OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 205, 20 October 1995

RUSSIA STILL ON COMPUTER BLACKLIST. Russia is surprised that the U.S.
has placed restrictions on it in the new computer export policy recently
announced by President Bill Clinton. Foreign Ministry spokesman Grigorii
Karasin said on 19 October that this approach contradicts earlier U.S.
vows to "clear the ruins of the Cold War," ITAR-TASS reported. The new
policy created four country groups, running from Group A (no
restrictions) to Group D (a virtual embargo on computer export). Russia
and the other countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as Romania
and Bulgaria, were put into Group C. The Czech Republic, Hungary,
Poland, and Slovakia were placed into Group B. Karasin noted that Russia
was the only member of the "New Forum," the export control body created
to replace CoCom, that was on the "discriminating list." He warned that
Russia will be forced to reconsider its cooperation with the U.S. in
high-technology fields unless the rules are changed. -- Doug Clarke

HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON BOSNIA. Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo
Kovacs, speaking after the Geneva meeting of the OSCE "troika" (the
foreign ministers of Italy, Hungary, and Switzerland, which are the
past, present, and future OSCE chairmen-in-office), said the OSCE is
expected to play a major role in postwar Bosnia-Herzegovina, including
organizing free elections, Reuters reported on 19 October. Kovacs, who
is currently OSCE chairman-in-office, said the OSCE is expected to help
promote human rights and the protection of minorities as well as
supervise the disarmament of the warring sides. Kovacs, who accompanied
Hungarian Premier Gyula Horn on his recent visit to Croatia, added that
he expected NATO to be responsible for the military implementation of a
peace accord and the EU to be given the leading role in economic
reconstruction. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

[As of 1200 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave
Compiled by Victor Gomez


(Elnezest az esetleges kisbetukert, de az eredeti szoveg csupa
nagybetuvel volt irva, amit at kellett cserelnem.)

Buchwald Amy

*****************************************************************

date=10/19/95
type=correspondent report
number=2-187147
title=Euro Money (l only)
byline=Barry Wood
dateline=Prague
content=
voiced at:

Intro:  Hungary is said to be close to satisfying International
Monetary Fund conditions for a new loan.  But, as V-o-A's Barry
Wood reports, other countries like Ukraine, Russia, Romania, and
Bulgaria need I-M-F money but have yet  to reach agreement with
the multi-lateral lender.

Text:  The I-M-F representative in Budapest says Hungary is now
very close to completing a deal which would lead to a new
300-million-dollar stand-by loan.  Hungary has  not  had a deal
with the I-M-F since 1993, and experts say one is needed if
Hungary is regain its credit-worthy standing on international
markets.

The I-M-F has been reluctant to lend more to Hungary until the
government shows that it has a plan for halting the growth in the
country's trade and budget deficits.  Hungary has been borrowing
from the I-M-F for more than a decade, and there is concern about
the country's status as a chronic borrower with an excessive debt
load.

While Hungary's financial accounts are still out of balance,
there is significant improvement in neighboring Poland, the Czech
Republic, and Slovakia.  The Czech Republic paid back its I-M-F
loans early and says it had  no  need for future borrowings.
Poland, which like the Czech Republic, has paid back the I-M-F
early and is making its currency convertible, also says it  no
longer needs I-M-F financing.

Slovakia is in a somewhat different position,  not  needing loans
at the moment but  not  having convinced capital markets that its
economic policies will assure financial balance and
non-inflationary growth.

Other countries continue to need I-M-F help but show  no  sign of
reaching early loan agreements.  Romania and Bulgaria need to
have their I-M-F lending agreements extended, but problems over
the pace of privatization and the condition of banks remain.
Ukraine last month got a further installment of a previously
agreed loan, but I-M-F officials are worried about the recent
slow down both in privatization and efforts to reduce the budget
deficit.

An I-M-F mission is currently in Moscow negotiating an extension
of Russia's major lending program from multi-lateral lenders.
(Signed)

neb/bdw/jwh/mmk

19-Oct-95 11:00 am edt (1500 utc)
nnnn

source: Voice of America