OMRI Daily DIgest I,II, No. 109, 6 June 1995

From: "Steve Iatrou" <[email protected]>

CONTENTS

  • [01] RUSSIA UNEASY ABOUT POSSIBLE NATO ACTION IN BOSNIA.

  • [02] KARADZIC HAS "NO IMMEDIATE PLANS" TO FREE HOSTAGES.

  • [03] BALKAN POKER GAME CONTINUES.

  • [04] RAPID REACTION FORCE FACES HURDLES.

  • [05] CROATS CAN SHELL VITAL SERBIAN ROAD.

  • [06] U.S. REPORT ON GREEK SANCTIONS VIOLATIONS.

  • [07] BULGARIA FAVORS NEW BALKAN OIL PIPELINE.

  • [08] SOUTH AFRICA AND BULGARIA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENTS.

  • [09] PROSECUTOR WANTS THREE-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR ALBANIAN DICTATOR' S SON.

  • [10] GREEK, TURKISH NAVY MANEUVERS.

  • [11] ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE.

    •

    OMRI DAILY DIGEST

    No. 109, Part I, 6 June 1995

    RUSSIA

    [01] RUSSIA UNEASY ABOUT POSSIBLE NATO ACTION IN BOSNIA.

    Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin declared on 5 June that Russia opposes NATO playing an "independent role" in the Bosnian conflict, Interfax reported. He added that the UN should retain responsibility for operations in Bosnia. Karasin' s statement was the latest Russian reaction to NATO' s recent decision to create a "rapid reaction force" to protect UN peacekeepers in Bosnia. On the same day, a Russian diplomat at the UN told Interfax that any decision to send NATO troops to Bosnia to help the peacekeepers would have to be approved by the UN Security Council. He also warned that Russia might use its veto power to block such a move -- Scott Parrish, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    OMRI DAILY DIGEST

    No. 109, Part II, 6 June 1995

    SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

    [02] KARADZIC HAS "NO IMMEDIATE PLANS" TO FREE HOSTAGES.

    The foreign and defense ministers of Greece met in Pale with Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic on 5 June to persuade him to release the more than 250 remaining hostages. Greece is one of the Serbs' few friends, and it regards Serbia as an important market and an ally in the regional balance of power. Also present was Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic' s security chief, Jovica Stanisic, who said later that Karadzic "responded positively" to the appeals, news agencies reported. The VOA on 6 June, however, quoted the Bosnian Serb leader as saying he has "no immediate plans" to free his captives. -- Patrick Moore, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    [03] BALKAN POKER GAME CONTINUES.

    The Greek ministers are holding talks with Milosevic in Belgrade on 6 June, international media reported. The BBC said the previous day that Western diplomats in the Serbian capital now feel that Milosevic has no real interest in the hostage question, except as a means of obtaining more concessions from the international community over the lifting of sanctions against Serbia-Montenegro. The VOA quoted Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic as warning against cutting deals with the Serbian strongman, saying the only way to deal with the Serbs is with firmness. -- Patrick Moore, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    [04] RAPID REACTION FORCE FACES HURDLES.

    The RRF proposed by Western defense chiefs still needs to have its role and command structure clarified. It must also overcome Russian objections to an "independent" NATO presence in Bosnia, because Moscow can veto the project in the Security Council and is determined to maintain a check on the Western presence in the former Yugoslavia. Vjesnik on 6 June quoted Bosnian Vice President Ejup Ganic as telling Sarajevans not to expect much from the new force because "these troops are not coming to defend us." Meanwhile in Washington, officials have no firm evidence that the pilot shot down by the Serbs on 2 June is still alive. President Clinton defended his Bosnian policy on CNN, saying that it is not as successful as he would have liked but that it is responsible for the decrease in fatalities in the embattled republic. The VOA quoted Vice President Al Gore as stating that the sending of U.S. ground troops to Bosnia "is not going to happen." International media added that 3,500 troops and 100 helicopters are moving from U.S. bases in Germany to Italy for a possible rescue operation for UN peacekeepers. -- Patrick Moore, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    [05] CROATS CAN SHELL VITAL SERBIAN ROAD.

    Nasa Borba on 6 June reported that Croatian artillery in the Dinara range can now hit the key supply road linking Knin with Bosnian Serb territory via Grahovo. Krajina leaders have threatened to shell Dalmatian cities in response. Vjesnik noted that Bosnian Serbs hit Mostar the previous day with heavy artillery. Reuters quoted a UN spokesman as saying the Croatian advance in recent days has put the Serbs into "a panic mobilization." Zagreb has promised the UN that it will not invade the area outright, but it appears clear that Croatia is following up on last month' s victory in western Slavonia and taking advantage of the current Bosnian crisis. Nasa Borba reported that Milosevic has expressed concern over the latest developments to UN special envoy Yasushi Akashi. -- Patrick Moore, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    [06] U.S. REPORT ON GREEK SANCTIONS VIOLATIONS.

    A State Department report published on 5 June suggests that companies in Greece have promoted the breaking of international sanctions against the rump Yugoslavia, AFP and Reuters reported. But it also states that officials in Athens have not been linked to sanctions-breaking activities. "Although we cannot confirm allegations of complicity by the Greek government in the evasion of UN sanctions, there are areas of concern regarding Greek enforcement of sanctions," a State Department official said. A report on Greece' s enforcement of sanctions against the rump Yugoslavia was requested by the U.S. Congress prior to the release of U.S. military aid to Athens. -- Stan Markotich, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    [07] BULGARIA FAVORS NEW BALKAN OIL PIPELINE.

    The Bulgarian Construction Ministry is in favor of a new pipeline to help transport oil from former Soviet republics to Italy via the Balkans. A feasibility study for the pipeline is being prepared, Reuters reported on 5 June. The crude would be carried from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan by tanker to Bulgaria' s Black Sea port of Burgas and then transported to Italy' s Adriatic port of Brindisi via Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Albania. Russia, Bulgaria, and Greece are also considering carrying oil by tanker from Russia' s Black Sea port of Novorossiisk to Burgas and then pumping it overland to Greece. -- Fabian Schmidt

    [08] SOUTH AFRICA AND BULGARIA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENTS.

    South Africa and Bulgaria on 5 June signed three cooperation pacts, including an agreement to expand relations in art, sport, and science. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski is on a three-day visit to South Africa at the invitation of South African Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo, Reuters reported on 5 June. -- Fabian Schmidt, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    [09] PROSECUTOR WANTS THREE-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR ALBANIAN DICTATOR' S SON.

    An Albanian prosecutor on 5 June requested that Ilir Hoxha be sentenced to three years in jail for calling the Albanian government "a pack of vandals," AFP reported the same day. The youngest son of former communist dictator Enver Hoxha is charged with inciting hatred against various groups of people and calling for the use of violence against them. The charges follow remarks Hoxha made in an interview with the newspaper Modeste in April. AFP quotes the prosecutor as saying that "Hoxha has rekindled old passions in a bid to cause political chaos and call for vengeance." Hoxha reportedly has sought to justify his comments by saying "It is my duty to defend my father." -- Fabian Schmidt

    [10] GREEK, TURKISH NAVY MANEUVERS.

    The Greek navy began annual maneuvers on 5 June, AFP reported the same day. The five-day exercise in the Aegean Sea involves ships and submarines backed up by air and ground units. The Turkish navy will also hold maneuvers from 7-22 June in other parts of the Aegean Sea. Relations between Greece and Turkey deteriorated following the Greek parliament' s recent decision to ratify the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which allows Greece to extend its territorial waters. Meanwhile, for the first time since 1974, both countries will be taking part together in a NATO exercise. Other countries participating in the maneuvers, which will take place from 7- 13 June in the Black Sea, are Bulgaria, Italy, the Netherlands, and Romania. -- Fabian Schmidt, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    [11] ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE.

    Greece recorded a "strong" off-shore earthquake early on 5 June in the Ionian Sea, AFP reported the same day. The quake reached 4.8 on the Richter scale and is the latest in a series of tremors over the past few weeks. It took place near the island of Lefkas and was also felt on the islands of Corfu, Zante, and Cephalonia. There were no reports of casualties or damage. A big quake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale caused widespread damage in northwestern Greece on 13 May. -- Fabian Schmidt, Copyright(c)1995 Open Media Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

    This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research Institute, a Prague-based nonprofit organization.

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