CCCCC AA RRRRR OOOO LL II NN N AA CC AA A RR R OO O LL II NNN N AA A CC AA A RRRRR OO O LL II NN N N AA A CC AAAAAA RR R OO O LL II NN NN AAAAAA CCCCC AA A RR R OOOO LLLLLL II NN N AA A STUDENTS' E-MAIL NEWS FROM CZECH REPUBLIC School of Social Sciences of Charles University Smetanovo nabr. 6 110 01 Prague 1 Czech Republic E-mail address: carolina@n.fsv.cuni.cz Fax: (+422) 24810987 *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* C A R O L I N A No 101, Friday, January 14, 1994. EVENTS OF THE LAST WEEK (January 5-12) Bill Clinton Visits Prague President Bill Clinton arrived in Prague January 11 for a 25-hour visit that included diplomacy and playing a new saxophone given to him by President Vaclav Havel in the jazz club Reduta. Havel, Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus and Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec welcomed Clinton at the airport. Clinton then had a 15-minute private talk with Havel. In the meantime, Hungarian President Arpad Goncz and Prime Minister Peter Boross, Slovak President Michal Kovac and Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and Polish Foreign Minister Andrzej Olechowski arrived in Prague. Polish President Lech Walesa arrived in Prague on Wednesday. In the evening, Bill Clinton and his host went for a night walk through a well-secured Prague. Clinton started his tour on the Charles Bridge, drank a beer and had dinner at the famous U Zlateho tygra beerhall, and together laid white lilies on Narodni trida, where the revolution began November 17, 1989. Clinton ended the evening at Reduta. There were many bilateral meetings on Wednesday morning: Vaclav Havel negotiated with Slovakia's Kovac, and later with Hungary's Goncz in the presence of both foreign ministers. Clinton dealt with the Hungarian, Polish and Slovak presidents in turns. Klaus talked to Meciar, Zieleniec to his Slovak counterpart Jozef Moravcik and to Olechowski. All the meetings focused on the chances of Visegrad countries gaining full membership in NATO following the NATO summit in Brussels, which Clinton attended. The Visegrad leaders agreed that the NATO offer of the Partnership for Peace is the maximum that can be achieved at the moment, although it is the minimum that Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians, and Poles expect. Clinton said the stability of Central Europe is an important security consideration for NATO and the United States. Czechs apply to OECD Membership The Czech government approved applying for membership in the Organization for Economic Coordination and Development (OECD) on January 5. The OECD is grouping of the 24 most-developed countries. The Czech Republic currently participates in its program as an observer. Funeral Held for Former Czechoslovak Ambassador to US, Rita Klimova Czech President Vaclav Havel and his wife Olga, Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus, Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec and other current and former political representatives gave a farewell salute to Rita Klimova January 6 in the Prague crematorium. Klimova was the first post-communist ambassador from Czechoslovakia to the United States. Among others, former Czech prime minister Petr Pithart and former federal foreign minister Jiri Dientsbier paid their respects. Adrian Basora, American ambassador to the Czech Republic, and Zdenek Mlynar, the first husband of the deceased were also present. Slovakia Pays Dollar Debt To Czech Republic The National Bank of the Slovak Republic paid 40 million dollars to the Czech National Bank (CNB) January 7. The amount represents the exceeded limit of clearing credit in Czech and Slovak trade. According to the director of CNB, Ota Kaftan, there are still unfavorable trends of Slovakia running beyond credit limits. He added that the Czech Republic will continue with the current system in the near future, but that the system will not be maintainable when the Czech crown becomes fully convertible. Personal Relationships Among People Are Not Good Seventy-one percent of Czechs rate interpersonal relationships as rather bad or bad. One third of citizens think that personal relationships will continue deteriorating this year. According to a survey released this week, only 4 percent look forward to improved relations. The most critical view of interpersonal relationships was in 1991 however, when 81 percent rated them rather bad or bad. Rent in Prague Center May Increase By One-Fifth Costly repairs to housing have led Prague municipal authorities to allow landlords to increase rent in attractively located apartments by as much as 20 percent. The decree covers about 123,000 apartments in such town quarters as Mala Strana (Lesser Town), Nove and Stare Mesto (Old and New Town), Josefov, Vysehrad, Vinohrady and also Dejvice, Zizkov and parts of Michle and Vrsovice. Quadruplets Born in Prague Quadruplets, two boys and two girls, were born January 6 to a 22-year-old mother. The children were delivered prematurely by Ceasarean section. The children had a low birth weight and are under the constant care of a team of specialists. Quadruplets were born in the Czech Republic in 1983, 1986 and in 1987. FROM SLOVAKIA Hungarian Representatives Ask For a Wider Self-Rule At an assembly of 3,000 town deputies from southern Slovakia January 8 in Komarno, ethnic Hungarians demanded greater autonomy. The assembly asked for wider self-government authority and declared the government proposal for a new administrative organization of Slovakia improper. However, the assembly set aside demands to declare an autonomous region. The group suggested that regions with a Hungarian majority be formed into a distinct unit from Bratislava to the Ukrainian border. They further asked for a larger number of rights for the Hungarian minority in the Slovak Constitution. The assembly documents are going to be sent to the Council of Europe, the Conference of Security and Cooperation in Europe and to all deputies and highest representatives of Slovakia. The assembly also stated that official use of the Hungarian language is inevitable in those areas with at least one-tenth Hungarian population. The Komarno Assembly also said it will insist on revision of the Benes decrees affecting the Hungarian minority after the World War Two. According to 1991 figures, more than 600,000 Hungarians live in Slovakia, or 11.5 percent of its inhabitants. Hungarians form a majority in 437 towns and municipalities, and from 10 to 50 percent in 85 other towns. ECONOMICS Inflation Rate was 18 Percent in '93 Consumers' prices in the Czech Republic rose 18.2 percent last year, the lowest inflation rate among all post-communist countries. Prime Minister Vaclav Klaus said on Monday that the inflation rate is "satisfactory." If not for the introduction of a new tax system, Klaus said, inflation would stay under 10 percent. According to Economy Minister Karel Dyba, the inflation rate is a relative success. "We must say nevertheless, that we can not afford such figures in the long-term perspective," he said. "This year we must not exceed the level of 10 percent, and later inflation has to be kept on a level of western economies." The typical inflation rate in Europe is 2-3 percent. Divorce Between Czechoslovak Airlines (CSA) And Air France? Losses of CSA, which some reports put at 1.2 billion crowns last year, combined with quarrels among management are leading the Czech government to doubt further participation of Air France in CSA. Transportation Minister Jan Strasky said the government will propose buying shares of Air France unless the assembly of shareholders would come to an accord on solving the crisis in the company at their January 6 meeting. Before the meeting, the general director and chairman of board of trustees were replaced. Another point of dispute was an alleged overestimated price of the company, which was paid by shareholders Air France and the European Bank for Restoration and Development (BERD) - each owns 19.2 percent. According to an inspection, the Czech side owes its partners 747 million crowns. Before the shareholders' meeting the French company said it was considering selling shares, but later said they wouldn't, saying this would violate the contract under which Air France is bound to keep its shares for seven years. CSA also has to lease about ten new planes for a cost of roughly 400 million dollars. But the Czech side does not have money enough to cover this, said Tomas Jezek, chairman of the National Fund. If the fund has to pay this amount, bonds will probably be issued. EXCHANGE RATE Exchange Rates of the Czech National Bank (valid since January 12) CASH CHECKS Buy Sell Buy Sell Middle EMS-ECU 1XEU - - 33,331 33,665 33,498 France 1FRF 4,89 5,29 5,060 5,110 5,085 Italy 1 000ITL 16,86 18,40 17,542 17,718 17,630 Japan 100JPY 25,42 28,02 26,586 26,854 26,720 Canada 1CAD 21,95 23,73 22,726 22,954 22,840 Netherlands 1NLG 14,96 15,92 15,365 15,519 15,442 Austria 1ATS 2,40 2,52 2,448 2,472 2,460 Germany 1DEM 16,83 17,75 17,205 17,377 17,291 Switzerland 1CHF 19,91 20,91 20,307 20,511 20,409 USA 1USD 29,40 30,80 29,952 30,254 30,130 Great Britain 1GBP 43,42 46,26 44,617 45,065 44,841 CZECH AND SLOVAK CASH EXCHANGE RATES (valid since January 11) Slovak crown in Czech Republic Czech crown in Slovakia Bank / 100 Sk Buy Sell Bank / 100 CEK Buy Sell Cs.obchodni banka 80,00 84,00 Cs.obchodna banka 119,00 125,00 Ceska sporitelna 81,00 85,00 VUB 110,00 120,00 Komercni banka 77,00 81,00 Slov.st.sporitelna 114,00 120,00 Invest.Post.banka 77,00 82,00 Slov.pol.banka 104,00 118,00 Agrobanka 81,00 86,00 Ludova banka 104,00 118,00 Possibility to Change the Old Federal Crowns Ends January 31 The chance to exchange old crown coins that expired September 30, 1993 will end January 31. Federal two-crown and five-crown coins may be changed for the Czech ones in banks by the end of March 1994. Those coins were taken out of circulation in November last year. SPORTS Czech Icehockey Extraleague restarted again After almost two-month break, filled by the national team duties and by preparation matches, the ice-hockey extraleague went on January 7 with its 33rd round. Overwhelming victories of Ceske Budejovice in Olomouc and of Vitkovice in Zlin came on strong second periods. Prague Sparta was leading after the first period 3:0, but a goal of a Litvinov's Machulda defeated them in overtime. Kladno confirmed its role of as leader and defeated home team Jihlava. Parddubice gained two points in Jindrichuv Hradec. The only home team that won in this round was Hradec Kralove. Sunday's 34th round began hockey extraleague's last quarter. All home teams regained their reputation, except Sparta, after their lapses on the previous week. Leader of the competition Kladno defeated last-place Jindrichuv Hradec in the Tuesday's 35th round and won at home for the first time since November 26. 33rd round: J. Hradec-Pardubice 3:6, Olomouc-Budejovice 0:6, Zlin-Vitkovice 4:9, sparta-Litvimov 3:4, Jihlava-Kladno 4:6, Hradec Kralove-Plzen 5:3. 34th round: Zlin-Budejovuce 4:3, Olomouc-Pardubice 5:7, Litvinov-Vitkovice 3:3, Jihlava-Sparta 4:2, J.Hradec-Plzen 1:1, Hr. Kralove-Kladno 2:3. 35th round: Jihlava-litvinov 3:4, Sparta-Hradec Kralove 9:3, Kladno-J. Hradec 7:4, Plzen-Olomouc 4:1, Pardubice-Zlin 4:2, Budejovice-Vitkovice 6:4. Kladno and Budejovice are leading and two new teams - Hradec Kralove and Jindrichuv Hradec - bring up the rear. Radomir Simunek Is The Republic Champion in Bikecross Radomir Simunek won the title of Czech Bikecross champion January 9 in Tabor, earning a trip to the World Championship held in Belgium January 30. However, on January 31, Simunek must begin serving an 18-month jail sentence in connection with a fatal traffic accident. Simunek said he would be ready to start his term right after the Championship. We described the case in the last two issues in detail. WEATHER Being statistically the coldest month of the year, this January temperatures kept surprisingly even at nights around zero degrees Celsius. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=**=*=*=*=*=*=*=* Sorry for late distribution of Carolina/101. The Internet line to our school was broken for more than one week. Also, it may be possible some of our subscribers will get this issue twice. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This news may be published only with "CAROLINA" designation. The subscription is free. Comments and remarks are appreciated. 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