Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-08-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] KORNBLUM IN BELGRADE

[02] BULATOVIC: MOST PROBLEMS IN YUGOSLAVIA ARE RESOLVED

[03] SERBIAN GOVERNMENT WILL NOT PERMIT INFLATION

[04] YUGOSLAVIA - LATIN AMERICA

[05] UNITED NATIONS WELCOMES MILOSEVIC-TUDJMAN MEETING

[06] CHRISTOPHER - BALKANS

[07] KORNBLUM: DISBANDING OF HERCEG-BOSNA

[08] PLAVSIC MEETS REHN

[09] PLAVSIC MEETS WITH MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

[10] REHN: IRREGULARITIES IN REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

[11] BUHA - ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

[12] SOLANA SAYS PEACE PREVAILS IN BOSNIA

[13] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PROTESTS TO GENERAL KISZLEY

[14] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA - INTERNATIONAL POLICE FORCE

[15] ELIZABETH REHN CRITICIZES CROATIA

[01] KORNBLUM IN BELGRADE

After meeting Milosevic, Kornblum also met Friday the Acting Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic and R.S. Parliament Speaker Momcilo Krajisnik. Kornblum told the Press following the talks that although progress had been achieved in implementing the Dayton Agreement, the necessary level of cooperation was not reached yet. Old problems such as freedom of movement and assembly are still being discussed, he said.

The Commander of NATO Forces in Europe General George Joulwan had warned that IFOR would strongly react to any military violation of the Agreement, Kornblum said. All parties to the Dayton Agreement must fully comply with its provisions, Kornblum said and demanded full cooperation in organizing the forthcoming elections.

[02] BULATOVIC: MOST PROBLEMS IN YUGOSLAVIA ARE RESOLVED

Bulatovic made this statement at a reception given on the occasion of the 13th Traditional Meeting of Montenegrin Emigrants. During their stay in Montenegro, the emigrants will witness its endeavours to achieve closer international ties, Bulatovic said.

Montenegro has experienced a difficult period of democratic coming of age which caused a high degree of political differences, but tensions have now been surmounted, the President said. According to Bulatovic, civil peace and international tolerance now prevail in the country.

Bulatovic expressed hope that the forthcoming elections in Montenegro scheduled for November 3. would contribute to a peaceful and democratic atmosphere as regards overall political, social and economic situation.

[03] SERBIAN GOVERNMENT WILL NOT PERMIT INFLATION

Speaking to the local Radio Station in the Central Serbian town of Kragujevac, Tomic denied announcements by certain opposition leaders that there would be a major wave of inflation in September and October. 'All actions taken by the Republican Government lead to the securing of full stability of the Market and National Currency,' he said.

Tomic said Yugoslavia's exports in June increased by 17% against the same month last year, and in July by 47%, and that they were 7.3% higher in the first seven months than in the corresponding period last year. He said he was certain exports would increase by 50% in the last quarter, primarily on the basis of barter arrangements with Russia and China. 'We also have numerous other arrangements which are in the offing and which will be realized by the end of the year,' tomic said.

'Perhaps the outer wall of sanctions will not be removed entirely by the end of the year, but there is already certain progress in the negotiations and in defreezing Yugoslav funds in foreign banks,' Tomic said, adding that the influx of foreign capital in the first seven months this year had been over 300 million Deutsche Marks.

[04] YUGOSLAVIA - LATIN AMERICA

Views were exchanged on the current international situation, with focus on Latin America and South-Eastern Europe.

The Ecuadorian and Bolivian Ministers showed special interest in Belgrade's activities in the resolution of the crisis in the former Yugoslavia.

Special attention was devoted to the promotion of the bilateral relations through the strengthening of political dialogue and the development of economic cooperation. It was agreed in the talks that bilateral agreements should be reviewed as soon as possible and new agreements signed on the Avoidance of Dual Taxation and on the Protection of Investments.

AFTER MILOSEVIC-TUDJMAN TALKS IN ATHENS

[05] UNITED NATIONS WELCOMES MILOSEVIC-TUDJMAN MEETING

U.N. Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's official Spokesperson Sylvana Foa said the Agreements between Presidents Milosevic and Tudjman on future steps to promote and normalize relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia were a step in the right direction toward the establishment of lasting peace and stability in the Region.

Speaking to a correspondent of the Greek News Agency ANA at the World Organization Headquarters in New York, Foa also said the Secretary-General welcomed the Athens Agreements on the promotion and normalization of relations between Yugoslavia and Croatia.

The evident publicity given in Athens to statements made by officials of international organizations and politicians on the Milosevic-Tudjman meeting, and the positive evaluations of this meeting, testify without a doubt to the satisfaction of the Greek side with its success.

Official Athens said the promotion of relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia made room for the stabilization of the situation in the entire Region, since Yugoslav-Croatian relations were the key factor in strengthening peace and creating a climate of confidence in the Balkans.

CHRISTOPHER'S EUROPEAN TOUR

[06] CHRISTOPHER - BALKANS

The State Department said Sunday evening that Christopher would first visit Brussels to meet NATO representatives, and then Geneva where he will meet Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Bosnian Muslim Leader Alija Izetbegovic. He will then go to Sarajevo to discuss elections and reconstruction projects for Bosnia.

The reason for Christopher's tour are reports on frequent attempts by the principal political parties of the three Bosnian ethnic communities to manipulate the voters before the September 14 elections.

Christopher will focus his endeavours on three goals - the freedom of movement, the freedom of the Press and cooperation with the International War Crimes Tribunal, the State Department said. In Geneva, Christopher will mainly discuss with Milosevic, Tudjman and Izetbegovic the ways and means of ensuring free and fair first post-war elections in Bosnia.

BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA

[07] KORNBLUM: DISBANDING OF HERCEG-BOSNA

Croatian Radio quoted Kornblum as saying after meeting with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on the Brioni Islands that the Summit was to reiterate the U.S. support to the elections in Bosnia and the subsequent setting up of authorities, according to Agency France-Presse.

The Geneva meeting will be attended by Presidents Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Franjo Tudjman of Croatia and Bosnian Muslim Leader Alija Izetbegovic. It will be hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher.

[08] PLAVSIC MEETS REHN

Plavsic said after the talk that she had informed Rehn that a democratic election campaign was under way in the Serb entity, with all political parties having equal access to the Media.

Plavsic drew attention to the fact that the captured Serb soldiers and civilians were due to be released by Jan. 19 under the Dayton Peace Accords but that 'hardly anything has been done.' 'This humanitarian issue has become a political one and it seriously impedes the implementation of the Dayton Agreement,' Plavsic said.

She told Rehn that she had raised the issue in a talk with U.N. envoy John Kornblum in Belgrade on Friday and stressed that it was necessary to understand that the issue needed to be given absolute priority.

In a talk on the role of the Media in the upcoming elections, Rehn told the Press that, instead of improving, the state of Human Rights had retrograded in some parts of Bosnia. She listed continued plundering, physical maltreatment, the blackmailing of voters and violations of the freedom of movement.

[09] PLAVSIC MEETS WITH MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES

Plavsic said Media had an important role in Republika Srpska, as they should help that the elections set for Sept. 14 pass in a democratic and peaceful atmosphere.

Commenting on objections from the opposition and international representatives that R.S. Media were biased in favour of the governing Serb Democratic Party, she said 'there has been no discrimination'.

[10] REHN: IRREGULARITIES IN REGISTRATION OF VOTERS

Rehn told the Press in Sarajevo that she had presented to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) evidence on the attempts of dominant political parties of all three sides in Bosnia (Serb, Croat and Muslim) to manipulate the voters. Some acts of pressure during registration were a specific form of ethnic cleansing, Rehn said and added that voters were threatened with loss of humanitarian aid unless they register according to instructions by local power holders.

Enough time remains to resolve this problem, Rehn said, and advised voters who believe they were registered on wrong lists to request re-registration.

Rehn requested that the police investigate all reported cases of pressure, harassment or irregularities during registration.

[11] BUHA - ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

Buha made this statement after meeting the U.S. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Elizabeth Rehn, and expressed hope that incidents would be avoided as peace must not be jeopardized.

Buha said he was happy to meet Rehn who has from the very beginning adopted an unbiased attitude towards all parties to the Bosnian conflict - Serbs, Croats, Muslims - which is a rare quality among international community representatives.

Rehn said she had discussed with Buha several issues regarding elections and added she thought it was very important to enable people to fulfil their democratic duty of voting at September elections. She added she had also discussed war crimes with Buha.

There is enough time to enable all people to take part in elections, Rehn said and added that although negative developments might occur, the civilian police would be there to resolve problems.

[12] SOLANA SAYS PEACE PREVAILS IN BOSNIA

He told Le Monde that the NATO Forces had been highly successful in implementing military provisions of the Dayton Accords, and observed that their Mandate would end late this year.

Solana said the NATO Forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina had been given a special task and were to prevent the creation of an 'inter-state border' within Bosnia-Herzegovina, i.e. the division of the sovereign Republic, as he said it was defined under the Dayton Agreement.

The NATO Secretary-General said the NATO-led Implementation Force (IFOR) would continue its extensive activities in the reconstruction of Bosnia and in the humanitarian domain. He specified that IFOR was to enable the reopening of airports in Sarajevo, Mostar and Banja Luka.

Solana observed that IFOR's chief immediate task was to guarantee the September general elections in Bosnia.

[13] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PROTESTS TO GENERAL KISZLEY

In a letter to IFOR Sector East Commander British General John Kiszley, Bulajic said that Commission members were deeply upset by the behaviour of IFOR troops in Mliniste, R.S. territory. IFOR troops in two military vehicles blocked a road and prevented the Commission team from continuing on its way, he wrote.

Bulajic underlined that this was the first time that the Commission's humanitarian activity was prevented by IFOR and that he was sure this was done without the General's knowledge or orders.

[14] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA - INTERNATIONAL POLICE FORCE

Kijac, who discussed preparations for the upcoming elections with Fitzgerald, informed the latter that Sekula Mandic and Cedo Vukadin were abducted a month and a half ago on a Muslim-controlled section of the Lukavica-Trnovo road. The Minister drew attention to a growing number of incidents on the boundary line in Sarajevo.

It was established in the talk that the Serb police was professionally performing its duties but it was necessary to take measures to eliminate excesses and improve the security situation in Republika Srpska.

Minister Kijac said after the meeting that activities to ensure successful and democratic elections had been agreed.

Fitzgerald observed that the success of the elections was in the common interest. He said joint Working Groups would be formed out of members of the International Police Force and the Police Forces of Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation to facilitate the resolution of problems in the field.

CROATIA - SERBS

[15] ELIZABETH REHN CRITICIZES CROATIA

Rehn said Sunday in Zagreb she was not satisfied with the attitude of Croatian Authorities towards the problem and demanded that Croatia undertake all measures to put an end to murders, looting, harassment and discrimination of Serbs.

Three Serbs were killed recently when their homes were bombed, and a couple were seriously injured in a similar explosion in their home, Rehn said. The situation in the devastated and depopulated territory that Croatian Army occupied last year is not encouraging, Rehn told the Press in the Croatian Capital following her nine-day tour of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The looting of Serb property continues although on a slightly lesser scale than until recently, Rehn said and added that it was very difficult to even locate any serbs in the areas where such incidents occur. The remaining Serbs live in fear and the police does nothing to protect them, Rehn said. Reconstruction is proceeding at an unequal rate. In some villages, power has been reconnected to all Croatian homes, but not to any of those owned by Serbs, Rehn added.

Serbs also have problems with Croatian Authorities as regards the issuing of Identity Papers. Even non-governmental Human Rights Organizations are the targets of attacks in Croatia, Rehn said and added that a bomb had destroyed the office of one such organization recently.

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