Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-08-14

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From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ON NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH CROATIA

[02] YUGOSLAV DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS PERU

[03] CHINESE PARLIAMENTARIANS ARRIVE IN YUGOSLAVIA

[04] WAR-CRIMES TRIBUNAL WILL OPEN LIAISON OFFICE IN BELGRADE

[05] APPEAL FOR HELPING REFUGEES EXERCISE VOTING RIGHT

[06] IZETBEGOVIC - NOT OPTIMISTIC REGARDING A SPEEDY RESOLUTION

[07] GANIC: A CONTINUATION OF PEACE ENDEAVOURS

[08] CHRISTOPHER AND SOLANA - ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

[09] LOPEZ SATISFIED WITH INSPECTION OF MILITARY SITE IN BOSNIA

[10] PENTAGON: NATO TROOPS IN BOSNIA PLACED ON HIGHEST ALERT

[11] HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION

[12] MUSLIMS AND CROATS FAIL TO AGREE ON DISMANTLING BOSNIAN CROAT STATE

[13] MUSLIMS AND CROATS AGREE ON CITY COUNCIL SESSION

[14] SERBS DEMAND CROATIA DECLARE GENERAL AMNESTY

[01] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ON NORMALIZING RELATIONS WITH CROATIA

The Federal Government also discussed information on the preparations for the normalization of bilateral relations presented by Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic.

The Government entrusted competent Federal bodies with pursuing bilateral contacts in order to improve communications and economic cooperation.

It pointed to the importance of ensuring the conditions for resolving the issue of Prevlaka (Peninsula on the Adriatic), the free and safe repatriation of refugees and displaced persons, their personal safety and the safety of their property, and resolving issues regarding pensions and disability payments, the statement says.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is ready to fully normalize its relations with Croatia and other former Yugoslav republics, as factors of extraordinary importance for the promotion of the Peace process, stability, development and cooperation in the Region, the statement says.

The Yugoslav Foreign Ministry was entrusted with pursuing activities for the normalization of relations with Croatia and other former Yugoslav republics.

The Government has defined the bases for initiating talks between Yugoslav Finance Minister Tomica Raicevic and high officials of British Foreign Ministry and representatives of Natwest Markets, Yugoslavia's principal financial advisor, scheduled for August 14 in London.

[02] YUGOSLAV DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS PERU

A statement addressed Tuesday to Tanjug by the Yugoslav Embassy in Lima says that the talks focused on the world situation and the roles of the United Nations and the Nonaligned Movement.

Bilateral relations and prospects for their further development and key Latin American and Balkan issues were also discussed.

Both countries wish to develop economic cooperation and have agreed to review all former bilateral agreements and shortly conclude an Agreement on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and on Investment Guarantees, the statement says.

Peruvian officials were especially interested in the endeavours to resolve the crisis in the former Yugoslavia, the statement says.

[03] CHINESE PARLIAMENTARIANS ARRIVE IN YUGOSLAVIA

The Chinese Parliamentarians were welcomed at Belgrade airport by Deputy Speaker of the Yugoslav Parliament's Chamber of Republics Radmilo Bogdanovic and the Chinese Embassy staff.

Wu told the Press at the airport that the purpose of the visit was to spur cooperation between the two Peoples and Parliaments. He drew attention to the deep friendship and understanding between China and Yugoslavia and described Yugoslavia as an important country in the Region.

Bogdanovic said the visit was long overdue and noted that the Chinese Delegation was one of the highest to visit Yugoslavia since the suspension of the U.N. sanctions.

The Chinese Parliamentarians, who will be in Yugoslavia through Aug. 18, will have talks with a Yugoslav Parliamentary Delegation, the Speakers of both Houses of the Federal Legislature and top State officials of Yugoslavia and its Republics, Serbia and Montenegro.

[04] WAR-CRIMES TRIBUNAL WILL OPEN LIAISON OFFICE IN BELGRADE

At a Session held on Aug. 1, the Yugoslav Government approved a report of the Yugoslav delegation to the talks on the conclusion of an Agreement on the opening of the Tribunal's Office in Belgrade and empowered Jovanovic to exchange the letters with Boutros-Ghali.

[05] APPEAL FOR HELPING REFUGEES EXERCISE VOTING RIGHT

The issued Appeal said that according to the recent registration, Yugoslavia had more than 220,000 refugees from Bosnia with the voting right but about 20,000 of them were wounded, seriously ill or over the age of 65 and unable to travel in order to cast their ballots. We face a real possibility of violations of basic human rights of a number of refugees in the exercise of their voting right, as envisaged by the Electoral Rules set by the OSCE Provisional Electoral Commission, the Appeal said. It noted that the OSCE Commission's rules did not enable refugees to vote where they resided, which it said was normally the case everywhere in the world when temporarily or permanently disabled persons were involved.

The Appeal urged International Organizations to influence the OSCE Commission to enable all voters to exercise their voting right, which it said 'would be a step further in the overall normalization of relations and conditions in the Region.'

The Appeal was addressed by the Yugoslav Commission for Refugee Voting Rights in Bosnia, Commissions for Refugees of Serbia and Montenegro, Yugoslav Ministries of Labour, Health and Social Policy, the Minister in charge of Human and Minority Rights and the Yugoslav Red Cross.

It was sent to High Representative for Bosnia Carl Bildt, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata, U.N. Human Rights Rapporteur Elizabeth Rehn, OSCE Provisional Electoral Commission Chairman Robert Frowick, the ICRC and other International Institutions.

[06] IZETBEGOVIC - NOT OPTIMISTIC REGARDING A SPEEDY RESOLUTION

Izetbegovic said he was not optimistic regarding the Federation but expressed belief that endeavours should be pursued, that things should be pushed forward as much as possible, and underlined that difficulties should not discourage the faith in the idea of Bosnia.

[07] GANIC: A CONTINUATION OF PEACE ENDEAVOURS

In a statement published by Zagreb daily Vijesnik, Granic said that the three Delegations would also hold separate meetings in Geneva with the U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher and that the three Presidents would also meet each other.

The talks between Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman will be a follow-up to their meeting in Athens and will focus on the Agreement on further normalization of relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia, Granic said. An Agreement on normalization might be signed on August 23, Granic added.

Ganic, who will be a member of the Croatian Delegation to the Geneva talks, said that Tudjman and Izetbegovic would mainly discuss the transfer of powers from the Governments of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Herceg-Bosna to the institutions and bodies of the Muslim-Croat Federation.

Expert Groups of the two parties will discuss this issue Tuesday and Wednesday, and if they do not find a solution the talks will be continued in Geneva with Christopher's mediation, Granic said.

[08] CHRISTOPHER AND SOLANA - ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

After the meeting, Solana told reporters that the Implementation Force (IFOR) 'will do its best so that no violations are permitted of the Dayton Peace Agreement'. 'We are facing a very crucial moment of the elections...when the citizens of Bosnia- Herzegovina will have the opportunity to elect their representatives and have the possibility of looking into their future and stop looking to the past,' said Solana. He said IFOR would secure the safe return of refugees, adding that there would be problems, but that they would be dealt with efficiently, when and where they occurred.

Christopher said the most critical priority in coming weeks would be to ensure a secure environment and a kind of freedom of movement making possible a democratic election.

[09] LOPEZ SATISFIED WITH INSPECTION OF MILITARY SITE IN BOSNIA

Commander of the Ground Forces Michael Walker told reporters in the Bosnian Serb political center of Pale that he was convinced the Base was in order. Expressing satisfaction at the trip, Walker said 'we gained access to the site, we were given authority to go anywhere we wanted to, so from that perspective it was a very useful visit.'

Lopez thanked Plavsic for cooperating during the inspection.

Plavsic said she was pleased problems were being settled in this manner, and added that Republika Srpska would continue to cooperate in the implementation of the Dayton Accord. She said IFOR was welcome to visit any of the Serb sites.

'I can say that this was a good opportunity and pleasant time to be there and I think that we shall not have in the future any misunderstanding on something like this. If it appears, we are here to solve that,' Plavsic said.

[10] PENTAGON: NATO TROOPS IN BOSNIA PLACED ON HIGHEST ALERT

Bacon said there were threats of possible attacks on soldiers and camps and that the U.S. were prepared for them. He added that some people had been seen attempting to survey specific camps, and that there had been hints of threats against American installations in Bosnia. Putting two and two together, said Bacon, we believe it is important to keep our security on the highest possible level. He declined to pinpoint any particular group in Bosnia being suspected of posing a threat.

Bacon said the troops had been placed on the same level of alertness as U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia have been since the truck bombing of June 25 that killed 19 soldiers.

All forces within the Peace Implementation Force (IFOR) are on high alert.

[11] HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION

The report charges Federation State bodies, especially its Municipal Authorities, with obstructing the work of Ombudsmans. One of the three Ombudsmans, Esad Muhidic, said the situation was especially difficult in small towns and villages in the Federation where information on human rights violations is kept hidden.

The Federal Police simply do not do their job and themselves violate human rights by not providing protection to citizens, Muhidic said. Many citizens are arrested according to some lists of alleged war criminals drawn up by both sides, although the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague is the sole competent body for the prosecution of war criminals, Muhidic said.

Ombudsmans also pointed to the behaviour of Federal Police in reintegrated parts of Sarajevo, where money is being extorted from Serbs under the threat of arrest for war crimes. Ombudsman Vera Jovanovic said that Rule of Law does not exist in the Muslim-Croat Federation as the Federation does not function at all.

The repatriation of refugees and displaced persons is one of the greatest problems, as nothing has been done in the Federation to this effect, the Ombudsmans said. Ombudsman Branka Raguz said that the lack of political will of Federal partners was the principal reason for the failure to repatriate refugees. There are many cases of refugees having a place to return as their homes are empty and intact, but local authorities do not allow this, she said.

The report also includes a series of examples of police jeopardizing the safety of minority members and their property in the Federation. Muslims and Serbs have no freedom of movement at all in Croat-controlled Stolac, Capljina, Neum and Prozor, the report says.

[12] MUSLIMS AND CROATS FAIL TO AGREE ON DISMANTLING BOSNIAN CROAT STATE

After negotiating for two days in Sarajevo, under U.S. mediation, Federation President Kresimir Zubak said that the will of the Croats to transfer authority from Herceg Bosna to the Federation was not in dispute. He said the problem was that the Muslims wanted to retain as many offices as possible at the level of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and added that deadlines for transferring offices from the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Federation were still in dispute.

[13] MUSLIMS AND CROATS AGREE ON CITY COUNCIL SESSION

Agreement was reached after two hours of talks behind closed doors between Muslims, Croats and European Union mediators. The City Council will at its First Session elect a Croat Mayor and a Muslim Deputy to rule the City on the basis of consensus.

[14] SERBS DEMAND CROATIA DECLARE GENERAL AMNESTY

The Amnesty should be granted to all except those suspected of committing war crimes as defined by International Law, said the statement, issued after a meeting on Monday between Klein and Tudjman at a seaside resort in the Northern Adriatic.

In spite of repeated demands by the International Community to enable the return of Serbs to their homes, with an improved Amnesty, Zagreb has done nothing for their return, and even harasses the few remaining Serbs in Croatia.

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