RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE 19 May 1999

YUGOSLAV PRISONERS RETURN THROUGH HUNGARY. Two Yugoslav
prisoners of war captured by the Kosova Liberation Army in
mid-April and held by U.S. forces were handed over to
Yugoslav authorities at the Roszke border station on 18 May.
A U.S. military plane flew the two prisoners to Budapest
airport from Germany. Nadya Kebir, a representative of the
International Red Cross, denied reports that one of the
prisoners asked for refugee status in Hungary. In other news,
parliamentary speaker Janos Ader was elected executive deputy
chairman of the Federation of Young Democrats-Hungarian Civic
Party on 17 May, replacing Secret Services Minister Laszlo
Kover. MSZ

BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY MEETS WITH ORBAN. George Robertson
met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss the
NATO campaign in Yugoslavia, Reuters reported on 19 May.
Robertson praised the commitment of Orban's government in the
face of "fragile" public opinion. He stressed that NATO and
EU membership bring benefits as well as responsibilities to
those who join. Robertson also assured Orban that Hungary
will be a recipient of financial aid in the post-conflict
regional reconstruction effort. One survey found that the
bombing and blockage of the River Danube could cost the
Hungarians an estimated $500 million a year. VG

ROMANIAN PARTY COMPLAINS ABOUT ETHNIC HUNGARIANS' COMMENTS.
The Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR) has lodged a
complaint with the Prosecutor-General's Office against five
members of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR)
because of recent comments by the latter, Romanian Radio
reported on 18 May. PUNR argues that the five UDMR members,
including Laszlo Tokes, violated the Romanian Constitution by
disparaging the country and making statements against the
nation. At the UDMR congress on 15 May, Tokes said Kosova is
a model of autonomy for Romania's ethnic Hungarians and
called for the "end of the national Romanian state," AP
reported. VG

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