ROMANIA TO ENFORCE EMBARGO ON YUGOSLAVIA.

Romanian Defense Minister Victor Babiuc announced on April 17 that Russia would not be allowed to use Romanian airspace for flying humanitarian aid to Yugoslavia. Russia may only transport the aid to Yugoslavia across Romania only by land, which will enable Romanian authorities to check the convoys carefully. Bucharest, Babiuc said, wants to “exclude any possibility of illegal transports of weapons” or other embargoed items to Yugoslavia. Babiuc was reacting to the stated Russian intention to request passage to Serbia via Romania as an alternative to the Hungarian route. He added that Romania would allow NATO to use the country’s airspace in emergency situations. The Romanian government is keen to gain admission to NATO (Mediafax cited by AP, April 17).

Last week, Hungary forbade the passage of several armor-plated vehicles and fuel tank trucks which were part of a large Russian aid convoy en route to Serbia. The Hungarian authorities checked the other vehicles thoroughly before allowing them through. Following that incident, Russian President Boris Yeltsin, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shiga publicly raised the possibility of rerouting the aid via Romania without first checking with the Romanian government. Moscow did not check with the Romanian government before making the announcement.

THE RUKH: ONE PARTY, TWO PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES.