RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 124, 24 September 1997

CZECH REPUBLIC OPENS NATO MEMBERSHIP TALKS. The Czech
Republic opened membership talks with NATO in Brussels on 23
September. Deputy Foreign Minister Karel Kovanda is leading the
Czech delegation in the talks, which are to focus on the political, legal,
and practical aspects of the Czech Republic's membership in the
Atlantic alliance. Hungary and Poland have already opened similar
talks with NATO. Meanwhile in Prague, the Czech trade union
federation (CMKOS) has voted down demands by leaders of the
miners' and railway workers' unions to stage a general strike.
Instead, CMKOS will organize a mass rally in Prague on 8 November
to protest the government's economic and social policies.

SLOVAK FOREIGN MINISTRY REJECTS HORN'S COMMENTS. The Slovak
Foreign Ministry on 23 September issued a statement
"unequivocally" rejecting comments that Hungarian Prime Minister
Gyula Horn made to the parliament in Budapest the previous day,
Bratislava's Radio Twist reported. The ministry criticized Horn's
remarks that the Slovak government's minorities policy does not
comply with European standards and international obligations
undertaken by Bratislava. It called on Hungary to "ensure a higher
standard of minority rights to...at least come closer to the level of
minority rights in Slovakia, instead of making unjustified, one-sided,
and unfounded criticism."

HUNGARIAN, ROMANIAN JUSTICE MINISTRIES SIGN ACCORD.
Minister of Justice Pal Vastagh and his Romanian counterpart,
Valeriu Stoica, met in Budapest on 23 September and signed an
agreement on cooperation between their ministries, Hungarian media
Valeriu Stoica, met in Budapest on 23 September and signed an
agreement on cooperation between their ministries, Hungarian media
reported. Under the accord, the two ministries will regularly
exchange information and will pay special attention to their
experience in bringing nationality laws into line with EU legislation.
Vastagh said that despite some negative trends, it cannot be denied
that Hungarian-Romanian relations are on the whole positive, Radio
Bucharest reported.

ROMANIAN COALITION UNDER THREAT. Bela Marko, the chairman of
the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania (UDMR), said on 23
September said the UDMR's continued participation in the ruling
coalition is doubtful, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. He made
the statement after the Senate's Commission on Education had for the
third time changed the text of the law education (which has to be
submitted to the parliament) and had reinstated the provision
stipulating that history and geography are to be taught in the
Romanian language. The ruling coalition leaders met later but were
unable to reach a compromise. Marko said it is unacceptable for
coalition representatives to break earlier agreements. The coalition
leadership also decided that the issue of the education law is to be
reexamined in consultations between the UDMR and the National
Peasant Party Christian Democratic.

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