RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE  6 October 1999

HUNGARY, POLAND DISCUSS EU ADMISSION, AGRICULTURE TARIFFS.
Visiting Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and his
Hungarian counterpart, Arpad Goncz, told reporters in
Budapest on 5 October that both countries will be ready for
EU admission by 2002. The two sides agreed to make mutual
concessions in their dispute over tariffs on agricultural
products, Goncz said. Poland has imposed a special tariff on
wheat imports from Hungary to protect its domestic market, a
move that Budapest considers a violation of the Central
European Free Trade Agreement. MSZ

RECONCILIATION PARK HIGHLIGHTS EMBITTERED ROMANIAN, HUNGARIAN
RELATIONS... The foundation stone of the Romanian-Hungarian
reconciliation park is being laid on 6 October in the
presence of a low-level delegation from either side, Romanian
Radio reported. Shortly after Prime Minister Radu Vasile's
decision not to attend, Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban
arrived in Arad on 5 October, where he attended a ceremony
commemorating the 13 Hungarian generals executed by the
Austrians in 1848 and a play on the generals staged by the
Oradea Hungarian-language theater. Orban said Vasile's
cancellation was prompted by the desire to avoid a
"confrontation" with Arad local council members who are
opposed to the park. He, too, decided not to take part in the
6 October ceremony and delegated Justice Minister Ibolya
David to attend as a "fittingly appropriate" representation.
On learning of Orban's decision, Deputy Premier Valeriu
Stoica, who was to have represented Vasile, also opted not to
be present. MS

...AS FATE OF CONTROVERSIAL SCULPTURE GROUP REMAINS UNCLEAR.
According to a Hungarian-Romanian decision, the
reconciliation park is to include the "Hungarian Liberty"
group of statues of the 13 generals. The monument was
dismantled in 1925 and kept in storage until recently.
Speaking on Romanian Radio on 5 October, Victor Chiujdea,
governmental state counselor for bilateral relations, said no
decision has yet been taken on displaying the monument in the
park. Romanian nationalists object to such a move, claiming
the monument represents the "executioners" of Romanians in
Transylvania. The Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania
rejects such an interpretation. Party of Social Democracy in
Romania Chairman Ion Iliescu on 5 October said he "warned"
Vasile to stay away from the ceremony, since the Hungarians
are "setting a trap" to make claims on Transylvania. The
Party of Romanian National Unity and the National Romanian
Party have demanded that the generals' monument does not go
on display. MS

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