EAST EUROPE BRANCH NOTES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79B00864A001400010083-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 11, 2006
• Sequence Number: 83
• Publication Date: March 18, 1974
• Content Type: NOTES

Approved For Rabe se 2007/03/06 : CIA-RDP79B00864A 11400010083-5
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#33 OCT #.0557/74
L8 Max, L974
National 'Party C:o'nfe:re Ac'e' Ito` j1 'ip' KarchT'2 0
A plenum of the. Bulgarian 'Party~ central. committee' met
late last week to finalize plans-for the upcoming party confer-
ence. It set Wednesday, March 20, as. the date for the. confer-
ence to convene, and approved a tentative agenda that includes
an, item on labor productivity and a report by first secretary
Todor Zhivkov.
Mean while,a recent flurry. of face-lifting activity in
downtown Sofia suggested that the leadership was preparing
for high level foreign dignitaries. to attend the conference.
There has. not yet been any announcement from Sofia, however,
that foreign guests have begun to arrive.
ROMANIA
Party Plenum 'Expec:ted' Shortly
The party executive committee, which met last Friday to
laud Ceausescu's latest round of state visits, also called a
central. committee plenum for March 25. Past practice suggests
that this meeting will be quickly followed by a session of the
Grand National Assembly that will rubberstamp the plenum's
declarations and resolutions. It is likely that a.-congress of
the Socialist. Unity Front, which has twice been postponed
because of Ce:ausescu's travels, also will soon be held.
In addition to paying proper obeissan.ce to Ceausescu and
his personal. diplomacy, the plenum may also set the date.for
the 11th party congress. expected to be held in late November.
State Dept. review completed
CONFIDENTIAL'
Approved For Release 2007/03/06 : CIA-RDP79B00P64A001400010083-5
 Approved For Relese 2007/03/06 : CIA-RDP79B00864AO01400010083-5
CONFIDENTIAL'
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Embassy Prague reports a' recent upsurge .i :C.ze.choslovak
ideological activity, with stress. 0 the. dangers that Weate.xr
propaganda and .ideas.pose.for socialism, Concurrent with
media attacks. on the Wester proposals for Basket III at CSCE,
Prague is reexamining the ideological and professional
credentials of leaders and managers in party and state organs,
in industry, research institutes, and educational facilities.
The Embassy believes this. campaign indicates that the recent
meetings in Moscow of party secretaries. decided that Western
influences in Eastern Europe are already unacceptably high.
The Embassy doubts, however, that Prague's. efforts will bring
any appreciable lessening of Western "culture's ..general
influence on the Czechoslovak oeop e
Re'acti'on to' Px es:i'dent f's Commnerits on Europe
A Hungarian English-language commentary says that
President Nixon's statement on US-European relations is
"surprisingly sharp" even in light of Washington's obvious
uneasiness about independent West European steps. At the same
time, the commentary asserts that "threats" of a. unilateral
US troop withdrawal from Europe "cannot be taken seriously"
because the US presence is not a favor to West Europeans but
"something basic to American world strategy." For European
ears, the commentator concludes by raising the old question
of whether the US
'Quiet Axniy'e_rs'a
In contrast to. the last two .years, Hungarian celebrations
of the anniversary of. the 1848 revo.lution on March 15, did not
include any ant'i'regime..demonstx.aticns by, young people, The
Embassy reports. that .w l-org.ani.zed, xeg'i e. ,cc,xemon es and
very. heavy police ,security 'apparently px;ec;luded any 'spontaneous
outbursts,, even though students were out of school for the. day.
Official observance's drew a: crowd of about .15, 00 at the statue
of Hungary's national po.ett, 9a.ndor P.etofi, to hear speeches,
observe wreath lavings and sing the national anthem
Approved-For a ease CTA--RDF7
CONFRUTIAV