OMRI Daily Digest I,II, No. 104, 30 May 1995
CONTENTS
[01] TURKEY, TATARSTAN SIGN AGREEMENT.
[02] DUMA COMMITTEE ON BOSNIAN CRISIS.
[03] KOZYREV CONDEMNS "BARBARITY."
[04] BOSNIAN SERBS REMAIN DEFIANT.
[05] SERBS HOLD NEARLY 400 HOSTAGES.
[06] CONTACT GROUP IS "BACK IN ACTION."
[07] MILOSEVIC'S MAN IN KRAJINA SACKED.
[08] SERBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON UNIFICATION, BOSNIAN CRISIS.
[09] ALBANIAN PARTY CONGRESS IN MACEDONIA.
[10] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT URGES NATO MEMBERSHIP . . .
[11] . . .BUT POLITICIANS FAIL TO AGREE.
[12] ALBANIAN JOURNALISTS THREATEN STRIKE.
[13] ALBANIAN RIGHT-WING PARTY HOLDS CONGRESS.
OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 104, Part I, 30 May 1995
RUSSIA
[01] TURKEY, TATARSTAN SIGN AGREEMENT.
Tatarstan and Turkey signed an
agreement in Ankara on 28 May dealing with trade, economic, scientific,
technical, and cultural cooperation, Interfax reported the next day.
Tatarstan Prime Minister Farid Muhametshin described the agreement as a
"historic document" which upgrades bilateral relations. The agreements
will pave the way for Tatarstan to open a mission in Ankara and
encourage trade relations. In 1994, trade with Turkey--valued at $39
million--represented 5% of Tatarstan's overall trade. -- Lowell Bezanis,
OMRI, Inc.
[02] DUMA COMMITTEE ON BOSNIAN CRISIS.
The Duma Committee for International
Affairs has condemned NATO action in Bosnia-Herzegovina, dubbing the air
attacks of 25 and 26 May, and NATO's presence in general, a measure that
"only aggravates the situation and complicates the search for peaceful
ways to settle the Yugoslav crisis," Interfax reported on 29 May. The
committee also observed that while it was "far from justifying
uncivilized Serb operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina...the decision of NATO
to bomb the positions on one side of the conflict represents a challenge
to peace efforts." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
[03] KOZYREV CONDEMNS "BARBARITY."
Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrevsaid Moscow "can no longer tolerate barbarity as regards peacekeepers in
Bosnia," Interfax reported. Nevertheless, the minister also stood firm
on his government's conviction that "shrinking from real work with
Belgrade, double standards in evaluating the actions of the conflicting
sides, [and] NATO bombing, although [carried out with] UN consent, does
nothing but aggravate the situation." Kozyrev met with his Contact Group
counterparts on 29 May in The Hague, where he outlined his opposition to
a withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Meanwhile, the
Belgrade daily Nasa Borba reported the following day that Russian
special envoy Alexander Zotov has finally arrived in the Serbian capital
for talks. No Russian troops have been taken prisoner or hurt in the
former Yugoslavia, according to Interfax citing Russian Airborne Troop
Commander Yevgeny Podkolzin. However, Nasa Borba reported that 37 ethnic
Russians are among the prisoners currently being held by the Bosnian
Serbs. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 56, Part II, 20 May 1995
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[04] BOSNIAN SERBS REMAIN DEFIANT.
International media on 30 May report that
the Bosnian Serb supreme command has issued a statement saying that the
UN is siding with the Bosnian government and that the Serbs now regard
"all Security Council resolutions, all NATO ultimatums, and all accords
with the UN that have been abused...[as] null and void." General Ratko
Mladic said that UN soldiers will still be used as human shields by
keeping them at sites where NATO aircraft might strike but that they
will no longer be chained to fences and poles. The Serbs denied they had
any hostages, preferring to call their captives "prisoners of war." Pale
nonetheless did not call for a pullout of UN forces because, in the
opinion of the BBC, that would pave the way for Washington to arm the
Bosnian government. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.
[05] SERBS HOLD NEARLY 400 HOSTAGES.
Nasa Borba reports on 30 May that the
number of UNPROFOR soldiers held captive by Bosnian Serb forces is
rapidly approaching 400. The French lead the list with 174, followed by
55 Canadians, 41 Ukrainians, 37 Russians, and 34 British. The 26
remaining hostages come from various countries, including three from the
Czech Republic. The BBC notes that the Serbs have developed a taste for
their involuntary guests' belongings and now wear French uniforms and
drive British vehicles. They nonetheless appear to have lost ground in
the Mt. Ozren area, north of Sarajevo, to attacks by Bosnian government
forces. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.
[06] CONTACT GROUP IS "BACK IN ACTION."
This is how British Foreign SecretaryDouglas Hurd described the 29 May session in The Hague of the foreign
ministers of Germany, France, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S. They
condemned the Bosnian Serbs' "outrageous acts" and threatened
"consequences if [the hostages] are not correctly treated and returned
unharmed." But they neither specified what those consequences would be
nor gave a deadline for freeing the captives. The five called for
"strengthening" UNPROFOR but also urged renewed diplomatic efforts,
especially toward securing Belgrade's recognition of Sarajevo.
International media noted that Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev
stressed the need for negotiations, while U.S. Secretary of State Warren
Christopher would not rule out further air strikes. Meanwhile, EU
foreign ministers said on 29 May that Pale would be held responsible for
the fate of the hostages. -- Patrick Moore , OMRI, Inc.
[07] MILOSEVIC'S MAN IN KRAJINA SACKED.
Borislav Mikelic was ousted as prime
minister by the Krajina Serb legislature in Knin on 29 May, Nasa Borba
reported the next day. He was regarded as Serbian President Slobodan
Milosevic's main ally in the Krajina leadership, which otherwise favors
closer links--including an ill-defined "union"--with the Bosnian Serbs.
Mikelic's popularity has nose-dived recently, because he is suspected of
being willing to accept Krajina's reintegration into Croatia. -- Patrick
Moore, OMRI, Inc.
[08] SERBIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON UNIFICATION, BOSNIAN CRISIS.
Foreign
Minister Vladislav Jovanovic on 29 May said the unification of Serbia
with Serb-held territories in Bosnia and rebel Serb-occupied areas of
Croatia was an eventuality that would spell only "catastrophe" and
amount to defiance of the international community. Jovanovic, in what
seems to be a break with the Bosnian Serb leadership over the escalation
of the conflict in Bosnia, said the taking of UN hostages and their use
as human shields against possible future NATO air raids was
"unacceptable." Politika on 30 May reported that Jovanovic has described
the sacking of the Krajina premier as "an internal question" for the
Republic of Serbian Krajina. This statement may be seen as an attempt by
Belgrade to distance itself from its former rebel Serb clients in
Croatia. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
[09] ALBANIAN PARTY CONGRESS IN MACEDONIA.
Iljaz Halimi, leader of the ethnic
Albanian Democratic People's Party, was reelected at a party congress in
Tetovo on 28 May, Flaka reported the following day. The congress adopted
two documents--one dealing with economic and social questions and the
other demanding improved Albanian-language education and the closer
integration of ethnic Albanians in the fields of culture and science. A
proposal to change the party's name to Democratic Party of Albanians was
rejected. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.
[10] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT URGES NATO MEMBERSHIP . . .
Zhelyu Zhelev on 29 May
said that full membership in NATO is "the political ticket to enter the
European Union." He argued in an interview with state-run Radio Horizont
that no former East bloc country will be admitted to the EU without
being a member of NATO. Zhelev commented that there are no obstacles to
prevent Bulgaria from becoming a full member of NATO by the end of the
year "if NATO is willing to accept us." With regard to the EU, Zhelev
said reforms are Bulgaria's "visiting card." He added that consensus
must be reached on a free market economy and democracy. Also on 29 May,
Zhelev met with Russian Ambassador Aleksandr Avdeev. Duma on 30 May
quoted Avdeev as saying that Russia's position on NATO expansion remains
unchanged. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.
[11] . . .BUT POLITICIANS FAIL TO AGREE.
The Consultative Council on National
Security has failed to bridge different views on Bulgaria's possible
membership in NATO, Demokratsiya reported on 30 May. The council, headed
by the president, is composed of members of the government, the main
political parties, and the president's staff. President Zhelyu Zhelev
asked the council to convene to discuss applying to join NATO, but the
meeting ended with a vague statement that the parties "agreed to
continue discussing [Bulgaria's] concrete position." Three opposition
parties supported Zhelev's stance that Bulgaria must clearly state its
desire to join NATO. Prime Minister Zhan Videnov, government members,
and representatives of the Bulgarian Socialist Party argued that "there
is no social consensus as yet on Bulgaria's membership in NATO." --
Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.
[12] ALBANIAN JOURNALISTS THREATEN STRIKE.
The Albanian Association of
Professional Journalists has threatened to suspend publication of all
independent newspapers in response to an order that all papers be sold
only at state-owned book shops and kiosks in Tirana. The order, issued
by Mayor of Tirana Sali Kelmendi, would place severe restrictions on the
number of copies of each newspaper, international media reported. The
association also said it will begin legal proceedings to reclaim lost
earnings for street sellers who were prevented by the police from
selling newspapers on 26 May. Meanwhile, Adrian Krasta, a journalist for
Albanian TV, was beaten by unidentified individuals, Gazeta Shqiptare
reported on 30 May. The paper said the attack was probably in connection
with Krasta's professional work as a journalist. -- Fabian Schmidt ,
OMRI, Inc.
[13] ALBANIAN RIGHT-WING PARTY HOLDS CONGRESS.
One of the founders of the
extreme right-wing Democratic Party of the Right (PDD), Abdi Baleta,was
sacked from the party's leadership at the PDD congress on 27 May,
Aleanca Nacionale reported the next day. The congress was attended by
representatives from all over Albania, except from Baleta's stronghold,
Pogradec. Baleta's defeat comes after his de facto break from the party
on 27 April, when he publicly denounced elements within the PDD. --
Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.
This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research Institute, a Prague-based nonprofit organization.
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