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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol 2, No. 33, 18 February 1998

SLOVAKIA, HUNGARY MAKE NO PROGRESS ON GABCIKOVO-NAGYMAROS. Julius Binder,
deputy head of the Slovak delegation seeking to resolve the issue of the
dam project on the River Danube, said on 17 February that his country's
position on the project remains firm and is in accordance with  the
International Court of Justice ruling. Talking after another round of the
bilateral discussions in Bratislava, Binder said Slovakia has no reason to
make any concessions that would disadvantage the operation of the Cunovo
dam, on the Slovak bank of the Danube. Hungarian government commissioner
Janos Nemcsok admitted that the two sides remain far apart over the issue.
He added that no agreement was reached on the water level at the Hungarian
Dunakiliti  reservoir, Hungarian media reported. MSZ

HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES ROLE IN POSSIBLE ATTACK ON IRAQ. The
parliament on 17 February approved the government's proposal that Hungary
send a 50-member medical contingent to participate in a possible
international operation against Iraq, Hungarian media reported. The
resolution also allows countries taking part in such an operation to use
Hungarian airspace and military airports. Hungary's participation would
cost some 550 million forints ($2.6 million). Owing to the opposition of
the Young Democrats and Independent Smallholders, the proposal to send a
200-member technical unit was dropped from the resolution. MSZ


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