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Serbia Today 96-04-25
25 April 1996
In This Edition
THE YUGOSLAV MINORITY IN ALBANIA THREATENED
DJUKIC RELEASED FROM CUSTODY
SLOVENIAN "CORDIALITY"
CONTENTS
[01] FRY ASKED FOR A NORMALIZATION OF ITS STATUS IN THE OESC
[02] A DELEGATION OF SLOVAK BUSINESSMEN VISITED THE SERBIAN GOVERNMENT
[03] A SIEMENS COMPANY HAS BEEN FOUNDED IN BELGRADE
[04] THE YUGOSLAV MINORITY IN ALBANIA THREATENED
[05] EVEN THOUGH IT DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, CROATIA HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
[06] SLOVENIAN AND CROATIAN RESISTANCE FIGHTERS OPPOSED TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE JASENOVAC CONCENTRATION CAMP Some 200
[07] GENERAL DJUKIC HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM CUSTODY The International
[08] SLOVENIAN "CORDIALITY"
[01] FRY ASKED FOR A NORMALIZATION OF ITS STATUS IN THE OESC
Mr. Dobrosav Veizovic - Charge d'Affaires of the Yugoslav
Embassy in Austria, stated in Vienna that the normalization of
the status of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the Organization
of European Security and Cooperation constitutes one of the most
important factors in the stabilization and improvement of the
neighborly relations in south-eastern Europe. The status of FRY
in the OESC has been congealed two years ago, and Mr. Veizovic
remarked that the current situation does not correspond to the
principle of equal treatment and equality of all members of the
institution. Due to its undefined status FRY can not participate
actively in the decision-making process even though it is one of
the founding countries of the OESC - said Mr. Veizovic and
added: "FR Yugoslavia endorses all the initiatives for the
renewal of the free communication of men, not only in our region
but in the European area as well. It also supports the regional
meetings with the objective to improve the dialogue and further
enhance the economic, scientific, and technical cooperation as
well as the collaboration in other areas." (Politika, April 25,
1996 )
[02] A DELEGATION OF SLOVAK BUSINESSMEN VISITED THE SERBIAN GOVERNMENT
Serbian Deputy Premier - Mr. Slobodan Babic, received a
delegation of Slovak businessmen, headed by Mr. Igor Junas,
Chairman of the Chamber of Economy of Bratislava. The Slovak
businessmen are being hosted by the Chamber of Economy of
Belgrade and a number of companies seated in the Yugoslav
capital. During the talks, both sides stressed the mutual
interest to renew and establish direct cooperation between
similar companies and firms. The Agreement signed by the
Belgrade Chamber of Economy and its counterpart in Bratislava
and the talks the businessmen from the two cities had should
contribute to the enhancement of the cooperation. Deputy Premier
Babic stressed that the Serbian Government will make particular
efforts to create a stimulating environment for the expansion of
economic and commercial cooperation and which will help the two
countries to integrate their economies into the European and
global trends. (Borba, April 25, 1996 )
[03] A SIEMENS COMPANY HAS BEEN FOUNDED IN BELGRADE
Federal Deputy Premier and Federal Minister of Finance - Mr.
Jovan Zebic, met yesterday with Mr. Hubertus Johem - Siemens'
general representative for former Yugoslavia. During the talks
the establishment of a Siemens company in Belgrade has been
hailed. The company which has just become operational indicated
Siemens' determination to continue and enhance the direct
cooperation it had with the Yugoslav institutions for several
decades. In this regard, particular attention has been dedicated
to the purchase state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment for the
new facilities within the Dedinje Cardiovascular Medical
Institute. (Borba, April 25, 1996 )
[04] THE YUGOSLAV MINORITY IN ALBANIA THREATENED
"We do not feel secure in our homes" - reads the note of protest
that the Serbian-Montenegrin Society "Moraca-Rozafa" from
Scutari, circulated to the foreign embassies in Tirana
(Albania), in reaction to the discriminating stands and actions
of the Albanian authorities against the Yugoslav ethnic
minority. "We re not safe at work nor in our everyday life, just
because of our ethnic origin and the ties we maintain with the
mother-country." states the protest. The Albanian authorities
are opposed to our activities even though they are completely
legitimate and legal and compliant to all the European and
civilized trends - stated the Society members. They have also
remarked that the minority issues are being treated according to
the obsolete Stalinist and non-democratic methods with the
intention to discriminate the Serbs and the open assimilation.
For example, the Serbs and the Montenegrins in Albania are not
permitted to state their ethnic origin and to take back their
original last names, which were banned by state decree during
the Stalinist era in Albania. They have no school in
mother-tongue nor are they allowed to practice their religion -
stresses the note of protest. (Politika, April 25, 1996 )
[05] EVEN THOUGH IT DOES NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, CROATIA HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Croatia has been admitted to the Council of Europe after a
general debate whether it meets the requirements. The debate led
to the conclusion that it does not meet the requirements but the
Strasbourg institution reached the conclusion that Zagreb "...is
moving towards democracy". "We are not pleased with the state of
democracy in Croatia, but we believe that it involves a process
and this is our way of endorsing it." - said Mr. Van den Linden,
Council reporter. The most determined advocates of the admission
of Croatia in the Council were the speakers from Austria,
Germany and Hungary. It has been agreed that the Council should
exert pressure on Zagreb to respect all the commitments assumed
in Dayton, including minority rights and freedom of the press,
and to allow the return of the Serbian refugees. (Politika,
April 25, 1996 )
[06] SLOVENIAN AND CROATIAN RESISTANCE FIGHTERS OPPOSED TO THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE JASENOVAC CONCENTRATION CAMP Some 200
surviving inmates of the Ustashi concentration camp Jasenovac,
and relatives of the victims that died in it gathered yesterday
near the ruins of the memorial center demolished last May by the
Croatian Army, to commemorate the 51st anniversary of the
rebellion of the barehanded inmates. "History is repeating
itself and the new generations have learned nothing from the
previous mistakes" said Ivan Fumic - Chairman of the League of
Croatian Anti-fascist Fighters in his speech near the monument
to the victims of Jasenovac. On behalf of his fellow resistance
fighters he rejected President Tudjman's initiative to transform
the memorial to those killed in Jasenovac by the Ustashi into
"...memorial grounds for all the Croatian victims of war." Mr.
Fumic stressed: "We shall not lay wreaths to our executioners".
The same stand has been affirmed by the delegation of Slovenian
anti-Fascist fighters. One of the delegation members - Mr. Miro
Pedacanin, remarked: "Assassins and victims can not lie
together." (Politika, April 25, 1996 )
[07] GENERAL DJUKIC HAS BEEN RELEASED FROM CUSTODY The International
Tribunal for Crimes of War in Former Yugoslavia, decided to
release from custody General Djordje Djukic of the Republic of
Srpska Army. It has been stated that the release is due to
health reasons, but that the charges shall not be withdrawn and
the Gen. Djukic can be taken to court again should his state of
health allow it. Those familiar with the case are inclined to
tend to conclude that the Tribunal - in spite of the alleged
possibility of a renewed indictment - made the only possible
decision. In fact, right from the start, when Gen. DJUKIC was
arrested and transported to the Hague, the case appeared unclear
even to the highest experts in international and criminal law.
The decision of the Tribunal to release Gen. DJUKIC has been
interpreted by many at the Hague as an attempt to save the
reputation of the court due to the fact that any further
detention of a man that could not be proven guilty for what he
is being charged for, would not be in the interest of justice or
the truth. (Borba, April 25, 1996 )
[08] SLOVENIAN "CORDIALITY"
It might seem incredible, but the traditionally anti-Yugoslav
Slovenian newspaper "Mladina" has now sided with the citizens of
Yugoslavia, because (as the paper stresses) of the incredible
difficulties Slovenians face when they want to invite their
friends from FRY to visit them. After checking the protests
raised by numerous Slovenians, "Mladina" discovered that the
competent Slovenian authorities are applying a phantom law and
are using every means available to limit or prevent visits of
Yugoslav citizens to Slovenia. After contacting the Slovenian
Foreign Ministry and the embassies in Skopje and Budapest,
"Mladina" reporters discovered that it is practically impossible
for a Slovenian to invite a friend from Serbia or Montenegro to
visit him. The entrance visa is being granted only to close
relatives but this category has not been clearly defined. When
the so-called Shengen Treaty on the strict control of the EU
borders was introduced, Slovenia spontaneously offered to act as
a special "sanitary corridor" for neighboring Austria and Italy,
and to pretend to be Europe for the other Balkan nations. This
filtering is applied primarily to the citizens of FR Yugoslavia,
and starting May 1st they will be searched and checked
(maltreated) more thoroughly at the Slovenian border. Determined
to become part of Europe, the Slovenians are clearly displaying
their xenophobia and claustrophobia. (Vecernje novosti, April
25, 1996 ) .
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