YDS 12/11

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory

From: [email protected] (D.D. Chukurov)

11 DECEMBER 1995 YDS-1035

C O N T E N T S :

FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA - MILOSEVIC, HOLBROOKE HOPE FOR SUCCESS OF PEACE ACCORDS FOR BOSNIA - HOLBROOKE: POSITION OF SERBS IN SARAJEVO OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE - YUGOSLAV DEFENSE MINISTER RECEIVES GROUP OF FRENCH PARLIAMENTARIANS - NATO ASSEMBLY DELEGATION IN BELGRADE - YUGOSLAVIA REQUESTS EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR RESUMING COOPERATION WITH IMF - YUGOSLAVIA'S STATUS IN OSCE STILL REMAINS OPEN

LONDON CONFERENCE ON BOSNIA - MILUTINOVIC: DAYTON ACCORD SET CONDITIONS FOR STABLE PEACE - YUGOSLAVIA URGES IMPARTIALITY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF BOSNIA AGREEMENT - YUGOSLAVIA ADVOCATES EQUAL TREATMENT OF ALL PARTIES TO PEACE PROCESS - YUGOSLAVIA SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S RESOLVE TO FULLY IMPLEMENT BOSNIA PEACE AGREEMENT

BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA - KARADZIC BELIEVES PEACE WILL COME ON DEC. 14 - RUSSIA REQUESTS FREEZING OF PROCEEDINGS AGAINST KARADZIC AND MLADIC

FRANCE - BOSNIA - DE CHARETTE SAYS SIGNING OF BOSNIAN AGREEMENT IS NOT IN QUESTION

BOSNIA - ARMS BAN - BELGIAN COLONEL: ARMS BAN ON CROATS AND MUSLIMS WAS NEVER HONORED

BOSNIA - DOCUMENTS - EVACUATION FROM SREBRENICA WAS CARRIED OUT WITHOUT INCIDENT

MILOSEVIC, HOLBROOKE HOPE FOR SUCCESS OF PEACE ACCORDS FOR BOSNIA Belgrade, Dec. 9 (Tanjug) - Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and the head of the U.S. negotiating team Richard Holbrooke said Saturday in Belgrade they expected that the process of the consolidation of peace and overall normalization of relations and of life in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be carried out succesfully. All sides, including the U.S. and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, must make a maximum contribution to this end through constructive endeavors, Milosevic and Holbrooke noted during a working breakfast. During their cordial and frank meeting, also attended by Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic, Milosevic and Holbrooke expressed satisfaction at the successful conclusion of joint peace endeavors.

HOLBROOKE: POSITION OF SERBS IN SARAJEVO OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE Belgrade, Dec. 9 (Tanjug) - U.S. negotiator Richard Holbrooke has said that 'the renewed guarrantees to the Serbs in Sarajevo are now of major importance' and added that this 'has been confirmed both in Belgrade and Sarajevo.' After talks with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade on Saturday, Holbrooke said that the position of the Serbs in Sarajevo had been in the focus of the talks. 'President Milosevic told me he attaches big importance to the satisfactory resolution of the issue of the position of the Serbs in Sarajevo,' Holbrooke said. 'I expect the people in Sarajevo to carefully consider the Dayton agreement, and the Serbs in Sarajevo should be aware that their rights will be protected in keeping with the agreement,' Holbrooke said. He said that the headquarters of the implementation force (IFOR) would be located in Sarajevo and will be commanded by U.S. Gen.Leighton Smith who will 'be empowered to apply the agreement in a corresponding way.' 'We informed Milosevic about our talks yesterday with Muslim leader Alija Izetbegovic and his promises regarding this issue,' Holbrooke said. Under the Dayton agreement, the Serbs can live in peace in their parts of Sarajevo along with the full respect of their culture. They will, at the same time, have the freedom to travel throughout the country, just as any other citizens of Bosnia,' Holbrooke said. Holbrooke said that in the coming period 'we will try to find new ways to inform the people of Sarajevo about this.' Holbrooke said that with Milosevic he had also discussed the fate of the French pilots downed in August during NATO air raids against the Bosnian Serbs and that he had, on behalf of the French Government, stressed the need for their immediate release. We also discussed the forthcoming signing ceremony in Paris, Holbrooke said. He said that this would 'be critical in the transition from war to peace.' 'Today in the Balkans, we don't have war, but we don't have real peace,' Holbrooke said and added that 'in this Paris has a historic role.' Holbrooke said that with Milosevic he had also discussed eastern Slavonija (Srem-Baranja region, U.N. Sector East) and that he had informed the Serbian President about the content of his talks on Friday in Zagreb with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman.

YUGOSLAV DEFENSE MINISTER RECEIVES GROUP OF FRENCH PARLIAMENTARIANS Belgrade, Dec. 9 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic on Friday discussed with a group of French parliamentarians the promotion of political, economic and military cooperation between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and France, the Federal Defense Ministry's information service has said. The French delegation asked Bulatovic to help in resolving the fate of the two French pilots, whose Mirage-2000 was downed in late August during nato air strikes on the Bosnian Serb state Republika Srpska. The French parliamentarians said that the successful resolution of this issue would secure a favourable climate for establishing comprehensive cooperation between the two countries and for improving the military and political position of Republika Srpska. Bulatovic said that Yugoslavia has political, humanitarian and peaceful reasons for engaging in the resolution of this problem.

NATO ASSEMBLY DELEGATION IN BELGRADE Belgrade, Dec. 9 (Tanjug) - A NATO Assembly delegation, headed by the President of the Forum, Karsten Fogst, arrived Saturday on a three-day visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). The visit of the delegation, including parliamentarians from Germany, Spain, Great Britain and Canada, is made at the initiative of the NATO Assembly. The delegation will have a number of meetings with state officials, their hosts in the Yugoslav parliament and representatives of political parties. A delegation of the political-interparliamentary forum of the 16 NATO member-countries met Saturday with Yugoslav Deputy Foreign Minister, Zivadin Jovanovic, and an interest was expressed on that occasion in continuing and intensifying mutual dialogue, in view of supporting the peace process and stabilization in the region. The need was expressed, on that occasion, for the impartiality of the multinational forces and of all other factors in the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry announced. Hope was also expressed that the FRY would be fully reintegrated into international organizations as soon as possible, and especially in the U.N. and the OSCE, and that bilateral relations between thefry and other countries would be fully normalized.

YUGOSLAVIA REQUESTS EXTENSION OF DEADLINE FOR RESUMING COOPERATION WITH IMF Belgrade, Dec. 8 (Tanjug) - The First Deputy Governor of Yugoslav National Bank (NBJ) Zarko Trbojevic said Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had asked for an extension of the deadline for resuming cooperation with the International Monetary Fund. Trbojevic told Tanjug Friday that Yugoslav Government decided on December 7 that its Vice-President, Finance Minister Jovan Zebic, and NBJ Governor Dragoslav Avramovic should request a six-month extension of the deadline. The IMF Board of Executive Directors will discuss Yugoslavia's request on Friday or Monday, Trbojevic said. Taking into account the succesfully ended peace talks in Dayton and the suspension of the international community sanctions on Yugoslavia, the issue of Yugoslavia's status in the IMF should be resolved very soon and regular cooperation with that institution should be resumed, Trbojevic said.

YUGOSLAVIA'S STATUS IN OSCE STILL REMAINS OPEN Budapest, Dec. 8 (tanjug) - The status of Yugoslavia in the OSCE still remains open after the Organisation's two-day Foreign Ministers' meeting which ended in Budapest on Friday. A number of heads of delegations asked for the question to be puton the agenda and no one was explicitely against the proposal. Hungarian Deputy Secreatry of State Endre Erdoes limited himself to saying after the closed-door discussions that time was not yet ripe for unfreezing of Yugoslavia's status in the OSCE. Fench Foreign Minister Herve De Charette told reporters that Paris welcomed the initative of the countries which wished Yugoslavia to return to the Organisation as soon as possible while German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel linked Yugoslavia's return to its allowing OSCE missions to work in areas of Yugoslavia with dense national minority populations.

LONDON CONFERENCE ON BOSNIA

MILUTINOVIC: DAYTON ACCORD SET CONDITIONS FOR STABLE PEACE London, Dec. 9 (Tanjug) - The biggest value of the Dayton accord is that it had set conditions for a stable peace, with a clear view of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a state of two equal enities, Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic told journalists here on Saturday. Milutinovic said the current stage of the peace process was very important, as it involved the implementation of the provisions of the accord and its annexes. He said the implementation of the accord required a certain amount of time, adding that other key factors of the international community, besides the Bosnian Serb state Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, were called on to contribute toward that aim. 'It is necessary to have an objective and unbiased stand to all sides in Bosnia,' said Milutinovic. He said one of the most important tests of the Dayton accord would be implementing the peace solution for Sarajevo, which Yugoslavia did not question. Bearing in mind the large number of Serbs who lived in the city, it was necessary they be guaranteed complete safety, he said. It would be of paramount importance, he added, if the international community were to decide to help build a new Serb Sarajevo, following the transition period. Milutinovic said Yugoslavia would fully honor the provisions of the Dayton accord, to be signed officially in Paris on Dec.14. He said the people of Bosnia have had enough of the war, and the fact that both sides were partly unhappy with the accord just showed the agreement was not framed to the advantage of one side or the disadvantage of the other. The accord called for some painful sacrificing, but that was to the benefit of all in Bosnia, said Milutinovic. As far as the economic restoration of Bosnia was concerned, Milutinovic said all sides should take part. He said he believed the program for the reconstruction of Bosnia would include all parts of the former Yugoslavia. He pointed to the fact that Yugoslavia had suffered huge losses because of the war and the sanctions. Yugoslavia, contributing much toward bringing about peace in the region, expected to be granted a suitable place in its relations with the E.U., International Monetary Fund, World Bank and other international organizations and institutions, said Milutinovic.

YUGOSLAVIA URGES IMPARTIALITY IN IMPLEMENTATION OF BOSNIA AGREEMENT London, Dec. 9 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic on Saturday described the two-day Bosnia Peace Conference in London as a positive development. Milutinovic, who headed the delegation of the Yugoslav Federation, told reporters that the London conference came half way through the elaboration of the Bosnia peace agreement reached in Dayton, Ohio, on 21 November. Milutinovic said that the setting up of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC), that will comprise the 42 nation states represented at the London meeting, including Yugoslavia, was of paramount importance. At the London Conference, the Yugoslav side insisted on equal rights for all parties in Bosnia-Herzegovina and impartiality of the international community and those in charge of implementing the peaceagreement, said Milutinovic. In this way, tension will be gradually eased and subsequently completely eliminated, he explained. Asked what concrete measures Yugoslavia proposed for guaranteeing security to the Serbs in Sarajevo, Milutinovic said that most of the Yugoslav proposals had been accepted but that they were only rough concepts that had yet to be elaborated. The fear and ucnertainty of the 120,000 Serbs in Sarajevo are quite understandable and they should be overcome gradually and in a sensible way, he said. 'We are not in favour of a revision of the Dayton agreement, but we believe that there will be enough space in its implementation for guaranteeing security to all citizens of Sarajevo,' emphasised Milutinovic. Responding to a series of questions from French reporters about the fate of two French pilots whose plane was downed over the Bosnian Serb Republic during NATO air strikes against bosnian Serb military and civilian targets in late August, Milutinovic said that Yugoslavia was doing everything in its power to bring about a resolution of that problem as soon as possible.

YUGOSLAVIA ADVOCATES EQUAL TREATMENT OF ALL PARTIES TO PEACE PROCESS Belgrade, Dec. 10 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic said Saturday evening that Yugoslav delegation to the London Conference took the stance that Dayton accords must not be modified in their essence. The Yugoslav delegation had especially insisted on equal treatment of all parties to the peace process in Bosnia and on the alleviation of all effects of war, Milutinovic told Serbian Radio-Television. In addition, Yugoslav delegation presented an important demand regarding Sarajevo and care for its Serb population, especially in the transition period and the first months of implementation of the peace accords. Although there are no concrete ideas at this time on the ways of protecting Serbs in Sarajevo, Milutinovic expressed conviction that this problem would be resolved very rapidly, by the Paris conference starting on December 13 or immediately afterwards. No binding decisions were taken in London, the Conference served mainly to take note of ideas and proposals, Milutinovic said. This is why much remains to be done by the newly formed Peace Implementation Council, which comprises Yugoslavia. The essence of the London Conference was to provide maximum protection to the population, enabling it to turn to peaceful occupations, Milutinovic said.

YUGOSLAVIA SUPPORTS INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY'S RESOLVE TO FULLY IMPLEMENT BOSNIA PEACE AGREEMENT London, Dec. 8 (Tanjug) - The international community has demonstrated its commitment to fully implement the Bosnia peace agreement already at the start of the London Conference, member of the Yugoslav delegation Nikola Cicanovic told reporters on Friday. The Yugoslav delegation supports the international community's insistence on the full observance of the agreement, said Cicanovic, who is Yugoslavia's Deputy Foreign Minister. Speaking about the problem of Sarajevo, he said that all participants in the London Conference, including high representative for Bosnia Carl Bildt, shared the concern of the Serbs living in the parts of the city that would now be given to the Bosnian Muslim-Croat Federation. The transition period before the elections in Bosnia, during which the international community should secure normal living conditions and safety to the Serbs, is extremely important, said Cicanovic. He said there were several approaches to resolving this problem, including a proposal to set up an international police force to patrol the Serb-populated parts of Sarajevo that would also include Serb, Muslim and Croat representatives. The three nations should be adequately represented in the local municipal bodies, explained Cicanovic. Commenting on the statement of French Foreign Minister Herve De Charette, who demanded that the two French pilots whose plane was downed over the Bosnian Serb Republic in early August be freed by Sunday, Cicanovic said that the Yugoslav Government was doing evertything in its power to bring about their release. The Yugoslav Government shares the concern of the French Government but it cannot accept De Charette's ultimatum because it has been investing maximum efforts to help resolve the problem, he added. Cicanovic said that the head of the Yugoslav delegation, Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic, was due to address the conference on Saturday during the debate on the political future of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA

KARADZIC BELIEVES PEACE WILL COME ON DEC 14 Banjaluka, Dec. 10 (Tanjug) - The President of Republika Srpska (R.S. - Bosnian Serb state) said Saturday evening he believed the war would stop in Bosnia on December 14, when the peace agreement is to be signed in Paris. Addressing a newly formed Banjaluka Committee of his Serb Democratic Party, Karadzic welcomed the results of the recent peacetalks in Dayton, where it was agreed that two entities - R.S. and the Croat-Muslim Federation would comprise a single state - the union of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The political independence of Republika Srpska achieved regardless of the union's existence is a great success of the Yugoslav delegation, Karadzic said. This is a good basis for political efforts for R.S. independence and consolidation, he said, adding that the Serb side wanted peace regardless of painful compromises it had had to make.

RUSSIA REQUESTS FREEZING OF PROCEEDINGS AGAINST KARADZIC AND MLADIC Moscow, Dec. 10 (Tanjug) - Russia has asked that the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague freeze proceedings against Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic and Bosnian Serb Army Commander Gen. Ratko Mladic. Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev said in London on Sunday that Moscow had requested that the Tribunal comprehensively, measuringly, taking into account all the facts, reexamine the problem. Kozyrev told reporters that France and Russia turned to Belgrade and the Bosnian Serb administrative center Pale to account for the two downed French pilots. Kozyrev said the demand by Paris and Moscow should be met, or the Serbs might again find themselves in international isolation. Russia and France are two countries historically the closest to the Serbs, said Kozyrev. He said he believed the Serbian leaders had enough reason to reveal the destiny of the pilots. If they are alive, said Kozyrev, I advise them (Serbs) to return them to the french authorities.

FRANCE - BOSNIA

DE CHARETTE SAYS SIGNING OF BOSNIAN AGREEMENT IS NOT IN QUESTION Paris, Dec. 10 (Tanjug) - French Foreign Minister Herve De Charette said on Sunday that the mystery about the fate of the two missing French pilots cannot threaten the holding of the Paris peace conference on Bosnia. The conference, to be held on dec. 13-14, should close with the historic signing of the peace agreement for Bosnia, De Charette said. De Charette also said that France has sent no ultimatum to anyone regarding the pilots, but that it only wants to resolve the matter before the peace agreement on Bosnia is signed.

BOSNIA - ARMS BAN

BELGIAN COLONEL: ARMS BAN ON CROATS AND MUSLIMS WAS NEVER HONORED Brussels, Dec. 9 (Tanjug) - The former head of the U.N. observers in Bihac, Belgian Col. Jan Segers, has said every night choppers had landed on Bihac airport, often with the sign of the red cross, but loaded with weapons for the Bosnian Muslims. In an interview to the Brussels weekly Tele Moustique, Segers confirmed that the arms ban on the former Yugoslavia, introduced by the U.N. in 1991, was never honored where the Croats and Muslims were concerned. Segers was head of the U.N. office for military information in Zagreb and a U.N. observer in Sarajevo, Bihac and western Slavonia. He said money was no issue, as up to 10 million German marks arrived in Bihac in cash every day, from all over the world, but mainly Islamic countries, via various channels. Segers said some U.N. officers took part in smuggling the money and arms. He said the Croatian Army had received confidential information from western Slavonija, which was controlled by the Serbs, which heand his associates had sent to the U.N. Headquarters in Zagreb. I see no other way that the Croatians could have learned about such confidential information, as we were the only ones there, but that somebody in Zagreb was delivering it to them, said Segers. Without knowing, or wanting to know, our Office was the most important spy post for the Croatian Army, he said.

BOSNIA - DOCUMENTS

EVACUATION FROM SREBRENICA WAS CARRIED OUT WITHOUT INCIDENT Belgrade, Dec. 10 (Tanjug) - The evacuation of the Muslim population from the safe area of Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia, regarding which contradictory reports still exist today, was carriedout in the beginning of last July without any incidents, in line with an agreement between the two warring sides. A photocopy of a document confirming the correct carrying out of the evacuation of civilians from Srebrenica, signed by UNPROFOR Dutch Batallion Commander and representatives of Srebrenica Muslim authorities and of the Republika Srpska Army, has just been made available to Tanjug. The three delegations met on July 12, 1995, at the Fontana hotel in Srebrenica. The meeting was attended for the Muslim side by Kamil Purkovic, Ibro Nuhanovic and Nesib Mandzic. A special statement confirming that all provisions of the agreement was signed in the presence of U.N. representatives by Nesib Mandzic on behalf of Muslim civilian authorities of the Srebrenica enclave, and by Miroslav Deronjic, Commissioner for civilian issues, on behalf of the Serb side. It had been agreed that civilian population could leave or stay in Srebrenica, according to personal wishes, the document states. After the agreement was concluded, it was determined that evacuation proceded in the correct manner and that the Serb side had abided by the provisions of the agreement. During the evacuation, there had been no incidents in the convoy escorted by the Dutch batallion, and the Serb side abided by all provisions of the Geneva Convention and International War Law, the statement signed by Muslim representative Mandzic says. After evacuation, Srebrenica Serb municipal authorities denied in a separate report the claims of some media that their correspondents had been banned from entering the town to check whether allegations on the existence of mass graves were true. Between August 1 and October 15, reporters from CNN (twice), BBC, CBS and RAI (Italy) television networks, and from news agencies Reuters and AFP visited Srebrenica. They were free to move anywhere they wished in the area, to record and interview anyone they liked, Srebrenica Serb authorities said in a letter. However, reports on what they had witnessed never reached the public.