|
|
|
Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-05-23
CONTENTS
[01] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES KORNBLUM
[02] YUGOSLAVIA WANTS TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
[03] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ENDEAVORS TO EXPLAIN CONDITIONS FOR NORMALIZING STATUS IN IMF
[04] GREEK, SERBIAN PREMIERS SATISFIED WITH BILATERAL COOPERATION
[05] CROATIA'S AMNESTY FOR SERBS BADLY FLAWED
[01] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES KORNBLUM
B e l g r a d e, May 22 (Tanjug) - President of the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia Slobodan
Milosevic had a talk in Belgrade on Wednesday with Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for European Affairs
John Kornblum about the efforts being invested by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the
international community for the purpose of successful implementation of the Bosnia peace plan.
The activities so far were noted at the talk to ensure a positive flow of preparations for the
upcoming elections which would secure the establishment of democratic institutions.
Milosevic and Kornblum assessed that the steps of particular importance were those made towards
ensuring the full freedom of movement for the citizens in the Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Expectations were presented that, as part of the indispensable preparations for elections, the
procedure of appointing election commissions in all municipalities would be completed, and of this matter -
according to information by top representatives of the Republika Srpska - the OSCE mission would be
officially advised at the soonest.
Also necessary was to speed up the process of economic reconstruction of the areas where the civil
war had been waged, and, an equal treatment of both entities should be expressed in this process.
The regular political dialogue between the Yugoslavia and the United States of America extends an
undoubted contribution to the improving of the two countries' bilateral relations, the full normalization of
which should be effected to the interests of the strengthening of peace and stability in the region and the
equality in international relations, it was emphasized at the talk.
Addressing a brief press conference after the meeting with Milosevic, Kornblum said that he
supported the recent changes in the Republika Srpska leadership and that consistent implementation of the
Dayton agreement should continue.
The Republika Srpska may expect benefits like the others if it continues to consistently implement
the peace plan, Kornblum said.
YUGOSLAVIA - FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
[02] YUGOSLAVIA WANTS TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
B e l g r a d e, May 22 (Tanjug) - The Yugoslav Government wants to normalize relations with
international financial institutions as soon as possible but insists that economic and financial issues be
separated from the political. The stand was presented at a session of the Government Commission which
monitors the working groups of the peace implementation council. The session was chaired by Federal
Prime Minister Radoje Kontic.
The Commission proposed a series of foreign policy and other activities to be undertaken by the
Government in order to continue the talks on resolving Yugoslavia's relations with the International
Monetary Fund.
The Commission heard a report of the Yugoslav delegation to the session of the working group for
humanitarian issues held in Geneva. The session had taken note of Yugoslavia's great contribution to the
establishment of peace and of its aid to large numbers of refugees from the war-torn areas of the former
Yugoslavia.
The Commission upheld the platform for regulating relations with the Social Development Fund
of the Council of Europe and noted that great interest in resuming cooperation was expressed during the
talks that Yugoslav delegation had in Strasbourg.
The commission also heard a report of the Yugoslav delegation to the talks with representatives of
the working group for succession
issues held in Brussels. The Commission pointed to the similarity of views of the Yugoslav delegation and
the group as regards resolving the issues of economic effects of secession of former Yugoslav republics, i.e.
just division of property of the former federation, which must not be linked with the issues of political and
legal continuity.
[03] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ENDEAVORS TO EXPLAIN CONDITIONS FOR NORMALIZING STATUS IN IMF
B e l g r a d e, May 22 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Government is endeavouring to explain its conditions
for normalizing its status in the International Monetary Fund by exchanging letters with that financial
institution, the head of the team in charge of preparing bilateral talks Oskar Kovac said.
The Government advocates a solution whereby Yugoslavia's membership would be considered
uninterrupted since December 1945, when it was one of IMF founders, Kovac told Radio Yugoslavia.
Talks with the Fund should focus on economic aspects of membership, as the issue of Yugoslavia's
continuity is not under IMF but under U.N. jurisdiction, Kovac said.
Kovac explained that resolving Yugoslavia's status in the IMF would automatically resolve its
status in the World Bank, from which Yugoslavia expects loans for projects and credits for structural
adjustment of its economy and banking system.
A materialization of relations with IMF will serve as a basis for negotiations with creditors on
Yugoslavia's foreign debt, he said.
YUGOSLAVIA - GREECE
[04] GREEK, SERBIAN PREMIERS SATISFIED WITH BILATERAL COOPERATION
A t h e n s, May 22 (Tanjug) - Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic and his Greek counterpart
Kostas Simitis said Wednesday they were satisfied with bilateral cooperation and that there were good
prospects for further promoting it.
After talks, the two Premiers told reporters that they agreed on many political issues which they
had tackled.
Speaking about the good relations between Greece and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and
Serbia, Simitis voiced hope that bilateral political and economic relations would be speedily intensified and
help make the Balkans a zone of friendship and cooperation.
We agreed that Yugoslavia and Greece and our peoples are traditional friends and that it is possible
to upgrade cooperation in all spheres, Marjanovic said. We will do our utmost to expand and upgrade our
relations because our interests are compatible, Marjanovic added.
Special attention in the Athens talks was devoted to the promotion of economic cooperation. The
two sides said the first steps had been taken in that direction and the value of the bilateral trade for the first
quarter of this year had stood at double that for the same period of 1995.
Both sides assessed that talks should resume on the use of the Greek Salonika port by Yugoslav
businesspeople and on the transit of greek trucks across Yugoslavia.
They said there was no reason why agreements on the respective issues should not be reached as
soon as possible.
CROATIA - SERBS
[05] CROATIA'S AMNESTY FOR SERBS BADLY FLAWED
B e l g r a d e, May 22 (Tanjug) - Croatia's new amnesty law for Serbs is badly flawed, complicates
the U.N. mission and has dismayed senior officials of the U.N. Transitional Administration for Eastern
Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem, Reuters reports Wednesday quoting unnamed U.N. sources.
'It's not really an amnesty, it's a hunting license that can spell disaster later,' a U.N. official said.
'UNTAES from top to bottom is dissatisfied and disappointed with this law,' the official said,
adding that 'the law leaves ambiguous the fate of all the Serbs who fled other parts of Croatia'.
'Croats who would like to reduce ethnic minorities to a bare minimum are not unhappy with this
amnesty law,' another U.N. official said, adding that the law 'fails to address fundamental, legitimate
concerns of Serbs who are not guilty of anything'.
The law 'may encourage anxious Serbs in Eastern Slavonia to flee when our mandate is over. This
would defeat our purpose - to restore a multi-ethnic society here', he said.
'We hope for some diplomatic pressure on Croatia to improve the law,' he added.
|
