RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 139, 15 October 1997

CZECH, HUNGARIAN PRESIDENTS PLEDGE COOPERATION ON NATO.
Czech President Vaclav Havel and his Hungarian counterpart, Arpad
Goncz, declared in Prague on 14 October that there are "many good
reasons" for their countries and Poland to expand cooperation as they
move toward NATO membership, CTK reported.

NATO REFERENDUM POSTPONED IN HUNGARY. The parliament on 14
October rejected the government's proposal that the 16 November
referendum include only the question on NATO accession (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 14 October 1997), Hungarian media reported. The
opposition is insisting that the plebiscite include both the question on
accession and two questions on land ownership by foreigners. Also
on 14 October, the government announced it will ask the
Constitutional Court to clarify whether the court's 13 October decision
excludes the possibility of conducting the referendum on NATO
accession alone. Meanwhile, US Ambassador to NATO Robert Hunter
said in Budapest that it is Hungary's internal affair to choose how to
demonstrate its commitment toward NATO membership.


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