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OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 71, 10 April 1996
CONTENTS
[1] ISLAMIC FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN SARAJEVO.
[2] BRITAIN TO RECOGNIZE RUMP YUGOSLAVIA.
[3] CROATIAN UPDATE.
[4] MONTENEGRIN OPPOSITION PARTY ON RECOGNITION OF MACEDONIA.
[5] SLOVENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FALLS OUT OF FAVOR?
[6] U.S. CONGRESSMAN TIES SUPPORT FOR ROMANIA TO EXCLUSION OF EXTREMISTS FROM GOVERNMENT..
[7] ...WHILE FUNAR CALLS HIM "ENVOY OF HUNGARIAN IRREDENTISM."
[8] ROMANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER FORESEES "ARMS RACE IN REGION."
[9] ROMANIAN PREMIER OPPOSES DEBATE ON RESTITUTION OF JEWISH PROPERTY.
[10] GUARDS BAR MOLDOVAN DEFENSE MINISTER FROM ENTERING OFFICE.
[11] BULGARIAN OPPOSITION SIGNS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AGREEMENT.
[12] FORMER BULGARIAN TSAR TO VISIT SOFIA IN MAY.
[13] COUNCIL OF EUROPE CHAIRWOMAN IN ALBANIA.
OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 71, Part II, 10 April 1996
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[1] ISLAMIC FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN SARAJEVO.
The foreign ministers of
Iran, Egypt, Morocco, Malaysia, Pakistan, Senegal, Saudi Arabia, and
Turkey held a closed session in the Bosnian capital on 9 April to
discuss offering mainly economic rather than military assistance. The
eight countries constitute the Islamic Contact Group for Bosnia. The
Malaysian defense minister was also in Sarajevo, where he met with his
Bosnian counterpart to review the security situation. Meanwhile in
Manama, UN Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey told businessmen, officials, and
bankers from six Gulf Arab states that Bosnia needs private investment
to repair war damage totaling $80-$100 billion, Onasa reported. Sacirbey
stressed that investment, not aid, is the key to Bosnia's future. --
Patrick Moore
[2] BRITAIN TO RECOGNIZE RUMP YUGOSLAVIA.
A representative of the Foreign
Office on 9 April said Britain will recognize the rump Yugoslavia as the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He added that bilateral relations are to
be upgraded to the ambassadorial level. Reuters quoted the spokesman as
saying that "this is a welcome development which reflects the changed
circumstances in the region following signature of the Bosnia Peace
Agreement." -- Stan Markotich
[3] CROATIAN UPDATE.
President Franjo Tudjman told visiting Canadian Foreign
Minister Lloyd Axworthy that Croatia favors normalization of relations
in the region but is opposed to any kind of integration or new
Yugoslavia, Nasa Borba reported on 10 April. The Croatian PEN club has
protested the new press law as a curb on freedom of expression, Politika
noted. The PEN club, which is regarded as a highly prestigious
institution among residents of the former Yugoslavia, also
"disassociated itself" from its member Vladimir Seks, who is vice
president of parliament, for his role in promoting the legislation. The
parliament's president, Vlatko Pavletic, warned that the proposed law on
cooperation with the tribunal in The Hague must be passed if Croatia
wants to ensure its admission to the Council of Europe, Slobodna
Dalmacija wrote. Finally, Czech President Vaclav Havel told Globus that
democracy and the civil society need to be strengthened in Croatia. --
Patrick Moore
[4] MONTENEGRIN OPPOSITION PARTY ON RECOGNITION OF MACEDONIA.
The opposition
Liberal Party of Montenegro has said that Belgrade's recognition of
Macedonia is likely to pave the way for improved relations between
Belgrade and other states of the former Yugoslavia. But it added that
the recognition of Macedonia was "overdue" and prompted by the "urging
of the international community." Nada Bukilich, a Liberal Party
representative, was quoted by Montena-fax on 9 April as saying that
recognition is likely to smooth over outstanding differences over the
question of succession. -- Stan Markotich
[5] SLOVENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FALLS OUT OF FAVOR?
Lojze Peterle, head ofthe Slovenian Christian Democratic Party, which supports the ruling
Liberal Democratic Party, has said his party has no choice but to urge
that Zoran Thaler be removed from the post of foreign minister. Peterle
maintains that Thaler, a Liberal Democrat, has failed to mend fences
with neighboring Italy, which, he said, is a necessary step for
Slovenia's entry into the EU. According to the Serbian news agency Beta,
Peterle has argued that Thaler's failure to improve relations with Rome
has contributed to Slovenia's tarnished image within the international
community. -- Stan Markotich
[6] U.S. CONGRESSMAN TIES SUPPORT FOR ROMANIA TO EXCLUSION OF EXTREMISTS FROM GOVERNMENT...
Tom Lantos, in Bucharest on 9 April, said he is ready
to help Romania obtain most-favored-nation status and join NATO--on
condition that "no extremist party" is included in Romania's government
after the fall elections, Reuters and Romanian media reported. Lantos
was speaking after meetings with Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu,
President Ion Iliescu, and Defense Minister Gheorghe Tinca. Radio
Bucharest cited Lantos as saying he is ready to offer help to Budapest
and Bucharest to reach an agreement on the basic treaty, but he added
that he is sure this will not be necessary since the two sides will
reach an agreement by themselves. He also said Romania has to improve
its record of treating national minorities and singled out the issue of
the Hungarian-language university in Cluj. -- Michael Shafir
[7] ...WHILE FUNAR CALLS HIM "ENVOY OF HUNGARIAN IRREDENTISM."
Gheorghe
Funar, chairman of the Party of Romanian National Unity (PUNR), said in
a declaration broadcast by Radio Bucharest that Lantos's visit was aimed
at pressuring Romania into signing the basic agreement with Hungary
under conditions advantageous to Budapest. He called Lantos, who is of
Hungarian origin, "an envoy of Hungarian irredentism." The PUNR is still
a member of the ruling coalition, although the main coalition partner,
the Party of Social Democracy in Romania, has said it intends to end its
alliance with Funar's group. -- Michael Shafir
[8] ROMANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER FORESEES "ARMS RACE IN REGION."
If Hungary
were granted NATO membership before Romania, there could be an arms race
in the region, Romanian Defense Minister Gheorghe Tinca said in an
interview with the Hungarian daily Magyar Hirlap on 9 April. Tinca also
suggested that instead of competing for NATO membership, the two
countries should accelerate talks on the pending basic treaty, improve
bilateral relations, and promote the so-called historic reconciliation.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs responded that Hungary is
neither in a race to improve its military arsenal nor competing for NATO
membership with any country. He added that Hungary would like to see its
neighbors join NATO as soon as possible because that would improve
bilateral relations and the situation of ethnic Hungarian minorities. --
Zsofia Szilagyi
[9] ROMANIAN PREMIER OPPOSES DEBATE ON RESTITUTION OF JEWISH PROPERTY.
Nicolae Vacaroiu is opposed to a parliamentary debate on a draft law
allowing the restitution of Jewish property confiscated between 1938 and
1989, Evenimentul zilei and Cotidianul reported on 10 April. The bill
was proposed by Adrian Severin of the Democratic Party-National
Salvation Front. Vacaroiu says anti-Semitic legislation of the 1930s and
early 1940s has been corrected by laws passed in the late 1940s by the
communists. Any new laws, he argued, should deal with all confiscated
property, not just that belonging to Jews. He also noted that the bill
would place impossible burdens on the state budget. -- Michael Shafir
[10] GUARDS BAR MOLDOVAN DEFENSE MINISTER FROM ENTERING OFFICE.
Guards barred
Gen. Pavel Creanga from entering his office on 9 April, Reuters
reported. Creanga told the agency that the army's actions were in
defiance of a recent Constitutional Court ruling, adding that the army
is still under the direct command of President Mircea Snegur. Infotag
reported that Snegur has asked the parliament to appoint Chief of Staff
Col. Pavel Chirau as Creanga's replacement. Parliamentary sources told
the agency that the legislature is unlikely to consider the request
without first hearing the opinion of Premier Andrei Sangheli, who has
refused to approve Creanga's dismissal. -- Michael Shafir
[11] BULGARIAN OPPOSITION SIGNS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS AGREEMENT.
Bulgaria's
major opposition forces on 9 April agreed to support a joint candidate
in the upcoming presidential elections, Standart reported. The agreement
provides for primary elections on 1 June in which members of the
opposition will choose between incumbent President Zhelyu Zhelev and
Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) Deputy Chairman Petar Stoyanov. Zhelev
is supported by the People's Union and several smaller parties. The
mainly ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedom is part of the
united opposition but is to take a neutral stand in the primaries.
Zhelev and Stoyanov signed the agreement in the presence of all
opposition leaders. Zhelev had announced earlier that he will withdraw
his candidacy for a second term if he loses to Stoyanov in the
primaries. -- Stefan Krause
[12] FORMER BULGARIAN TSAR TO VISIT SOFIA IN MAY.
Simeon II has announced he
will visit Bulgaria for two weeks beginning 25 May, Bulgarian dailies
reported on 10 April, citing an interview with Le Figaro. Simeon said he
will travel "on a one-way ticket" but will return to Madrid if he
"cannot do anything useful." He said he wants to hold talks in Sofia to
find out "what the reality is there." Simeon left Bulgaria after a
communist referendum abolished the monarchy in 1946, but he has retained
his Bulgarian citizenship. Prime Minister Zhan Videnov on 6 April said
that the government sees Simeon as an unwelcome guest but added that he
can nonetheless visit the country, RFE/RL reported. The government has
repeatedly called on Simeon to renounce any idea of reclaiming the
throne or restoring the monarchy. -- Stefan Krause
[13] COUNCIL OF EUROPE CHAIRWOMAN IN ALBANIA.
Lenny Fischer, chairwoman of
the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe, visited Albania on
9 April, Gazeta Shqiptare reported. Albanian President Sali Berisha told
Fischer that Albania is committed to respecting all its obligations as a
council member. Recently, the rapporteur of the council's Legal Affairs
Committee criticized the Albanian government for not keeping promises it
had given when admitted to the council last summer, including
guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary, Koha Jone reported.
Albania has also not yet abolished capital punishment; and in several
cases, judges have handed down the death sentence. Another disputed
issue is the continued imprisonment of Socialist Party leader Fatos
Nano, whose conviction for misappropriation of funds has not yet been
reviewed. -- Fabian Schmidt
This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research Institute, a nonprofit organization with research offices in Prague, Czech Republic.
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