Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-02-23

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

23 February 1996

CONTENTS

[A] FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

[01] YUGOSLAVIA EXPECTS COOPERATION WITH EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

[02] EU CUSTOMS FACILITIES AFTER FORMAL RECOGNITION OF FRY

[03] YUGOSLAVIA AND FRANCE TO EXCHANGE AMBASSADORS

[04] FRANCE VALUES TRADITIONAL FRIENDSHIP WITH YUGOSLAVIA, SAYS AMBASSADOR

[05] EUROPEAN CHURCHES END ECUMENICAL RECONCILIATION DIALOGUE

[B] BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA

[06] R.S. ARMY RESUMES COOPERATION WITH IFOR

[07] FRANCE WELCOMES NORMALIZATION OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA-IFOR RELATIONS

[08] SERB REFUGEES FROM SARAJEVO SEEK SHELTER

[09] BOSNIAN SERB GENERAL'S COUNSEL BLASTS THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL

[10] BOSNIA ELECTION BOARD MEETS IN SARAJEVO

[C] CROATIA - SERB REFUGEES

[11] BOUTROS-GHALI: CROATIA IS PREVENTING RETURN OF SERB REFUGEES

[12] U.S. AMBASSADOR: CROATIA SLOW IN REVIEWING SERB REQUESTS FOR RETURN TO KRAJINA

[A] FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

[01] YUGOSLAVIA EXPECTS COOPERATION WITH EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Milutinovic and the delegation, staying in Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Federal Parliament, discussed also the need to renew cooperation between Yugoslavia and the E.U.

The implementation of the Bosnian peace agreement and the active role and contribution of Yugoslavia to the process were also examined at the talks.

[02] EU CUSTOMS FACILITIES AFTER FORMAL RECOGNITION OF FRY

Roberts stressed the determination of the international community to implement fully the agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina and not to allow war to break out again. He added that the military part of the agreement was implemented according to schedule, but that there was still a lot of work to be done on the issue of return of refugees, arms control, upcoming elections and the reconstruction of the country.

Roberts stressed that committed crimes should not be forgotten, but that the tendency should be towards reconciliation and in that context he pointed to the example of Germany and France.

Roberts said that in his view there are three indispensable conditions for reconciliation: good will, impartiality and measures of encouragment. He stressed that the building of peace required courage, flexibility and concessions from all the leaderships in the former Yugoslavia.

Roberts said that a way must be found for reconstructing the respective economies and political cooperation between the states of the former Yugoslavia and their closest neighbours, because that is the only way they can count on E.U. membership.

The British diplomat exressed support to the Yugoslav programme of economic recovery and stressed that its success will allow the F.R.Y. access to European markets and to international capital.

Roberts emphasized the importance of respect of human rights and that the international community does not support any demands for secession from Serbia, or the F.R.Y.

[03] YUGOSLAVIA AND FRANCE TO EXCHANGE AMBASSADORS

Yugoslavia and France have approved the appointment of the new Ambassadors.

[04] FRANCE VALUES TRADITIONAL FRIENDSHIP WITH YUGOSLAVIA, SAYS AMBASSADOR

Keller, former Charge d'affaires of the French Embassy in Belgrade, said that France would continue to cooperate with the Yugoslav Federation on reconciliation among former Yugoslav republics and their mutual recognition. He said that France would help Yugoslavia resume its place in the international community - in the U.N., financial and other international organizations, and especially European organizations.

The reintegration will be made easier and quicker through Yugoslavia's efforts to build a modern state in line with European norms on human and minority rights, and to modernize and liberalize the economy, Keller said.

[05] EUROPEAN CHURCHES END ECUMENICAL RECONCILIATION DIALOGUE

Dean of the Belgrade Theological College Pribislav Simic said that the ecumenical dialogue was important for peace in former Yugoslavia.

Serbian Bishop Irinej of Backa said that, in line with its mission, the Serbian Orthodox Church had been trying since the outbreak of the conflict in former Yugoslavia to put a s to destruction, war and crime. Bishop Irinej thanked the European Conference of Churches for its initiative to mobilise all religious communities in former Yugoslavia on restoring peace in the Balkans. He added that the Belgrade dialogue had paved the way for an ecumenical conference that should be held in Graz, Austria.

Stockholm Lutheran Church representative Henrik Svenungsson said that not all the participants in the dialogue had had the same interpretation of events that had taken place in the region of former Yugoslavia. Svenungsson, a member of the European Conference of Churches Central Board, said that reconciliation was a long process, every step of which, including this dialogue, was of enormous importance.

The Geneva-based organiser explained that it had been agreed unanimously that the dialogue be held behind closed doors, in order for the participants to be able to work in peace and quiet. Commissions of the Serbian Orthodox Church Council and the Conference of Croatia's Roman Catholic bishops will meet at St.Gallen, Switzerland, it was announced at the news conference.

[B] BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA

[06] R.S. ARMY RESUMES COOPERATION WITH IFOR

The R.S. Parliament decided Wednesday to restore full cooperation with international community representatives in line with the Dayton agreement and with the results of the Rome summit on the implementation of that agreement.

Cooperation between R.S. army and IFOR was suspended due to the arrest of two R.S. Army officers by Muslims on January 30 and their subsequent extradition to the Hague International Tribunal for War Crimes in former Yugoslavia.

[07] FRANCE WELCOMES NORMALIZATION OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA-IFOR RELATIONS

[08] SERB REFUGEES FROM SARAJEVO SEEK SHELTER

According to figures provided by a housing commission, 150 out of 320 families of Republika Srpska Army members killed in combat were provided with accommodation in Bratunac by Thursday. Ten crowded buses left Hadzici for Bratunac Wednesday night, although even those Serb refugees who arrived in Bratunac five days ago have not yet found shelter, Mrkajic said. Another 7,000 refugees from Hadzici are expected in Bratunac shortly, although there is room for 3,000 only.

The president of Srebrenica municipality (eastern Bosnia) Milenko Canic told Tanjug Thursday that preparations were underway in the town to accommodate a part of the population of the Sarajevo district of Ilias.

[09] BOSNIAN SERB GENERAL'S COUNSEL BLASTS THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL

On his return to Belgrade from the Hague, Fila told reporters that the Tribunal had issued no document pertaining to the arrest of the two Bosnian Serb officers, who he said had in fact been kidnaped. Fila said that the Hague International Tribunal for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia had offered as a possible solution that the officers be returned to the place of arrest where, Fila said, they would be killed by the Muslims.

Fila said that the hands of the Defence Counsel were tied and that the Hague Tribunal was fast showing its true colours, becoming the place for squaring accounts with Serb leaders.

[10] BOSNIA ELECTION BOARD MEETS IN SARAJEVO

[C] CROATIA - SERB REFUGEES

[11] BOUTROS-GHALI: CROATIA IS PREVENTING RETURN OF SERB REFUGEES

The Security Council Thursday resumed its debate on violations of human rights of Serbs in Croatia and the hindering of the repatriation of Serb refugees.

Boutros-Ghali's report says that the situation in Croatia had improved somewhat but was still desperate. There is no longer any mass torching of houses, looting or killing of Serbs in the Republic of Serb Krajina (R.S.K.), but individual crimes still occur, the report says. This is probably due to the fact that few Serbs remain there, the report says, noting that only 9,770 Serbs had stayed in R.S.K. following Croatia's aggression, but that their life there is very difficult.

Boutros-Ghali recalls in his report that U.N. had requested several times that the expelled Serbs be allowed to return to their homes, but that Croatia had taken a negative attitude to the request and used administrative measures to obstruct the repatriation of Serb refugees in Krajina.

Of the 200,000 Serbs who fled Croatia and found shelter in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 14,000 have asked to return to their homes. Croatian authorities however say there were only 5,000 such requests and that 1,840 Serbs were authorized to return. The UNHCR says that only 200 Serbs have returned to Krajina so far.

[12] U.S. AMBASSADOR: CROATIA SLOW IN REVIEWING SERB REQUESTS FOR RETURN TO KRAJINA

Galbraith reiterated the U.S. stand that all people who had a right to Croatian citizenship could return to their homes and live in them in complete safety. He said Croatia had received about 20,000 requests to return so far. He said that he believed Croatia was still a multi-ethnic country.