Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-05-19

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV-ROMANIAN RELATIONS ARE FACTOR OF STABILITY

[02] NEW YORK TIMES DENOUNCES CROATIAN HARASSMENT OF SERBS

[03] TWO SERBIAN POLICEMEN WOUNDED IN KOSMET PROVINCE

[04] SERBS HOLD CONSTITUENT SESSION IN EASTERN SLAVONIA

[05] FRY, ITALY SIGN PROTOCOL ON SCIENTIFIC-TECHNICAL COOPERATION

[06] YUGOSLAVIA IS CONSISTENTLY IMPLEMENTING DAYTON AGREEMENT

[07] REGISTRATION OF VOTERS-REFUGEES IN FRY IS WELL ORGANIZED

[08] MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT SOON WITH FORMER REPUBLICS

[09] ANGOLA PRESIDENT RECEIVED YUGOSLAV DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

[01] YUGOSLAV-ROMANIAN RELATIONS ARE FACTOR OF STABILITY

Tanjug, 1997-05-16

The Yugoslav and Romanian nations have been linked by friendship and proximity going back centuries, and generations today should cherish and promote these ties, Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic said on Friday.

Milutinovic was speaking after meeting with Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Severin in the town of Vrsac in northeastern Serbia, close to the border with Romania.

'We assessed that relations between Yugoslavia and Romania have always been, and are more so today, a crucial factor of stability and good- neighbourliness in the region, and in Europe,' Milutinovic told journalists after the talks.

Milutinovic described the talks as substantive, and both ministers agreed they were significant and beneficial.

'This was our first working meeting, in which we exchanged views about our relations, bilateral cooperation, and possibilities for promoting ties,' said Milutinovic. We chose the town of Vrsac, Milutinovic continued, to mark symbolically, and in practice, our good-neighbourliness and at the same time to do away with certain ceremonies, so as to bring out the work- friendly atmosphere of our meeting, said Milutinovic.

Milutinovic said the meeting was a continuation of regular political contacts and dialogues at all levels, aimed at accelerating development of relations and cooperation in the future.

We attach particular importance to the promotion of trade, but also to industrial, scientific, technical, cultural and educational cooperation, said Milutinovic.

We agreed that the current level of trade is well below our potentials, said Milutinovic and added that joint efforts would be taken to enhance cooperation. Dynamizing trade, stepping up industrial cooperation, forming mixed companies, and joint appearance on third markets are important in this respect, said Milutinovic. The two states need to develop cooperation in transportation, so as to expedite inclusion in European communications and integration trends, he said.

Milutinovic said national minorities - ethnic Serbs in Romania and ethnic Romanians in Yugoslavia, hold an important place in the development of friendly and good-neighbourly relations.

He added that minorities should in the future be a factor contributing to better understanding between the two nations, bringing them closer.

We are agreed that peace, stability and good-neighbourly relations have no alternative. Various aspects of regional cooperation have special significance in this respect, to facilitate the inclusion of the region in contemporary European processes. It is our view that all initiatives on regional cooperation should be complementary and open for all countries in the region on an equal basis, said Milutinovic.

He recalled that today's meeting was held on the anniversary of the signing of an accord on friendship and good-neighbourly ties between Yugoslavia and Romania. We took this opportunity to exchange ratification documents. This symbolic act confirms that our relations set an example and that they have a future, said Milutinovic.

The two parties exchanged ratification instruments of an accord between Yugoslavia and Romania on mutual encouragement and protection of investments, signed in November 1995, the taking effect of which is expected to boost economic bilateral cooperation.

Milutinovic concluded that a protocol on cooperation between the foreign ministries was signed after the meeting, paving the way for promotion of relations.

Romanian Foreign Minister Adrian Severin said that ties between Romania and Yugoslavia were always close and good and underscored that Bucharest wished them to continue as such.

Severin said this was his first meeting with Milutinovic, which will set a new beginning in the long-standing relations.

Romania and Yugoslavia are used to having friendly ties, said Severin, one reason being that geography has placed us forever next to each other.

Friendship requires respect and honesty, and our talks today passed in that spirit, said Severin and added that questions pertaining to minorities and border cooperation were discussed.

Speaking about Romania's and Yugoslavia's place in Europe, Severin said both countries were interested in a united Europe in which, he underlined, each country will feel safe and be enabled to protect its own interests.

We respect the Yugoslavia's efforts and stands and we are sure the respect is mutual, said Severin in conclusion.

[02] NEW YORK TIMES DENOUNCES CROATIAN HARASSMENT OF SERBS

Tanjug, 1997-05-16

Croatians are terrorizing the Serbs, the New York Times said in Friday's editions, reporting a recent attack of Serbs by an unbridled group of Croatians in villages around Kostajnica, about 80 km southeast of Zagreb.

The daily said the villages, populated by Serbs, were brutally attacked by Croatians who barged into houses, sacked them and sent scores of Serbs fleeing to the nearest forest.

The attacks are part of a fierce campaign conducted by Croatians to expel the 100,000 Serbs that remain in Croatia, and to prevent Serb refugees from returning to their homes, said the article.

The attacks came after the Government in Zagreb confiscated Serb property in order to settle Croat refugees from Bosnia, and even from Germany, said the New York Times.

The daily recalls that about 600,000 Serbs lived in the central parts of Croatia before the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in 1991. According to the Dayton accord, about 500,000 Serb refugees and displaced persons have the right to return to their homes, said the daily and added only 2,000 had returned so far.

The daily quoted reports by Helsinki Watch to the effect that many uniformed Croatians had taken part in the beating up of Serbs.

[03] TWO SERBIAN POLICEMEN WOUNDED IN KOSMET PROVINCE

Tanjug, 1997-05-17

Two policemen were wounded as unidentified persons opened automatic fire in Srbica, Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, on Friday, the Serbian Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

A statement issued by the Ministry's Press Section said Miomir Kicovic, 32, had sustained serious injuries, while Radisav Planic, 30, had been lightly wounded. The two policemen were transferred to the medical centre in Kosovska Mitrovica. Their lives are not in danger.

The Ministry has taken all possible measures to find perpetrators of this terrorist act, the statement said.

[04] SERBS HOLD CONSTITUENT SESSION IN EASTERN SLAVONIA

Tanjug, 1997-05-16

A constituent session of the joint Council of Municipalities (ZVO) held in Vukovar on Friday unanimously appointed Milos Vojnovic as President, and verified mandates for 48 delegates.

Milos Vojnovic is a member of the Main Board of the Serb Democratic Independent Party and Premier of the Government of Eastern Slavonia, Barania and West Srem.

The ZVO consists of deputies delegated from every municipality in the region of Eastern Slavonia, Barania and West Srem.

Those municipalities won by Serbs in the April elections delegate two deputies. One deputy is delegated from the municipalities they lost, and one deputy from towns such as Sarvas, Klisa and Marinci which are not part of the region's territorial organization.

As far as the region's major cities are concerned, Vukovar delegated five deputies to the ZVO, Beli Manastir four, and Ilok 2.

The ZVO has the status of a legal personality. It has the power to propose Serb candidates for posts such as assistant minister in the key ministries of Croatia.

The ZVO will also be proposing candidates for the post of deputy administrator in the Vukovar-Srem and the Osijek-Barania counties. The ZVO will also be enabled contacts with the Croatian President or the head of his cabinet at least three times a year. The ZVO will have committees encompassing activities that will guard serb national interests.

[05] FRY, ITALY SIGN PROTOCOL ON SCIENTIFIC-TECHNICAL COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1997-05-16

An executive protocol on scientific technical cooperation between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Italy was signed in Rome Friday, said the Federal Ministry for Development, Science and the Environment.

The Protocol, to cover the period 1997-1999, was signed by Deputy Federal Minister for Development, Science and the Environment Vera Lapcevic- Petkovic, on the Yugoslav side, and by the General Director of the Directorate for Cultural Ties Minister Armando Sanguini, on the Italian side.

The Executive Protocol coordinates 24 projects in priority fields for both countries: agriculture, medicine, biotechnology, modern technology, power, the environment and fundamental sciences.

The two sides are in agreement to recommend to their governments the conclusion of a new state accord on scientific-technological cooperation, which would be a basis for the further realization of programmed activities.

[06] YUGOSLAVIA IS CONSISTENTLY IMPLEMENTING DAYTON AGREEMENT

Tanjug, 1997-05-16

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has fulfilled all its commitments from the first phase of arms reduction under the subregional arms control agreement, Spokesman for OSCE Chairman Norwegian Ambassador Wigleik Eide said.

Ambassador Eide informed journalists at a briefing Friday about the implementation of the subregional arms control agreement, signed eleven months ago in Florence.

[07] REGISTRATION OF VOTERS-REFUGEES IN FRY IS WELL ORGANIZED

Tanjug, 1997-05-16

The process of registration of voters in Yugoslavia for local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina scheduled for September 13-14 is very well organized and the cooperation of OSCE supervisors with the local commission is excellent, Vienna office OSCE Operational Director Antonios Tsakiris told Tanjug in Belgrade.

Tsakiris, who is in charge of the FRY region, visited Loznica, Valjevo and Sabac, and he informed himself about the registration of refugees at the registration point in the municipality of New Belgrade.

On that occasion, Tsakiris said he was satisfied with the organization and thanked the Yugoslav governmental commission in charge of extending assistance to refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina in carrying out, preparing and setting up registration teams in the field.

From May 5 to date, in the region of Serbia, around 9,000 voters-refugees have been registered.

[08] MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT SOON WITH FORMER REPUBLICS

Tanjug, 1997-05-16

Montenegrin President said Friday he believed that an agreement on financial and material relations with former Yugoslav republics could be expected in a couple of weeks.

Speaking to businessmen and municipal officials of Bijelo Polje about current economic issues of Montenegro and Yugoslavia, Bulatovic pointed out that the signing of the agreement 'was the most important condition for our relations with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.'

All other issues posed by the two financial institutions, as Kosovo and the Hague, are political issues and do not have that significance, as solving relations in the financial and material sphere with former Yugoslav republics, he said.

Bulatovic said that the process has already been determined on the basis of IMF criteria and in the London and Paris clubs, and under the same criteria the former Yugoslav republics have acquired their rights and received credits, so that what is coming to our country is not at all unfavourable.

That would improve considerably the economic position of FR Yugoslavia abroad and our internal economic situation, the Montenegrin President said.

[09] ANGOLA PRESIDENT RECEIVED YUGOSLAV DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

Tanjug, 1997-05-17

President of Angola Jose Eduardo dos Santos received Deputy Federal Foreign Minister Radoslav Bulajic who handed him a personal message of the FRY President, Zoran Lilic.

The Angolan President expressed great satisfaction over the restoration of dialogue at the highest level and good perspectives for the strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries linked by traditional and proven friendship that endured the hardships which both countries left behind.

He also stressed that the two countries had covergent views on questions of economic cooperation and development. The experiences from former cooperation, particularly the visit of the Yugoslav State/business delegation these days in Luanda, reinforces the conviction that the Yugoslav economy has capacities and capabilities to participate in ambitious programmes of reconstruction and rebuilding which represent a national priority in Angola and that the Yugoslav know-how and experience may assist in the realization of economic reforms and macro*economic stabilization of this African country.

The commitment to have all outstanding issues of previous cooperation resolved realistically was confirmed, parallel to the expansion of new forms of cooperation acceptable to both sides.

It was noted that full implementation of the existing and the conclusion of new international agreements between the Governments of Yugoslavia and Angola will create all necessary preconditions for successful cooperation between the businessmen from the two countries.

President dos Santos accepted with pleasure the invitation of the Yugoslav President to pay an official and friendly visit to our country.

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