OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 34, 18 February 1997

SLOVAK POLITICAL ROUNDUP. Leaders of the opposition Democratic Union and
Social Democratic Party on 17 February signed an agreement on political
cooperation, Slovak media reported. DU Chairman Jozef Moravcik said the
document focuses on completing the transformation of Slovak society,
building and maintaining the rule of law, and completing the economic
transformation. The two parties aim to set an example of how to bridge
disputes between the left and right wings of the opposition. Also on 17
February, Slovak National Party deputy Jozef Prokes told CTK that a bill
on minority languages could be submitted to the parliament within six
months. Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement deputy Gyula Bardos told
Sme the next day that the Hungarian coalition does not have any
information about the bill. -- Sharon Fisher

HUNGARY, ROMANIA BOOST MILITARY TIES. In Debrecen, Hungary, Hungarian
Defense Minister Gyorgy Keleti and Romanian Defense Minister Victor
Babiuc on 17 February signed an accord on the protection of military
secrets, Reuters reported. The two ministers also agreed to set up a
joint peacekeeping battalion for use with NATO, the UN, and the OSCE.
The battalion, scheduled to be operational by the end of the year, will
have bases in both countries, with joint command and joint exercises.
The two ministries will have periodical consultations on military
matters. Referring to NATO enlargement, Keleti said the two countries
are partners, not competitors. It was Babiuc's first visit abroad.
Analysts view the recent improvement of bilateral ties as boosting both
countries' chances of joining NATO in an early phase. -- Zsolt Mato

HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER ON PRIVATIZATION SCANDAL. Appearing before the
parliamentary committee investigating last fall's privatization scandal
involving consultant Marta Tocsik, Gyula Horn on 17 February distanced
himself from the affair, Hungarian media reported. Horn said his
government reacted swiftly, firing the top leadership of the state
privatization agency and the minister overseeing privatization. Free
Democrat leader Ivan Peto told the committee he was unaware of the
business activities of certain key figures in the affair who have
connections to his party. -- Sharon Fisher

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Susan Caskie