Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-08-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] KONTIC: RUSSIA HAS PLAYED CRUCIAL ROLE IN RESOLUTION OF BALKAN CRISIS

[02] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION AT TALKS ON MISSING PERSONS IN SARAJEVO

[03] BELGRADE-SOFIA OPTIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE

[04] CONTACT GROUP FOR BOSNIA ENDS WORK

[05] SOLANA AND JOULWAN IN SARAJEVO

[06] SOLANA SAYS IN PALE MAJOR PROBLEM RESOLVED

[07] IFOR WILL REOPEN ITS OFFICE IN PALE

[08] GANIC ASKS NATO TO SECURE RETURN OF REFUGEES

[09] IFOR TROOPS PLACED ON HEIGHTENED ALERT

[10] NEW CROAT - MUSLIM DISAGREEMENTS BREAK OUT IN MOSTAR

[11] CROATIA AGREES TO THREE-MONTH EXTENSION OF UNTAES MANDATE

[12] REHN: SITUATION CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS DETERIORATES

[01] KONTIC: RUSSIA HAS PLAYED CRUCIAL ROLE IN RESOLUTION OF BALKAN CRISIS

The Yugoslav Prime Minister informed the Russian War Veterans about Yugoslavia's activities for the normalization of its relations with the former Yugoslav republics, a Government statement said.

[02] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION AT TALKS ON MISSING PERSONS IN SARAJEVO

The Working Group for Missing Persons was set up under the Dayton Accords for Bosnia-Herzegovina.

It is the first time that representatives of the Belgrade-based Association of Missing Persons, POWS and Prisoners in Bosnia-Herzegovina will participate in a meeting in Sarajevo, a statement released by the Government Commission said.

[03] BELGRADE-SOFIA OPTIC TELECOMMUNICATIONS CABLE

Kontic and Videnov will use the occasion to exchange views on the promotion of all-round Yugoslav-Bulgarian cooperation, a Yugoslav Government statement said Monday.

The statement said the Optic Cable was part of the communications linking the Far and Middle East with Central and Western Europe and North America. Yugoslavia and Bulgaria will constitute an important international telecommunications transit area, the statement said.

[04] CONTACT GROUP FOR BOSNIA ENDS WORK

High Representative of the International Community for Civilian Affairs in Bosnia Carl Bildt, who also attended the meeting, told the British news agency Reuter that they had considered the growing tensions in Bosnia, but that no special concern was expressed as heightened tensions ahead of elections were expected. Preparations for the Bosnia elections are proceeding very well according to Bildt and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission Chief Robert Frowick, who also attended the Brussels meeting.

Bildt said the post-elections framework had also been considered. These arrangements include relations with home and international institutions in order to secure the fragile peace regardless of the outcome of the elections. Bildt said it had been easy going for now in comparison with what would happen after the elections.

In addition to Bildt and Frowick, the meeting was attended also by U.S. envoy for former Yugoslavia John Kornblum.

The issue of the NATO-led multi-national Peace Implementation Force (IFOR) was not considered, Bildt said, adding that he was among those who believed a much reduced Security Force would still be necessary in Bosnia after the IFOR Mandate expired in December, but that any such decision would be made after the elections.

[05] SOLANA AND JOULWAN IN SARAJEVO

Solana and Joulwan conferred Monday morning with International Community's Deputy High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina Michael Steiner and representatives of the Muslim-Croat Federation.

The two NATO officials are scheduled to meet with Head of the OSCE Mission Robert Frowick and Implementation Force (IFOR) Commander, Admiral Joseph Lopez.

[06] SOLANA SAYS IN PALE MAJOR PROBLEM RESOLVED

Solana said the upcoming elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina were the most important at this point and expressed hope that the utmost would be done and everyone would be able to vote in the place of his or her choice. He urged the population in Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation to turn to the future after the elections.

Acting Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic said after the talks with Solana, NATO Commander Gen. George Joulwan and IFOR Commander Joseph Lopez that when problems were approached the right way they stood a good chance of being solved.

Plavsic said views on violations of the Dayton Accords had been adjusted in the meeting.

[07] IFOR WILL REOPEN ITS OFFICE IN PALE

Political adviser to IFOR Commander Peter Feith said after the meeting with Republika Srpska representatives that the Serb side had agreed to the inspection of an Arms Storage site near Han Pijesak, Northeast of Sarajevo. Feith said the reached agreement was a step forward in relations between Republika Srpska and IFOR and noted that IFOR would inspect the Arms Storage near Han Pijesak within 48 hours.

Plavsic expressed satisfaction with the reached agreement and reiterated that Republika Srpska was ready fully to implement the Dayton Accords.

[08] GANIC ASKS NATO TO SECURE RETURN OF REFUGEES

Ganic said he had given the statement today because they needed NATO's help and would sign any plan proposed by NATO.

Solana presented Ganic's statement to reporters as a very important announcement. He said he hoped it would indeed be respected since it had been given in public.

[09] IFOR TROOPS PLACED ON HEIGHTENED ALERT

An Associated Press (AP) news agency report from Sarajevo quoted the official who was speaking on condition of anonymity as saying the alert level had been raised late last week, when U.S. soldiers had stepped up control along roads throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The threat appeared to pertain to troops stationed in territory controlled by Muslims.

Maj. Brett Boudreau, a Spokesman for the NATO-led force, said: 'We had a reason to believe that there may be elements who potentially have made threats against IFOR.' Boudreau described the current state of alert as 'medium,' which obliges all soldiers not to travel alone and to wear flak jackets and helmets all the time.

Gen. Michael Walker, Commander of the NATO Ground Peace Force on Monday afternoon initiated a 'global security plan' to protect all IFOR troops in Bosnia.

[10] NEW CROAT - MUSLIM DISAGREEMENTS BREAK OUT IN MOSTAR

Muslim Radio Sarajevo and Croatian Radio said the two sides could not agree on who was to convene the first Session of the unified City Council, when the Session was to be held and what was to be its agenda.

[11] CROATIA AGREES TO THREE-MONTH EXTENSION OF UNTAES MANDATE

Tudjman, who met with Klein on the Islands of Brioni, said Croatia was ready to agree that the UNTAES Mandate be extended until April 15. next year.

[12] REHN: SITUATION CONCERNING HUMAN RIGHTS DETERIORATES

She had toured several regions in Bosnia and she said there was very little freedom of movement or freedom of press throughout the country and that conditions for the elections were far from perfect.

Regarding Croatia, she expressed concern for the Serbs in Krajina who did not flee before the onslaught of Croatian forces last summer. She said they now lived in fear as their houses had been marked.

Rehn expressed particular concern for children born in Krajina under Croatian rule, who were practically living without an identity. They simply do not exist officially, and so have no right even to Health Care, Rehn said.

Rehn insisted that much more should be done regarding the problem of missing persons. She said she would soon ask Croatia to provide a list of mass graves in its territory.

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