From: msirbu@next5.cs.umr.edu (Mihai Sirbu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.romanian
Subject: Moldova/Romania News, RFE/RL 9/4/92
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:23:37 GMT
Article-I.D.: umr.1992Sep4.162337.10954
Organization: University of Missouri-Rolla, Missouri's Technological University

from RFE/RL Daily Report            No. 170, September 4, 1992

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)



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)

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