Poland Trade

Quick. Find Slovenia on a map. Even if you can't, you might enjoy "Treasures of Slovenia: Traditional and Contemporary Craft and Design" at the recently reopened Craft and Folk Art Museum. The exhibition includes 400 objects from 100 contemporary artisans who use traditional methods to create modern objects, and modern methods to create traditional ones. Oh, and to find Slovenia, look between Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. Still can't find it? How old is your map? Until 1991, Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia.

Quick. Find Slovenia on a map. Even if you can't, you might enjoy "Treasures of Slovenia: Traditional and Contemporary Craft and Design" at the recently reopened Craft and Folk Art Museum. The exhibition includes 400 objects from 100 contemporary artisans who use traditional methods to create modern objects, and modern methods to create traditional ones. Oh, and to find Slovenia, look between Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. Still can't find it? How old is your map? Until 1991, Slovenia was part of Yugoslavia.

Polish farmers angry about competition from foreign grain imports have been blocking roads in protest, and they're threatening to escalate their actions in mid-September if their demands are not met. But the government of Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek, concerned about Poland's international obligations and a future bid for European Union membership, is vowing not to cave in.

Relations between the United States and Poland, emerging from a five-year chill, are returning to normal as both sides prepare to name ambassadors and talks get under way on trade, cultural and scientific contacts, according to a visiting senior Polish official. An exchange of ambassadors, symbolizing a return to full diplomatic relations, should take place "fairly quickly," now that both sides have selected candidates, the official, Roman Malinowski, said in an interview.

While Solidarity leader Lech Walesa stood before Congress this week and asked for assistance for the ailing economies of Eastern Europe, Carey Vigor-Zierk was sitting at her home computer and working on ways that she might lend a hand. Vigor-Zierk, a third-generation Polish-American, has formed a small company that is trying to obtain computer equipment for Poland's first alternative high school. But she has run into a lot of bureaucratic red tape.

A new age in East European economics dawns Tuesday, when the nations of the Soviet trading club pack away the mirrors they have used to balance their checkbooks for four decades. It will be every new democracy for itself in 1991, when the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, or Comecon, starts keeping its books in real money, instead of the synthetic "transferable ruble" that has been its common, unconvertible currency for internal wheeling and dealing.

The world's richest nations Tuesday appeared ready to commit themselves to at least an additional $650 million in emergency aid to ease economic turmoil in Poland and Hungary. While the figure represents a major increase in assistance so far pledged by mainly Western democracies to help the two beleaguered East Bloc nations, it falls far short of the two countries' own request for aid.

Polish farmers angry about competition from foreign grain imports have been blocking roads in protest, and they're threatening to escalate their actions in mid-September if their demands are not met. But the government of Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek, concerned about Poland's international obligations and a future bid for European Union membership, is vowing not to cave in.

GM Unit Expects to Sign Polish Car Contract: General Motors Corp. subsidiary Adam Opel and the Polish government expect to complete the contract in early 1996 for a new Opel factory, government officials said in Warsaw. Both sides are attempting to reach final agreement by the end of January, with discussions addressing "almost every detail of the entire project," according to Tadeusz Soroka, Poland's trade and industry minister.

A new age in East European economics dawns Tuesday, when the nations of the Soviet trading club pack away the mirrors they have used to balance their checkbooks for four decades. It will be every new democracy for itself in 1991, when the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, or Comecon, starts keeping its books in real money, instead of the synthetic "transferable ruble" that has been its common, unconvertible currency for internal wheeling and dealing.

While Solidarity leader Lech Walesa stood before Congress this week and asked for assistance for the ailing economies of Eastern Europe, Carey Vigor-Zierk was sitting at her home computer and working on ways that she might lend a hand. Vigor-Zierk, a third-generation Polish-American, has formed a small company that is trying to obtain computer equipment for Poland's first alternative high school. But she has run into a lot of bureaucratic red tape.

The world's richest nations Tuesday appeared ready to commit themselves to at least an additional $650 million in emergency aid to ease economic turmoil in Poland and Hungary. While the figure represents a major increase in assistance so far pledged by mainly Western democracies to help the two beleaguered East Bloc nations, it falls far short of the two countries' own request for aid.

Relations between the United States and Poland, emerging from a five-year chill, are returning to normal as both sides prepare to name ambassadors and talks get under way on trade, cultural and scientific contacts, according to a visiting senior Polish official. An exchange of ambassadors, symbolizing a return to full diplomatic relations, should take place "fairly quickly," now that both sides have selected candidates, the official, Roman Malinowski, said in an interview.

Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, who has not appeared on Polish television for five years, said Tuesday he is ready for a live television debate with the leader of the official unions set up by the government to replace Solidarity. Millions of Poles are expected to watch Wednesday's clash between Walesa and Communist Party Politburo member Alfred Miodowicz, chairman of the All-Poland Trade Union Accord.