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Serbia Today 96-06-21
Serbia Today
21 June 1996
CONTENTS
[01] LETTERS OF ACCREDITATION FROM ATHENS AND THE VATICAN
[02] NO OPEN QUESTIONS BETWEEN CLOSE NEIGHBOURS
[03] THE YUGOSLAV DELEGATION AT THE EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON MIGRATIONS
[04] MORE THAN ECONOMIC TIES
[05] THE DEMILITARIZATION OF EASTERN SLAVONIJA HAS BEEN COMPLETED
[06] FRANCE INSISTS THAT THE "REPUBLIC OF HERZEG-BOSNIA" BE DISSOLVED
[07] ETHNIC ROBBERIES CONTINUE
[08] THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA ASKED THE URGENT RELEASE OF PRISONERS
[09] POLITICAL MANIPULATIONS WITH REFUGEES
[10] SLOVENIA IS "IGNITING" KOSOVO AGAIN
[01] LETTERS OF ACCREDITATION FROM ATHENS AND THE VATICAN
Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic received yesterday the
newly appointed plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic
of Greece - Mr. Panayotis Vlasopoulos. Ambassador
Vlasopoulos presented his letters of accreditation signed
by Greek President Kostis Stefanopuolos. The President of
FR Yugoslavia also received yesterday the newly appointed
Apostolic Nuncio to Yugoslavia - Monsignor Santos Abril
Castello. The Apostolic Nuncio presented to President Lilic
the letters of Accreditation signed by Pope John Paul II.
(Borba, June 21, 1996)
[02] NO OPEN QUESTIONS BETWEEN CLOSE NEIGHBOURS
Mr. Zoran Janackovic, the first Yugoslav Ambassador to
Macedonia, arrived yesterday in Skoplje with his
assistants. He was received by the Macedonian Foreign
Minister Ljubomir Frckovski. "I am glad to be in Macedonia.
I intend to be an ambassador of good will." said the new
Yugoslav ambassador. "I am glad that we are opening the
first embassy of FRY in former Yugoslavia. After the
signing of the agreement regulating the relations and the
cooperation between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and
the Republic of Macedonia, we come with the determination
to honor the universal principles of equality, non-
interference, respect of sovereignty and territorial
integrity, based on common interests, and to develop
comprehensive relations as friendly and close nations, good
neighbors and equal states, in peace and cooperation. There
are no open questions between FRY and Macedonia; none
existed and I believe that we shall have none in future",
said Ambassador Janackovic. (Politika, June 21, 1996)
[03] THE YUGOSLAV DELEGATION AT THE EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON MIGRATIONS
"The Yugoslav delegation took part in the 6th European
Ministerial Conference on Migrations, held in Warsaw on
June 16-18, giving its full contribution to the debate."
said Dr. Pavle Todorovic Federal Deputy Minister of Labor,
Health and Welfare. "Our delegation submitted a number of
suggestions for the improvement of the status of migrating
workers, demonstrating that our country has a highly
developed legislation in this sphere; it also pointed out
several major problems faced - due to the sanctions - by
FRY and its citizens working abroad. We particularly
stressed the media campaign conducted against FRY and the
effects felt by over a million Yugoslav migrants living in
various European countries." "Our delegation insisted that
the precondition for settling all these problems is the
complete abolition of sanctions against FRY, and its
inclusion in the European economic and political trends",
said Dr. Todorovic. (Politika, June 21, 1996)
[04] MORE THAN ECONOMIC TIES
"FRY has full British support for its reintegration in
the international economic flows, and Great Britain is
prepared to help the process through direct cooperation
between the two countries." said yesterday the Yugoslav
Minister of Trade - Djordje Siradovic, at the end of his
British tour. The Yugoslav delegation was greeted in a very
friendly atmosphere, and this confirms the closeness of the
two countries and the British interest to make the trade
relations with Yugoslavia something more than usual
economic ties. The possibility of establishing specific
bilateral relations between FRY and Great Britain has also
been discussed in London. These ties would be established
outside the framework of the international institutions and
will represent a stimulus for the return of Yugoslavia in
the global community. (Borba, June 21, 1996)
[05] THE DEMILITARIZATION OF EASTERN SLAVONIJA HAS BEEN COMPLETED
"The United Nations destroyed or deactivated all
remaining weaponry in Eastern Slavonia - the last Croatian
province held by the Serbs, honoring the deadline which
expired yesterday at noon" - said UN spokesman Mark
Makenwoy. The deadline referred to the demilitarization of
part of Serb-controlled Eastern Slavonija - comprising 4,4%
of Croatian territory and bordering with Serbia. According
to the agreement signed in November between the Zagreb
authorities and the local Serbs, this zone is to return
under Croatian administration during the two year UN
control period, and the demilitarization was part of the
agreement. Mr. Philip Arnold - spokesman of the UN
transitional administration in Eastern Slavonija stated
that all heavy weaponry will be turned over or destroyed
and all forces demobilized. (Politika, June 21, 1996)
[06] FRANCE INSISTS THAT THE "REPUBLIC OF HERZEG-BOSNIA" BE DISSOLVED
News agencies report that France invited Zagreb
yesterday to exert pressure on the Bosnian Croats and force
them to dissolve the "Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia" proclaimed
on June 15. French circles indicate that this act infringes
the Dayton Agreement. "We expect the Zagreb authorities to
act with determination and induce the Bosnian Croats to
reconsider their decision" - said the French Foreign
Ministry spokesman - Mr. Jacques Roumenar. The same
official told the reporters that the peace agreement signed
in Ohio "... recognizes the existence of three communities
in Bosnia and Herzegovina but envisages only two state
entities - the Republic of Srpska and the Moslem-Croatian
Federation." (Ekspres Politika, June 21, 1996)
[07] ETHNIC ROBBERIES CONTINUE
The Law on Zones of Special State Care has been passed
in Croatia. It defines the modalities for donating,
granting the use or selling away the land, houses or
apartments previously owned privately or socially by the
exiled Serbs. The law targets all Serbian settlements in
Croatia, and this move of the Croatian government can be
interpreted as one provoking a new war in the Balkans. The
law which inaugurates the general colonization of Serbian
property clearly specifies who can not settle in Serbian
Krayina. First of all the Serbs. In fact, the law indicates
that all the territories in question can not be settled by
persons that "took part or are still involved in activities
against the Republic of Croatia." This practically means
that none of the Serbs that defended themselves against the
Croatian aggression can return home. The criteria for the
settlers are also quite clear. Only a trusty Croat can
colonize the land. Priority is given to the families of the
Croatian soldiers killed in action, imprisoned or listed
missing. They are followed by soldiers that spent more than
three months in the army, persons involved in activities
related to reconstruction and development, political
prisoners during the socialist rule and similar
individuals. (Vecernje Novosti, June 21, 1996)
[08] THE REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA ASKED THE URGENT RELEASE OF PRISONERS
The Parliament of the Republic of Srpska asked the
urgent release of the remaining Serbian prisoners in
Croatian and Moslem jails stressing that "... it is
incredible that five months after the deadline set by the
Dayton Agreement, numerous Serbs are still held in prison."
Some of them were captured after the Agreement came into
force, such as the civilians in the town of Glamoc. The
Parliament statement also reminds that according to the
Dayton document the deadline for prisoner release was
January 19. "The National Parliament joins the demands of
the families of the prisoners and missing persons and
insists with he international community that this burning
issue be settled. The entire peace agreement might be
jeopardized because it will be difficult to control the
actions of the families and relatives of the missing
persons and prisoners." - reads the statement released by
the Parliament of the Republic of Srpska. (Vecernje
Novosti, June 21, 1996)
[09] POLITICAL MANIPULATIONS WITH REFUGEES
The Slovenian Government and the Moslem authorities in
Sarajevo did not reach an agreement on the repatriation of
Moslem refugees from Slovenia which was supposed to begin
on July 1st. The return of some 16.800 refugees (mostly
Moslems) to former Bosnia and Herzegovina has been
postponed on the request of the Moslem authorities. The
Sarajevo government asked that the refugees should remain
in Slovenia until some 270 million German marks from the
savings accounts of former Ljubljana Bank branches in
Bosnian territories now controlled by the Moslem-Croatian
federation are returned. The Slovenian Government has been
asked to return enormous sums (some 120 million marks are
allegedly involved) paid for arms (destined to
Izetbegovic's troops) which were never delivered by
Slovenia. The representatives of refugee organizations
indicate that the refuges are embittered by the political
manipulations from Sarajevo and Ljubljana, relying on the
tragedy of so many families to settle the accounts for
shady operations both sides were involved in. (Borba, June
21, 1996)
[10] SLOVENIA IS "IGNITING" KOSOVO AGAIN
Not unexpectedly, Slovenian politics has once more
turned its attention to Kosovo and Metohija and the
"problems of the ethnic Albanians" in this southern
province of Serbia. Two days ago the prime time evening
news program of the Slovenian national television was
dedicated to Kosovo, with the indicative title "Citizens of
Two States". A parade of well-known Albanian separatists
leaders, immoderate attacks against the Serbian political
leaders and the anticipation of a "breakthrough in Kosovo",
indicate that secessionist forces that operated in
previous Yugoslavia are still active, that the Slovenians
are continuing to "ignite" Kosovo and plan to "finish the
job" they started in the late eighties. Albanian separatist
leader Ibrahim Rugova even thanked the Slovenians for their
help and support over the years and added: "Kosovo has now
really become a republic and we expect Slovenian official
recognition." The Slovenian reporters gave a highly biased
representation of the situation in Kosovo, without any
effort to provide an objective analysis, and without hiding
the sympathy for "subjugated Albanian majority". (Vecernje
Novosti, June 21, 1996)
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