Eastern EuropeanNews In Brief

- Poland's Minister of Health, Jacek Zochowski, has revealed that 200 million zlotys ($80 million) has been earmarked for the reform of the Polish health service in 1996, according to the PAP news agency. But Mr Zochowski said he favored a higher spending figure. The Minister added that he strongly supports general and compulsory health insurance for all Polish citizens, but that basic health care benefits should be guaranteed by the state and not by the health insurance system.

- A recent Bulgarian-Iranian trade commission meeting in the latter's capital, Tehran, agreed to boost bilateral trade, according to the IRNA news agency. As a result, Bulgaria will increase its exports of pharmaceuticals to Iran.

- Belarus' Minister for Foreign Economic Relations, Mikhail Marinich, has said that Belarus is receiving assistance from a number of US agencies in developing business plans for the country's pharmaceutical industry, states the Minsk Economic News. He indicated that US businesses may be attracted to the Belarusian market, particularly as plans are afoot to open a US business center in the capital, Minsk. Currently, Germany is Belarus' main trading partner, and the Minister hoped to expand this trade still further.