Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-04-21

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] BULAJIC LEAVES FOR ETHIOPIA AS HEAD OF YUGOSLAV DELEGATION

[02] LONG-STANDING FRIENDSHIP OF TWO COUNTRIES

[03] YUGOSLAV INFORMATION SECRETARY ON THE NEW INFORMATION LAW

[04] MEETING ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA ISSUE ENDS IN VIENNA

[05] KLEIN AND TUDJMAN SATISFIED WITH ELECTION RESULTS

[06] BELGIUM EXPECTS POSITIVE E.U. REACTION

[07] 140TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHAMBER OF ECONOMY SYSTEM

[08] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES PARTICIPANTS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

[09] YUGOSLAVIA FOR GOOD-NEIGHBOUR RELATIONS WITHOUT VISAS

[10] YUGOSLAV VICE-PRIME MINISTER DJUNIC RECEIVES U.N. MISSION HEAD

[11] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT TO BE RESHUFFLED BY MID-MAY

[12] KONTIC RECEIVES ICAO OFFICIALS

[01] BULAJIC LEAVES FOR ETHIOPIA AS HEAD OF YUGOSLAV DELEGATION

The Yugoslav delegation is expected to meet with Ethiopia's leading officials, politicians and businessmen to discuss the promotion of economic and political cooperation between the two friendly States.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-20

[02] LONG-STANDING FRIENDSHIP OF TWO COUNTRIES

In an interview published in "The Politika", Ambassador Kadi said that Syria has always stressed, although it shared the view of the international community, in the wake of suspending the assistance to the Serbs in Bosnia and ending of the war, that its friendship towards Yugoslavia should not be neglected. That is why Syria did not support all decisions of the international community and throughout the crisis has maintained diplomatic relations at the highest level and did not recall its Ambassador.

Syria has always expressed its appreciation of all moves taken by the Yugoslav Government with a view to normalizing the relations in the region. Those moves will restore Yugoslavia's previous reputation as an important country in the region and its legitimate place in the international community and institutions, Syrian Ambassador said.

Ambassador Kadi said that the relations between the two countries were being revived and upgraded and announced that the Yugoslav delegation, headed by Vice Prime Minister, will visit Damascus in May. The talks will focus on all forms of cooperation, particularly economic ones whereupon agreements on scientific, cultural and sports cooperation will be signed.

Speaking on the Middle East peace process, Ambassador Kadi stressed that Syria was advocating lasting and comprehensive solutions based on the principles of the Madrid Conference of 1991 and the principle "territory for peace".

The negotiations lasted five years and some results have been achieved, stressed Ambassador Kadi. This is particularly true of the agreement with the previous Israeli Government on the withdrawal of Israel to the border of 5 June 1946. The Netanyahu Government refuses this principle and wishes to take the negotiations back to the beginning, Syrian Ambassador said.

Ambassador then said that he did not expect that a decision will be made at the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the European Union (UN) on Malta on greater political engagement of the European countries in the resolution of the Middle East crisis. "USA and Israel have opposed greater role of the EU in the Middle East", Ambassador Kadi said.

The Syrian Ambassador concluded the interview to "The Politika" by saying that seven years ago he asked President Assad to post him abroad." I have chosen Yugoslav myself and did not regret it. Belgrade is a nice city and your people are very hospitable".

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-17

[03] YUGOSLAV INFORMATION SECRETARY ON THE NEW INFORMATION LAW

Together with the Republican Information Laws, the Federal Law, which is in preparation, should ensure a full implementation of the latest democratic achievements in the sphere of information.

The Federal Law is aimed at regulating the main principles for the exercise of citizens' freedoms and rights in the field of information, which ensures the dominant role of the rule of law as one of the main principles of the legal State, Matic said. The strengthening of the legal State and stronger protection of people's freedoms and rights have imposed a need for a new and comprehensive approach to the organisation of informing as an important segment of each democratic state, Matic said.

The existing laws and regulations in this field are incomplete, which shows that there is a need for a law that would take into consideration the achieved level of democracy in the society and technical and technological development of the media, Matic said.

Commenting on the preparation of a new Serbian Information Law, Matic said that presently the biggest value of the process was a public discussion in which the representatives of different political parties freely expressed their views. The offered solutions are not final, and the public discussion as a method for preparing such an important law has proven how justified it is because it makes it possible to find optimum solutions for the Yugoslav Information System through the expression of different opinions, Matic said.

The Information Secretary said that the public discussion created a positive climate and introduced slightly neglected values and standards.

'Those who constantly invoke the principles the West uses in informing would be surprised how rights would be reduced if we fully applied those principles, because they would face the obligation of responsibility for the publicly expressed words, punishments for manipulations, etc.,' he said.

Speaking about the situation in the Yugoslav Information System, Matic said that despite the sanctions against and very unfavourable economic conditions in the country, there had been a boom in the development of media in the past two or three years.

Yugoslavia has more than 2,000 registered media now, he said.

'About 1,200 media were set up in the past few years and the best indicator of this 'boom' is the development of daily newspapers, some periodicals and electronic media,' which deal with political developments, Matic said.

Yugoslavia has 23 daily newspapers, he said and added that Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro, as states, had not set up any of the newspapers since 1992. 'This speaks about the democratic character of our system and the state's liberal attitude towards the development of informing,' Matic said.

However, he said that this development was not accompanied by adequate regulations because there existed a problem with some electronic media, which had been formed and operated in the so-called 'grey zone.'

Matic said that the dailies close to the opposition had nearly the same and at times even bigger circulation than the pro-Government ones.

None of the 18 periodicals in Yugoslavia that deal with political information are pro-Government ones, Matic said and added that the owners and founders of some of these papers were opposition parties, while the ruling Serbian and Montenegrin parties did not have their newspapers and electronic media.

Matic said that Yugoslavia had about 80 newspapers printed in the languages of national minorities and ethnic groups and a large number of specialised newspapers printed by different branch organisations, students, firms, religious communities and cultural institutions.

He went on to say that Serbia's southern Province of Kosovo and Metohija alone had 37 Albanian-language newspapers, including several dailies and two pornographic magazines, which showed that Kosovo Albanians had a completely developed information system. 'I don't know how this fits into the picture about the 'media darkness' in our country, because facts speak much louder than words,' Matic said.

As for the quality of information in Yugoslavia, the Federal Secretary said that there were no independent media and that all of them depended to a certain degree on the founder and owner in the creation of their editing policy.

Matic said that the media should focus on truth and objectivity instead of dependence and independence. I believe that Yugoslav media, at least those covering political developments, are too polarised and that some media serve to partial political interests, Matic said and added that this was how media contributed to a vulgar politicalisation of the Yugoslav society in some periods of political conflicts. He said he believed that this was a question of ethics and that there was a need to regulate this aspect of informing through certain codes and regulations, primarily in journalists' organisations.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-20

[04] MEETING ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA ISSUE ENDS IN VIENNA

The meeting, organised by the Carnegie Foundation for International Peace and the Amsterdam- based Council for Peace in the Balkans, is hosted by the Austrian Foreign Ministry. It represents the resumption of talks of those allegedly concerned about the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and 'experts' at home who appear to have closer ties with Vienna and New York than with Belgrade or Pristina.

Relevant international factors have repeatedly stated, however, that Kosovo and Metohija is Serbia's and Yugoslavia's internal affair.

After a fiasco of the New York Round Table, the organisers of the meeting did not invite leaders of the opposition coalition Zajedno or other politicians, deciding that the issue should this time be discussed by publicists, lawyers, sociologists and human and minority rights experts who are expected to calmly draft a paper within the next few days that is to be presented to West European Governments and institutions that are interested in the issue.

The meeting dealt with the possibility of the Province becoming independent, being divided or attached to one of the neighbouring states, or of being granted territorial autonomy or the status of a republic, despite the world community's stance that state borders in the Balkans cannot be changed and that the issue of Kosovo and Metohija must be solved within relevant Serbian and Yugoslav institutions.

The meeting was evidently aimed at internationalising still further the Kosovo and Metohija issue, at sustaining artificially tensions surrounding the issue, and at exerting more pressure on Yugoslavia and shifting the world public's attention from the crisis in Albania to Kosovo and Metohija.

Despite forecasts by those claiming to be experts on the issue to the effect that Kosovo and Metohija was going to be the next hot spot, chaos and anarchy have broken out in Albania, while the situation in the Province has always been and has remained stable.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-20

[05] KLEIN AND TUDJMAN SATISFIED WITH ELECTION RESULTS

Klein and Tudjman said that the success of the elections in the region constituted a great contribution to the continuation of the region's peaceful reintegration in Croatia and to the laying of all conditions for further normalization of the situation in the region.

Klein and Tudjman discussed the elections and other issues regarding reintegration.

Klein described the elections as very successful and said that the establishment of local administration bodies would be followed by the return of refugees. Peaceful reintegration of the region will provide for inter-ethnic coexistence, he said and added that Croatian currency would be introduced in the region by May 5.

Election results are yet to be confirmed by the UN Security Council and Secretary-General.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-19

[06] BELGIUM EXPECTS POSITIVE E.U. REACTION

Theys believes that the decision, which is to be made at a session in Brussels later this month, will be a basis for other positive decisions in the field of economy.

He could not specify whether this would mean that Serbia and Montenegro would get back trade facilities they enjoyed within an Agreement on cooperation between the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia and the then European Community.

Theys attended an international meeting organised by the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce in Belgrade on Friday, on the occasion of the 140th Anniversary of economic associations in the territory of Yugoslavia.

E.U.'s favourable decision would suit Belgium too because it will enable the promotion of bilateral economic cooperation, Theys said. He said that Belgian businessmen were especially interested in cooperation in the field of agriculture and the production of meat and meat products, because they were very well informed about Yugoslavia's possibilities in this field.

Theys said he expected that Yugoslavia would have an important position in Belgium's completely open cooperation with the world. He said that there were no obstacles in the way of setting up an economic link between Belgrade and Brussels through which businessmen would precede politicians.

Theys said that the fact that Belgium was among the leading importers and exporters in the European Union proved that it was open to Europe and other countries.

Theys said that Belgrade's openness for cooperation was a pleasant surprise. He stressed the excellent cooperation between the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce and Belgium's most influential Chamber of Commerce * the Chambre de Commerce de Bruxelles. Theys said that this included cooperation in the field of staff training, since a Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce representative has recently undergone a one-month professional training in Brussels.

Theys said that the OBCE organised visits of Belgian trade delegations to other countries. In the past few years, it has concentrated on visits to the countries of central and eastern Europe.

'We visited Turkey in March and in the next few months we should visit Hungary and Poland. No decision has so far been made on Yugoslavia,' Theys said.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-19

[07] 140TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHAMBER OF ECONOMY SYSTEM

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, in his words of greetings, stressed that 'the Yugoslav economy is ready, not only to resume cooperation with the world, but also to diversify into new fields and projects.'

Kontic said the FRY offered a wide field for the renewal of the economy, new investments, joint investments, concessions and other forms of business links. We prefer a Balkan and sub*regional cooperation, as that is in the vital interest of the people and countries of the region and an efficient way towards European integrations, he said.

The FRY, Kontic said, has created essential system-related, political, macro-economic, business and other conditions, that give a strong impetus to strong economic development and activate still insufficiently used potentials.

The outcome of the crisis in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, stabilization of political circumstances in the region, orientation towards basic economic reforms, further democratisation of political and economic relations, the size of the market, resources it disposes with and other circumstances make the FRY one of the most attractive regions in Europe for potential investors, Kontic said.

The Yugoslav Prime Minister also said that a limiting factor for the development of the Yugoslav economy was the so-called 'outer wall of sanctions'.

'Normalization of relations with the International Monetary Fund and other organizations, would essentially help a faster and more successful realization of many projects of domestic and foreign firms,' Kontic said and appealed to foreign guests to advise their Governments to set straight the injustice towards the FRY as soon as possible.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-18

[08] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES PARTICIPANTS OF INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

A delegation headed by President of the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce Mihajlo Milojevic, comprised representatives of Chambers, Councils and institutions of Austria, Belarus, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Great Britain and the United States.

Milosevic greeted the participants and stressed great importance of international economic relations and expressed interest in maintaining and promoting economic relations and cooperation between Yugoslav and foreign partners.

Milosevic said that Yugoslavia was willing to cooperate with the world. He also advocated the ensurance of favourable conditions, especially the removal of present restrictions and encouragement of concessions in order to promote trade and economic integrational processes.

The reception was also attended by Serbian Parliament Speaker Dragan Tomic, Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic, Yugoslav Deputy Premier Nikola Sainovic, several Serbian ministers and other politicians and businessmen.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-18

[09] YUGOSLAVIA FOR GOOD-NEIGHBOUR RELATIONS WITHOUT VISAS

Jovanovic spoke at the end of a two-day symposium on contemporary processes and relations in the Balkans, which was organized in Belgrade by the Institute of International Politics and Economy to mark 50 years since the founding of this prominent Belgrade institution.

Addressing foreign diplomats and symposium participants, Jovanovic presented a lengthy report on Yugoslavia's position and policy in the Balkans.

He said some of the top priorities of Yugoslavia's foreign policy were the stabilization of peace in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, the full implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and the basic Agreement on Eastern Slavonija, Baranja and Western Srem.

Yugoslavia is thus meeting not only its national interests, but is also respecting the security requirements of the region and the continent, Jovanovic said.

Yugoslavia's next priority is the full normalization of relations with former Yugoslav republics, and in that sense the Federal Government has initiated many bilateral agreements and arrangements, primarily with Croatia and Macedonia, and lately also with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Jovanovic said.

He said Yugoslav-Croatian relations present a precondition for lasting peace and stability in the region.

Jovanovic underscored that equal treatment of the two Entities and three constitutive peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina was of vital importance for the situation in the Balkans and the successful implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords.

It is not good for peace if economic assistance is given to one Entity only. It is equally disturbing that one of the Entities is constantly being armed by foreign countries, he said.

The Agreement on special parallel relations between Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska should be taken as an agreement which is fully in accord with the Dayton Accords and the Bosnia-Herzegovina Constitution, he said.

Yugoslavia's relation with the Republic of Macedonia are very good, Jovanovic said, specifying that Yugoslavia had practically accepted a concept of removing all obstacles to the passage of people, goods, capital, and cultural goods.

We wish our relations with all neighbours to be based on transparent, easy borders, without customs or visas, Jovanovic said.

Jovanovic pointed out that Yugoslavia had no visa regime with five of the eight neighbouring countries, and that negotiations were under way with two of the remaining three on their abolishment.

He said Yugoslavia had reacted positively to all initiatives for the establishment and strengthening of regional cooperation, in particular economic initiatives, such as the ones launched by the European Union or the United States.

Yugoslavia particularly supports multilateral Balkan initiatives, to which it makes its full contribution, Jovanovic underscored. It is therefore not logical that Yugoslavia is fully accepted in all these initiatives for regional cooperation, and yet prevented from taking part in those from outside the region, Jovanovic warned.

He said Yugoslavia encouraged such a system of bilateral relations in the region which would somehow lead to the formation of a free-trade region and the activation of national and regional resources.

Balkan states have limited economic possibilities and none of them have a prospect in autarchy, only in international economic ties, Jovanovic said.

He also presented the latest system-related changes in Yugoslavia's economy.

Jovanovic assessed that Yugoslavia, in a situation when the world economy was acquiring global proportions, should play the role of a bridge between the Balkans and other parts of Europe.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-18

[10] YUGOSLAV VICE-PRIME MINISTER DJUNIC RECEIVES U.N. MISSION HEAD

Djunic informed Miles about the entire concept of economic reforms based on the open market economy. He underscored that comprehensive reforms are a continuing process which begins immediately with the long term aim of creating and maintaining the transparent institutional framework for a market economy compatible with the economies of the European Union.

The Federal Government will fully support ownership transformation, privatization and the restructuring of the economy on market bases.

Djunic pointed out that the Government is very interested in and ready for open cooperation with all international subjects since the successful implementation of the reforms requires the return of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia primarily into the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. He added that international technical aid is also necessary.

Yugoslavia is doing its best to urgently renew contacts with world financial institutions and its creditors, Djunic said.

Miles said he believes that Yugoslavia is seriously resolved to enter the process of economic reforms. He added that he has understanding for the encouraging activities in this respect although the existing so-called outer wall of sanctions remains a problem whose resolution includes a much wider context than economic reforms, the statement said.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-18

[11] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT TO BE RESHUFFLED BY MID-MAY

The DPS Main Board and DPS President Momir Bulatovic in late March called on Premier Milo Djukanovic to replace Vice Premier Slavko Drljevic, Culture Minister Goran Rakocevic and Head of the State Security Service Vukasin Maras. Djukanovic opposed this, believing that the party should not have the decisive role in appointing and replacing ministers in his Cabinet.

The DPS Main Board session was preceded by another two sessions, held with the active participation of Djukanovic. Following these sessions, the Main Board unanimously adopted the following decisions.

Pursuant to the Main Board discussion and decision of March 24, the Government reshuffle, which will ensure the stability of the DPS and the Government's survival, will be carried out between May 12 and 15, a DPS statement said.

As for the State Security Service, it was said that the Executive Board should propose concrete and comprehensive measures to the Main Board and the Montenegrin Parliament. The measures would be aimed at placing the Service under full State and democratic control.

Since the Service operates within the Interior Ministry, the legality of its work would still be monitored by the Montenegrin Government.

A special multiparty committee, which would carry out the so-called political control of the State Security Service's activities, would be set up at the Montenegrin Parliament.

The Service would be guided and organised by a Council that would comprise representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial power.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-19

[12] KONTIC RECEIVES ICAO OFFICIALS

The ICAO officials where on a two-day visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia at the invitation of Federal Transport Minister Dejan Drobnjakovic, the Federal Information Ministry said.

Kontic and the ICAO officials exchanged views on open questions which burden the previously traditionally good relations between Yugoslavia and ICAO.

Kontic expressed Yugoslavia's readiness for normalization of its ICAO membership and participation in the work of all its working bodies and organizations. He underscored that Yugoslavia is making huge efforts in the modernization and promotion of its air transport.

Kotaite expressed hope that Yugoslavia would shortly regain its rightful place in ICAO, it was said.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-18

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