in
Moscow, Interfax reported on 3 September. Russia wants to be the
only state allowed to have its own strategic forces.  Nuclear
weapons on the territory of other states should, in Russia's view,
be placed under the command of the Joint CIS Armed Forces until
they are removed or destroyed. Ukraine insists that the strategic
forces on its territory should be under the jurisdiction and
control of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.  CIS defense ministers
are also experiencing difficulty agreeing on a concept of
collective security, since not all CIS states signed the Treaty of
Collective Security last spring. (Alexander Rahr)

RUSSIA TO DISPLAY TOP AIRCRAFT AT BRITISH SHOW.  Aleksei Didenko,
an official of the Russian aviation industry, was quoted by
ITAR-TASS on 1 September as saying that Russia would display
future civilian aircraft and Russia's most modern fighters,
bombers, attack aircraft and helicopters at the upcoming
Farnborough Air Show in Great Britain.  Among the aircraft listed
to appear at the show was the IL-78 strategic refueling aircraft.
These aerial tankers have been one of the many bones of contention
between Russia and Ukraine.  The only regiment of these planes in
the former-Soviet airforce was located at Uzin, in Ukraine. Last
March, Ukraine "appropriated" this regiment and threatened to use
the planes as the basis of the republic's civil airline. (Doug
Clarke)

RUSSIA INTRODUCES NEW ID CARDS. Russian citizens will have to wait
until 1994 before their Soviet passports will be abolished and
replaced by Russian identification cards, ITAR-TASS reported on 2
September.  Moreover, it may take five-to-seven years to introduce
new Russian passports.  The chairman of a sub-committee of the
parliamentary Human Rights' Committee, Mikhail Arutyunov, said
that the new identification cards will bear the citizens' legal
residence, but no state symbol, reference to ethnic origin, family
status, or criminal record. (Alexander Rahr)

YET ANOTHER CEASEFIRE IN NAGORNO-KARABAKH. Armenian and
Azerbaijani representatives met on 3 September in the village of
Kayan-Avan on the border between the two countries and signed a
ceasefire agreement based on last week's Alma-Ata protocol, to
take effect on 15 September, ITAR-TASS reported. The upcoming
round of CSCE-sponsored talks in Rome beginning 7 September is to
work out mechanisms for enforcing the ceasefire.  Azerbaijani
President Abulfaz Elchibey again ruled out independence for
Nagorno-Karabakh and said that autonomy for the region would be
conditional on the creation of a similar status in Armenia for
Azerbaijanis displaced over the past four years, AFP reported. In
an apparent snub to Kazakh President Nazarbaev, Elchibey stated
that he considered mediation efforts by international
organizations preferable to those by individual states, ITAR-TASS
reported. (Liz Fuller)

MOLDOVA SOFTER ON RUSSIAN TROOP ISSUE. Petru Lucinschi, Moldova's
ambassador to Russia and the head of the Moldovan negotiating
group on the future of Russia's troops in Moldova, told
Nezavisimaya Moldova on 2 September that "unlike the Baltic
states, Moldova does not insist on an immediate withdrawal of
Russian troops and is prepared to reach agreement on the
conditions of their temporary presence on Moldova's territory."
Lucinschi added that Moldova would continue negotiating the terms
of the eventual troop withdrawal, but that it set a higher
priority on economic agreements with Russia. This signal of a
weakening Moldovan position on the troop issue is apparently
linked to Lucinschi's recently expressed anxiety, shared by the
Moldovan leadership, about a possible "Yugoslav scenario" on both
banks of the Dniester (see Daily Report, 2 September). (Vladimir
Socor)

MOLDOVA SEES NEED FOR RUSSIAN GOODWILL. A political adviser to
President Mircea Snegur predicted to Interfax on 2 September that
should Chisinau fail to grant the left bank of the Dniester a
political status, as pledged by President Mircea Snegur recently
in Moscow, "there will be a renewed conflict followed by a Russian
economic blockade of Moldova, the deterioration of the Moldovan
economy, and the threat of a political coup." By the same token,
"many of Moldova's problems can only be resolved through Moscow's
mediation." Such assessments, as well as those of Lucinschi (see
item above) reflect the Moldovan leadership's growing sense of
vulnerability to Russia and its search for Russian goodwill in the
wake of Moldova's military defeats in the Dniester conflict.
(Vladimir Socor)

SNEGUR IN SWITZERLAND. Moldovan President Mircea Snegur paid a
visit to Switzerland for talks with Swiss Confederation President
Rene Felber and with banking circles, Moldovapres reported on 2
and 3 September.  Snegur said at the end of the visit that Swiss
neutrality could be a model for Moldova, which also intends to be
a neutral state; and that Moldova could usefully study the Swiss
experience in political-administrative decentralization.  The
Swiss side offered credits to support Moldovan pilot projects in
food processing and management training in 1993, with Swiss
experts to provide technical assistance in setting up the
projects. It was also agreed to set up a Swiss-Moldovan trading
company and bank. (Vladimir Socor)

                    CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

RELIEF PLANE DOWN IN BOSNIA.  Relief flights into Sarajevo were
halted on 3 September and the airport was closed on the 4th after
an Italian relief plane crashed 20 miles west of the embattled
Bosnian capital en route from Split. The crew of four was killed,
and four US helicopters searching for the wreckage were turned
back by ground fire, the New York Times reports.  The cause of the
crash is not clear, but mechanical failure was suggested by
Italian TV, while Bavarian Radio has speculated about a
ground-based rocket attack.  Tanjug reports that a letter from the
headquarters of the Bosnian Serb forces to UNPROFOR commander
Satish Nambiar categorically denies that the plane was shot down
by its forces and claims that the area of the crash is controlled
by Croat Muslim forces. Reuters reports that Turkey is willing to
send troops and the US has offered logistical support, possibly
including air cover, for aid convoys in Bosnia.  (Charles
Trumbull)

GENEVA CONFERENCE OPENS. The international conference on former
Yugoslavia, jointly sponsored by the United Nations and the
European Community and cochaired by Cyrus Vance of the US and Lord
Owen of the UK, opened on 3 September.  The conference will remain
in permanent session and has divided its activities into six
working groups: on Bosnia-Herzegovina, confidence building
measures, humanitarian issues, economic problems, minorities, and
legal issues. Opening statements by the cochairman, widely
reported in the press, stressed the long-term nature of the
conference's work and warned against expectations of quick
solutions.  (Charles Trumbull)

PANIC ON THE OFFENSIVE.  Milan Panic, prime minister of the rump
Yugoslavia, told a news conference on 3 September that he will
take the offensive in the Federal Assembly on 4 September.  He
stressed that he will directly attack the "old guard" by speaking
the truth: "the time of lies, swindles, and cheating is over." He
said that it will only be a matter of time until Yugoslavia will
be respected again on the international scene.  Panic declined to
comment on whether the initiative to submit a no-confidence motion
in his government was a consequence of his sacking of Deputy
Interior Minister Mihail Kertes, a Socialist hard-liner ("the
politically dead," in Panic's phrase). Panic deflected the
question of whether Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and
Socialist Party chairman Borisav Jovic were behind the motion of
no-confidence He also announced that he is going to Kosovo on 5
August for talks with leaders of ethnic Albanian parties. Radio
Serbia carried the report. (Milan Andrejevich)

ARMY, STUDENTS SUPPORT PANIC. The prime minister also told
reporters that he enjoys the full support of the Yugoslav armed
forces.  Panic, who is also federal defense minister, said that he
has been in frequent contact with the military adding "I can sense
whether or not someone supports me. I believe the entire Army
supports me." Panic also said that he enjoys the support of
students and called on them to stay at home and not to gather
outside the Federal Assembly building in Belgrade for the 4
September session that will discuss the work of the Yugoslav
delegation at the London conference. (Milan Andrejevich)

SLOVAK CONSTITUTION SIGNED. In a ceremony at the Bratislava castle
on 3 September, Slovak Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and
Parliament chairman Ivan Gasparovic signed Slovakia's new
constitution which was adopted on 1 September. The constitution
went into effect immediately after the signing ceremony, but some
of its provisions are frozen until 1 January 1993 to avoid
clashing with federal laws. Federal Prime Minister Jan Strasky and
Milan Uhde, chairman of the Czech National Council, attended the
ceremony. CSTK reports that delegates representing ethnic
Hungarians walked out of the ceremony in protest against what they
see as insufficient protection of minority rights in the
constitution. Speaking to reporters in Prague, Jan Kasal, a deputy
chairman of the Czech National Council, said that "by adopting a
full constitution, Slovakia has [in effect] quit the federation."
(Jiri Pehe)

HUNGARIAN OFFICIALS ON GABCIKOVO. Prime Minister Jozsef Antall has
categorically denied that his government ever suggested to the
Slovak government that the Gabcikovo plant could be opened even if
Hungary stopped building its section of the Danube project.
According to Radio Budapest, Antall was replying to a statement by
Vladimir Meciar, who said that such an offer had earlier been made
to Czechoslovakia by Hungary.  Minister without Portfolio Ferenc
Madl, in a interview in the 2 September issue of Magyar hirlap,
noted Czechoslovakia's contradictory statements regarding the
Gabcikovo dam, namely that it is ready to bring the issue before
the International Court of Justice in the Hague and will soon
divert the Danube. Should Czechoslovakia proceed, Madl said,
Hungary will ask the ICJ to require its northern neighbor to
suspend work. The contentious issue is sure to come up again when
Antall meets with Meciar in Budapest on 9 September. Since a year
of bilateral talks have brought no progress, Hungary hopes both
countries will agree to apply jointly to the ICJ, Madl said.
(Judith Pataki & Alfred Reisch)

GOVERNMENT STATEMENT ON THE HUNGARIAN POLITICAL SCENE.  In
connection with the political tensions after the appearance of a
critical political essay by Hungarian Democratic Forum vice
president Istvan Csurka, the government adopted a statement during
its 3 September session, local media report. The statement
condemns political hysteria and increasingly harsh rhetoric in
domestic public life.  In a reference to President Arpad Goncz's
refusal to sign the dismissals of the top leaders of Hungarian
Radio and TV, the statement condemns arbitrary interpretation of
the constitution.  In reference to the Csurka essay, the
government attacked what it called extremist political views
burdened by prejudices, firmly rejecting endeavors of any
orientation characteristic of totalitarian states, intentions
running counter to general moral values, human and minority
rights, the UN spirit and charter, or the government's
international obligations. The government promised to do
everything necessary to safeguard the constitutional order. The
statement expressed hope that all political forces will make
efforts to easing confrontations.  (Judith Pataki)

ROMANIAN REACTIONS TO TOKES'S PROTEST FAST.  President Ion Iliescu
released to the media an open letter addressed to the Magyar
bishop Laszlo Tokes.  Iliescu rejects as unfounded Tokes's
accusations of government laxity in prosecuting those responsible
for anti-Hungarian actions. Among other things, the letter claims
that the ethnic clashes in Tirgu Mures in March 1990 were
"fomented from abroad" and began when "massive groups" of
Hungarian citizens visiting Romania "behaved in an objectionable
manner." Iliescu says Tokes is resorting to "spectacular gestures"
that could be dangerous for the country's tranquillity before the
elections.  The Democratic National Salvation Front, on whose
ticket Iliescu is running in the elections, accused Tokes of
staging the fast on the orders of the CIA and other intelligence
services, according to Reuters. And the extreme nationalist
Greater Romania Party said the action signals "the beginning of a
series of diversions" that could "lead to ethnic clashes and
bloodshed" before the elections. (Michael Shafir)

ROMANIAN-UKRAINIAN TALKS.  Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Anatolii Zlenko arrived in Bucharest on 3 September and signed
with his Romanian counterpart Adrian Nastase an agreement on
cooperation in culture, science, and education as well as two
consular conventions.  Rompres said the agreements facilitate the
"creation of conditions" conducive to the satisfaction of "the
cultural and religious requirements" of ethnic Romanians in
Ukraine and Ukrainians in Romania.  Zlenko was also received by
Prime Minister Theodor Stolojan, with whom he discussed economic
links.  On 2 September Radio Bucharest reported that a Romanian
delegation from Chernovtsy had complained that the Romanian
minority in Ukraine "does not enjoy rights equal to those extended
to other ethnic minorities." (Michael Shafir)

BULGARIAN PREMIER ON COUP RUMORS. On 3 September Bulgarian Prime
Minister Filip Dimitrov rejected rumors of a military coup as
"further attempts to create turmoil," BTA reports.  Dimitrov said
he finds the idea that incumbent UDF leaders would prepare a coup
"insane." He said there is something paradoxical about people who
on the one hand "were concerned" about heightening political
tension while at the same time "labor to increase it." On 3
September several major dailies carried reports of alleged coup
preparations, mostly based on anonymous sources.  (Kjell
Engelbrekt)

RUSSIAN TROOP WITHDRAWAL SCHEDULE FROM LITHUANIA SET?  On 3
September National Defense Minister Audrius Butkevicius said on
local TV that it appeared that in their two-day meetings in Moscow
Russian and Lithuanian delegations agreed on a troop withdrawal
schedule acceptable to both sides, Radio Lithuania reports. Work
on the schedule is not yet complete, but should be finalized by 8
September for the meeting between Russian President Boris Yeltsin
and Lithuanian Parliament Chairman Vytautas Landsbergis.  (Saulius
Girnius)

LITHUANIAN ECONOMICS MINISTER'S PRESS CONFERENCE.  On 3 September
Minister of Economics Albertas Simenas told a press conference
that the government has approved an economic political memorandum
to the IMF detailing its economic policies for 1993, Radio
Lithuania reports. An IMF council meeting in October is expected
to approve $287 million in credits for the fiscal year. Simenas
also noted that discussions on economic relations with Russia have
become more efficient, and draft economic and accounting
agreements should be ready for signing by mid-September. At
present Russia owes Lithuania 10.7 billion rubles for goods
delivered while Lithuania owes Russia 4.7 billion rubles.
(Saulius Girnius)

DEPUTIES FORM INTERREGIONAL COUNCIL IN ESTONIA. A group of eight
longtime pro-Soviet Supreme Council deputies has formed a body
called the Estonian Interregional Deputies' Council, BNS reported
on 3 September.  The deputies, most but not all of whom are
non-Estonians ethnically, say they will continue to represent what
they call their disenfranchised voters. The deputies--Aksinin,
Israelian, Lebedev, Gusev, Kuznetsov, Sakharov, Panfilov and
Annus--told BNS that they will work within the new Estonian
constitution. This is the second such group formed so far in
Estonia to represent the interests of noncitizens who cannot vote
in this month's parliamentary elections.  (Riina Kionka)

ESTONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO US.  Jaan Manitsky will make an
official three-day visit to the US starting 15 September, BNS
reports.  Manitsky will meet with Acting Secretary of State
Lawrence Eagleburger to discuss trade and investment and
Estonian-Russian relations.  Manitsky is also set to meet with
members of Congress and senators. (Riina Kionka)

LATVIA STRUGGLES WITH THEFT OF NONFERROUS METALS.  In order to
stop widespread theft, the Latvian government has ruled that as of
1 September only two state firms will be permitted to purchase
nonferrous metals in Latvia and resell them abroad.  Moreover, on
26 August the Ventspils prosecutor's office ordered a ship owned
by the British-based World Trading Company to remain in port until
investigation is completed concerning its load of nonferrous
metals that it was to take out of Latvia on behalf of Klints, a
company registered in Latvia. According to BNS of 2 September, the
metals are worth about $250,000. Thefts of valuable nonferrous
metals continue unabated, however.  During the night of 29 August
thieves removed 25 bronze plates from gravestones of German POWs
in Riga. Recently the plaque was stolen from the monument in honor
of Col. Oskars Kalpaks, hero of Latvia's 1918-19 fight for
independence, BNS and Radio Riga reported on 2 and 3 September.
Criminal organizations are believed to be buying up the metals for
resale abroad for hard currency. (Dzintra Bungs)

IS ESTONIA BECOMING A DUMP? A number of recent reports have drawn
attention to Estonia's increasingly difficult environmental state.
According to Sweden's Sydsvenska dagbladet on 2 September, 4
million tons of uranium ore waste (including a reported 1,200 tons
of pure uranium) have been dumped into an artificial lake near
Sillamae, an important Russian-run nuclear industrial site in
Estonia. BNS reported on 3 September that it will take several
days to clean up an oil spill caused by a collision of two railway
tank cars near Tallinn harbor.  The harbor is currently under a
light film of oil which is not expected to harm sea life.
Finally, German ZDF TV reported on 3 September that German
industrial waste is being exported to Estonia under the guise of
humanitarian aid.  A Westphalian company has reportedly shipped at
least 500,000 tons of used tires to Estonia in this guise.  Other
German wastes, including sewage sludge, car paint, and used
lubricants, has also reportedly been sent to Estonia. (Riina
Kionka)

CHINA'S TRADE DEBT TO HUNGARY SETTLED. After two years of
negotiations, China's foreign trade debt to Hungary of 106 million
Swiss francs ($85 million) has been purchased from Hungary's
National Bank by the Hungarian private firm Autotrade for an
undisclosed sum. It will be paid in two installments within one
year, MTI reported on 2 September. Autotrade, which has ties with
16 Chinese companies, will purchase Chinese goods for the same
amount, its chairman Gyorgy Matrai announced. (Alfred Reisch)

[As of 1200 CET]
Compiled by Hal Kosiba & Charles Trumbull
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