OMRI Daily Digest II No. 73, 12 April 1995

From: "Steve Iatrou" <siatrou@hilbert.cdsp.neu.edu>

CONTENTS

  • [01] BOSNIAN SERBS ATTACK GORAZDE.

  • [02] NEWS FROM SARAJEVO.

  • [03] CROATIA TO DEMOBILIZE TROOPS.

  • [04] CROATIA WANTS ONLY EUROPEANS AMONG PEACEKEEPERS.

  • [05] GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN MACEDONIA.

  • [06] STUDENTS BLOCK TRAFFIC IN CHISINAU.

  • [07] BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS BUDGET ON FIRST READING.

  • [08] ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER IN RUSSIA.

  • [09] ALBANIA IS NOT VIOLATING UN EMBARGO, FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS.

    •

    OMRI DAILY DIGEST

    No. 73, Part II, 12 April 1995

    SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

    [01] BOSNIAN SERBS ATTACK GORAZDE.

    International media on 11 and 12 April reported on the fighting throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina, observing that Bosnian Serb forces have besieged the "safe area" town of Gorazde, in the eastern part of the country. An estimated 13 artillery shells pounded the city in the early evening of 11 April, prompting the UN to call for NATO planes to pass over the area. Bosnian government radio reported casualties, including "tens wounded," but those accounts remain unconfirmed. Intensifying clashes between Bosnian government forces and Bosnian Serbs on Mount Majevica in the northeast were reported on 11 April. The Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA said that Serbian forces prevented a communications tower in the area from being taken. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [02] NEWS FROM SARAJEVO.

    Reuters on 11 April reported that UN officials have been unable to forget an agreement with Bosnian Serbs on the reopening of Sarajevo airport, closed two days earlier when Bosnian Serb fighters sprayed bullets at a U.S. plane transporting relief supplies. Also on 11 April, Bosnian Serb soldiers removed a heavy gun from a UN storage site near Sarajevo, only to return it several hours later without explanation. Meanwhile, the Croatian news agency Hina, citing Bosnian television, quoted Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic as asking the UN and NATO to take action to prevent Serbian attacks on Sarajevo and "to declare a demilitarized area within a 20 km-radius of the city." Izetbegovic also warned Bosnian Serbs besieging Sarajevo of an all-out attack if their actions do not cease. He also threatened not to opt for an extension of the cease-fire, due to expire on 30 April, should Belgrade fail to recognize Bosnia-Herzegovina or if the Bosnian Serbs reject an international peace plan, The International Herald Tribune reported on 12 April. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [03] CROATIA TO DEMOBILIZE TROOPS.

    According to Hina on 11 April, Croatian Defense Minister Gojko Susak has announced that President Franjo Tudjman has resolved to demobilize some 30,000 troops. The demobilized soldiers will return to civilian jobs, especially in regions where production is adversely affected by labor shortages. "We'll demobilize our men but this will not reduce our combat readiness," Susak was quoted as saying. But he did not specify which troops will be affected by the decision. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [04] CROATIA WANTS ONLY EUROPEANS AMONG PEACEKEEPERS.

    Reuters and Nasa Borba on 11 April reported that a top Croatian spokesman has called for the removal of Asians and Africans from UN contingents in Croatia, soon to be known as UNCRO. The spokesman said that European troops better understand Croatia's problems and have more clout with the local Serbs. It is also well known that Croatia hopes that greater European involvement in UNCRO would mean more European support for Zagreb. Croatia regards the Jordanian, Argentine, Nepalese, and Kenyan units in particular as mainstays of the Serbian black market economy, and President Franjo Tudjman has criticized the Third World contingents as undisciplined and unprofessional. The UN, however, says that host countries do not determine the ethnic composition of peacekeeping forces, which must reflect the heterogeneous nature of the world body. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

    [05] GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER IN MACEDONIA.

    Klaus Kinkel on 11 April arrived in Skopje on a one-day visit, international agencies reported the same day. Kinkel met with President Kiro Gligorov, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski, and other officials. He said the Greek embargo against Macedonia was a "mistake" and called on both sides to settle their dispute quickly. He also said that the EU members are showing solidarity with Greece but that the other 14 members are not trying to conceal the fact that the Greek embargo is "wrong." Kinkel promised to facilitate closer ties between Macedonia and the "European and transatlantic structures." He noted that it is particularly important that Macedonia be admitted into the OSCE. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    [06] STUDENTS BLOCK TRAFFIC IN CHISINAU.

    About 2,000 students on 11 April blocked traffic in downtown Chisinau, while several hundreds more picketed the headquarters of the state TV and Radio Company. According to Interfax and Radio Bucharest, the demonstrators requested firm guarantees that their social and political demands--including that Romanian rather than Moldovan be proclaimed the country's official language--be met. Negotiations with a government commission have apparently been deadlocked over the past few days. The students' protest is now in its fourth week. -- Dan Ionescu, OMRI, Inc.

    [07] BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS BUDGET ON FIRST READING.

    The Bulgarian parliament on 11 April adopted the state budget on its first reading, the domestic media reported the following day. The budget was approved by the government on 30 March. It provides for a deficit of 47 billion leva ($700 million) or 5.6% of GDP. Expenditures are estimated at 387 billion leva ($5.8 billion) and revenues at 340 billion leva ($5.1 billion). GDP is expected to amount to 800-850 billion leva ($12.0-12.8 billion), while it is estimated that inflation will drop to 40-50% from 121.9% in 1994. Prime Minister Zhan Videnov said average wages in industry will rise to 8,922 leva ($135) in 1995, Standart reported. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    [08] ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER IN RUSSIA.

    Aleksander Meksi arrived in Moscow on 10 April for a two-day visit, dpa and Interfax reported the same day. Meksi and his Russian counterpart, Viktor Cherno-myrdin, signed on 11 April five agreements on economic and scientific cooperation, including accords on the prevention of double taxation and mutual investment protection. They also initialed a friendship and cooperation treaty that will go into force after being signed by the presidents of the two countries. Meksi's visit to Moscow is the first by an Albanian premier in 30 years, AFP reported on 10 April. Moscow and Tirana broke off diplomatic relations in December 1961 and did not restore them until 1990. -- Fabian Schmidt and Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    [09] ALBANIA IS NOT VIOLATING UN EMBARGO, FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS.

    Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi, on a two-day visit to Croatia, has denied accusations that his country is violating the UN embargo against rump Yugoslavia, Reuters reported on 11 April. Hina cited Serreqi as saying that Albania respects and will continue to respect the embargo but that small amounts of fuel are being smuggled into rump Yugoslavia. The foreign minister said the accusations are aimed at neutralizing Albania's efforts to focus attention on the rights struggle of ethnic Albanians in Serbia's Kosovo province. He told Croatian radio that "a solution for Kosovo must be part of the overall solution" to the war in the former Yugoslavia. Serreqi and his Croatian counterpart, Mate Granic, signed a protocol on cooperation between their two ministries. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research Institute, a Prague-based nonprofit organization.

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