Excerpts from recent RFE/RL reports
Date: Sun, 04 May 97 19:18:53 -0500
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Message-Id: <[email protected]>
To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
Subject: Excerpts from recent RFE/RL reports
Hungary/Romania: Officials Discuss Reform, NATO
Prague, 30 April 1997 (RFE/RL)
-- Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs told visiting Romanian Senate
chairman Petre Roman that Hungary will continue to do its utmost in order to
secure access to an enlarged NATO jointly with Romania.
Our correspondent says that Hungarian President Arpad Goencz told Roman
yesterday that Budapest was ready to share with Romania its experience of
how to cope with overcoming the economic crisis during the transition period
..
Roman noted that economic austerity measures could stir up extreme
nationalist sentiments in Romania, particularly now, when an ethnic
Hungarian political formation, the Hungarian Democratic Federation of
Romania, is a member of the governing coalition. But he added that he was
sure democracy in his country can be guaranteed.
1997 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Slovakia: No Breakthrough In Treaty Talks With Hungary
By Genevieve Zalatorius Bratislava, 1 May 1997 (RFE/RL)
- Hungarians say there was no breakthrough in meetings last week on setting
up joint committees for implementing the basic Hungary-Slovakia treaty.
One of the issues preventing progress, according to Budapest, is the
establishment of a Minority Committee. Hungarian officials in Bratislava
tell our correspondent that Budapest wants ethnic Hungarians represented on
that committee. But Slovakia is resisting this effort, and maintaining
minority representation is not necessary. Slovakia's Foreign Affairs
Ministry spokesman Ivan Korcok accuses the Hungarians of seeing everything
through what he called "the optic of the minority issue." But, while Korcok
said that there was no progress in last week's talks in Bratislava, he told
our correspondent that he is optimistic that there will be another meeting
between the two sides in May.
Hungarians say they are not asking for anything new, and want only what they
have achieved with other neighboring countries, such as Ukraine. And, they
say that if talks between the two sides have stalemated, it might be
necessary for a high-level, Foreign Ministers meeting to set matters back on
track. So far, no such meeting at that level is planned. Slovakia's Foreign
Affairs Ministry is busy preparing for Minister Pavol Hamzik's visit to Hong
Kong and China set for the second week in May.
Several issues are reported preventing mutual understanding between Hungary
and Slovakia. One frequently cited is Slovakia's language law, which is
causing consternation among ethnic Hungarians. Penalties and fines for
violations came into effect at the beginning of 1997.
In addition, there is also concern about a proposed Slovak law that would
require students in ethnic Hungarian schools to be taught by Slovak
instructors.
1997 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Central/Eastern Europe: U.S. Ethnic Leaders Aid NATO Expansion
By Julie Moffett Washington, 1 May 1997 (RFE/RL)
-- A leading U.S. senator says that American ethnic groups have played an
important role in mobilizing congressional support for NATO expansion and
keeping politicians well informed about key issues in Central and Eastern
Europe.
Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) made the comment Wednesday at a one-day
conference on "Security and Stability in Central and Eastern Europe: A Vital
U.S. Interest." It was sponsored by the Central and East European Coalition
(CEEC), an organization representing more than 20 million Americans who
trace their heritage to that part of the world, to discuss NATO expansion
issues with legislators and officials from the State Department and White
House.
Daniel Fried, a special assistant to U.S. President Bill Clinton and senior
staff director at the National Security Council, said Clinton considers NATO
expansion to be a top foreign policy goal. Fried stated that despite
concerns being expressed in the U.S. Congress and the media, NATO
enlargement at a Madrid summit this July will go forward even if a Russia-
NATO charter is not yet sealed. Fried said Clinton is standing firm on what
Fried called the "Five No's Policy." He listed them as:
No delay in NATO enlargement.
No Russian veto in NATO.
No second-class citizenship for any members in NATO.
No subordination of NATO to any other organization.
No exclusion of any European democracy to NATO in the future.
Fried added that the Clinton administration believes the first new NATO
members could be admitted by 1999, on the 50th anniversary of the founding
of NATO.
Another conference participant, Congressman Frank Pallone (D-New Jersey),
founder and co-chairman of a congressional group on Armenian issues, urged
that the door to NATO be kept open to all applicants in the region,
including former Soviet republics. Pallone said supporters of NATO expansion
must continue to push for acceptance of additional members while making
clear that "the U.S. does not accept an implicit or explicit Russian veto
over new NATO members -- including the former Soviet republics, whether in
the Baltics, the Caucuses or the heartland of the Central European plain."
He said it is important, however, to reassure Russia that an expanded NATO,
even a NATO that goes right up to Russia's borders, is in no way a threat.
Pallone said: "As NATO goes about defining its new mission for the 21st
century, I believe we will find that our alliance is shaped by such basic
core values as an adherence to democratic values and the mutual agreement to
defend against aggression. A Russia truly committed to democracy and peace
has nothing to fear from such an alliance."
Peter Rodman, director of national security studies at the Nixon Center for
Peace and Freedom told attendees it is crucial that Russia understand that
NATO is a defensive organization and has proven itself as a key institution
in promoting stability in Europe. Rodman added that he had the greatest
confidence in Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and her effort to help
negotiqations on the Russia-NATO charter. He said she is "genetically
incapable of not representing the interests of Central and Eastern Europe."
Albright is in Moscow today for a 24-hour visit, primarily to discuss the
charter proposal with Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov.
1997 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
--
============================================================================
MINELRES - a forum for discussion on minorities in Central & Eastern
Europe
Submissions: [email protected] Subscription/inquiries: minelres@mailbox.
riga.lv
============================================================================