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Serbia Today 96-04-12
In This Edition
NEW RECOGNITION OF YUGOSLAVIA
NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH MACEDONIA - A FACTOR OF STABILITY
IN CROAT PRISONS 60 CITIZENS OF YUGOSLAVIA DETAINED
CONTENTS
[01] FULL SUPPORT TO STABILIZATION IN THE BALKANS
[02] ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA - A KEY TO STABILIZATION OF THE SITUATION
[03] NEW RECOGNITION OF YUGOSLAVIA
[04] NORMALIZATION OF THE RELATIONS WITH MACEDONIA - A FACTOR OF STABILITY
[05] EASTER HOLIDAY MESSAGES
[06] OIL AND GAS FOR SERBIA
[07] COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH THE UNICEF
[08] IN CROAT PRISONS 60 CITIZENS OF YUGOSLAVIA STILL DETAINED
[09] BILDT REFUSES THE REQUEST OF SERBS
[10] IN SLOVENIA - A NEW ARMAMENT AFFAIR
[01] FULL SUPPORT TO STABILIZATION IN THE BALKANS
President of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic received the
Canadian Foreign Minister Loyd Oxforty who arrived with his
associates on an official visit to the FR of Yugoslavia. During
cordial talks the greatest attention was focused on the
development of bilateral relations between the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia and Canada. It was underlined that our country and
Canada are linked with traditionally friendly relations and
comprehensive links and cooperation between our citizens and
many business partners. During the talks, mutual interest was
confirmed in intensifying economic cooperation between our and
Canadian firms. It was underlined that Canada is offering firm
support to the stabilization of the political situation in the
Balkans, and especially to an active and positive role of the FR
of Yugoslavia in this process. (Politika, April 12, 1996)
[02] ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA - A KEY TO STABILIZATION OF THE SITUATION
Yugoslav Minister of Foreign Affairs Milan Milutinovic, after
the talks with the Canadian chief of diplomacy Loyd Oxforty,
stated that Canada from the beginning had and maintained a
constructive and a well balanced attitude towards the crisis in
former Yugoslavia and an active role in reaching a just and
stable peace. "We have agreed that for further continuation of
the peace process it is extremely important to solve quickly the
questions of both civilian and political character in accordance
with the Dayton Agreement. In this it is extremely important to
create as soon as possible the conditions for the timely, free
and just elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was qualified as
the crucial prerequisite for the stabilization of the situation
and establishment of peace", stated Milutinovic. The Canadian
Minister especially underlined the talks about the development
of bilateral relations and the mutual consent for the expert
groups to start work on the agreements in the field of economy.
Regarding the recognition of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,
Oxforty specified that his country has already recognized
Yugoslavia, because there was no suspension of the continuity of
diplomatic relations. (Politika, April 12, 1996)
[03] NEW RECOGNITION OF YUGOSLAVIA
Swedish Government has decided to recognize the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia in accordance with the policy defined by the
European Union, announced the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in
Stockholm and confirmed that the ambassador to Belgrade will be
sent soon. Norway has decided to recognize the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia as a sovereign and independent stated, reported
the Minister of Foreign Affairs Bier Tore Godal, saying that the
recognition "is the logical consequence of the Dayton Peace
Agreement on Bosnia". Spain has never suspended diplomatic
relations with the FR of Yugoslavia, and has neither raised the
question of its recognition, and is firmly of the view that
there is a need for elevating diplomatic relations with the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the ambassadorial level. This
was stated by the spokesman of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign
Affairs in Madrid. Normalization has only temporarily been
postponed because of the extended consultations about forming of
the new Spanish Government. Denmark is intending to normalize
the relations with the FR of Yugoslavia, stated the Danish
Foreign Minister Nils Helveg Petersen and stated that Copenhagen
is devoting special importance to the agreement on mutual
recognition between Belgrade and Skopje, which will secure
greater stability in the Balkans. (Politika, April 12, 1996)
[04] NORMALIZATION OF THE RELATIONS WITH MACEDONIA - A FACTOR OF STABILITY
While discussing the report on the talks between the Federal
Minister of Foreign Affairs Milan Milutinovic and the Minister
of Foreign Affairs of Macedonia Ljubomir Frckoski, Federal
Government stated that the full normalization of the relations
between the two neighboring countries is a significant factor of
an overall stability in the region and of the confidence
building between nations and countries in the Balkans. The
establishment of relations with Macedonia is in accordance with
the orientation of the FR of Yugoslavia to normalize the
relations with the former Yugoslav republics and it is extremely
important that Macedonia is recognizing the international
continuity of the FR of Yugoslavia, stated the Federal
Government. In the debate about the normalization of the
relations between Yugoslavia and the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe, the Council of Europe and the
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, it was stated
that it is necessary to intensify the activities for the full
reintegration of the FR of Yugoslavia in the international
community. Government has determined the basis for the
participation of the Yugoslav delegation at the Second Donors
Conference for Reconstruction and Development of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is to be held on April 12 and 13, 1996
in Brussels. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will express at this
Conference its readiness to contribute to the reconstruction
programs in Bosnia-Herzegovina the amount of 10 million US
dollars, allocated mostly to the economic recovery of the
Republic of Srpska. (Borba, April 12, 1996)
[05] EASTER HOLIDAY MESSAGES
President of the Republic of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic on the
occasion of the forthcoming Easter Holiday has sent greetings to
the Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Easter
greetings were also sent to His Holiness Patriarch Pavle, to the
clergy and all faithful of the Serbian Orthodox Church by the
Prime Minister of Serbia Mirko Marjanovic, Federal Prime
Minister Radoje Kontic, Minister for Religions in the Government
of Serbia Dragan Dragojlovic, and the President of the Federal
Government Commission for Relations with Religious Communities
Zoran Bingulac. In all the Easter greetings best wishes are
expressed for the good health and happiness and the hope that
the greatest Christian holiday will take place in peace and
harmony. (Borba, April 12, 1996)
[06] OIL AND GAS FOR SERBIA
Deputy Prime Ministers of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and
of the Russian Federation, Nikola Sainovic and Oleg Davidov,
have signed in Moscow two extremely important intergovernmental
agreements: one on the joint construction of the gas pipeline
through Yugoslavia and the agreement on the supply of our
country with the Russian oil. For the gasification of the south
of Serbia a Russian- Yugoslav joint stock company will be
established, and a possibility was announced in the near future
for one branch of some of the Russian oil pipelines to arrive to
our country. The Russian side has shown also readiness to grant
to the FR of Yugoslavia credit facilities for the revival of its
power structure. (Vecernje novosti, April 12, 1996)
[07] COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH THE UNICEF
Institute for Health Care of Mother and Child of Serbia and the
UNICEF have signed yesterday an agreement on understanding and
cooperation which is a continuation of several decades of
successful cooperation, in which the focus was placed on the
primary health protection. The programs in the field of health,
nutrition, basic education and psychosocial protection, have
been drafted on the basis of the research which the UNICEF has
conducted in our country. Dr. Boris Tolsjatov, the chief of
the Belgrade bureau of the UNICEF, at the press conference
stated some deplorable data. "Out of 700,000 refugees, 215,000
are children. The gross national income per capita is two times
smaller in comparison with the years before 1990. Four million
people, among them one million children, are living below the
minimum of existence. Health and social services do not have
sufficient funds. Death rate has reached 24.9 percent, and is
especially emphatic in the children under five years of age and
mothers. There is a resurgence of some long forgotten infectious
diseases", said, among others, Dr. Tolsjatov. (Vecernje
novosti, April 12, 1996)
[08] IN CROAT PRISONS 60 CITIZENS OF YUGOSLAVIA STILL DETAINED
Secretary of the Federal Commission for Humanitarian Questions
and Missing Persons, Maksim Korac stated that the Yugoslav side
will request at the next meeting with the Croat sides, the
signing of a protocol on an unconditional release of all the
prisoners of war. Korac specified that the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia is asking for 980 persons, Republic of Srpska for
12,000 and the Republic of Serbian Krajina for several thousands
of missing persons. According to the available information, in
the Croat prisons there are some 60 Yugoslav citizens detained.
On the other hand, the FR of Yugoslavia is not having any
prisoners of war, but the Croat side, although it is very well
aware of this fact, is still insisting on the principle of
reciprocity, wishing to use the issue of missing persons for
political purposes. Thus, for example, on the first list of the
missing persons it was determined that one and the same person
is appearing 47 times, and on the second list names were found
of those killed in traffic accidents or those deceased long
before the eruption of war. (Politika ekspres, April 12, 1996)
[09] BILDT REFUSES THE REQUEST OF SERBS
High representative of the international community for the
implementation of the civilian part of the Dayton agreement Carl
Bildt, has refused the proposal of the Serbian side at the
Donors Conference in Brussels to be separately represented from
and equally treated as the Muslim-Croat Federation. The
spokesman of Carl Bildt Colam Murphy stated that the Donors
Conference on the reconstruction of Bosnia will be held
regardless of the decision of the Bosnian Serbs and their
participation at this gathering. (Borba, April 12, 1996)
[10] IN SLOVENIA - A NEW ARMAMENT AFFAIR
Slovenia newspaper "Mladina" made a comparison between the
report which Slovenia has sent to the Vienna Center for Conflict
Prevention in the Balkans about its armament, and the minutes
which Slovenian authorities have signed in October of 1991 with
the representatives of the former Yugoslav People's Army about
the quantities of armament which the former Yugoslav army has
left to Slovenia. The newspaper concludes that "Slovenia is
either fooling this international institution by sending it
false data, or a part of this armament in the meantime has been
sold to someone". In its analysis, the newspaper has discovered
the fact that there are 79 missing tanks in the value of 38.5 US
dollars, and concludes: "The tanks and some other types of
armament were sold to Croatia, and in this way the embargo was
violated on the sales of arms in former Yugoslavia, imposed by
the UN Security Council, while the money has ended in the
private pockets, in someone's party funds or spent on someone's
electoral campaign". (Politika, April 12, 1996)
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