Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-11-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] SERBIAN SUPREME COURT DENIES OPPOSITION REQUESTS

[02] BELGRADE ELECTORAL COMMISSION REBUKES OPPOSITION

[03] MILUTINOVIC: COOPERATION WITH E.U. IS YUGOSLAVIA'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY

[04] MILUTINOVIC MEETS VAN DEN BROEK

[05] MILUTINOVIC AND DERYCKE HOLD TALKS

[06] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT COMMISSION ACCEPTS REPORT ON BRUSSELS SUCCESSION TALKS

[07] SNIDER: KOSOVO-METOHIJA IS INTEGRAL PART OF SERBIA AND YUGOSLAVIA

[08] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION TO VISIT THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL

[01] SERBIAN SUPREME COURT DENIES OPPOSITION REQUESTS

The Supreme Court of the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia has denied also the opposition's request to ban the holding of a 3rd round of municipal elections, the Court said.

In view of this ruling and the City Electoral Commission's decision, the 3rd round of voting to elect members of the City Council from the disputed constituencies will be held on Wednesday, November 27, the statement added.

[02] BELGRADE ELECTORAL COMMISSION REBUKES OPPOSITION

The three-member coalition has infringed the regulation by staging rallies on Monday and Tuesday, thus continuing with the election campaign that was to close midnight Sunday, said a statement issued by the Commission.

Belgrade dailies 'Nasa Borba', 'Dnevni Telegraf' and 'Blic' failed to observe the campaign blackout, beginning 48 hours before the poll opens, the statement said.

The Commission warned 'Zajedno' and the newspapers that the infringement could bring into question the regularity of the third round of elections on Wednesday.

[03] MILUTINOVIC: COOPERATION WITH E.U. IS YUGOSLAVIA'S FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY

Milutinovic met with deputies of 15 countries of this European integration and answered their questions in detail.

He said Yugoslavia had launched a series of diplomatic and other initiatives for relations essentially to be normalized as soon as possible, for conditions to be created not only for returning to the former level and quality of cooperation, but also for further progress in economic, political, and other forms of cooperation.

Pointing out that former Yugoslavia had very developed relations with this European integration, and the former Federal Assembly with the European Parliament, minister Milutinovic said he hoped his visit, as well as talks at the Council of Ministers and the European Commission, would give impetus to the renewal and speedier development of comprehensive mutual ties between the European Union and all its institutions and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Presenting the Yugoslav view of the past period, which he called the most difficult in the history of the peoples of South-Eastern Europe since World War II, Milutinovic underscored that Yugoslavia had from the very beginning of the crisis urged a just, political and lasting solution by peaceful means, based on respect for equal rights and interests of all peoples of former Yugoslavia.

We believed Yugoslavia would be the best framework for all its very mixed but ethnically and culturally close peoples, both for resolving the common problems and for the social and economic transformation and joining European integration processes, Milutinovic said.

The current moment of the revival of the Peace Process, primarily in the area of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Milutinovic described as a watershed which doubtlessly leads to positive developments, judging from the end of the war and the start of the process of stabilization and development in the entire territory of the former Yugoslavia.

The process of the restoration of mutual confidence and stability in the territory of the former Yugoslavia requires the full engagement of all countries of the region, but also of the International Community, Milutinovic said.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia places great importance on good-neighbourly relations and comprehensive cooperation, which helps cement peace and builds up confidence and stability in the region, Milutinovic said.

Pointing out that the economic situation in Yugoslavia was still considerably feeling the effects of the years of sanctions, whose direct damages are estimated at over 50 billion dollars and indirect ones at several times that sum, Milutinovic said Yugoslavia was trying to secure, regardless of the difficulties along the way, economic and political preconditions necessary for forming a modern and developed pluralistic society.

With that aim in mind, Milutinovic said, the FRY gives priority to the full normalization and enrichment of relations with the European Union and all its member-states, and other European countries in economic, financial, scientific, cultural and all other areas of cooperation, but also to the creation of conditions for its full inclusion into all European integration processes.

Yugoslavia demands the return of its full membership in all international organizations, primarily the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) of which it is one of the founders, Milutinovic said.

He underscored that Yugoslavia expects full normalization and promotion of relations with international financial and economic organizations, especially the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, and also to join the World Trade Organization.

Milutinovic said that understanding and support in this direction represent both recognition for Yugoslavia's peace efforts and an expression of its open orientation towards achieving stability in the development of the Balkans. In this sense, Yugoslavia needs concrete support and conditions for partnership and equal cooperation without any prejudice, Milutinovic said. He said that the development of such a cooperation with Yugoslavia is directly in the interest of the European Union since Yugoslavia is a prospective market facing a period of speedy reconstruction and development, especially in the sphere of the infrastructure and the introduction of new technologies. Milutinovic recalled the significant geographic position of Yugoslavia which is located at the crossroads of major communication corridors of interest for the entire Europe.

'We expect the Council of Ministers to reach a positive decision on the application of positive E.U. trade measures to Yugoslavia and to apply the instruments of financial aid, including the PHARE program. There are no major technical obstacles for the renewal of the main cooperation agreement between the two sides, including the financial protocol for the construction of Yugoslav transport links,' Milutinovic said.

Responding to a series of questions, especially those on Yugoslavia's active role in the Dayton Peace Process and the obligations thereof, Milutinovic underscored Yugoslavia's support to the international action for the successful overcoming of the effects of the war in Bosnia.

Asked about the democratization of the public and political life in Yugoslavia and the establishing, in this sense, of a dialogue with the Albanian minority in Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija Province, Milutinovic said that this minority enjoys all the rights guaranteed by the Yugoslav Constitution and that these rights are much broader than those of numerous other minorities in West European countries.

[04] MILUTINOVIC MEETS VAN DEN BROEK

Milutinovic said after the one-hour meeting that he had extensive and useful talks with Van Den Broek.

The meeting focused on future cooperation between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and European Union, taking into account the fact that Yugoslavia has normalized bilateral relations with all 15 E.U. member-states individually.

The time has come for a full normalization of relations between Yugoslavia and E.U., it was noted during the meeting and the importance of the negotiations under way on the renewal of various agreements between Yugoslavia and E.U. was underlined, Milutinovic said.

Yugoslavia is the only country in the region which supports European Union's regional approach to cooperation with the countries in South-Eastern Europe, it was underlined during the meeting, which was described as constructive and deeply significant by both Milutinovic and Van Den Broek.

The FRY endorses the idea on cooperation and good neighbourliness, with a special emphasis on the need for equal relations between E.U. and all countries in the region, including equal treatment in trade, Milutinovic said.

Milutinovic said he expected E.U. foreign ministries to shortly adopt the so-called autonomous measures regarding Yugoslavia's exports, which should improve its export prospects for 1997, Milutinovic said.

The Foreign Minister also asked for E.U. support towards reactivating Yugoslavia's membership in international organizations and was assured that the Commission would back Yugoslavia's integration into the World Trade Organization.

The meeting also focused on possible financial aid for Yugoslavia's economic development, possibly through Yugoslavia joining the PHARE Program or through other forms of E.U. financial aid.

Noting that his meeting with Van Den Broek constituted another positive step towards defining stances and deeper mutual understanding of policies, Milutinovic said the process would without doubt lead soon to the conclusion of a trade agreement and to the resumption of full cooperation with E.U.

[05] MILUTINOVIC AND DERYCKE HOLD TALKS

Milutinovic was speaking on the second day of his official return visit to the European Union and Belgium after meeting with his Belgian counterpart Eric Derycke.

Milutinovic said that his talks with Derycke had been comprehensive and exhaustive and that the visit to Belgium was unfolding in a climate of friendship and a high degree of mutual understanding. The visit was another in a series of regular and fruitful contacts and a continuation of the two countries' permanent political dialogue, he added.

He said that he and Derycke had discussed in detail promotion of bilateral relations and development of cooperation between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the European Union.

Also were discussed current developments in the Peace Process in former Yugoslavia, specifically the application of the basic Agreement for the Srem-Baranya region and the Dayton/Paris Accords of late 1995.

According to Milutinovic, both sides had noted that the meeting would still further promote political dialogue and help diversify cooperation in all segments of bilateral relations. Belgium would support the FRY's reintegration into international organisations and institutions, he added.

Milutinovic said that positive developments in the region, characterised by a further stabilisation of the overall situation and consolidation of peace, had created conditions for raising bilateral relations to a considerably higher level.

Agreement was reached to speed up concrete measures towards reconstruction, progress and the formulation of directions and priorities and to define a framework for concrete consultations and agreements. Milutinovic added he was pleased to say that the two sides, respecting mutual interests, had coordinated a list of Inter-state Accords, which should step up the cooperation talks opened so far. The two ministers agreed that the Joint Committee on economic, industrial and technical cooperation should convene in March or April 1997.

Milutinovic said he had conveyed Yugoslavia's interest in developing cooperation in agriculture, the chemical and metal working industries, between the breweries, in tourism, banking, in more advanced forms of cooperation and joint ventures on third markets.

He said the Yugoslav side had stressed the importance of cooperation between Councils, businessmen, Chambers of Commerce, cultural and research institutions in sister-cities in the two countries.

Milutinovic said the Yugoslav side had expressed appreciation of Belgium's conduct over the past period and balanced attitude to all actors in the Yugoslav crisis.

Milutinovic and Deryck discussed also the need for full normalisation of relations and reactivation of the FRY's cooperation with the European Union. This, Milutinovic said, would give an added impulse to Yugoslavia's cooperation with Belgium as well as with other E.U. states.

He said they had agreed that normalisation was in mutual interest and also in the interest of promoting peace, stability and cooperation in South-East Europe. He was pleased to say, he added, that the Yugoslav side had received assurances that Belgium would support this, because there was every reason to remove administrative obstacles impeding equal economic cooperation.

Summarizing his one-hour meeting with Derycke, Milutinovic said that special attention had been devoted to the situation in the Srem-Baranya region, where Belgium was heavily involved. He said the Yugoslav side had stressed Belgium's constructive contribution to and efforts for full implementation of the basic Agreement struck between the Zagreb regime and the region's Serbs in late 1995.

The talks had stressed the vital importance of guaranteeing the equality and safety of all in the region, and of not allowing a revision of the basic Agreement. Also, they had reaffirmed the two countries' commitment to contribute fully to this through mutual cooperation, Milutinovic said.

[06] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT COMMISSION ACCEPTS REPORT ON BRUSSELS SUCCESSION TALKS

A Yugoslav Government Statement issued after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Radoje Kontic said the Brussels talks had been attended by delegations of the former Yugoslav republics.

Accepting the report by the Group's delegation to the talks, headed by academician Kosta Mihajlovic, the Commission said the Group should take part in the talks to be held in London on December 3-4 in keeping with the commitments determined by the Yugoslav Government platform.

The Commission said efforts should be made to find just principles for the identification of assets, which it said meant that succession issues must in no way be linked with the issue of Yugoslavia's political and legal continuity.

Agreement on the succession must therefore be reached on an equal and legal footing, meaning that issues concerning the division of assets in a just manner and economic consequences of the secession of former Yugoslav republics must be dealt with in the sphere of economy.

In the light of the fact that the former Yugoslav republics insist more and more on the partial resolution of succession issues in which way the issues acquire political dimension, it is vital to intensify and synchronise activities of relevant state bodies and the Succession Group in order to reach agreement on the principles of just identification and division of assets, the statement said.

[07] SNIDER: KOSOVO-METOHIJA IS INTEGRAL PART OF SERBIA AND YUGOSLAVIA

In a meeting in Pristina with the head of the Kosovo District Aleksa Jokic, his deputy Milos Nesovic and Provincial Information Secretary Bosko Drobnjak, Snider said he was surprised that ethnic Albanians in Serbia's southern Province refused to exercise their constitutional rights and that their turnout in recent polls had not been higher.

The officials fully backed an agreement on the normalisation of education in Albanian language signed by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova. The Serbian Government is ready to fully implement the agreement, which would be an encouragement to resolve step by step other outstanding issues in the Province, it was stated in the meeting.

Snider said the Canadian Government was willing to resume economic relations with Yugoslavia and to invest capital in the country as well as to send relief aid to the most affected areas.

[08] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION TO VISIT THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL

Stojanovic will meet with the judges of the International Tribunal for war crimes committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia to discuss mutual cooperation and how to dispatch information obtained by the Yugoslav Committee about the crimes over the Serb population, the Yugoslav Information Secretariat said.

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