Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-10-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] CHIRAC PROMISES MILOSEVIC TO VISIT YUGOSLAVIA SOON

[02] BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA ACCEPTS YUGOSLAVIA'S STATE CONTINUITY

[03] MILOSEVIC: CRUCIAL STEP TOWARD FULL STABILITY IN THE REGION

[04] CHIRAC PLEASED WITH BELGRADE AND SARAJEVO NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS

[05] SLOVAKIAN PRESIDENT APPLAUDS LIFTING OF ANTI-YUGOSLAV SANCTIONS

[06] KONTIC SEEKS QUICKER REINTEGRATION OF YUGOSLAVIA INTO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

[07] SLOVAKIA PROMISES TO HELP YUGOSLAVIA RETURN TO WORLD

[08] YUGOSLAVIA AND SLOVAKIA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENTS

[09] YUGOSLAVIA AND SLOVAKIA DISCUSS ABOLISHING VISAS

[10] TANJUG AND TASR TO EXPAND COOPERATION

[11] INCREASE OF TRADE BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND BULGARIA

[12] YUGOSLAV AND BULGARIAN TRADE LINKS CONDUCIVE TO STABILITY IN BALKANS

[13] YUGOSLAVIA-CROATIA COMMISSION ENDS TWO-DAY WORK

[14] MANUEL - PRESS CONFERENCE

[15] AUSTRIA AND GERMANY HAIL LIFTING OF ANTI-YUGOSLAV SANCTIONS

[16] WORLD MEDIA SAY SERBIAN PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC PLAYS CRUCIAL ROLE

[17] BOSNIAN MUSLIMS UNLAWFULLY ENTERED SERB VILLAGE NEAR DOBOJ

[18] MUSLIMS AGREE TO LEAVE BOSNIAN SERB VILLAGE THEY STORMED IN SEPTEMBER

[01] CHIRAC PROMISES MILOSEVIC TO VISIT YUGOSLAVIA SOON

The cordial and open talks, conducted at the Elysee Palace, focused on the further development of Yugoslav-French relations and cooperation.

Milosevic and Chirac also discussed major current international issues, focusing on steps to be taken for strengthening peace and stability in the Balkans. Yugoslavia's and France's efforts and constructive approach have contributed greatly to the realization of this aim.

The two Presidents underscored mutual interest for the intensification of ties and cooperation in different spheres in which Yugoslav and French partners have so far achieved marked and mutually useful results. In this sense the two countries attach special importance to the expansion of mutual economic cooperation whose realization is based on numerous jointly prepared and coordinated projects and joint interests.

The Milosevic-Chirac talks were also attended by Yugoslav Vice-Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic, Federal Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic, Yugoslavia's Ambassador to Paris dr. Bogdan Trifunovic, and French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette.

[02] BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA ACCEPTS YUGOSLAVIA'S STATE CONTINUITY

The two Presidents are determined to make cooperation and progress prevail over confrontation and conflict. Yugoslavia will respect Bosnia's integrity in line with the Dayton Agreement which stipulates the continuity of different forms of Bosnia's statehood that its peoples had in their history, the Statement says.

In bilateral and international relations, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina will refrain from any political or legal acts detrimental to the development of friendly relations and cooperation.

The Joint Statement reads as follows (unauthorized translation):

1. Presidents Slobodan Milosevic and Alija Izetbegovic are firmly committed to peace and endeavour to achieve lasting stability in South-Eastern Europe and to ensure cooperation and equality of Nations and men.

2. They are determined to make cooperation and progress prevail over confrontation and conflict.

3. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina will resolve all mutual issues in a spirit of good will and understanding. In order to achieve and maintain an atmosphere of good will and understanding, they will refrain from any political or legal acts detrimental to the development of friendly relations and cooperation.

4. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will respect Bosnia-Herzegovina's integrity in line with the Dayton Agreement which stipulates the continuity of different forms of Bosnia-Herzegovina's statehood that its peoples had in their history. Bosnia-Herzegovina accepts the State continuity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Both sides agree to resolve succession issues on the basis of International Law provisions regarding succession of states, and by agreement.

5. Ensuring the pre-conditions for resolving all pending issues in a spirit of peace and cooperation, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina will establish Diplomatic Relations at the level of Ambassadors. They will enable their citizens to travel across the border without visas or any particular formalities. They will lift all restrictions on free trade and business activities on both sides. They will ensure reciprocally equal treatment for businessmen from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia- Herzegovina as regards the use of roads, railways and other transport infrastructures. They will encourage the development of long-term economic cooperation and provide special facilities for the opening of economic representations and other institutions contributing to the development of economic, cultural, scientific, technical and other forms of cooperation.

6. In order to realize the above commitments, the two sides will immediately initiate the preparation and conclusion of relevant Agreements.

7. The two Presidents express their gratitude to President Jacques Chirac for his hospitality and underline the importance of France's constructive role and contribution to the process of consolidating peace and stability in South-Eastern Europe.

Paris, October 3, 1996.

Slobodan Milosevic, Alija Izetbegovic.

[03] MILOSEVIC: CRUCIAL STEP TOWARD FULL STABILITY IN THE REGION

Milosevic said this at a Press Conference following the signing ceremony. The Conference was attended by French President Jacques Chirac.

'I would like to say that we have made a crucial step to full stabilization of the political situation in the Region. I firmly believe that we will succeed in doing what we have decided must be done and what is in the interest of all the citizens of Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, to leave the time of confrontation behind us and look ahead to peace and progress.'

Milosevic also expressed appreciation for Chirac's great contribution to the achievement of stability and peace in the Region.

[04] CHIRAC PLEASED WITH BELGRADE AND SARAJEVO NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS

Chirac said milosevic and Izetbegovic had come to France to begin cooperation. He said France wanted the integration of the former Yugoslavia into the International Community, and added that Milosevic and Izetbegovic were friends of France and the Presidents of States with which France had friendly relations.

Izetbegovic said he was pleased with the outcome of the Paris Summit and the Joint Statement.

Thanking President Chirac, Izetbegovic said he wished the Agreements to be implemented.

[05] SLOVAKIAN PRESIDENT APPLAUDS LIFTING OF ANTI-YUGOSLAV SANCTIONS

Addressing visiting Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, Kovac spoke about historically friendly relations between Slovakia and Yugoslavia, urging their further strengthening and diversification in all fields.

Kontic, speaking after his meeting with Kovac, described as very substantial and useful his talks with Kovac, Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and Parliament Deputy Speaker Ama Husak.

Kontic stressed that all his partners in talks had expressed a general readiness to develop all-round relations with Yugoslavia and a desire for peace and stability in the Region. He added that the leading Slovakian officials had shown an exceptionally great interest in the development of bilateral economic relations.

Kontic said that a number of concrete Agreements for promoting bilateral economic cooperation had been negotiated during the meetings. It was agreed at the same time, he added, to liberalise bilateral trade, set up a Free Trade Zone and considerably expand ties in finance, banking, agriculture and other fields.

The process of strengthening economic cooperation with Slovakia and other countries has received a new meaning with the lifting of the anti-Yugoslav sanctions, Kontic said. He said he was sure that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was now the most attractive area for potential foreign investors.

[06] KONTIC SEEKS QUICKER REINTEGRATION OF YUGOSLAVIA INTO INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Speaking at a joint News Conference with his Slovak counterpart Vladimir Meciar, Kontic stressed that this reintegration was the condition of the stability of peace not only in the territory of former Yugoslavia but also in the area of the Balkans.

In commenting on the U.N. Security Council's lifting the economic embargo against Yugoslavia, Kontic said there were no particular reasons why the F.R.Y. should still be held away from International organizations, institutions and forums.

Kontic acknowledged Slovakia for its principled and impartial stand throughout the crisis in the areas of former Yugoslavia as regards all participants in the conflict.

Appraising the significance of cooperation between Yugoslav and Slovak businessmen, Kontic said that the present meeting between Government Delegations and general managers of large-sized enterprises of the two countries should strongly accelerate and intensify mutual cooperation. Kontic assessed that Yugoslav-Slovak commodity trade could reach the 400 million dollars mark, or what it was before the sanctions were imposed on the F.R.Y. in May, 1992.

Among the indispensable conditions for the expansion of economic ties, Kontic said, there were the liberalization of foreign trade and customs regime, or the formation of tariff-free zones and the development of superior forms of long-term co-production.

The two Prime Ministers announced at the close of the News Conference that the two Governments' Expert Groups would step up their work on the further liberalization of the visas regime.

[07] SLOVAKIA PROMISES TO HELP YUGOSLAVIA RETURN TO WORLD

Meciar, at a joint News Conference together with visiting Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, promised all possible assistance by Slovakia for a quicker reintegration of the F.R.Y. into all international political, financial and other organizations and institutions.

Speaking about bilateral relations, Meciar spoke in terms of high praise for the help the F.R.Y. was continuously extending for the exercise of the Slovak national minority's rights in all domains.

Meciar said his talks with his Yugoslav counterpart were very open, friendly and aimed at finding consent on the expansion of overall political and economic ties and relations.

[08] YUGOSLAVIA AND SLOVAKIA SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENTS

Visiting Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic and his Slovakian counterpart Vladimir Meciar signed an Agreement on cultural cooperation.

The Yugoslav and Slovakian Ministers of Agriculture, Tihomir Vrebalov and Peter Baco, signed Agreements on plant protection and quarantine, and on cooperation in the veterinary field, as well as a separate document on Inter-Departmental cooperation.

Yugoslav Minister of Transport and Communications Zoran Vujovic and Slovakian Economy Minister Karol Cesnek signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement on cooperation in air traffic.

The two Governments exchanged Notes on facilities in the visa issuing procedure, and agreed to intensify talks on liberalising the visa regimen.

A News Conference was held after the signing of the Inter-State documents, at which the Prime Ministers said that the visit, the first official return visit by a Yugoslav Governmental Delegation, would greatly help promote historically friendly bilateral relations.

[09] YUGOSLAVIA AND SLOVAKIA DISCUSS ABOLISHING VISAS

Bulajic told reporters that the visa issuing procedure would be speeded up to facilitate travel from Yugoslavia to Slovakia and vice-versa.

He said Yugoslavia and Slovakia recognized the importance of 34 Accords signed by the former Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia that would be in effect, if necessary, until the conclusion of new Accords.

[10] TANJUG AND TASR TO EXPAND COOPERATION

Editors of the Yugoslav News Agency Tanjug arrived in Slovakia as part of a large delegation headed by Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic.

Tanjug and the Slovakian News Agency TASR agreed that there was great potential for them to cooperate within the framework of cooperation between the two national economies.

An expansion of Tanjug-TASR cooperation would give Yugoslav and Slovakian firms daily insight into the two countries' markets and legal regulations and help them promote trade and other more advanced forms of cooperation. These are joint ventures, concessions, bids for infrastructural projects and the like, in which businessmen in both countries are very much interested.

[11] INCREASE OF TRADE BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND BULGARIA

They made this statement after analyzing bilateral economic cooperation since the first Session of the Joint Commission in March 1996 in Sofia.

Konakciev, who is also Minister of Territorial Development and Construction, reiterated that his Government would continue supporting Yugoslavia's reintegration in all European and world institutions in the interest of all-round bilateral cooperation, Yugoslav Information Secretariat said in a statement.

The meeting demonstrated the closeness of views of the two countries on the positive development of economic cooperation and on the means of resolving some problems. By ratifying the Inter-State Trade Agreement, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria have granted to each other the most favoured nation status, the statement notes.

Particularly good prospects exist for intensifying cooperation in ferrous and non-ferrous metal industries, as well as in transports and the manufacture and trade in vehicles. The two countries also intend to intensify cooperation regarding the creation of Free Trade Zones, and expert-level talks on this are expected to start soon, it was noted during the meeting.

[12] YUGOSLAV AND BULGARIAN TRADE LINKS CONDUCIVE TO STABILITY IN BALKANS

A statement issued by the Serbian Information Ministry said Konakciev, Serbian Deputy Premier and Agriculture Minister Nedeljko Sipovac and Serbian Construction Minister Branislav Ivkovic agreed there was mutual interest in boosting bilateral ties.

Concrete aspects of cooperation were agreed upon in construction, physical planning and the industry, said the statement.

The two sides discussed measures to bolster joint appearance on world markets.

[13] YUGOSLAVIA-CROATIA COMMISSION ENDS TWO-DAY WORK

Following the meeting, the Secretary of the F.R.Y. Commission for humanitarian issues and missing persons Maksim Korac and President of the Commission of the Government of Croatia for the imprisoned and missing, Ivan Grujic, assessed that talks should be held as often as possible so as to achieve progress in finding missing persons.

The next meeting of the Commission will be held in about ten days.

The Croatian Delegation listed 52 incarcerated persons who were not on the list sought by the Yugoslav Commission and handed a list of 51 persons who perished in the war conflict, of which 25 have been identified, Korac said.

Pointing out that the talks were held in the spirit of the State Protocol on cooperation and exchange of all data about imprisoned, arrested, missing and killed persons in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, Grujic assessed that this was one of the most complex meetings, because it involved unidentified persons.

Grujic added that Croatia was ready to hand over to the F.R.Y. the file on unidentified and identified persons, and the F.R.Y. Commission is expected to do the same.

[14] MANUEL - PRESS CONFERENCE

Speaking at a press conference, Manuel welcomed the talks between Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency President Alija Izetbegovic in Paris.

She said special U.N. human rights rapporteur Elisabeth Rehn would visit the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on Saturday, October 5.

Speaking about the work of the Hague Tribunal Office in Belgrade, Manuel said the local authorities were providing great help regarding the establishment of contacts and communications. Quoting excepts from the latest report by former Hague Prosecutor Richard Goldstone, Manuel pointed out his assessment that Belgrade and Pale had improved cooperation with the Tribunal, while there was less cooperation with Croatia.

[15] AUSTRIA AND GERMANY HAIL LIFTING OF ANTI-YUGOSLAV SANCTIONS

Speaking after meeting with his German counterpart Klaus Kinkel in Vienna, Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel said that Austrian companies were very interested in appearing on the Federal Republic of Yugoslav's market.

Schuessel also said that Austria and Germany had strongly urged the lifting of the anti-Yugoslav sanctions, taking the view that the conditions set down in the Dayton Accords had been met and the U.N. - imposed embargo should therefore be formally lifted.

Klaus Kinkel, for his part, said he hoped that the mandate of the International Peace Force in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be extended beyond December 20. Kinkel added that one of the most important jobs at this time, apart from economic recovery, was to repatriate Bosnian refugees, 320,000 of whom had been accommodated in Germany.

[16] WORLD MEDIA SAY SERBIAN PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC PLAYS CRUCIAL ROLE

The Chinese Press on Thursday said that the lifting of the sanctions was a historic act for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which will be able to begin speeding up its economic recovery after four and a half years of embargo. In the first unofficial reactions, Chinese officials said that with its active peace policy, Yugoslavia had confirmed that it belonged in the United Nations and that there was no reason for its further keeping out of International organizations and financial institutions.

The Belgian french-language daily Le Soir said that Milosevic had greatly contributed to the final lifting of the U.N. embargo with his political moves.

Bulgarian media said that the lifting of the sanctions was a concrete contribution to the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement and peace not only in Bosnia-Herzegovina but also elsewhere in the Region. The Sofia daily Standart said that the lifting of the sanctions was good news not only for Belgrade, but also for Sofia, because it enabled the broadening of bilateral cooperation.

[17] BOSNIAN MUSLIMS UNLAWFULLY ENTERED SERB VILLAGE NEAR DOBOJ

This village is 7 km east of Doboj in Republika Srpska territory on the highway to Tuzla, in the border zone between Republika Srpska, the Serb Entity in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

'The entry of Muslims in Stanic Rijeka is yet another trick on Serbs, which is aimed at creating confusion in Republika Srpska and causing a conflict between the authorities and the population,' Paravac said.

He said they would 'officially protest to all those who allowed this impermissible behaviour of Muslims' on Friday, following an emergency Session of the Executive Board.

The Muslims took over several Serb houses in Stanic Rijeka and started repairs on them. Doboj officials said the Muslims 'occupied a part of Republika Srpska.'

[18] MUSLIMS AGREE TO LEAVE BOSNIAN SERB VILLAGE THEY STORMED IN SEPTEMBER

IFOR Spokesman Simon Haselock was quoted as saying that the Muslim refugees would leave behind in the village three representatives to liaise with IFOR, and that ten others would be authorised to make daily inspections.

Most of the about 300 Muslim refugees who stormed Jusici near Zvornik in the East of the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska moved out three days ago. About 60 hard-liners have remained, however, threatening to go on hunger strike and insisting that once they leave, they will not be allowed to return to the village again.

Agence France Presse quotes IFOR sources to the effect that the refugees are guaranteed the right to return under the Agreement, which is based on a proposal by the UNHCR. It gives the Muslims 72 hours to evacuate the village in order that the UNHCR could prepare everything for their legal return.

IFOR has branded the illegal entry by the Muslims, many of whom were armed, as a provocation, AFP says.

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