KYRGYZSTAN PREMATURELY HOPEFUL ON CUSTOMS UNION.

Declaring his primary interest to be in the functioning of the CIS Customs Union, Kyrgyz president Askar Akaev expressed "full satisfaction with the results of the Customs Union’s [October 22] Moscow summit," which held out the prospect of broadening the access of Kyrgyz exports to the Russian market. (See Monitor, October 22-23) Akaev made this statement only hours before the Customs Union’s chief executive official in Moscow cast doubt on that prospect.

Military Chief Named.