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Tuesday, 26 November 2024 | ||
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Serbia Today 96-01-16Serbia Today DirectoryFrom: [email protected] (D.D. Chukurov)Serbia Today16 January 1996In This EditionTRICK WITH LJUBIJAWITH THE HELP OF 'RETIRED'RETURN IN THREE PHASESCONTENTS[01] SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON EASTERN SLAVONIA AND PREVLAKA[02] CANTONIZATION OF SARAJEVO PROPOSED[03] MUSLIM SUBVERSION[04] TRICK WITH LJUBIJA[05] PLUNDERING AND WASTELAND[06] WITH THE HELP OF 'RETIRED'[07] GENERAL NESH: SERBS ARE IN ADVANCE OF TIME SCHEDULE[08] FIFTEEN MUSLIM FAMILIES RETURN TO THEIR HOMES[09] RETURN IN THREE PHASES[10] KINKEL FORGOT SERBS[11] INCIDENTS IN MOSTAR[12] FAILURE OF MOSTAR RECONCILIATION[13] TUDJMAN: PERIOD OF WAR IS OVER[14] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARIANS IN BULGARIA[15] DELEGATION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF UDINE VISITS CHAMBER OF ECONOMY OF YUGOSLAVIA[16] COOPERATION BETWEEN PORT OF VIENNA AND PORT OF BELGRADE[17] ARCHBISHOP PERKO VISITS PATRIARCH PAVLE[18] AGREEMENT ON THE STRUGGLE FOR SUCCESSION[01] SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION ON EASTERN SLAVONIA AND PREVLAKAThe UN Security Council has adopted the decision last night on establishing of a temporary civilian administration and peace-keeping military administration in the region of Eastern Slavonia, Western Srem and Baranja, for a period of one year, with the option to extend this period for another 12 months.Special resolution of the Security Council decides that the UN observers are to remain in Prevlaka, in order to supervise de-militarization of this strategically important sea cape. The mandate of military observers is extended for three months, and could be extended for yet another three-month period, if the UN Secretary General should deem it necessary. Head of the Yugoslav mission at the UN, Ambassador Vladislav Jovanovic underlined the importance of further presence of the UN observers in Prevlaka. (Politika, January 16, 1996) [02] CANTONIZATION OF SARAJEVO PROPOSEDMember of the state delegation of the Republic of Srpska, president of the Sarajevo Serbian municipality of Ilidza Nedeljko Prstojevic, who had talks two days ago in the American military base in Tuzla with the U.S. President Clinton, together with the lord mayor of Banja Luka Predrag Radic and Metropolitan of Dabar Bosnia Nikolaj, stated yesterday for Radio Ilidza that the proposal was submitted to the U.S. President for cantonization of Sarajevo. This means that Sarajevo could be a city with cantonal authority or a canton-town with the existing municipalities. He also said that he received from President Clinton assurances that the international community does not want a mass exodus of Serbs from Sarajevo, but a reconciliation between peoples and their peaceful life together. (Nasa borba, January 16, 1996)[03] MUSLIM SUBVERSIONDelegates of the International Red Cross have stated yesterday in Sarajevo that the large-scale exchange of prisoners of war in Bosnia was postponed indefinitely. (General exchange of prisoners according to the Dayton Agreement should have been completed by January 20, 1996). They have accused the Muslim government in Sarajevo, news agencies report, for this delay. "We can only feel sorry that the Muslim government did not follow our plan which is foreseeing a large-scale liberation of war prisoners, which was an important step in confidence building", stated Jacques de Majo of the International Red Cross and Reuters reports. Muslim government has refused last week to sign the plan of the International Committee of the Red Cross for the release of prisoners. (Vecernje novosti, January 16, 1996)[04] TRICK WITH LJUBIJABerlin "Junge Weldt" is writing yesterday that the international community is starting a political campaign against Serbs every time when they are asking for some concessions.German newspaper is claiming that the latest accusations of the alleged existence of mass graves in Ljubija are instigated with the aim of forcing Serbs to renounce on their requests for postponement of the time limit for implementation of the Dayton Agreement in Sarajevo and for making them accept it in full. While stating that the international community does not care to solve the question of Serbian Sarajevo, "Junge Weldt" is underlining that the West wishes for Serbs, at least in the beginning, not to leave in mass, so that in this phase the thesis would be justified of the possible life together. (Vecernje novosti, January 16, 1996) [05] PLUNDERING AND WASTELANDCounties of Mrkonjic Grad and Sipovo (according to the Dayton Agreement to be returned to Serbs), which have been occupied by the units of the Croat Defense Council (HVO) and the Croat army, are a picture of plunder and a wasteland, learns Tanjug from the members of the Republic of Srpska Army. This is also witnessed by the emptied production halls, plundered houses, remnants of furniture scattered in the streets, burnt-down and destroyed buildings. (Vecernje novosti, January 16, 1996)[06] WITH THE HELP OF 'RETIRED'What the U.S. President Bill Clinton has promised the Republicans in Congress in return for sending Americans to Bosnia, has really taken place. From the U.S. Administration an information has arrived yesterday that the civilians under contract should start training of the Muslim soldiers over the next 60 days, which would be "the first step towards their capability of defending themselves", once NATO leaves Bosnia. Government representatives in Sarajevo have agreed last week with the American plan for the Muslim-Croat federation to engage the retired American officers, who would be teaching their soldiers the basic military skills and modern tactics. The United States in this would not be officially included in this training.According to this plan, Muslim soldiers will be trained in Bosnia and maybe in Turkey, because its Foreign Minister last month announced that a defence agreement will be signed soon with the Bosnian government. The Americans are expecting that most of the expenses of training and armament will be paid by the Islamic countries, said the U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry, who at the beginning of this month had talks about this proposal with the representatives of Saudi Arabia in Riad. (Vecernje novosti, January 16, 1996) [07] GENERAL NESH: SERBS ARE IN ADVANCE OF TIME SCHEDULEThe Commander of IFOR forces for Sector north-east, the U.S. General William Nesh, stated yesterday in Banja Luka that in the implementation of the Peace Agreement "Serbs are ahead of the time schedule". He added that the military part of the agreement is mostly not encountering obstacles with the conflicting sides, but that the civilian part for which coordinator Carl Bildt is in charge, is not proceeding with the same pace. (Politika, January 16, 1996)[08] FIFTEEN MUSLIM FAMILIES RETURN TO THEIR HOMESOn the basis of the ruling of the Banja Luka Court, fifteen Muslim families has been given back their houses from where they were relocated during the war, reported yesterday the UNHCR spokesman Mons Nieberg, emphasizing that "such a development is encouraging". (Politika, January 16, 1996)[09] RETURN IN THREE PHASESThe UN High Commissariat for Refugees is starting implementation of one of the most complex and most delicate provisions of the Dayton Peace Agreement - return of refugees and misplaced persons in former Yugoslavia. In the first phase refugees and misplaced persons would be returning who are in Bosnia itself, then from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Croatia, Slovenia and the FYR Macedonia. The second phase would start next year and would refer to those refugees from Krajina who are in the FR of Yugoslavia, while the third phase would take place by the end of next year and would include the return of refugees from Western Europe.According to the UNHCR data, most of the refugees from Bosnia are stationed in the FR of Yugoslavia - 450,000. It is planned that during this year a total of 80,000 refugees from FR of Yugoslavia should return to Bosnia and the same number from Croatia, 8,000 refugees from Slovenia and 4,000 refugees from the FYR Macedonia. (Borba, January 16, 1996) [10] KINKEL FORGOT SERBSAfter the visit by the chief of German diplomacy Klaus Kinkel to Mostar it has remained unclear whether by his 'weekend' diplomacy he had arrived there too late to 'save' the city on Neretva river from further Croat-Muslim divisions. Commentator of the newspaper "Die Deutsche Zeitung" points out at the statement by the German Minister that Mostar is "the symbol of life together" although he did not ask himself where in all this story are Serbs, who used to live in this city. Germans, because of the postwar Berlin, are insisting on the entirety of Mostar and Sarajevo, without being aware of great differences existing between these examples. (Vecernje novosti, January 16, 1996)[11] INCIDENTS IN MOSTARThe lord mayor of the eastern Muslim part of Mostar, Safet Orucevic, stated yesterday for the Muslim Radio Sarajevo that the incidents in Mostar started the moment the Washington Agreement was signed. Orucevic claims that over the past 21 months period of existence of the federation between Muslims and Croats, in the Croat part of Mostar 19 Muslims have been killed. (Politika, January 16, 1996)[12] FAILURE OF MOSTAR RECONCILIATIONAccording to the assessments of the Vienna newspaper "Die Presse", mission of the European Union for unification of Mostar, which is divided between Croats and Muslims, has finally failed. At the request of the EU Administrator Hans Koshnik, international troops are controlling the frontier which should have disappeared. Since it became clear that Mostar will remain a divided city, a dispute has erupted about the separation of territory. The Croat side wishes to freeze the existing state of facts and to proclaim the demarcation line between the eastern and the western part of the city a frontier, while Muslims are trying to acquire larger parts of the western "Croat" Mostar, because previously they were 'pushed'. "Die Presse" is recalling that until the war erupted, 'the allies' in Mostar composed 30 percent of the population and that there were 40 percent of Serbs who almost all of them had to escape. "Cleansing" of Mostar of Muslims was the Croat war objective in the year 1993, concludes the Vienna newspaper. (Borba, January 16, 1996)[13] TUDJMAN: PERIOD OF WAR IS OVERAt the session of the Sabor (Parliament), Croat President Franjo Tudjman said that in Croatia with the last year the period of war was over. He emphasized, however, that the real peace is to come when Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem finally become "peacefully re-integrated in the Croat constitutional and legal set-up". According to Tudjman's assessment, Croatia during the last year has achieved "historical results" and in this he specially underlined "military ventures" in the actions "Lightening" and "Storm", through which, as he claims, Croatia has become "a regional power". This views are opposed to many official evaluations and condemnations in the world of the military solution of the matter of the Republic of Serbian Krajina and Slavonia and Baranja region, when unprecedented crimes were committed not only over Serbian soldiers, but also over civilians. (Politika, January 16, 1996)[14] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARIANS IN BULGARIAPresident of the Republic of Bulgaria Zeljo Zelev received yesterday evening in Sofia the Yugoslav parliamentary delegation headed by Radmilo Bogdanovic, Vice President of the Chamber of Republics of the Federal Parliament. Underlining that Bulgaria during the war in former Yugoslavia was having a neutral stand, Zelev supported strengthening of good neighborly relations between Bulgaria and Yugoslavia and broadening of the economic cooperation.Yugoslav delegation was also received yesterday by the Bulgarian Prime Minister and leader of the Socialist Party Zan Videnov. (Politika, January 16, 1996) [15] DELEGATION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF UDINE VISITS CHAMBER OF ECONOMY OF YUGOSLAVIADelegation from Italy, headed by Guido Fantini, Vice President of the Managing Board of the Chamber of Commerce of Udine and at the same time chairman of the financial consortium of this Italian city, had talks yesterday at the Chamber of Economy of Yugoslavia with the President of this association Dr. Mihailo Milojevic, about the economic cooperation. Talks were focused on the possibilities for investment of the Italian capital into the Yugoslav food industry, and processing capacities of the wood industry and others. (Politika, January 16, 1996)[16] COOPERATION BETWEEN PORT OF VIENNA AND PORT OF BELGRADEDirector general of the Port of Vienna, Dr. Siegmund Kremer, visited yesterday the Port of Belgrade and the Belgrade Free Zone. Director Kremer said that this port is interested for immediate cooperation with the Port of Belgrade, though establishment of a joint company for container transport. He emphasized that the Austrian side will start the procedure for re-integration of Serbia and Yugoslavia into the Work Community of Danube Basin Countries. On this occasion he conveyed the invitation by the lord mayor of Vienna to the president of the City Assembly of Belgrade Nebojsa Covic to visit the Austrian capital. (Politika, January 16, 1996)[17] ARCHBISHOP PERKO VISITS PATRIARCH PAVLEHis Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle received yesterday in the Serbian Patriarchy, Belgrade Archbishop Dr. France Perko. The occasion for this audience was the forthcoming ecumenical meeting "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity", prepared this year by the Belgrade Archbishoprics for January 21st. On this occasion Archbishop Perko submitted to the Serbian Patriarch a written invitation for the representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church to take part in this ecumenical discussion about the Christian cooperation. (Politika, January 16, 1996)[18] AGREEMENT ON THE STRUGGLE FOR SUCCESSIONPresident of Slovenia Milan Kucan visited Skopje yesterday on a one-day working visit. During the talks special attention was focused by Presidents Kucan and Gligorov on the succession to the assets of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. On this occasion it was said that the two sides have completely identical views since "all of the former YU-republics are equitable successors of former Yugoslavia". (Politika, January 16, 1996). |