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OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 54, 15 March 1996
From: OMRI-L <omri-l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu>
CONTENTS
[1] ANOTHER BALKAN SUMMIT TO BEGIN.
[2] SARAJEVO SERBS SEEK TO CURB EXODUS.
[3] SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL SUSPECTS TO APPEAR IN THE HAGUE?
[4] SERBIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ON CONDITIONS IN RUMP YUGOSLAVIA.
[5] OSCE TIES BELGRADE'S ADMISSION TO SOLUTION IN KOSOVO.
[6] SPY TRIAL IN CROATIA CRITICIZED.
[7] ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON TREATY WITH RUSSIA.
[8] BUCHAREST SUBWAY RUNS AGAIN.
[9] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT DEMANDS DEFENSE MINISTER'S RESIGNATION.
[10] BULGARIAN UPDATE.
[11] ALBANIAN EDITOR FINED FOR "FALSE REPORT."
[12] GREEK PREMIER SAYS ECONOMIC TIES WITH SKOPJE IMPROVE.
[13] GREEK-TURKISH UPDATE.
OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 54, Part II, 15 March 1996
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[1] ANOTHER BALKAN SUMMIT TO BEGIN.
The top leaders of Bosnia, Serbia, and
Croatia are slated to meet in Geneva with U.S. Secretary of State Warren
Christopher on 18 March, AFP reported on 15 March, citing Christopher's
spokesman. There will also be top officials present from the other
Contact Group countries, Reuters noted the previous day. The fact that
such a gathering is being called illustrates the precarious state of the
Dayton peace process, given that the last summit was held in Rome only a
few weeks ago and that a regional foreign ministers' meeting is slated
for 23 March in Moscow. Meanwhile, Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic
has left the hospital for a prolonged recuperation at home from heart
problems, Oslobodjenje noted the next day. Vice President Ejup Ganic,
who has been substituting for the president, will fill in for him at the
summit with Presidents Franjo Tudjman of Croatia and Slobodan Milosevic
of Serbia. -- Patrick Moore
[2] SARAJEVO SERBS SEEK TO CURB EXODUS.
The anti-nationalist Serbian Civic
Council (SGV) has appealed to the federal president and prime minister
to take measures to reassure Serbs that they have a place in the Bosnian
capital. The SGV again asked President Kresimir Zubak to make Sarajevo a
federal district, based on the model of Brussels, where all groups would
be equal. It also asked Prime Minister Izudin Kapetanovic to give Serbs
a six-month grace period to return to their homes. The Council also
called for setting up a registry of prewar Serbian property and a
commission on the rights of refugees and returnees, Oslobodjenje
reported on 14 March. There are some 10,000 Serbs still in the suburbs,
and Ilidza-based Mayor Maksim Stanisic is also urging them to stay
through his Democratic Initiative of Sarajevo Serbs. -- Patrick Moore
[3] SERBIAN WAR CRIMINAL SUSPECTS TO APPEAR IN THE HAGUE?
Deputy ChiefProsecutor on the International War Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia Graham Blewitt on 14 March believes that suspected Serbian
war criminals Radoslav Kremenovic and Drazen Erdemovic will be turned
over to the tribunal. "I do not anticipate any obstacles to both men
being transferred [from Serbia] to the Hague in accordance with the
prosecutor's request," Reuters quoted him as saying. Kremenovic and
Erdemovic have already admitted to taking part in the massacres of
Bosnian Muslims after the Bosnian Muslim "safe-haven" of Srebrenica fell
to the Serbs in July 1995. -- Stan Markotich
[4] SERBIAN OPPOSITION LEADER ON CONDITIONS IN RUMP YUGOSLAVIA.
Vuk
Draskovic, leader of the Serbian Renewal Movement, has sent a letter to
the foreign ministries (or their equivalents) of the U.S., Russia,
Germany, France, Britain, and Italy arguing that since the Dayton peace
accord, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic has implemented "a one-
party dictatorship." Nasa Borba on 15 March quotes Draskovic as saying
that there are systematic campaigns of repression against the
independent media, growing police repression, and continuing human
rights violations. Draskovic also contends that "the great powers have
given [Milosevic] a free hand" to intensify domestic repression since
the peace accord was signed. -- Stan Markotich
[5] OSCE TIES BELGRADE'S ADMISSION TO SOLUTION IN KOSOVO.
Swiss Foreign
Minister and OSCE chairman Flavio Cotti said Belgrade's readmission to
the OSCE would be tied to a resolution of the Kosovo conflict, Reuters
reported on 14 March. Cotti pointed out that "effective progress" is
"unfortunately still far away." He pointed out that the OSCE expects
guarantees from Belgrade that Kosovo will be granted "large autonomy" or
that "a federal solution" to the problem will be found. -- Fabian
Schmidt
[6] SPY TRIAL IN CROATIA CRITICIZED.
Defense lawyers representing 15 people
charged with spying for rump Yugoslavia and Croatian Serb rebels have
accused the military prosecutors of being partial, Nasa Borba and AFP
reported on 14 March. They say the prosecutors have denied them access
to necessary legal documents so that they have been unable to prepare
their defense on time. Prosecutors say 10 of the accused have pleaded
not guilty, three have pleaded guilty, and two have refused to plead
anything. Defense lawyers also complained about bringing the prisoners
to the court "in chains,", Vjesnik reported on 15 March. -- Daria Sito
Sucic
[7] ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON TREATY WITH RUSSIA.
Teodor Melescanu has
told ITAR-TASS that Romania wants to sign the bilateral treaty with
Russia before the next Russian presidential elections. Radio Bucharest
cited Melescanu as saying that the treaty should be signed during the
Yeltsin-Iliescu summit and that he would discuss these matters with his
Russian counterpart, Yevgenii Primakov, next month. He added that
disagreement persisted over the inclusion in the treaty of a mention of
the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail
Demurin said Moscow was waiting for a sign of "realism" from Bucharest
that it was ready to forego its demand that the treaty condemn the pact.
-- Michael Shafir
[8] BUCHAREST SUBWAY RUNS AGAIN.
Radio Bucharest announced on 14 March that
the Bucharest subway has started running again. Nothing was said about
the some 2,000 employees who have refused to sign pledges to return to
work. According to a statement by Prime Minister Nicolae Vacaroiu on 13
March, those workers have been dismissed. -- Michael Shafir
[9] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT DEMANDS DEFENSE MINISTER'S RESIGNATION.
Mircea Snegur
is demanding Defense Minister Pavel Creanga's resignation, BASA-press
and international agencies reported on 14 March. The presidential office
released a statement saying Creanga had failed to "take sufficient
measures to ensure the integrity of the National Army's assets and
efficient use of budget funds." Creanga said the accusations were
"groundless" and that the demand for his resignation was illegal and
prompted by his refusal to allow political interference in the army.
Under Moldovan law, a minister can be dismissed only by the prime
minister. Observers note that Premier Andrei Sangheli, a political rival
of Snegur, is unlikely to fire Creanga. -- Michael Shafir
[10] BULGARIAN UPDATE.
The European Court of Human Rights on 14 March agreed
to hear charges made by Andrey Lukanov, who was Bulgarian premier for 10
months after the collapse of the communist regime headed by Todor
Zhivkov, international media reported. Lukanov, now a deputy of the
ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party, alleges that his rights were violated
when the authorities illegally detained him in 1992 to determine his
possible role in misappropriating state funds while deputy premier in
the 1980s. In other news, Bulgarian media on 14 March reported that some
37 sports federations are defending Ivan Slavkov, chairman of both the
Bulgarian Olympic Committee and Soccer Association and Zhivkov's son-in-
law. In a letter to various politicians, the federations say Slavkov's
human rights are being violated. On 11 March, he went on trial for
misappropriating state funds and possessing firearms. -- Stan Markotich
[11] ALBANIAN EDITOR FINED FOR "FALSE REPORT."
Koha Jone Chief EditorAleksander Frangaj was fined the equivalent of $1,000 for allowing the
publication of a "false report" (see OMRI Daily Digest, 14 March 1996)
international agencies reported. Frangaj was sentenced under a disputed
media law that makes chief editors and publishers accountable for
articles containing false information. The law provides for fines from
between $1,000 and $8,000. -- Fabian Schmidt
[12] GREEK PREMIER SAYS ECONOMIC TIES WITH SKOPJE IMPROVE.
Kostas Simitis
said that talks on economic ties with Skopje are progressing but that
the dispute over the name of Macedonia remains unresolved. Simitis was
speaking at a meeting with Greek opposition leaders , AFP reported on 14
March. Neo-nationalist leader Antonis Samaras, who opposes any
concessions to Macedonia, called for a referendum, but other party
leaders supported finding a compromise. Simitis will meet with the head
of the Macedonian liaison office in Athens Ljupco Arsovski on 15 March.
In another diplomatic effort, Greek Foreign Minister Theodore Pangalos
has invited his Macedonian counterpart, Ljubomir Frckovski, to Athens to
"discuss economic and commercial relations." -- Fabian Schmidt
[13] GREEK-TURKISH UPDATE.
Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said Turkey
may withdraw its Aegean army in a move to improve strained relations
with Greece, Western media reported on 14 March. His remarks came in the
wake of Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos's offer to withdraw
its troops from Aegean islands near Turkey if Ankara relocates its 4th
Aegean army. -- Lowell Bezanis
This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research Institute, a nonprofit organization with research offices in Prague, Czech Republic.
For more information on OMRI publications please write to info@omri.cz
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