From: FEKETE@bcvms.bc.edu (Zoli Fekete)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.magyar
Subject: AGORA-SCMPOST RFE/RL report (excerpts)
Date: 7 Sep 1992 08:48:56 -0500
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
Reply-To: fekete@bcvms.bc.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

EC OBSERVERS ARRIVE IN HUNGARY. A five-member EC observer
delegation arrived on 3 September in Szeged near the Yugoslav
border, MTI reports. The delegation discussed the technical
aspects of the establishment of a center in Szeged for twenty to
thirty EC observers who will regularly monitor the
Hungarian-Yugoslav border and whose arrival is expected within one
month.  (Alfred Reisch, RFE/RL Inc.)
 
BISHOP TOKES'S PROTEST FAST. In an open letter addressed to
Iliescu on 6 September, Bishop Laszlo Tokes said that he would
agree to meet him, Radio Bucharest reports. Tokes thus reversed an
earlier refusal to meet Iliescu.  A spokesman for the bishop said
on 5 September that six more people had joined his protest
fast--four ethnic Romanians plus the former mayor of Cluj,
Octavian Buracu. On 6 September, the Democratic Convention urged
Tokes to give up his protest fast, Radio Bucharest reported.
While expressing support for Tokes's aims, the convention
cautioned that it is vital not to create "any pretext that could
be used by the enemies of democracy to create diversion." Tokes
celebrated Sunday services at a church in Timisoara attended by a
crowd of some 1,000 people, Reuters reports. (Michael Shafir,
RFE/RL Inc.)
 
SLOVAK PREMIER ON RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY.  Speaking on Slovak
Radio on 4 September, Vladimir Meciar said that some of the recent
actions by ethnic Hungarian deputies could adversely influence his
talks with Hungarian leaders on 9 September.  (Hungarian deputies
have severely criticized the new Slovak constitution for what they
see as its insufficient protection of minority rights. On 1
September they walked out before the vote on the constitution in
the Slovak parliament.) Meciar argued that the Magyar deputies do
not represent members of all ethnic minorities in Slovakia. He
said that Hungary is currently trying to conclude bilateral
agreements with various countries on the treatment of ethnic
minorities, but that it usually is more concerned about the
treatment of ethnic minorities in other countries than on its own
territory. (Jiri Pehe, RFE/RL Inc.)
 
CZECHOSLOVAK DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS HUNGARY.  Lt. Gen. Imrich
Andrejcak made a one-day visit to Hungary at the invitation of his
Hungarian counterpart Lajos Fur, MTI announced on 4 September. The
two ministers discussed the status of the military after the
breakup of Czechoslovakia and future military cooperation among
the members of the Visegrad Three--soon to be four--with Andrejcak
stressing the need for good bilateral military cooperation with
both Hungary and Poland.  Fur announced that the Visegrad Three's
defense ministers will meet in September on Czech territory.
(Alfred Reisch, RFE/RL Inc.)
 
ROMANIAN MILITARY DELEGATIONS IN HUNGARY, BULGARIA.  A Romanian
military delegation led by 4th Army commander Col.  Gen.  Paul
Cheler arrived on 3 September at the Hungarian Army's ground
forces headquarters in Szekesfehervar, MTI announced.  During the
visit, held within the framework of the two countries' bilateral
military cooperation agreement, the Romanian delegation will look
at a number of military installations and units in eastern Hungary
and hold talks on 7 September with the commander of the Hungarian
Army. On 6 September Romanian State Secretary and Chief of General
Staff Lt.  Gen. Dumitru Cioflina ended a three-day visit to
Bulgaria, BTA reports.  Cioflina had discussions on military
reform with Deputy Premier Nikola Vasilev, Deputy Defense Minister
Nikola Daskalov, and the Bulgarian Chief of General Staff Col.
Gen.  Lyuben Petrov.  Before leaving on Sunday, Cioflina told
reporters a planned agreement between the defense ministries would
lay a solid basis for the further development of bilateral
military relations.  (Alfred Reisch & Kjell Engelbrekt, RFE/RL
Inc.)
 
BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN HUNGARY.  According to a 4 September
MTI report, Willy Claes will start official talks on 7 September
with Hungarian President Arpad Goncz, Prime Minister Jozsef
Antall, Foreign Minister Geza Jeszenszky, International Economic
Relations Minister Bela Kadar, and chairman of the Hungarian
National Bank Akos Peter Bod. Bilateral relations and Hungary's
international integration efforts are expected to dominate the
discussions.  Claes is considered to be among those Western
politicians who believe that the Visegrad Three--Hungary, Poland,
and Czechoslovakia--should join the European Community as soon as
possible.  (Judith Pataki, RFE/RL Inc.)
 
HUNGARIAN FOREIGN TRADE FIGURES.  According to data released by
the Ministry of International Economic Relations, Hungary's
foreign trade for the first seven months of 1992 showed a deficit
to $60 million, which is $1.3 billion less than the deficit for
the same period last year, MTI reported on 6 September. Exports
rose by 14.1% to a value of $5.9 billion and imports fell by 8.8%
to a value of $5.9 billion. Some 70% of the exports went to
advanced industrial countries (with the EC accounting for 50% and
Germany alone for 27%), 25% to the former socialist countries, and
5% to developing countries. During the same period, imports from
developing countries dropped by 60%.  After deduction of
nonpayment items such as leasing and wages, Hungary's foreign
trade achieved a surplus of $152.5 million.  (Alfred Reisch,
RFE/RL Inc.)
 
The RFE/RL Daily Report is produced by the RFE/RL Research
Institute (a division of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Inc.)
with the assistance of the RFE/RL News and Current Affairs
Division (NCA). The report is available by electronic mail
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