OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 97, 19 May 1995
CONTENTS
[01] IS MILOSEVIC PLANNING TO RECOGNIZE BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA?
[02] BOSNIAN UPDATE.
[03] REFUGEES FROM SLAVONIA TO BE SETTLED IN KOSOVO.
[04] COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION IN MACEDONIA.
[05] SIGNING OF BULGARIAN-RUSSIAN AGREEMENTS POSTPONED.
[06] G-24 MEETING ON ALBANIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
[07] DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE TO SOLVE GREEK-TURKISH RIFT WITHIN NATO.
OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 97, Part II, 19 May 1995
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[01] IS MILOSEVIC PLANNING TO RECOGNIZE BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA?
Politika on 19 Mayreports that Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic has signaled to U.S.
envoy Robert Frasure that the rump Yugoslavia may be prepared to extend
recognition to Bosnia-Herzegovian. According to the daily, the two have met
to discuss the details of such a move. Nasa Borba quoted Lord Owen as
saying in an interview with the BBC the previous day that recognition on
Milosevic's part would constitute "a momentous step" in halting hostilities
in the war-torn country. Meanwhile, ultranationalists within Serbia are
said to be furious by the reports. Nasa Borba on 19 May noted that the
Serbian Radical Party, led by ultranationalist and accused war criminal
Vojislav Seselj, is planning to hold protest meetings on 17 June to show
that the Serbian people [will not] tolerate sell-outs." Vladimir Lazarevic,
a member of the New Democracy party, which is supportive of Milosevic's
Socialists in the Serbian legislature, is quoted by Nasa Borba as saying
that recognition of Bosnia-Herzegovina would be "acceptable." -- Stan
Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
[02] BOSNIAN UPDATE.
International media say that fighting in Sarajevo was
lighter on 18 May than on the previous two days. Only sporadic shelling
was reported, following intense clashes during the previous 48 hours.
Meanwhile, Hasan Muratovic, a Bosnian government minister without
portfolio, said at a conference in Morocco on 18 May that the arms
embargo against his country should be lifted as a means of bringing the
Serbian side to the negotiating table. "We need a big success on the
battlefield to bring the Serbs to discussions," he said. Nasa Borba on
19 May reported that General Rasim Delic, commander of the Bosnian
Muslim army, has said his troops are ready to liberate Bosnia. Finally,
Reuters on 18 May, citing UN sources, reported that some 155,000
residents of Bosnia's western Bihac pocket face real prospects of
starvation unless "its rebel Serb and Muslim besiegers stop blocking
relief convoys to the enclave soon." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
[03] REFUGEES FROM SLAVONIA TO BE SETTLED IN KOSOVO.
The Serbian administration
of Kosovo is preparing to settle thousands of Serbian refugees from other
former Yugoslav republics, Kosova Daily Report said on 17 May. About 10,000
Serbian refugees from western Slavonia are expected to arrive in Kosovo
soon. They will initially be housed in hotels, hostels, and tourists
resorts until permanent accommodation is found. Humanitarian organizations,
including the UN High Commission for
Refugees, will reportedly cater for their food needs. -- Fabian Schmidt,
OMRI, Inc.
[04] COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION IN MACEDONIA.
A delegation from the Council of
Europe's Parliamentary Assembly arrived in Macedonia for a two-day visit on
18 May, Flaka reported the following day. The delegation met with
parliament chairman Stojan Andov to discuss economic developments in
Macedonia. Meetings are also scheduled with President Kiro Gligorov,
Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, representatives of various political
parties, members of the Ethnic Relations Council, non-governmental
organizations, and religious communities. The delegation also plans to
meet with the rector of Skopje University to discuss higher education in
Albanian. Meanwhile, the university's Faculty of Drama has decided to
launch acting courses in Albanian and Turkish beginning this fall. --
Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.
[05] SIGNING OF BULGARIAN-RUSSIAN AGREEMENTS POSTPONED.
Bulgarian Deputy Prime
Minister and Trade Minister Kiril Tsochev on 17 May announced that two
agreements between Russia and Bulgaria will not be signed during Russian
Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin's visit to Sofia on 18-19 May, Reuters
reported the same day. He said that the two countries are ready to sign an
agreement on nuclear fuel but that there are objections from Ukraine and
Moldova, which are concerned about the safety of nuclear fuel transports
via their territory. The second agreement is on
preferentially priced natural gas deliveries from Russia to Bulgaria.
The present agreement expires in 1997, and experts from both countries
have been unable so far to reach agreement on new prices. -- Stefan
Krause, OMRI, Inc.
[06] G-24 MEETING ON ALBANIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
A G-24 meeting on infrastructure
investment in Albania was held on 17 May in Brussels, the European
Commission reported the following day. The Albanian delegation was led by
Minister for Construction and Tourism Dashnor Shehi. The meeting was also
attended by officials from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan,
Switzerland, Turkey, the United States, and
representatives of the IMF, the World Bank, and the EBRD. Discussions
focused on implementing the public investment program adopted by Albania
in 1994 and on the external assistance required for its implementation.
The participants reviewed projects submitted by the Albanian government
for possible external financing. These projects were in the transport,
energy, telecommunications, and water supply sectors. -- Fabian Schmidt,
OMRI, Inc.
[07] DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE TO SOLVE GREEK-TURKISH RIFT WITHIN NATO.
NATO
Secretary-General Willy Claes, announced that a diplomatic effort will
be undertaken to resolve differences between Greece and Turkey before a
meeting of defense ministers in June, international news agencies
reported on 18 May. Speaking in Ankara following talks with Turkish
Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, Claes said a NATO delegation would shuttle
between Ankara and Athens to find a solution to disputes over budget
matters and the stationing of a rapid deployment force in the region.
The row has resulted in Turkey's blocking of NATO's military budget and
the forestalling of a 1992 decision to establish two new military bases
in the region. -- Lowell Bezanis, OMRI, Inc.
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