Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-10-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] GUINEA EXPRESSES APPRECIATION TO FRY FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO PEACE

[02] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT ENDS AFRICAN TOUR

[03] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT LILIC ARRIVES IN ATHENS

[04] YUGOSLAV-ROMANIAN COMMISSION FOR LOCAL BORDER TRAFFIC HOLDS TALKS

[05] FULL STATUS OF YUGOSLAVIA

[06] GOOD YUGOSLAV-TURKISH RELATIONS VITAL FOR STABILITY IN REGION

[07] YUGOSLAV-TURKISH COOPERATION HELPS PEACE IN THE BALKANS

[08] TALKS ON COOPERATION BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND TURKEY

[09] FINAL TALKS ON AVOIDING DOUBLE TAXATION

[10] ITALIAN AMBASSADOR SAYS KOSOVO-METOHIJA IS INALIENABLE PART OF SERBIA

[11] KRAJISNIK SIGNS PLEDGE TO HONOUR UNION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

[12] MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA POSTPONED AGAIN

[13] CROATIAN PRESIDENT SAYS UNITARY BOSNIA IS UNACCEPTABLE

[14] CROATIAN AUTHORITIES SEND AMNESTIED SERBS BACK TO JAIL

[01] GUINEA EXPRESSES APPRECIATION TO FRY FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO PEACE

This came in a Joint Statement on the official and friendly visit of the FRY President to that West-African Country, that was signed at the end of the visit by Zoran Lilic and his host, Guinean President Lansana Conte.

The FRY President expressed gratitude to the Guinean Government which, the statement said, adopted a consistent position during the crisis in the former Yugoslavia and kept open its diplomatic representation in Belgrade.

The Guinean President pointed to the need for the FRY's active participation, on an equal-footing, in the Non-aligned Movement, the UN and other bodies of the International Community.

The two Presidents underscored the importance of pursuing efforts for strengthening peace and stability, and the need to raise more money for the reconstruction of all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment of both Entities.

Lilic and Conte expressed satisfaction with the results of talks of the two Ministerial Delegations, and with the meetings of businessmen of the two countries.

The Heads of State of the two countries pointed to the importance of the signed Accord on avoiding double taxation and the mutual protection of investments and of all other Accords signed so far on bilateral cooperation.

Presidents Lilic and Conte expressed satisfaction with the continuous efforts for the emancipation of the peoples of Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America and expressed their readiness to support the Non-aligned Movement, and the desire that it becomes a privileged framework for South-South cooperation.

The two Presidents agreed to support all the initiatives of the International Community whose objective is resolves disputes in the world, and pointed especially to the efforts made to restore peace in Liberia and to the importance of Presidential elections in Sierra Leone.

The Presidents of Guinea and of the FRY said they were satisfied with the progress made in the implementation of existing Accords on cooperation between the two countries.

President Lilic invited President Conte to visit the FRY, and the invitation was accepted.

[02] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT ENDS AFRICAN TOUR

Lilic was speaking at a news conference prior to leaving for Athens, Greece, at the close of a week-long tour of Africa, in the course of which he had visited Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ghana and Guinea.

He said the Yugoslav Delegation had come to visit friends who had a balanced approach to the crisis in former Yugoslavia and had appreciated what Yugoslavia had done at the time when the foundations of the Non-aligned Movement, the UN and the OSCE were being laid.

He said that the African tour had taken place after the UN had lifted its sanctions against the FRY and after the country's policy and contribution to peace in the Balkans had received affirmation. He said he felt that this was a victory, too, for the policy pursued by Guinea towards the crisis in former Yugoslavia.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia wants to have good relations with all Islamic countries, even with those that have harmed it and have been less than benevolent to it, Lilic said. He added he had asked President Lansana Conte, as chairman of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), to convey this position to the OIC member states.

Lilic specified that the Muslims in the FRY enjoyed the same civil rights as all others.

[03] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT LILIC ARRIVES IN ATHENS

Lilic and Simitis are expected to discuss the future development of bilateral relations.

Greek Government Spokesman Dimitris Repas told a news conference late on Tuesday that the meeting would be an opportunity to discuss further promotion of Yugoslav-Greek relations.

The meeting between Lilic and Simitis is seen in Greek political circles as a resumption of high-level dialogue between two nations linked by ties of friendship, understanding and deep mutual respect.

[04] YUGOSLAV-ROMANIAN COMMISSION FOR LOCAL BORDER TRAFFIC HOLDS TALKS

The Commission agreed that the relevant bodies hold talks on updating the existing and reaching new agreement on improving the traffic of people over the common border. The meeting stressed the need to intensify talks between relevant Romanian and Yugoslav bodies on the modernisation, re-categorisation and opening of new border crossings.

The meeting stated that the passenger traffic on border crossings developed in keeping with the relevant bilateral Agreement, international conventions and standards, and that border authorities had encountered no serious problems or had left any issues unsolved.

The two countries' Delegations to the Commission signed a document on future cooperation and activities on promoting relations in the domain.

[05] FULL STATUS OF YUGOSLAVIA

The fact that Yugoslavia is on the list of countries signatories of the Pact on Human Rights in obligation to submit regular reports, is further evidence that the right of the FRY to continuity with the former SFRY is no longer called into question in that specialized UN body, and in several other ones. This is also evidence that the FRY is again treated as part of the UN system, with all its rights and obligations.

All other states that emerged in the territory of the former SFRY are listed by the Committee in session as new members and have the obligation to submit reports.

[06] GOOD YUGOSLAV-TURKISH RELATIONS VITAL FOR STABILITY IN REGION

Gurkan heads a Turkish multi-party parliamentary delegation visiting Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Yugoslav Parliament.

Bozovic told the Turkish parliamentarians that he hoped that their visit, first in the past five years, would contribute to the strengthening of parliamentary cooperation and better understanding between the two countries, the Yugoslav Parliament Press Section said.

The visit points to the Balkan states' need to solve all issues through understanding, tolerance and dialogue, through the respect of each country's territorial integrity and sovereignty and non-interference in their internal affairs.

Bozovic said Yugoslavia and Turkey could become a major factor of stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina that had been the scene of brutal civil war. In this connection, he said, the two countries should jointly help restore confidence to the former Yugoslavia, especially to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Yugoslavia, Turkey and other countries in the Region should strive to become civil democratic states, this being the best defence against nationalism, hatred and intolerance, he said.

The resumption of parliamentary and overall political and economic relations between Yugoslavia and Turkey opens prospects for a broader economic cooperation, trade, joint investments and scientific, technical and cultural cooperation, he said.

Gurkan said he was confident the visit marked the beginning of the restoration of inter-state relations to the level of before 1991.

He said it was Turkey's and Yugoslavia's obligation to help preserve peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina and implement the Dayton Peace Accords, praising the Yugoslav foreign policy and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic.

The Turkish delegation met also with Deputy Speaker of the Yugoslav Parliament Upper House Radmilo Bogdanovic.

Bogdanovic and the parliamentarians said the visit was a step ahead in restoring the two countries' relations to the level of before the outbreak of the crisis in the former Yugoslavia, helping create an atmosphere of understanding, good cooperation and better understanding. They said it was vital to speedily create conditions for abolishing visas and establishing communications, especially road communications.

Bogdanovic said economic and stable political cooperation between Turkey and Yugoslavia based on the principles of equality, respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs contributed to the two countries' economic development, which he said was vital for stability, peace and prosperity in the Region.

He said Yugoslavia wanted to normalise and promote relations and cooperation with Turkey, and said he expected the Delegation's visit to lead to the strengthening of parliamentary cooperation as well as to the opening of new prospects for the promotion of bilateral relations, primarily in the sphere of trade, transport, tourism, construction and metal-processing industries, and in other spheres.

Gurkan said he was content with the Delegation's visit to Yugoslavia, praising the country's policy in restoring peace to Bosnia-Herzegovina and reaching the Dayton Peace Accords. He said Turkey firmly believed that the provisions of the Dayton Agreement would be implemented through Yugoslavia's major role in efforts to this end.

Gurkan said cooperation between the two nations was crucial for stability in the Region and Europe.

[07] YUGOSLAV-TURKISH COOPERATION HELPS PEACE IN THE BALKANS

Welcoming Turkey's willingness to normalize relations with the FRY, Zebic said that the geographic position of the two countries referred them to such action, and that mutual relations have to be based on mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, the Secretariat for Information said.

Pointing out that the two Balkan countries with close ties should help create a free regional market, Zebic informed the guest about basic aspects of liberalization of Yugoslav economic relations with foreign countries, and with concrete solutions that should help increase the inflow of foreign capital and joint investments in the Yugoslav economy.

The statement said that representatives of major Turkish parliamentary parties said they were satisfied with the lifting of sanctions against the FRY and that the orientation of their country was to help the return of Yugoslavia into the International Community and on the world market.

Turkey is interested in renewing good economic relations that existed between the two countries in the past, the Turkish parliamentarians said, and especially in improving that cooperation. Turkey is very interested is avoiding double taxation, protection of investments and lifting of visas, the parliamentarians said. They also said it was in the joint interest of the two countries to establish transportation and telecommunication links.

Turkish parliamentarians showed an interest to learn about details of Yugoslav foreign capital investment and insurance regulations, as well as the privatization of the state-owned sector. They expressed an interest not only for bilateral cooperation but also for joint appearance on third markets, the statement said.

[08] TALKS ON COOPERATION BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND TURKEY

They discussed the normalization of relations and the development of cooperation between Yugoslavia and Turkey and developments in the Balkans and Europe.

[09] FINAL TALKS ON AVOIDING DOUBLE TAXATION

Talks were concluded successfully and the text of the Agreement was coordinated. Yugoslav Deputy Minister for Finances and head of the Yugoslav Delegation Miodrag Bulajic initialled the text of the Agreement and signed the Protocol of the talks.

The Agreement will help promote economic-financial relations by providing mutual tax relief for residents (physical and legal) of both of the FRY and of Slovakia.

[10] ITALIAN AMBASSADOR SAYS KOSOVO-METOHIJA IS INALIENABLE PART OF SERBIA

Bascone was speaking in Pristina at a meeting with Head of the Kosovo District Aleksa Jokic, his Deputy Milos Nesovic and Provincial Information Secretary Milos Drobnjak, the Kosovo and Metohija Information Secretariat said in a statement.

All forms of terrorism have to be condemned and their perpetrators found and punished in keeping with the law, it was said.

The education agreement signed by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Ibrahim Rugova in September was supported in the talks and expectation expressed that the 3+3 Group would efficiently resolve controversial issues regarding the Albanian-language studies within the unified educational system.

[11] KRAJISNIK SIGNS PLEDGE TO HONOUR UNION OF BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

The signing ceremony at the Presidency's Session in Sarajevo was attended by numerous diplomats, including special U.S. Presidential envoy John Kornblum, according to news agency reports.

According to a statement from the Office of the International Community's Bosnia envoy Carl Bildt, the oath signed by Krajisnik is the same as that signed by his Muslim and Croat colleagues on the Presidency, Alija Izetbegovic and Kresimir Zubak, during the Inaugural Session of the Presidency three weeks ago, which Krajisnik did not attend.

The Tuesday Session of the Presidency began somewhat was held behind closed doors, in central Sarajevo's National Museum building. After nearly four hours of talks, the Presidency announced it would meet again on Friday in the Serb part of the city, and then next week again in central Sarajevo.

[12] MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA POSTPONED AGAIN

OSCE envoy Robert Frowick is quoted by news agencies as saying in Sarajevo on Tuesday that the Election Commission 'decided today to postpone the exceptionally complex elections' because of 'continuing political problems in Municipalities across Bosnia-Herzegovina.'

Speaking at a news conference, Frowick said that 'as Chairman of the Commission, I would urge that these critically important elections take place as soon as possible in 1997.'

[13] CROATIAN PRESIDENT SAYS UNITARY BOSNIA IS UNACCEPTABLE

In an interview for Croatian reporters, shown on state television late on Tuesday, Tudjman said that Croatia was being subjected to strong outside pressure, especially from the European Union, to submit to regional association in former Yugoslavia and the Balkans.

U.S. circles, too, have plans for an integration of Southeast European states, Tudjman said, adding that such integrations were unacceptable to Croatia.

He said that Zagreb could not agree to an extension of the mandate of the U.N. Transitional Authority (UNTAES) in the region of East Slavonia, Baranya and West Srem. He added that Croatia could take power in the region in April 1997, alleging that the region's U.N. Administrator Jacques Klein had promised this.

[14] CROATIAN AUTHORITIES SEND AMNESTIED SERBS BACK TO JAIL

The protest said that, after the October 5. Law on Amnesty, Croatia retained a number of Serbs in jail. Indictments against these Serbs were renewed and their acts were re-qualified into acts to which the Amnesty does not apply. The factual descriptions of the acts, however, remained the same. In this way, the protest said, this has violated one of the fundamental legal rules practised by all democratic states, that one may not be tried twice for one and the same act.

The protest presented a list of the names of 16 Serbs amnestied and then re-indicted and sent to jail again in the Croatian towns of Karlovac, Sisak, Gospic and Zadar.

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