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Serbia Today 96-09-12
Serbia Today
12 September 1996
CONTENTS
[01] EXPANSION OF PRODUCTION FOR A RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY
[02] THE SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVED CARL BILDT
[03] SANCTIONS AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA WILL BE ABOLISHED
[04] BELGRADE ONLY INSISTS THAT THE ERDUT AGREEMENT BE COHERENTLY IMPLEMENTED
[05] CONTRACTS FOR THE DELIVERY OF YUGOSLAV GOODS HAVE BEN SIGNED
[06] THE CZECH CHAMBER OF ECONOMY IN BELGRADE
[07] ABDIC ACCUSED IZETBEGOVIC BEFORE THE HAGUE
[08] FIRST DIRECTS SERBIAN-CROATIAN TALKS IN VUKOVAR
[09] SPECIAL BULLETIN SUPPLEMENT:"FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION SET BY DAYTON" - THE NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIDS
[01] EXPANSION OF PRODUCTION FOR A RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUNTRY
In view of the 130 anniversary of the Toza Markovic construction
material company from Kikinda - Serbian President Slobodan
Milosevic received yesterday a delegation of this successful
company headed by the General Manager Dmitar Segrt. The delegation
informed the President about the results achieved by the firm - one
of the biggest European producers in this sector - and about the
rather ambitious development plans that will be initiated with the
opening of a new production plant. Congratulating his guests on the
jubilee, President Milosevic said that our construction industry
enjoys a major reputation in the world an particularly stressed the
importance of the expansion of production for the renewal and
development of our country, which will also promote the increase
of living standard.
(Politika, September 12, 1996)
[02] THE SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVED CARL BILDT
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic received yesterday the High
representative of the international community - Mr. Carl Bildt, and
his assistants. The talks were centered on the issues regarding the
forthcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the future
steps to be taken by political factors for the coherent and
successful realization of the Dayton Agreement. Hope has been
expressed that the articles of the Agreement will be fully
respected in future, and that all sides involved will carried out
as the best incentive for the strengthening of peace, stability and
the general consolidation of political circumstances in the Balkan
region.
(Politika, September 12, 1996)
[03] SANCTIONS AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA WILL BE ABOLISHED
US Deputy Secretary of State John Cornbloom - President
Clinton's Peace Envoy for the Balkans - said yesterday that the
economic sanctions against Yugoslavia will be abolished - in
accordance with the Dayton Agreement - ten days after the elections
in Bosnia. At a press conference he also remarked that this might
be jeopardized only if the legitimacy of the elections is
challenged, which is quite improbable. Mr. Cornbloom reminded that
the abolition of sanctions against Yugoslavia is regulated by a
special UN Security Council, adopted a day after the signing of the
Dayton Agreement. This document specifies that the economic embargo
will be definitively and formally lifted ten days after the
elections in Bosnia.
The postponement of local elections in B&H will not affect the
abolition of sanctions against FR Yugoslavia ten days after the
general elections - said yesterday the international community High
Official for Bosnia - Mr. Carl Bildt. "UN Security Council
Resolution No. 1022, talks about the first free elections, so that
the fact that the local election have been postponed will in no way
affect the lifting of the sanctions ten days after the elections",
stressed Mr. Bildt at the press conference held in Belgrade.
(Politika, September 12, 1996)
[04] BELGRADE ONLY INSISTS THAT THE ERDUT AGREEMENT BE COHERENTLY IMPLEMENTED
In view of the establishment of diplomatic relations between FR
Yugoslavia and Croatia, an interview with the head of the Yugoslav
Bureau in Zagreb - Mr. Veljko Knezevic has been published by the
Osijek daily "Glas Slavonije". "The Yugoslav public judged
positively the agreement on the normalization of relations. The
people are eager for peace and security so that they might turn to
the improvement of their life, work, economic development and the
struggle for the increase of overall living standard." - said Mr.
Knezevic. Asked to comment the position of official Belgrade
concerning the course of the peaceful reintegration of Croatian
territories in the Danube basin, Mr. Knezevic said: "The
contribution given by the Yugoslav side is well known - from the
concept to the final formulation of the Erdut Agreement. Belgrade
expects nothing more than the realization of the contents and the
spirit of this document. This means that all controversies are to
be settled through dialogue, patiently and with tolerance."
Responding to the question on the legal importance of the mutual
recognition of continuity and statehood, Mr. Knezevic remarked:
"Yugoslavia has enjoys the full right of state-legal continuity.
There are no controversies. In the succession procedure, Yugoslavia
will not ask for anything that might place the other parties in an
inferior position."
(Politika, September 12, 1996)
[05] CONTRACTS FOR THE DELIVERY OF YUGOSLAV GOODS HAVE BEN SIGNED
Contracts with various Yugoslav metal industry firms have been
signed yesterday in Belgrade - defining the export of Yugoslav
products to China. These contracts - worth some 75 million dollars
- signed by "Sartid 1913", "Zmaj", "Viskoza" and "Ivo Lola Ribar",
are part of the major exports arrangements for 330 million dollars.
This arrangement based on the trade agreement between "Jugopetrol"
and the Chinese oil corporation "Cinechem" from Beijing, envisages
the import of two million tons of crude oil. Quite soon, contracts
with a group of companies headed by IMT from Belgrade and with
"Sever" from Subotica will be signed. "This export arrangement
greatly strengthened our trade with China, and next year it will
be increased further", said Mr. Dragan Tomic - Member of the
Serbian cabinet. According to Mr. Needle Sipovac - Serbian Deputy
Prime Minister - the importance of these arrangements lies in the
fact that the Yugoslav market needs for crude oil will be ensured.
The imported oil allowed the renewal of production of the Yugoslav
refineries. Thanks to this important barter arrangement - our
companies have gained access to this great and interesting market.
(Borba, September 12, 1996)
[06] THE CZECH CHAMBER OF ECONOMY IN BELGRADE
The Chamber of Economy of the Czech Republic will soon open its
office in Belgrade, in order to endorse the trade with FR
Yugoslavia - the Czech daily "Pravo" announced. The office will be
opened in accordance with the arrangement made with the Yugoslav
Chamber of Trade and Industry, and has the prime objective to
inform the Czech businessmen on the Yugoslav business environment
and to be involved in the exchange of commercial and technical
information. After the suspension of the sanctions numerous Czech
companies re-opened their representative offices in Belgrade.
Former Yugoslavia and former Czechoslovakia had an annual trade
volume of 1,5 billion dollars, and were each others third and
fourth foreign business partner, respectively.
(Borba, September 12, 1996)
[07] ABDIC ACCUSED IZETBEGOVIC BEFORE THE HAGUE
Fikret Abdic - leader of the Moslems from the Cazin region - and
presidential candidate at the elections in Bosnia - stated
yesterday in Zagreb that he will bring charges against Alija
Izebegovic for crimes of war. "I have firm evidence to corroborate
the charges. I will prove that he provoked the inter-Moslem clashes
in 1993-1994 in the zone of Bihac, and I have all material evidence
to do it." " - said Abdic, without specifying the nature of the
evidence against Izetbegovic in his possession.
(Politika, September 12, 1996)
[08] FIRST DIRECTS SERBIAN-CROATIAN TALKS IN VUKOVAR
"I think that dialogue is the most important thing and we
managed to promote it today, because the people on both sides
deserve that their representatives do all they can to to enhance
the process. Today, the Croatian side submitted the new draft law
on amnesty, that will hopefully be wide enough and solve the
concerns that trouble most of the people in the area", said
yesterday in Vukovar the transitional UN Administrator - General
Jacques Cline - after the meeting between the delegations of the
Croatian Parliament and the Assembly of the Serbian Region of
Eastern Slavonija, Baranja and Western Srem. This was the first
meeting of the representatives of the highest representative bodies
of the Serbian Region and the Republic of Croatia. "The process of
integration of our region should run during the transitional period
and general Cline's administration" stressed the Chairman of the
Regional Government - Dr. Vojislav Stanimirovic - and appealed to
the population to understand that this process will take place in
the months to come. By the end of the UNTAES we have to finish all
the work, so that the survival of our people in this territory
might be ensured - concluded Dr. Stanimirovic.
(Vecernje Novosti, September 12, 1996)
[09] SPECIAL BULLETIN SUPPLEMENT:"FOLLOWING THE DIRECTION SET BY DAYTON" - THE NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIDS
The renewed contacts between Slovenia and FR Yugoslavia will
most certainly rely on economic cooperation to clear the way for
political cooperation. It is also evident that Slovenia will be the
last of the former federation members that Yugoslavia will
normalize relations with. One of the indicators of the Slovenian
interests to normalize relations as soon as possible, are the
frequent statements made by the leading Slovenian political figures
endorsing the renewed contacts with FR Yugoslavia. These statements
are marked by optimism ("normalization is just a question of time")
and are accompanied by a visible media campaign on economic
interests Slovenia has in the Yugoslav market. Public demands to
the effect that Slovenia should leave behind its specific
isolationism are being heard. Such demands and the statements made
by Slovenian politicians are linked to the changes in the mood and
political stands of the Slovenians. A recent survey revealed that
most of the Slovenians believe that among the former Yugoslav
states, FR Yugoslavia is the most favorable long-term ally for
Slovenia. However, the survey results have also a social
background. In fact, some 150.000 Slovenians are now without steady
employment, and about 30% of the people of this former Yugoslav
republic is socially jeopardized. After the Slovenian secession in
1991, and the subsequent termination of trade and political
relations with FR Yugoslavia the industrial workers were the ones
that suffered the most. The Slovenian industrial sector now employs
about 230.000 workers, and before the secession they were 40% more.
This prompts frequent demands of the Slovenian businessmen that the
economic strategy of turning to western markets only be abandoned
and that the former Yugoslav markets that were lost in the past
several years (1991-1995) should be "attacked" again as well as the
eastern Europe markets. This is supposed to incite not only the
industrial production rate and the employment of Slovenian workers,
but also promote general economic growth which is strongly affected
by the lasting recession in the western countries - especially
Austria and Germany, with which Slovenia made most o the trade
since 1991. Obviously, pragmatic interests and probably external
pressure, induced Slovenia to try to change its course and
attempting to transform its role of isolated and passive observer -
that often turned into the role of cynical critic of the bloody
events in former Yugoslavia that it contributed to - with different
more realistic stands.
However, the sincerity of these changes can be doubted, since
Slovenia continues to pursue its anti-Yugoslav stands in all
international forums, especially regarding the distribution of
property of former socialist Yugoslavia. Only the final settlement
of this issue will help improve the relations and allow their true
normalization.
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