OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 132, 10 July 1996

SLOVAK GOVERNMENT ATTACKS HUNGARIAN DEMANDS... Foreign Minister Juraj
Schenk on 9 July criticized the recent Hungarian minority summit on
Slovak Radio. Schenk expressed "surprise and concern" over the summit's
communique, which pushed for ethnic autonomy and self-government on the
territory of other states where Hungarians live. Schenk said the
government regards it "a step against the trend of positive development
of mutual relations" marked by the ratification of a bilateral treaty.
The calls for autonomy have not been adopted by the Slovak government or
by international organizations, such as the Council of Europe and the
OSCE. Since there is no relevant international document that codifies
the idea of ethnic autonomy, it is misleading to talk about "the spirit
of international norms," Schenk said. The ruling Movement for a
Democratic Slovakia said the communique marked an effort to revive
"Hungarian nationalist revisionism and iredententism." -- Sharon Fisher

... WHILE HUNGARIAN GOVERNMENT DEFENDS THEM. The ethnic Hungarian
summit's final communique did not mention "collective rights"--a term
that has caused controversy in the past--only the term "autonomy," which
is in accord with Western European practice, the Foreign Ministry
spokesman said on 9 July, Hungarian media reported. The communique
reads, "The establishment of local governments and autonomy--in line
with the current European practice and the spirit of international
norms--is vital to preserving the identity of Hungarians beyond the
borders, their survival and development..." The ministry said the
document has no legal basis and was not intended to cause friction with
neighboring countries. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

ROMANIA SEES "PLOT" IN U.S. CONGRESS DELAY. The government newspaper
Vocea Romaniei on 10 July reported an "anti-Romanian plot" in the U.S.
Congress's decision to postpone discussions on granting Romania
permanent most-favored-nation status. The daily printed an article from
the Budapest-based Uj Magyarorszag that reported on a campaign allegedly
staged by the Hungarian lobby in the U.S. Vocea Romaniei said the "U.S.
Congress and America in general are the victims of a horrible anti-
Romanian informational war, conducted from Budapest with the direct help
of the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania." Evenimentul zilei
noted a letter from 25 congressmen addressed on 26 June to the chairman
of the House of Representatives demanding that the MFN debate be delayed
until after Romania's presidential elections this fall. -- Dan Ionescu

[As of 1200 CET]

Compiled by Maura Griffin Solovar