KGB OFFICER APPOINTED FOREIGN MINISTER OF BELARUS.

President Alyaksandr Lukashenka on December 4 merged the Ministry of External Economic Relations and the Ministry of CIS Affairs with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and appointed Ural Latypov to head the latter, beefed up ministry. Latypov, born in 1951 in Bashkiria, is a colonel of the former USSR KGB who served in the Belarusan SSR and later became foreign affairs adviser to Lukashenka. Ivan Antanovich, who held the foreign minister’s post until December 4, is said to be in line for an ambassadorial post (Itar-Tass, December 5).

KUCHMA URGES PARLIAMENT TO ADOPT BUDGET.