Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-02-07

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory

From: ddc@nyquist.bellcore.com (D.D. Chukurov)

7 February 1996

CONTENTS

[A] FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

[01] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH ANNAN

[02] YUGOSLAVIA WILL EXERT UTMOST EFFORTS FOR IMPLEMENTING PEACE ACCORDS

[03] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER CONFERS WITH HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT IN DAVOS

[04] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART

[B] YUGOSLAVIA - BULGARIA

[05] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES YUGOSLAV MINISTER

[06] BULGARIA, YUGOSLAVIA ARE FACTORS OF BALKAN STABILITY, MINISTERS SAY

[C] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

[07] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA GOVERMENT BREAKS OFF ALL CONTACTS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERATION IN BOSNIA

[08] REHN MEETS WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

[D] I F O R

[09] IFOR GENERAL ON ARREST OF COMMANDERS OF BOSNIAN SERB ARMY

[E] FROM FOREIGN PRESS

[10] LE MONDE: SERB MINORITY NO LONGER EXISTS IN CROATIA

[A] FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

[01] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH ANNAN

Kontic said it would be dangerous if Croatia tried to resolve the question of this region using force, since there were constantly such threats from Zagreb. Kontic said the demilitarization of this region was not possible until the peace agreement signed between Croatia and the local Serbs in the autumn of 1995 was implemented in full. He said Croatia's efforts to infiltrate the regional organs of authority were dangerous, since this would cause apprehension among Serbs and possibly a new exodus.

Kontic spoke about the problem of the Prevlaka peninsula between Croatia and Yugoslavia. He said Croatia had reneged on the agreement signed in Dayton on a triple exhange of territories which would have resolved this issue. This is the reason why mutual recognitons of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia have not taken place yet, Kontic said.

Annan expressed full understanding for Yugoslavia's stands and said he shared Yugoslavia's concern regarding these issues. He said he was also at this time against the demilitarization of the Srem-Baranja Region, and added that the United Nations had been relieved when a resolution on the extension of the mandate of UN observers in Prevlaka had been passed.

Annan informed Kontic that the operation to settle the problem of Prevlaka would be coordinated from his office and that a UN liason officer would soon be appointed in Belgrade.

He spoke about the situation in Sarajevo, which he described as dangerous. Conditions will be created for Serbs to remain in Sarajevo, and to secure their personal and material safety, he said.

Annan said a general amnesty was necessary for all those who had taken part in the war, but committed no war crimes, so that people could remain in their homes.

[02] YUGOSLAVIA WILL EXERT UTMOST EFFORTS FOR IMPLEMENTING PEACE ACCORDS

Yugoslavia expects all involved parties and the international community to adopt a similar attitude, Kontic told the World Economic Forum at a session focusing on the future of the Balkans.

Kontic said Yugoslavia wanted to develop good neighborly relations and multilateral cooperation with all Balkan countries, adding that the normalization of relations among former Yugoslav reepublics was politically and economically crucial for the region's stability.

Expressing support for the idea 'the Balkans for the Balkan peoples', Kontic said Yugoslavia believed integration was the key to Balkan prosperity. This, he said, could take the form of a customs union at first, which could later be expanded to create a common Balkan market.

Referring to losses suffered by Yugoslavia due to three and a half years of economic sanctions, he said direct losses amounted to 50 billion dollars and indirect losses to 150 billion.

During the period under sanctions, the per capita social product fell from 2,500 to about 1,400 dollars, Kontic said, pointing out that Yugoslavia's economy was lagging behind technically and technologically, that its competitiveness was reduced and that it was epxeriencing growing social and health sector problems. Yugoslavia is building a market economy and has achieved significant results despite the cited limitations, he said.

Pointing out that Yugoslavia is an integral part of the Balkans and Europe, Kontic said the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the region would not be possible without Yugoslavia's full commitment and contribution. To this end, sanctions must be lifted and Yugoslavia must be reintegrated in world and European organizations and institutions, Kontic underlined.

[03] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER CONFERS WITH HUNGARIAN PRESIDENT IN DAVOS

Kontic underscored that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was determined and resolved that Serbs must remain in Sarajevo, and that international forces should secure guarantees for their personal safety and that of their property.

In the talks of the two statesmen satisfaction was expressed with the realization of the Dayton accords, especially its military component. Kontic urged the comprehensivce development of cooperation between Hungary and Yugoslavia.

Goenz urged intensive economic, political, and all other forms of cooperation between the two countries and promised Hungary's support in the normalization of relations and Yugoslavia's reintegration into world organizations and institutions.

[04] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART

Kontic said Belgrade counted on Bulgaria's support in the process of Yugoslavia's full reintegration into the international community.

Videnov said Sofia was interested in joint projects with Yugoslavia in the areas of telecommunication and power industry.

[B] YUGOSLAVIA - BULGARIA

[05] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES YUGOSLAV MINISTER

Bulatovic acquainted president Zhelev with the implementation of the Dayton agreement in Bosnia and Herzegovina and with the peace policy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

[06] BULGARIA, YUGOSLAVIA ARE FACTORS OF BALKAN STABILITY, MINISTERS SAY

The two ministers agreed that it was necessary to upgrade good-neighborly relations in the region as a prerequisite for stable peace in the Balkans. Pavlov and Bulatovic agreed that relations between the two countries and the two armies should be further promoted.

[C] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

[07] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA GOVERMENT BREAKS OFF ALL CONTACTS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF FEDERATION IN BOSNIA

The Government banned until further notice also the crossings of all Serb representatives into the Muslim part of Sarajevo, the Srna news agency reported.

The Government announcement said that the representatives of IFOR and the Muslim-Croat Federation had turned a deaf ear to the Republika Srpska representatives' warninigs about the Muslim authorities' unfair conduct. The announcement pointed out that the latest incident of arresting Serb officers was the most drastic example of violating the peace agreement.

The announcement specified that a group of Serbs, comprising Gen. Djordje Djukic, Col. Aleksa Krsmanovic and their driver, were arrested while on the way to negotiations with IFOR representatives at Ilidza, in the area of Sarajevo. The announcement said that 'for the further implementation of the peace agreement, and since security is not guaranteed for Serb representatives in the Muslim part of Sarajevo, the Government holds that an extra-territorial space should be found for future meetings.'

[08] REHN MEETS WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

Koljevic said it was necessary to be objective and warned that accusations of Serb politicians created the impression that the other side was innocent. Koljevic pointed out that he had confidence in Rehn's objectivity and that he hoped all sides would cooperate with her.

Rehn said she felt she was able to continue her work and believed she was welcome. She said she had been instructed by the UN Security Council to go to Srebrenica and that the Serb authorities had enabled her to visit this eastern Bosnian town.

[D] I F O R

[09] IFOR GENERAL ON ARREST OF COMMANDERS OF BOSNIAN SERB ARMY

Cumming said that it was not known that Djukic was on any of the international lists of war crime suspects, Reuters reported. The agency also said that the arrested Serb officers were not on the Hague tribunal's list of suspected war criminals.

[E] FROM FOREIGN PRESS

[10] LE MONDE: SERB MINORITY NO LONGER EXISTS IN CROATIA

Le Monde reports about the brutal conduct of Croatian millitants towards the Serb population and quotes Milorad Pupovac, a university professor and a deputy in the Croatian Parliament, as saying that 'the authorities no longer want Serbs in Croatia.'

Le Monde recalls that the Republic of Serb Krajina, prior to the Croatian Army occupation last year, had spread on almost one-fourth of Croatian territory and that for the past four hundred years the Serbs had been in the majority in Serb Krajina.

'In this region, which covers an area equal to one-half of Belgium, today there remain only 10,000 Serbs due to their mass exodus caused by the Croatian military operation codenamed storm,' Le Monde said. The paper said that the Croatian branch of the Helsinki Human Rights Committee claims that Croatia is preventing the return of the Serb refugees. The Committee said that so far it has received about 20,000Serb requests for returning home, and that the Croatian authorities have positivelly vetted 1,841 requests.

'The Serbs cannot return to Croatia,' Le Monde quotes Committee Director Petar Mrkalj and concludes that 'Tudjman's regime will do evrything to prevent the revival of the strong Serb minority in Croatia.'