RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE  28 February 2000

HUNGARIAN PREMIER VISITS UKRAINE. Viktor Orban on 25 February
assured his Ukrainian counterpart, Viktor Yushchenko, that
Hungary will not impose visas on Ukrainians until it enters
the EU. Both premiers stressed the importance of improving
bilateral economic ties. Yushchenko said Hungary is
"Ukraine's main partner in Eastern Europe." VG

UKRAINIAN PREMIER DENIES RUSSIAN CLAIMS. Yushchenko on 25
February said that Ukraine has not agreed to hand over
leading enterprises to Russia in payment of gas debts,
Interfax reported. Yushchenko also rejected Russian First
Deputy Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov's claim that he has
presented a list of enterprises Russia would be willing to
accept as debt payment. VG

AUSTRIA ASSURES HUNGARY OF SUPPORTING EU EXPANSION. Visiting
Austrian Foreign Minister Benita Ferrero-Waldner told her
Hungarian counterpart, Janos Martonyi, on 25 February that
Austria remains committed to EU expansion and considers
Hungary a leading candidate among countries seeking
accession. She noted that 55-60 percent of Austrians support
Hungary's EU accession. Martonyi said Hungary has concerns
and fears related to Austria's Freedom Party that "go beyond
the issue of enlargement," but he added that Budapest's
position differs from that of EU members. MSZ

HUNGARY'S FAR RIGHT TO GET RADIO FREQUENCY. The National
Radio and Television Board's four-year mandate is nearing a
close amid a scandal over its decision to grant a regional
radio frequency to a company co-owned by Lorant Schuster, a
member of the Budapest City Council of the Hungarian Justice
and Life Party (MIEP), Hungarian media reported on 28
February. Opposition Free Democrat Chairman Balint Magyar
objected that neither the BBC, RFI, or Deutsche Welle can
obtain a frequency in Hungary but MIEP politicians can launch
radio stations. MIEP agreed to support bids favored by the
governing parties in return for support for the MIEP bid.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told Hungarian Radio
that Hungary is "the only country that is not accused by
anybody of having a threat from the far right." MSZ

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