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Serbia Today 96-01-12
Serbia Today
12 January 1996
In This Edition
EXPORTS PLANNED OF THREE BILLION DOLLARS
PRESSURE OF THE WORLD ON CROATIA
SITUATION IN HERZEGOVINA UNDER DANGEROUS TENSION
CONTENTS
[01] GROWING INTERNATIONAL ROLE OF MILOSEVIC AND BELGRADE
[02] INTEREST FOR COOPERATION WITH YUGOSLAVIA
[03] PLANNED EXPORTS OF THREE BILLION DOLLARS
[04] DEAL WORTH 200 MILLION DEM
[05] RETURN OF REFUGEES IN SPRING
[06] INCREASING PRESSURES OF THE WORLD ON CROATIA
[07] AMNESTY LAW IS NECESSARY
[08] SHORTAGE OF BLUE HELMETS
[09] SERBS ARE BEING ARRESTED AGAIN
[10] SITUATION IN HERZEGOVINA SERIOUSLY DETERIORATES
[11] KINKEL TO VISIT MOSTAR
[01] GROWING INTERNATIONAL ROLE OF MILOSEVIC AND BELGRADE
In the negotiations between Croatia and the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia, Belgrade is having a new card in the game of
return of international confidence, which has been so quickly
lost by Tudjman, condemned by the UN for crimes in Krajina.
The fact alone who is coming and going to Belgrade shows that
the Yugoslav capital has become a place of intensive
diplomatic activity, and Milosevic himself a point of
reference for realization of the Dayton Agreement. These are
the words with which the Rome "Republica" is qualifying the
meeting between Slobodan Milosevic and Mate Granic. How
important Belgrade is becoming in the international
activities pertaining to former Yugoslavia, is best
illustrated by these words: While Granic was just coming down
from his plane at the airport, the Commander in chief of the
NATO forces Leighton Smit was asking Milosevic to use "all
his influence and prevent violence which is threatening
Dayton", and try to stop the exodus of Serbs from Sarajevo.
It is a question of a major and surprising turn when speaking
of the Serbian President "who has become from an enemy, the
indispensable and trust worthy partner of the international
community". (Vecernje novosti, January 12, 1996)
[02] INTEREST FOR COOPERATION WITH YUGOSLAVIA
At the official banquette offered for the diplomatic
representatives, Macedonian President Kiro Gligorov said that
lifting of the embargo on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
is an additional opportunity for Macedonia not only in the
economic but also in the other fields to develop with its
northern neighbor significantly broader cooperation. "We are
interested in normalizing as soon as possible the relations
with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia", said Gligorov.
(Politika, January 12, 1996)
[03] PLANNED EXPORTS OF THREE BILLION DOLLARS
Minister coordinator in the Government of the Republic of
Serbia Dragan Tomic, received yesterday member of the German
Bundestag and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee Joseph
Fisen, accompanied by the Consul of the embassy of the
Federal Republic of Germany Folker Pelle. Minister Tomic
informed his guests of the results of recovery of our
economy, the ambitious plans for revival of production and
intentions to achieve exports in the value of over three
billion US dollars in this year. The guests were interested
in the models of privatization in our country and Minister
Tomic informed them that in Yugoslavia there was always the
dominant participation of the private sector in agriculture.
Over the last years, tens of thousands of new, mostly private
companies have been established, but because of the embargo
it was not possible to carry out more profound structural
changes. It is now expected to have the support of the
foreign capital in this process, with the aim of recovery of
our economy and realization of structural changes which will
significantly increases efficiency of our entire economy.
Deputy Fisen stated that in Germany there is readiness for
investments in our country, on condition their efficiency and
safety are secured. (Politika, January 12, 1996)
[04] DEAL WORTH 200 MILLION DEM
Representatives of the Belgrade foreign trade company
"Dinara" and Hungarian company "Raba" have signed yesterday
in Belgrade, the agreement on a five-year cooperation in the
value of 200 million DEM. The agreement is the continuation
of twenty years of successful cooperation, said director
general of "Dinara" Savo Djorovic. "Dinara" is to import
trucks from Hungary and to export tools and engine
components. This cooperation will also include several of the
domestic enterprises. (Borba, January 12, 1996)
[05] RETURN OF REFUGEES IN SPRING
Refugees from former Yugoslavia will start returning during
the first days of spring. In the large repatriation program,
some 870,000 persons are to return to their homes. The UN
High Commissariat for Refugees strategy for refugees will be
officially announced on Tuesday, January 16, 1996 at the
meeting in Geneva. The crucial orientation of the UNHCR which
is expected to be announced to the participants at the
meeting of the humanitarian group, with the presence of the
Yugoslav delegation, by the High Commissioner Sadako Ogata,
is that the refugees can return only if the minimum
conditions at least are satisfied for their safety and
protection, as well as adequate accommodation. (Borba,
January 12, 1996)
[06] INCREASING PRESSURES OF THE WORLD ON CROATIA
In the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, efforts
of the international community, according to the British
analysts, are now aimed at Croatia. Authorities in Zagreb are
seen, they claim, as the possible threat to the overall peace
project in former Yugoslavia. After the UN, the latest
warnings to Croatia have arrived from the European Union
which has already earlier because of the violence over Serbs,
suspended all the economic links with Croatia. In London it
is pointed out yesterday at the expectations that the U.S.
President Clinton, during his visit to the American troops in
Bosnia, will use his personal influence on Tudjman for
Croatia to avoid any further conflicts which could bring in
jeopardy the peace initiatives of Washington D.C. According
to the London "Time" it is a question most of all of the
peace solution for the problem of Srem and Baranja region,
but also of Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the Croat-Muslim
tension is most seriously threatening to jeopardize the peace
perspectives. (Borba, January 12, 1996)
[07] AMNESTY LAW IS NECESSARY
President of the Serbian National Party in Zagreb and deputy
in Sabor (Parliament) Milan Djukic, has sent an open letter
to the Croat President Franjo Tudjman, in which he is
requesting that Croatia passes the law on amnesty, in order
to create conditions for return of the exiled Serbs. In this
way, says Djukic, a true and sincere wish of Croatia would be
shown for the exiled Serbs to return to their homes and not
to be genocidally eradicated in these areas. "We welcome your
gesture of amnesty for 455 Serbs and consider it a sign of
good will, but we must not forget that it was applied to
persons who have remained here on the basis of your
guarantees, and have ended in investigating prisons", says
Djukic and adds: "The more time is running, I have noticed
from your speeches that there is an enormous happiness in
your heart that you have reduced the percentage of Serbs in
Croatia to five percent, as was presented at the beginning of
war in the targets of your politics". (Politika, January 12,
1996)
[08] SHORTAGE OF BLUE HELMETS
The UN spokesperson of the peace forces in Belgrade Susan
Manuel, at yesterday's press conference, while commenting on
the final debate about the draft resolution for Eastern
Slavonia, mentioned the engagement of most probably 5,000
soldiers in this region. This is considerably below the
number which was requested by the UN Secretary General. The
recently appointed administrator for the transitional
government in Eastern Slavonia, Jacques Paul Klein, recently
has requested from the Security Council the option of use of
the NATO air support, reports Manuel, in order to protect the
international forces in this region. He also said before the
Council that he has received full assurances for cooperation
from President Tudjman, President Milosevic and the
authorities of the local Serbian population. He is hoping
that Serbs in Eastern Slavonia will be granted all the
guarantees for safety, dignity and protection of human
rights. (Politika, January 12, 1996)
[09] SERBS ARE BEING ARRESTED AGAIN
Just when the propaganda echoes of Tudjman's New Year "act of
good will" were calming down, which has pardoned from further
serving of imprisonment sentences and criminal prosecution
455 Serbs, Croat police has again started with arrests of the
remaining Serbs in Croatia. That this act of president's
forced New Year mercy was of short duration, is best
witnessed by the arrest of Ljubomir Radakovic from Josan near
Udbine, who was under strong guard taken to the investigation
center of the military tribunal in Karlovac. Radakovic, after
the military aggression on Krajina, trusted Tudjman's call
not to escape and remained with his mother in the village.
For months they were subjected to police investigation, until
a few days ago in his house suddenly fire arms 'were
discovered', as the 'proof' that 'he took part in the armed
rebellion against the Republic of Croatia". Opening of the
criminal file for Radakovic, in spite of the explicit demand
by the Security Council for "Croatia without any delay to
suspend criminal prosecution of Serbs", was the cause for the
renown Split attorney at law Mirko Franceski, who has
defended after the aggression on the Republic of Serbia
Krajina 18 'Serbian terrorists', to warn that there are no
legal grounds for having the so-called collective trials.
(Politika ekspres, January 12, 1996)
[10] SITUATION IN HERZEGOVINA SERIOUSLY DETERIORATES
Constitutional assembly of the Muslim-Croat Federation, at
its session in Sarajevo, has rejected the proposal of the
opposition parties to put on the agenda the debate about the
tensions in Mostar, because this was opposed by the Croat
deputies, reported yesterday the Muslim Radio Sarajevo.
President of the deputy club of the Croat Democratic
Community (HDZ) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ivan Bender, did not
agree for the debate to be opened only about the tension in
Mostar, while at the same time not analyzing the situation in
Bugojno, Travnik and many other places where there are also
problems. According to the earlier news of the Croat Radio
Herzeg-Bosnia, lives of one thousand Croats, from the total
of 18,000 living previously in Bugojno, and some 2,000 of
them from previous 22,000 in Travnik, is unbearable under the
Muslim authority. (Politika, January 12, 1996)
[11] KINKEL TO VISIT MOSTAR
Concerned over what has been happening over the last days
between Croats and Muslims, German Foreign Minister Klaus
Kinkel decided to visit Mostar on Sunday. According to the
reports of the German Ministry, Kinkel will have talks there
with the Administrator Koshnik and will meet with the Croat
Foreign Minister Granic. Kinkel earlier said that the fate of
Croat-Muslim Federation is being decided in Mostar. He warned
that Croat extremists should not be allowed to derogate and
bury this federation, and has thus placed the responsibility
for dramatic events in Mostar on the Croat side and warned at
the responsibilities of Zagreb. (Politika, January 12, 1996)
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