Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-05-09

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory

From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

CONTENTS

[01] YELTSIN'S MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC

The meeting backed Yugoslavia's efforts to help normalise conditions and relations among the Balkan states and peoples, these being crucial for peace and stability in the region, the presidential office said in a statement.

Milosevic and Ivanov said intensive cooperation among a large number of Yugoslav and Russian partners was a significant contribution to and a model of the development of international relations based on an equal footing. In this connection, they described as vital links between and interdependence of the two countries' economies which they said realised their common interests through numerous projects in nearly all economic spheres, the statement said.

Ivanov presented to Serbian President a message from Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Following a meeting with Milosevic, Ivanov said the message expressed Russia's readiness to develop political, economic, cultural, scientific and other relations with Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

It also confirms Russia's readiness to pursue its active role in resolving the crisis in former Yugoslavia and in implementing the peace accords for Bosnia-Herzegovina, he said.

Ivanov's talk with Milosevic focused on bilateral issues which will be on the agenda of talks during the forthcoming visit of Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov to Yugoslavia at the end of May.

It also focused on economic issues and Yugoslavia's international position, Ivanov said, noting that Russia advocates Yugoslavia's reintegration in United Nations and other international institutions.

[02] MILUTINOVIC, BLEWITT DISCUSS OPENING OF THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL'S OFFICE

Views were exchanged also on topical issues of Yugoslavia's cooperation with the International Tribunal for War Crimes on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, the Foreign Ministry said.

[03] U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR FULL COOPERATION WITH TRIBUNAL

In a statement adopted late Wednesday, the Security Council said full cooperation with the Hague-based Tribunal was an essential aspect of the Dayton peace accords for Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The statement pointed out lack of cooperation with the Tribunal by Yugoslavia, saying Belgrade had failed to issue arrest warrants against three men indicted by the court.

Responding to the statement, head of the Yugoslav Mission to the United Nations Vladislav Jovanovic informed Security Council President Kin Huasan that Yugoslavia cooperated with the Tribunal and that there were no serious problems, especially of political nature.

Yugoslavia's cooperation with the Tribunal will soon result in the opening of the court's office in Belgrade, Jovanovic said in his letter to the Security Council President.

Yugoslavia's position has always been that war criminals and all persons who have violated international humanitarian law should be tried regardless of their nationality, he said.

He said Yugoslavia had handed over to the Tribunal, at its request, witnesses Drazen Erdemovic and Radoslav Kremenovic who had already been indicted by the Yugoslav court and the latter for concealing war crimes.

[04] POLAND TO SEND AMBASSADOR TO YUGOSLAVIA

After meeting with Zih, Yugoslav Parliament Lower House Speaker Radoman Bozovic, who heads the Yugoslav delegation, said it was vital that the two countries restore cooperation to the level achieved before the imposition of the U.N. Security Council on Yugoslavia in May 1992.

The Yugoslav delegation met also with members of the Polish Parliament Foreign Relations Commission who demonstrated high interest in the situation in the former Yugoslavia.

Bozovic stressed Yugoslavia's consistent policy of peace, saying the country fully backed the implementation of peace accords for Bosnia-Herzegovina struck in Dayton.

The Polish Prime Minister has informed Bozovic that Poland was raising diplomatic relations with Yugoslavia to the ambassadorial level. Prime Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz expressed Poland's interest in the full restoration of links with Yugoslavia, especially in the economic sphere.

Cimoszewicz agreed with Bozovic that Yugoslavia's reintegration into all international political and economic bodies would help stabilize the situation in the region.

[05] RS AND MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION OFFICIALS DISCUSS COOPERATION

Standardization are necessary in the sphere of mutual financial obligations and privatization, Kasagic said after a meeting with Federation Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic in Banjaluka.

Kasagic said that agreement had been reached to avoid imposing fiscal burdens on each other.

After the meeting, Kasagic said that Republika Srpska's priority was both to reopen roads through Croatia and the Bosnian Federation.

[06] MOSLEM TERRORISTS KILL FOUR SERB CIVILIANS

A Moslem terrorist group infiltrated the Republika Srpska on May 2, capturing and taking away Serbs Nikola Modrakovic, Zarko Vulic, Djordje Petrovic and Momcilo Ristanovic. After a five-day investigation the police found the bodies as well as large quantities of explosive material 30 km away from Milici.