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Serbia Today 96-01-29
Serbia Today
29 January 1996
In This Edition
RIGHTS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES - ACCORDING TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS
ALL PRISONS IN REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA DISSOLVED
HUMANITARIAN AID TO CROATIA VANISHES
CONTENTS
[01] THE FIRST VISIT OF A SLOVAK PRIME MINISTER TO YUGOSLAVIA
[02] VICTORY OF PEACE AND DIALOGUE
[03] RIGHTS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES - ACCORDING TO THE HIGHEST WORLD STANDARDS
[04] PLATFORM FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH NATO
[05] AGREEMENT BETWEEN YUGOSLAV AND SLOVENIAN NEWS AGENCIES
[06] URGENT RECOGNITION OF THE FR OF YUGOSLAVIA NEEDED
[07] KOSOVO REMAINS THE PART OF SERBIA AND YUGOSLAVIA
[08] CONVENTION OF YOUNG SOCIALISTS
[09] ALL PRISONS DISSOLVED IN THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
[10] BILDT CRITICIZES ARMING OF MUSLIMS
[11] EXPELLING THEMSELVES
[12] FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF MOSTAR CONFLICTS
[13] HUMANITARIAN AID TO CROATIA 'VANISHES'
[14] WHY CROATIA CAN NOT JOIN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE?
[01] THE FIRST VISIT OF A SLOVAK PRIME MINISTER TO YUGOSLAVIA
Slovak Prime Minister Vladimir Mechiar is to arrive today on
a two-day official visit to the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia, heading a large political and economic delegation
of his country. This is the first visit at this level since
the independence of Slovakia and promulgation of the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia. Mechiar is accompanied by six
ministers and some sixty representatives of the largest
Slovak enterprises, which speaks of the importance devoted to
the normalization of political and revival of economic
relations. Slovakia has, as only a few of the other
countries, succeeded in maintaining an objective and unbiased
stand towards the Yugoslav crisis and good relations with all
of its actors, striving for an impartial treatment of the
sides in conflict and for the right of Serbian people to
self-determination. From the Slovak side it was often
emphasized that the Slovak minority in Vojvodina, the largest
one in the world except for the Slovaks in Czech Republic, is
enjoying better status and more rights than anywhere else in
the world and that it has strengthened itself as a bridge of
cooperation between the two countries. (Politika, January 29,
1996)
[02] VICTORY OF PEACE AND DIALOGUE
Defense Minister of Romania Georgiu Tinku, who is on a visit
to our country, was received by the President of the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Lilic, Federal Prime Minister
Dr. Radoje Kontic and the Federal Defense Minister Pavle
Bulatovic. During the talks it was stated that this visit is
yet another step in strengthening of traditional friendly and
well developed relations between the two countries. The views
of the two countries regarding the solution of the Yugoslav
crisis were identical that the policy of peace and dialogue
has won. Between the two countries intensive political
contacts were preserved and conditions created for revival,
development and further promotion of overall
Yugoslav-Rumanian relations. (Borba, January 27-18, 1996)
[03] RIGHTS OF NATIONAL MINORITIES - ACCORDING TO THE HIGHEST WORLD STANDARDS
In his interview for the newspaper "Madjiar So" published in
Hungarian language in Vojvodina, Prime Minister of Serbia
Mirko Marjanovic stated that this year will be the year of
good perspectives for the economy and better life of
citizens, underlining especially the importance of wide
opening of our economy towards the world, which has already
started. When asked what importance he is giving to further
development of relations between Serbia and Hungary, Prime
Minister Marjanovic said that natural routes from Yugoslavia
towards the developed part of Europe are leading through
Hungary. "We are devoting special significance to our
relations with the northern neighbor", said Marjanovic and
especially emphasized that national minorities in general,
and therefore also the Hungarian, should be the bridge
linking the state whose citizens they are with the state that
is their national motherland. "Republic of Serbia in its
Constitution has defined equality of all the citizens living
in it and in practice has fully secured equal rights of all
citizens, with additional rights of all the national
minorities according to the highest European and the world
standards", said Marjanovic. (Politika, January 29, 1996)
[04] PLATFORM FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH NATO
Committee of the Federal Government for cooperation with the
UN peace forces and the international IFOR forces, under the
chairmanship of Dr. Radoje Kontic, has established a platform
for negotiations with NATO, about the procedure for the
implementation of the agreement between the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia and NATO on transit arrangements for the
implementation operations of the peace plan. The platform
confirms manifested readiness of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia for consistent implementation of the peace
agreement on Bosnia-Herzegovina. In this way our country is
giving a concrete contribution to the establishment of peace,
stability and confidence in the Balkans and in Europe.
(Borba, January 27-18, 1996)
[05] AGREEMENT BETWEEN YUGOSLAV AND SLOVENIAN NEWS AGENCIES
In Budapest the agreement was signed on future cooperation
between the Tanjug news agency and the Slovenian STA news
agency, the first of this kind since the establishment of STA
in June of 1991. Director of Tanjug Slobodan Jovanovic
emphasized that this is one of the first agreements between
firms from Yugoslavia and Slovenia and that cooperation in
the field of information shall certainly contribute towards
further bilateral relations in the economic, cultural and
political fields. The economies of the two countries have at
one time in the joint state developed along complementary
lines, which will now, after establishment of a lasting
peace, serve as good basis for their cooperation, said
Jovanovic. (Vecernje novosti, January 29, 1996)
[06] URGENT RECOGNITION OF THE FR OF YUGOSLAVIA NEEDED
Greek Minister of Interior Akis Xohadzopulos stated that the
international community should as soon as possible recognize
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The peace process in
Bosnia could be placed in jeopardy if all the sides should
not immediately diplomatically recognize the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia as a state, underlined the Greek Minister in
his interview for the Austrian news agency APA. He strongly
criticized those forces who have lately been raising their
voices against recognition of Yugoslavia and qualified such
stands as contrary to the support of peace and those leading
towards new dangers for the peace process. (Politika, January
29, 1996)
[07] KOSOVO REMAINS THE PART OF SERBIA AND YUGOSLAVIA
Yugoslavia is a European and for Germany very important
country and therefore we are interested in fast
re-integration of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia into
Europe and into the world, stated for Radio Kragujevac
Gerhard Enver Djremgers, charge d'affaires of the German
Embassy in Belgrade. He said that the role of Belgrade in the
implementation of the peace process is a significant one and
added that Germany will be among the first European countries
to send its ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
When asked to comment on the Croat behavior regarding the
return of refugees, German diplomate said that the refugees
must return to their homes. The stories that Germany is the
sponsor of Croatia and that it is justifying what Croatia has
done are not true, said Djremgers. When asked about Kosmet,
Djremgers said: "Our stand is not different from the stand of
other counties. Kosovo remains the component part of Serbia
and of the FF of Yugoslavia". (Politika ekspres, January 29,
1996)
[08] CONVENTION OF YOUNG SOCIALISTS
At the Convention of Young Socialists of Serbia a document
was adopted "Action for the New Century - Youth Action
Program", as a part of preparations for the third congress of
the Socialist Party of Serbia. At the Convention the basic
issues of the young were discussed: unemployment, juvenile
delinquency, attitude towards the village, media, national
minorities, sports, culture and education. (Vecernje novosti,
January 27, 1996)
[09] ALL PRISONS DISSOLVED IN THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
By the release of 150 prisoners of Croat and Muslim
nationalities, Republic of Srpska has dissolved all of its
prisons and has respected the Dayton Agreement provisions
about the release of war prisoners, said the president of the
state commission of the Republic of Srpska for the exchange,
Dragan Bulajic. He also said that the Croat and the Muslim
sides have not as yet released all Serbs from their prisons.
According to him, in Zenica there are at least 4 and maybe
even 15 prisoners, in Travnik maybe some ten of them, in
Bihac probably 15, in Sarajevo maybe 8 and in Tuzla 205
persons. Croats have not yet set free 50 persons from the
prison in Mostar. Bulajic said that in Croatia there are
still at least 200 prisoners. (Borba, January 29, 1996)
[10] BILDT CRITICIZES ARMING OF MUSLIMS
High envoy in charge of implementation of the civilian part
of the Dayton Agreement on Bosnia, Carl Bildt, criticized the
plan of the U.S. Administration for supplying the army of the
Bosnian Muslims with modern armament. In his interview for
the weekly "Fokus" Bildt said that in Bosnia there is already
too much armament and that the Americans should understand
that it will be very difficult to refuse to one side what has
already been given to the other. Bildt also opposed the plans
for the elections in Bosnia scheduled for September this year
to be postponed. "If the elections are to be postponed, they
will be postponed forever", said Bildt. (Tanjug, January 29,
1996)
[11] EXPELLING THEMSELVES
Banja Luka Bishop Franjo Komarica has sent a letter to the
civilian sector of the IFOR Command of Bosnia-Herzegovina in
which he is protesting of "expulsion of Croats from Mrkonjic
Grad and its vicinity". The strange thing in this letter is
that Bishop is speaking about expulsion and it is well known
that in this area which the Croat forces according to the
Dayton Agreement are to hand over to the Serbian side until
February 3, 1996, there are not as yet Serbian forces. Only
Croat forces are there now, and it is not clear how someone
is to expel his own self. While Bishop is using the term
'expulsion' and is accusing the international community of
not preventing 'the ethnic cleansing of the innocent Croat
population', in today's Croat newspapers one can read the
statement by the IFOR liaison officer Major Roy Collins. He
claims that Croats are leaving of their own free will, not
wishing to await Serbs to take over the control, and that his
assurances given to Croats to remain in their homes were not
successful. (Politika, January 27, 1996)
[12] FATAL CONSEQUENCES OF MOSTAR CONFLICTS
Quoting the American and German intelligence sources, Zagreb
"Vjesnik" is writing that the dispute between Muslims and
Croats about Mostar can cause "an uncontrollable explosion"
with fatal consequences. The armed conflict between Croats
and Muslims would be a catastrophe for the Dayton Agreement,
underlines the newspaper and adds that in this conflict
Croats would beyond any doubt be stronger. Americans, who
were initiators of creation of the Muslim-Croat federation,
will not tolerate disturbance to the peace process and
therefore for the conflicting sides it is better 'not to try
the patience' of the international forces, writes the Zagreb
daily. (Politika, January 29, 1996)
[13] HUMANITARIAN AID TO CROATIA 'VANISHES'
Italian Consul in Rijeka, Gian Franco de Luigi reported to
his Foreign Ministry that the Croat Ministry of Defense has
appropriate the barracks in Klana near Rijeka. The
reconstruction of the barracks was finances by Italy with
800,000 USD in order to accommodate there refugees from
Bosnia, but Tudjman's army has moved in this building. The
newspaper "Jornale" on this occasion is accusing Croatia of
having expelled refugees to Krajina where all the time "Croat
gangs are hording continuously". Croatia during the first
years of war was receiving large humanitarian aid, but
according to many sources, only some 18 percent of that aid
was actually given to the unfortunate ones. All the rest was
sold by the state as its own commodity reserves. The
'surplus' of humanitarian aid occurred because of presenting
a far larger number of refugees than the actual number. The
case with the barracks is only a small pebble in a great
mosaic of 'wrong usage' of the international humanitarian
aid. (Vecernje novosti, January 28, 1996)
[14] WHY CROATIA CAN NOT JOIN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE?
Upon his return from Strasbourg, leader of the Croat
delegation Zarko Domljan triumphantly reported that Croatia
already in April will be admitted in the Council of Europe,
but one part of the Croat independent press discovered that
Europe has again in face of Croatia 'locked its doors with
seven locks". Fragments were disclosed from the report of
experts of the Council of Europe about the state of media in
Croatia. "Novi list" writes: "Europe is of opinion that media
in Albania today are objectively more opened than media in
Croatia". The newspaper adds that Croatia "is still burning
on low fires" because of the accusations that "it has taken
part in war crimes, ethnic cleansing and violation of human
rights". The views of the European scientists and experts are
joint by Marko Veselica, the opposition deputy in the Sabor
(Croat Parliament) who said: "I am embittered by the state of
facts in our country which reminds of the last years of the
NDH (Independent State of Croatia). A dangerous financial
oligarchy is being formed in Croatia, workers are expelled on
the street, election results are not recognized, Croats are
more and more losing faith in the state". (Politika ekspres,
January 29, 1996)
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