OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 127, 30 June 1995
CONTENTS
[01] CROATIA PROTESTS RUMP YUGOSLAV MILITARY PRESENCE.
[02] BOSNIAN SERBS BLAST UN IN SARAJEVO.
[03] TRAVEL BAN FOR BOSNIAN SERB LEADERS.
[04] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT IN BULGARIA.
[05] GREECE ATTACKS CHIRAC.
[06] COUNCIL OF EUROPE APPROVES ALBANIAN MEMBERSHIP.
OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 127, Part II, 30 June 1995
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[01] CROATIA PROTESTS RUMP YUGOSLAV MILITARY PRESENCE.
Croatia sent another
protest letter to the UN on 29 June over what Zagreb has described as a
growing rump Yugoslav military presence on Croatian soil occupied by
rebel Serbs. Ambassador Mario Nobilo, delivering the letter on behalf of
his foreign ministry, told a news conference: "We would not be surprised
if these troops and equipment are used against Bihac [in Western Bosnia]
in a matter of days. In fact we have convincing information to this
effect." Reuters also reports that the letter to UN Secretary-General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali alleges that nearly 5,000 soldiers have been sent
to Croatia from the rump Yugoslavia since 14 June. A prior Croatian
claim of a rump Yugoslav military presence is being investigated by the
UN. (See OMRI Daily Digest, 26 June). -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
[02] BOSNIAN SERBS BLAST UN IN SARAJEVO.
Bosnian Serb forces on 29 June
launched three mortar rounds into the headquarters of UN operations in
Sarajevo, Reuters reports the following day. "It is difficult to say
but, when we receive three rounds together, we are obliged to consider
this as a direct attack," said spokesman Major Guy Vinet. No casualties
were reported. In other news, Nasa Borba on 30 June reports that on the
previous day Bosnian Serb forces fired another rocket at the media
facility of Radio and Television Sarajevo. While there were no
casualties in this incident, Bosnian Serb bombing of the facility on 28
June resulted in 5 deaths and 38 people injured. -- Stan Markotich,
OMRI, Inc.
[03] TRAVEL BAN FOR BOSNIAN SERB LEADERS.
Vjesnik on 30 June reports that the
US has petitioned the UN sanctions committee to bar 40 Bosnian Serb
leaders from traveling abroad. International sanctions introduced in
1994 already prevent Bosnian Serb leaders from leaving the country for
any reason apart from peace talks, but as yet no list of specific
affected individuals has been compiled. The US proposal names, among
others, Radovan Karadzic and Bosnian Serb military head General Ratko
Mladic. In other news, Nasa Borba on 30 June reports that US President
Bill Clinton has told Congress that the White House plans to take $50
million from the Pentagon budget as support for the rapid reaction force
in Bosnia. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
[04] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT IN BULGARIA.
Heidar Aliev on 29 June arrived in
Sofia on an official visit, Reuters reported the same day. Aliev and his
Bulgarian counterpart Zhelyu Zhelev signed a cooperation accord between
the two countries and several trade and economic documents. They also
discussed possibilities of piping Azerbaijani oil to Italy via Bulgaria,
Macedonia, and Albania. Zhelev stressed the importance of "an
alternative source of such strategic supplies." Bulgaria is currently
totally dependent on Russian gas and oil. A $35 million deal to export
Bulgarian buses to Azerbaijan was arranged, and concrete steps were
taken for a Bulgarian firm to build a pharmaceutical plant in
Azerbaijan. The two sides are also negotiating to import 6,000 tons of
Azerbaijani cotton to Bulgaria. International agencies reported that,
during his visit, Aliev confirmed that Bulgarian communist leaders
repeatedly tried to join the Soviet Union in the 1970s, but he said he
always "confidentially advised" them to stay independent. -- Stefan
Krause, OMRI, Inc.
[05] GREECE ATTACKS CHIRAC.
Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Konstantinos
Bikas on 29 June lambasted French President Jacques Chirac for his
support of Turkey's aim to establish closer ties with the EU,
international agencies reported the same day. During the EU summit in
Cannes, Chirac proposed that the Union immediately forge closer links to
Turkey to strengthen its southern flank and to prevent the country from
slipping towards Islamic fundamentalism, even though he said he was
aware of Turkey's poor human rights record. Bikas said that Greece
disagrees and said the country "considers that the logic of
unconditional support for [Turkish Prime Minister Tansu] Ciller . . .
is simplistic and dangerous." He drew a parallel to the 1930s, when
"humanity had to pay a dear price for supporting Nazism in order to
fight Bolshevism." It was one of the strongest attacks the Greek
government has ever made on one of its European partners. -- Stefan
Krause, OMRI, Inc.
[06] COUNCIL OF EUROPE APPROVES ALBANIAN MEMBERSHIP.
The Council of Europe's
Parliamentary Assembly on 29 June approved Albania's application for
membership in the organization, international agencies reported the same
day. The approval came after Pjeter Arbnori, chairman of the Albanian
parliament, signed a declaration pledging to respect the CE's demands to
guarantee human rights and democracy. Albania promised to impose a
moratorium on the death penalty immediately and abolish it within three
years, introduce reforms guaranteeing the independence of the judicial
system, increase press freedom and adopt a new constitution. Also,
Albania has to sign the European convention on the rights and the
protection of ethnic minorities. The decision is due to be approved by
the CE's Committee of Ministers, probably in mid-July. Presidential
Spokesman Fatos Beja said the membership represents another step for
Albania's integration into the international community. -- Stefan
Krause, OMRI, Inc.
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