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Serbia Today 96-04-29
Serbia Today
29 April 1996
In This Edition:
* TO FULL NORMALIZATION ONLY STEP BY STEP
* NO POLITICAL RISK FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS
CONTENTS
[01] THE FOURTH BIRTHDAY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
[02] CONSTITUTION OF THE YEAR 1992 SAVED THE IDEA OF THE YUGOSLAV ENTITY
[03] EUROPEAN ORIENTATION OF OUR COUNTRY
[04] NO PROOF OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION IN YUGOSLAVIA
[05] TO FULL NORMALIZATION ONLY STEP BY STEP
[06] NO POLITICAL RISK FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS
[07] MUSLIMS WANT TO ENTER PRIJEDOR BY FORCE
[08] SERBIAN REGION WILL RESPECT DECISION ON DEMILITARIZATION
[09] RATHER AN OBLIGATION THAN SUPPORT
[10] HOLBROOK ALSO INVOLVED IN CLANDESTINE ARMS DELIVERIES
[01] THE FOURTH BIRTHDAY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has celebrated on Saturday the Day of
Constitutionality, i.e. the fourth anniversary of passing of the Constitution
of the joint state of Serbia and Montenegro. Respecting the will of its
citizens to continue to live in the joint state, Serbia and Montenegro, after
the anti-constitutional secession of four republics of the former Socialist
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, on April 27, 1992 have adopted and promulgated
the Constitution of the FR of Yugoslavia and the Declaration on basic
principles and targets of the federation. Serbia and Montenegro, the two
internationally recognized states ever since the Berlin Congress of 1878,
always were tending towards the unity of the Yugoslav peoples and their joint
state, which they have confirmed in the year 1918 by bringing in their
statehood in the creation of Yugoslavia. Therefore, after the breaking-down of
the six-member federal state, these two federal units underlined in the
Declaration that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is continuing the state,
international and legal and political identity of the former Yugoslavia, and
that they shall respect all the previous obligations undertaken
internationally. In this, the point of departure was the principle that the
right of Serbia and Montenegro to remain in Yugoslavia as the joint state and
preservation of its continuity, can not be lesser than the right of former
federation members to secession. (Politika, April 27, 1996)
[02] CONSTITUTION OF THE YEAR 1992 SAVED THE IDEA OF THE YUGOSLAV ENTITY
Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia Prof.Dr. Ratko Markovic stated for Radio
Prishtina that the Constitution of the FR of Yugoslavia from the year 1992 has
saved the idea of the Yugoslav entity and preserved continuity of Yugoslavia.
This Constitution has bridged the constitutional set-up and in the hard times
had introduced several novelties, such as the pluralism of ownership forms,
market as an exclusive regulator of economic relations and exercise of civil
sovereignty which lies in the very foundation of Yugoslavia, said Markovic.
Yugoslavia is continuously existing and this is bringing advantages to its
position in the international community, he added. While commenting on the
status of autonomous provinces, Markovic stated that their status is resolved
by the Constitution of Serbia and that the autonomous units should not be
given state functions, and neither should they be given the constitution-
making competencies which, as the experience in the case of Kosmet has shown,
are suitable for secession. The autonomy should refer to the historic,
economic and geographic, and not only to the national properties. While
speaking about Kosovo and Metohija, international community can insist only on
the respect of rights of Albanians, and in no case on the changing and
modeling of the social order of Serbia, said Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia.
(Politika, April 28, 1996)
[03] EUROPEAN ORIENTATION OF OUR COUNTRY
Upon his return from Romania, where he has attended the international
conference on the Black Sea economic cooperation, Federal Prime Minister Dr.
Radoje Kontic expressed his satisfaction with the results of the visit of our
delegation, most of all with the talks with the President of Romania Jon
Iliesku and his associates. "During our talks there was an emphasis on our
traditionally good relations between our peoples and states", said Kontic. "We
have stated that after the suspension of sanctions there was a very intensive
bilateral cooperation, that the continuity was secured for the political
dialogue and that we have made a big step towards a creation of the state
legal framework for further development of bilateral relations", said Kontic,
and especially emphasized readiness of the Rumanian side not only to support
the initiatives of others, but itself to be the initiators of a prompt return
of our country into the international community. At the conference of the
Black Sea countries we have underlined that without revitalization of the
Yugoslav economy and its dynamic development, permanent peace and stability in
this region can not be secured, and that in the reconstruction of this area it
is necessary to avoid any attempts at discrimination, which did occur in the
past period, underlined the Yugoslav Prime Minister. (Borba, April 29, 1996)
[04] NO PROOF OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION IN YUGOSLAVIA
Federal Minister Margit Savovic stated that the latest resolution of the
UN Commission for Human Rights, in which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is
no longer condemned for "mass and serious violation of human rights", only
confirms "our stand that there is no proof whatsoever of such violation of
human rights in our country". About "the concern" of the special UN rapporteur
for human rights in former Yugoslavia Elizabeth Ren because of the state of
minority rights in Kosmet, Vojvodina and Sandzak, Margit Savovic said that it
is an inertia and prejudice of the western media. While commenting on the
demands for the autonomy of Sandzak, she pointed out that the so-called
Sandzak does not exist, but that it is only a geographic term designating
region of Raska, in which there is no Muslim majority. In the region of Raska
all citizens are equal and have always had the right to religious and every
other expression of their identity, said the Federal Minister Savovic.
(Vecernje novosti, April 29, 1996)
[05] TO FULL NORMALIZATION ONLY STEP BY STEP
Chief of the Bureau of the Government of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia in Zagreb Veljko Knezevic, spoke at the round table of the Alliance
of Serbian Organizations in Zagreb about the normalization of the relations
between the FR of Yugoslavia and Croatia. "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is
completely and firmly oriented towards a humanitarian line of preservation of
peace as determined in the Dayton Agreement", said Knezevic, pointing out that
in the normalization of the mutual relations "realistically no spectacular
results can be expected, achieved overnight", because in this very sensitive
and complex task a lot of patience is needed, and only a "step-by-step" method
can bring about a qualitative peace and solution. In some fields, as he said,
there is an impression that the Croat side wishes to make a bigger and a
faster step forward than it is objectively possible. In this context he
mentioned the problem of reintegration of Slavonia and Baranja region. He
pointing out that this is "a delicate question which should be resolved
literally in accordance with the Erdut Agreement". As one of the reasons of a
certain slowing down of the process of normalization of the relations between
the two countries, he stated the solution of the question of Prevlaka,
recalling that during Dayton negotiations there was an agreed in principle
solution of the future status of Prevlaka. He pointed out that the Croat side
in the meantime has distanced itself from this and is now claiming that
Prevlaka can not be discussed in any other context except for this area to be
demilitarized. "The talks on this issue are continuing", said Knezevic.
(Borba, April 27, 1996)
[06] NO POLITICAL RISK FOR FOREIGN INVESTORS
Foreigners are asking for great security while investing, and this
security will be provided in the law which the Federal Parliament is to adopt
in mid-May, stated the Republican Minister Coordinator Dragan Tomic in his
interview for Radio Belgrade. "It is well known in the world and it is
confirmed by the arrival of numerous economic delegations from abroad, that
Serbia is at present one of the most attractive areas for investment of
capital. This is aided by the geographic but also by the economic reasons,
most of all the preserved economic capacities and staff who by their knowledge
and experience are far ahead of their colleagues from the Eastern and Central
Europe, and especially in the Balkans", said Tomic. "There is no political
risk in Serbia and Yugoslavia, which is so much feared abroad, and there never
has been one, and the impression that it exists was created by the foreign
press for purpose of media war", underlined the Republican Minister. (Borba,
April 29, 1996)
[07] MUSLIMS WANT TO ENTER PRIJEDOR BY FORCE
Inhabitants of border towns in the western parts of the Republic of
Srpska have spent yesterday in the expectation of the announced organized
arrival of Muslim refugees. A group of some 500 Muslims gathered in the
village of Milin Brit, some six kilometers from Sanski Most, with the
intention to start towards Prijedor, in spite of the warnings of the IFOR
commands and representatives of the international institutions to avoid
forcible entry and for the visits to these towns to be organized and agreed in
advance. According to the unofficial information, this group of Muslims was
headed by a certain Tilman Zilh, a German journalist and humanitarian worker.
On the way of the Muslims stood a large group of Prijedor citizens, who
arrived two kilometers from the separation line. "We have said to the
representatives of the IFOR that organizing of refugees for a forcible entry
into foreign territory is a political issue which can not be resolved at the
municipal level", said Milomir Stakic, president of the municipality of
Prijedor. That it is a question of causing political incidents is speaking the
message by Alija Izetbegovic, sent to the Muslims immediately after recent
unsuccessful attempt at entering Novi Grad, that they will enter Prijedor and
Novi Grad in 30 days at the latest. Yesterday's announcement of a synchronized
entrance of the Muslim refugees into towns of the Republic of Srpska is linked
with the Muslim Bayram feast and also with April 30th, when Serbs four years
ago, have taken over the control of this city. According to David Last, in
charge of civilian affairs of the IFOR in Prijedor, the return of refugees
will have to be resolved at the level of governments of the Republic of Srpska
and Bosnia-Herzegovina. (Vecernje novosti, April 29, 1996)
[08] SERBIAN REGION WILL RESPECT DECISION ON DEMILITARIZATION
President of the Serbian region of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western
Srem, Goran Hadzic, stated that the Serbian region will to the end respect
demilitarization - "both politically and militarily". He underlined that
"there is a lot of confidence in the international community and that nothing
bad can happen to this people", and added that demilitarization should be
completed until the end of June. In this area in 1991 the composition of
population was multi-ethnic and "we have nothing against a multi-ethnic
composition of the population, and the majority which is here will elect its
bodies", said Hadzic. Exodus of the population from this region has almost
stopped, and once the situation is stabilized we are expecting that some
50,000 exiled from Serbian Krajina will settle in this region on the basis of
the Erdut Agreement, said President of the Serbian region. (Politika, April
29, 1996)
[09] RATHER AN OBLIGATION THAN SUPPORT
Decision by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to
propose to the Council of Ministers admission of Croatia into this oldest
European organization, was received in Croatia with diametrally opposed and
polarized feelings and stands. While the ruling HDZ (Croat Democratic
Community) is interpreting this as "a European support to the Croat state
politics", which perhaps might even be believed by those less informed
citizens, opposition parties are considering that the admission into the
Council of Europe will mean that Croatia is undertaking concrete obligations
in the development of democracy and protection of human rights. That the
opposition is closer to the essence of things than the actual government is
best illustrated by careful reading of the text of decision in which precisely
are listed many obligations which Croatia is taking over and on the
fulfillment of which primarily depends its further acceptance in the European
trends. As the first step, Croatia will have to sign several European
conventions, among them the one on human rights. Croatia will have to fulfil
also those conditions pertaining to the protection of Serbs in Croatia and
making possible of their return to their homes. Thus, for example, Croatia is
obliged to "undertake all the necessary measures in order to guarantee safety
and human rights of the Serbian people in Croatia". (Politika, April 29, 1996)
[10] HOLBROOK ALSO INVOLVED IN CLANDESTINE ARMS DELIVERIES
The former peace mediator for the Balkans and the former U.S. Deputy
Secretary of State Richard Holbrook, was himself involved in clandestine
deliveries of arms for Muslims in Bosnia, reveals "The New York Times",
quoting sources close to the White House. Even in summer of 1994 Holbrook
started to work on cheating of the embargo on arms deliveries to the warring
sides and on helping Izetbegovic by new military deliveries. He accepted the
request of the then-Prime Minister of the Muslim government in Sarajevo Haris
Silajdzic, to urge some of "the friendly countries", such as Turkey, Pakistan
and Saudi Arabia, to intensify their deliveries of arms to Bosnia. In this, he
started from the fact that clandestine deliveries of Iranian arms through
Croatia were already taking place and that with this new "initiative" no
changes would be made in the American politics towards the war in the Balkans.
Holbrook's plan was not realized because those responsible in the U.S.
Administration in the last moment became scared that in doing this they will
anger their European allies. (Politika ekspres, April 27, 1996)
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