OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 192, October 1996

GERMANY GRANTS MORE LOANS TO HUNGARY. During a two-day visit to Germany
by Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn, German federal and state
governments granted DM 1 billion ($650 million) in loans to Hungary,
Hungarian dailies reported on 3 October. The Baden-Wurttemberg and
Bavarian governments granted DM 250 million each, while Germany's
federal government approved DM 500 million to support small and medium-
size companies and German-Hungarian joint ventures. The loan agreement
follows a similar deal signed in October 1995. Horn later flew to Munich
to deliver a speech at today's ceremony marking the anniversary of
German reunification. -- Zsofia Szilagyi

ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY DISCUSS NATO
EXPANSION. Teodor Melescanu and William Perry met at the Pentagon on 2
October to discuss U.S.-Romanian relations and Romania's prospects for
joining NATO, Romanian media reported. Melescanu said Perry appreciated
Romania's efforts to meet the criteria for NATO admittance, and that
Perry said the signing of the Romanian-Hungarian basic treaty and the
very active U.S.-Romanian military cooperation were serious arguments in
favor of admitting Romania. Perry further praised Romania's
participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace program and in the IFOR
mission in Bosnia, Melescanu said. The Romanian minister is on a visit
to the United States and Canada primarily aimed at boosting Romania's
chances of being included among the first group of countries to join
NATO. -- Zsolt Mato


[As of 12:00 CET]

Compiled by Tom Warner