Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-01-22

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] DRAFT LAW ON ABOLISHING VISAS FOR YUGOSLAV AND CROAT DIPLOMATS

[02] ETHNIC ALBANIANS AND SERBS IN KOSOVO MUST LIVE TOGETHER

[03] YUGOSLAVIA WANTS NORMALISATION WITH WORLD TRADE BODY, SAYS PREMIER

[04] ELECTIONS CONDUCTED IN KEEPING WITH LAW IN 8 DISTRICTS ON OSCE LIST

[01] DRAFT LAW ON ABOLISHING VISAS FOR YUGOSLAV AND CROAT DIPLOMATS

The Agreement, signed in Zagreb in late October 1996 by the Yugoslav and Croat Foreign Ministers, will enable the citizens of both countries who have diplomatic and service passports to enter, leave, transit and reside in the territory of the other country signatory of the agreement without a visa for 30 days.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-22 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-21

[02] ETHNIC ALBANIANS AND SERBS IN KOSOVO MUST LIVE TOGETHER

Jokanovic specified that the future of Serbs and ethnic Albanians in that southern Serbian province was conjoint just as their past, and that is why 'we must build together relations for a better life, were freedom, human and national dignity will be guaranteed, where every individual will be free, secure and integrated in Europe.'

Assessing the situation in Kosmet as complex, Jokanovic cited as one of the key causes for this the separatism of local ethnic Albanians 'which has been demonstrated in different ways and through various forms.'

He recalled that Kosmet Albanians started in 1981 to directly attack the Constitution of Serbia by demonstrations whose end goal was the creation of 'Kosovo republic' and 'its unification with Albania.'

Kosmet then acquired statehood attributes and developed as a province of Albanians, while the condition of Serbs and Montenegrins deteriorated continuously, Jokanovic said and added that their separatism was backed by the separatist leaderships of the former Yugoslav Republics, Slovenia and Croatia.

Jokanovic explained that thanks to constitutional changes in 1989 'war had been averted in Kosovo and human lives and property saved.'

'According to the scenario, war was supposed to have started precisely in Kosmet, to make it easier for the northern Yugoslav Republics at the time to seceed from Yugoslavia,' Jokanovic said.

Asked by journalists about alleged repressions against Kosmet Albanians, the Yugoslav Minister said that such questions were 'part of a pattern which is being pursued and developed for political-propaganda reasons.'

'I condemn in the strongest terms every case of overstepping of authority and those individuals, from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, must be held accountable,' Jokanovic said.

Recalling that he has been working in Kosmet and cooperated with ethnic Albanians for a long time, Jokanovic said that he personally would not be respected by Albanians if he did not respect his own human and national dignity.

'You cannot consider a good Serb who is not a patriot and who does not protect his own country,' he said, a he cannot be good for Albanians either.

Talking about the future of Kosmet, Jokanovic said that the partition and division of Kosmet are not possible. We live, he added, in the restless Balkans and we will go on living here, with all its intertwined relations, understandings and misunderstandings, respect and anger.

When journalists asked again about 'arrests and repression' of ethnic Albanians, Jokanovic recalled that in Kosmet in the past five years there were 17 murdered and 35 heavily wounded policemen.

Certain extremist organizations have assumed responsibility for those grave crimes, he said. In the last few years, he pointed out, large quantities of arms have been seized in Kosmet, separatist military headquarters discovered and that is why 'we must speak about everything realistically and not in a one-sided and exclusive manner.'

Responding to the Koha reporter's remark that ethnic Albanians have opted for independence, Jokanovic said, 'this is not possible and cannot happen.'

He said it was well known that all key factors and countries in the world took the view that 'problems in Kosovo and Metohija can and must be resolved within Serbia and Yugoslavia,' saying the international community firmly opposed any changing of state borders.

Stressing that no one could question Serbia's territorial integrity, he said, 'desires and aspirations by political parties in Kosovo and Metohija are one thing, while the reality is quite another thing.'

'It is essential to open a dialogue, to create a climate of confidence and tolerance, and to resolve issues in a speedier manner,' he said.

He said political leaders in Kosovo and Metohija must find the strength and 'tell their people the truth - that the world does not back their independence or the resolution of these issues in a manner different than that I have mentioned.'

Asked about Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic's stand on how the issue of Kosovo and Metohija should be solved, Jokanovic said that, in 1988, Milosevic had channelled the resolution of the issue in the only direction that he as a president of a state could urge - 'the preservation of the territorial integrity of the state whose president he is and the restoration of constitutional and legal authority and basic state functions which every state in the world has.'

'He urges that the issue be solved within Serbia, with ethnic Albanians being equal with all other citizens and exercising all rights granted them under relevant international documents and even greater rights,' he said.

Commenting on the Koha reporter's remark that ethnic Albanians considered the Yugoslav Army and police to be an occupying force, Jokanovic said this was part of a well-conceived propaganda, adding that no one could be an occupying force in his own country and that it was possible only to discuss whether anyone had overstepped his authority.

Jokanovic rejected a possibility of war breaking out in the province, saying that, 'there are many wise men among Serbs and ethnic Albanians that will never let this happen.'

War is the greatest tragedy that may happen although extremists in both sides' ranks hope for it, he said.

Asked to comment on Serbian opposition leaders, Jokanovic said they were 'concerned with how to speedily rise to power rather than with drafting or urging their programmes.'

Jokanovic said extremist groups in Kosovo and Metohija were not the product or repression but that 'the activity of such extremist groups is a form of activity of organisations that are behind them, that operate abroad and urge the resolution of the issue of Kosovo and Metohija through an armed conflict.'

'Their terrorist attacks on police and innocent citizens are part of their plan for bringing to life their self-proclaimed republic of Kosovo,' he said.

He said it was vital to gradually resolve issues in the sphere of culture, information, sports and health care, to ensure that ethnic Albanians stop boycotting economic and financial institutions, state and legislative bodies, and to set up provincial bodies.

Jokanovic also said it was vital to 'find ways of how to build a better future and how to jointly create conditions for every man to live in peace and security.'

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-22 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-21

[03] YUGOSLAVIA WANTS NORMALISATION WITH WORLD TRADE BODY, SAYS PREMIER

Prime Minister Radoje Kontic was meeting with Government officials of the Yugoslav Republics of Serbia and Montenegro.

The officials noted that the settling of the status of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the WTO should give the national economy access to the world commodity and capital markets and the most favoured nation status in trade.

This would bring with it other benefits, such as preferential trade with the world, it was noted at the meeting, according to a Government statement.

All this should stimulate the process of restructuring and ownership transformation of the Yugoslav economy, and increase its efficacy, the statement added.

In view of this, all the necessary political, diplomatic and legal conditions must be created in the coming period for opening talks with the WTO, it was noted.

Since this is a highly complex process, it is necessary to enhance and formulate the text of a memorandum and elaborate the accompanying documentation, the liberalisation programme and the list of concessions, the statement added.

The officials noted that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia should ask for the developing country status within the WTO, and the Government should to this end prepare a document on the consequences of the United Nations' anti- Yugoslav sanctions, the statement said.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-22 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-21

[04] ELECTIONS CONDUCTED IN KEEPING WITH LAW IN 8 DISTRICTS ON OSCE LIST

In Kraljevo, Sabac, Vrsac, Jagodina, Pirot, Smederevska Palanka, Sokobanja and Pancevo the Justice Ministry did not determine any irregularities in the work of the election bodies which could affect the results of the vote, the Serbian Information Ministry said.

Based on the facts, the need for the consistent respect of the law and the entire legal and constitutional system of Serbia, and in keeping with the recommendations (from article 7e) of the OSCE report, the Government calls on all parties to undertake 'adequate activities, in the spirit of a dialogue and cooperation with the full respect of human rights and democratic principles' and immediately start a dialogue in the interest of all citizens with the aim of overcoming the current problems, the statement said.

The Government session, chaired by Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic, discussed the Justice Ministry's information linked to the elections in some districts in the Republic. The Government concluded that after the second round of voting on Nov. 17, 1996, a number of parties and individuals lodged appeals or complaints due to certain omissions in the election procedure.

The number of these complaints and appeals have transcended by far the election practice until now. Most often they contain references to the violation of the election procedure which resulted, in keeping with the law, in a repeat of the vote in some districts.

However, a small number of disputes have still not been definitively concluded before the municipal courts and the Supreme Court of Serbia.

Based on the experiences acquired during these local elections, the Government concluded that the Justice Ministry should reconsider those solutions stemming from the law on the territorial organization of the Republic of Serbia and local self-rule which call for a repeat of the vote in all cases when violations are registered, although this does not necessarily have to have a major impact on the regularity of the elections.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-22 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-21

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article