ESTONIAN NEWS AGENCY

                                  NO 47/96

                             WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6

                                  T O D A Y


MIKHAIL DEMURIN, ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE PRESS DEPARTMENT OF THE
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY, SAID RUSSIA WAS WAITING FOR A FORMAL REPLY TO THE
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT BORIS YELTSIN OVER THE ORTHODOX CHURCH DISPUTE,
DELIVERED TO PRESIDENT LENNART MERI FEBRUARY 29. RUSSIA CONSIDERS THE ANSWER
TO THE LETTER VERY IMPORTANT AS THE CHURCH CONFLICT WAS INITIALLY STARTED BY
THE INTERFERENCE OF THE ESTONIAN AUTHORITIES IN CLERICAL AFFAIRS, DEMURIN
SAID.

LEADER OF THE RUSSIAN COMMUNISTS GENNADI ZYUGANOV TOLD IN AN INTERVIEW TO
NEWSWEEK: "WE HONOR THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE BALTIC COUNTRIES ALTHOUGH THE
BALTS HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NATURAL RESOURCES FROM GOD EXCEPT SAND AND SEA,
ALL WHAT THEY HAVE THEY HAVE RECEIVED FROM RUSSIA". ZYUGANOV DECLARED THAT
WHEN HE WOULD BECOME THE PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA HE WOULD RESTORE THE CONTACTS
WITH FORMER SOVIET REPUBLICS, BUT ON A VOLUNTARY LEVEL, WITHOUT HARMING
INDEPENDENCE OF THESE COUNTRIES.

MEMBERS OF ORTHODOX CHURCH IN NARVA HAVE SENT A LETTER TO THE PATRIARCH OF
CONSTANTINOPLE, PROTESTING AGAINST AN ATTEMPT TO SEPARATE THEM FROM THE
MOTHER CHURCH IN RUSSIA. THE LETTER APPEALS TO THE PATRIARCH NOT TO SUPPORT
CHURCH CRIMINALS, OBVIOUSLY REFERRING TO THE ESTONIAN APOSTOLIC ORTHODOX
CHURCH.
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