Bartoszewski in dispute with Economy Ministry over diplomacy bill

Foreign Minister Wladyslaw Bartoszewski has stopped just short of resigning, in a dispute with deputy Economy Minister Janusz Steinhoff over a bill relating to the diplomatic service. Steinhoff is attempting to block the bill's passage, while Bartoszewski insists that it would set in order the work of the country's diplomats, particularly.the commercial attachés, who currently answer to the Economy Minister. When Bartoszewski learned that an official from the Economy Ministry would represent the government on the issue in the Sejm, he immediately called Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek. "I'm placing myself at your disposal as Foreign Minister. I can't run foreign policy as an annex to the Economy Ministry," he is quoted as saying. (Zycie, p. 1; Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) A.Z.