OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 20, 29 January 1997

RUSSIA, HUNGARY TO SEEK SOLUTION TO TROPHY ART ISSUE? Russian President
Boris Yeltsin on 28 January proposed that Hungary and Russia establish a
joint working group to settle the future of art treasures looted by the
Soviet Army during World War II, Hungarian dailies reported. In a letter
to Hungarian President Arpad Goncz, Yeltsin said the return of the so-
called trophy art could be resolved, despite a parliamentary resolution
last year imposing a moratorium on the settlement of the issue. Yeltsin
also described the broadening of Russian-Hungarian relations as
essential. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER IN ROMANIA. Following a meeting with top
officials in Bucharest on 28 January, Malcolm Rifkind said he was
"extremely impressed by the changes [in Romania] in the last months,"
Reuters reported. Rifkind also said that the new government's commitment
to reform and improved relations with neighboring Hungary and Ukraine
have boosted its chances of admission to NATO. But he stopped short of
backing Romania's entry in the first wave. Rifkind stressed the need for
Romania to ensure good relations with neighbors that are not seeking
NATO membership, primarily Russia and Ukraine. -- Zsolt Mato

ROMANIAN NATIONALIST PARTIES DEMAND DISMISSAL OF SECRET SERVICE HEAD.
Leaders of the Party of Romanian National Unity (PUNR) and the Greater
Romania Party (PRM), in separate meetings with President Emil
Constantinescu on 28 January, have demanded that Intelligence Service
director Virgil Magureanu be dismissed, Romanian media reported. Last
week, Ion Diaconescu, chairman of the Democratic Convention of Romania,
had announced that Magureanu will not be fired. PUNR leader and Cluj
major Gheorghe Funar also demanded the dismissal of National Bank
governor Mugur Isarescu and stressed once again his opposition to
opening a Hungarian consulate in Cluj. PRM leader Corneliu Vadim Tudor
called Magureanu "the most diabolical personality and biggest gangster
in Romanian history." -- Dan Ionescu

[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Jan Cleave