Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-07-01

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] MILOSEVIC SENDS FELICITATIONS TO JIAO ZEMIN

[02] BOSNIAN SERB KRAJISNIK RECEIVES U.S. ENVOY GELBARD

[03] VETERANS CALL FOR RELEASE OF FORMER VUKOVAR MAYOR

[04] REFUGEES PROTEST TO KLEIN THE ARREST OF DOKMANOVIC

[05] ARREST OF DOKMANOVIC AIMED AT INTIMIDATING SERBS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA

[06] FORMER VUKOVAR MAYOR HELD IN THE HAGUE HAS NO CONTACT WITH FAMILY

[07] MONTENEGRIN SHIP RETURNS

[08] RATE OF INFLATION 0.1 PERCENT LOWER IN JUNE

[09] YUGOSLAV MINISTER OF ECONOMY RETURNS FROM FOUR-DAY VISIT TO CHINA

[10] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

[01] MILOSEVIC SENDS FELICITATIONS TO JIAO ZEMIN

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic sent a message of felicitations on Monday to Chinese President Jiao Zemin on China's historic takeover of Hong Kong, said a statement released by the President's Office on Monday. "The day of the annexation of Hong Kong to its parent state marks a historic victory of the Chinese people in their strugge for a united China," said the message.

"In the belief that this heralds the way to the annexation of other parts to your country in the future, I send sincere congratulations and best wishes for the progress of China and the friendly people of China," said the President.

[02] BOSNIAN SERB KRAJISNIK RECEIVES U.S. ENVOY GELBARD

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency member from the Republika Srpska Momcilo Krajisnik received U.S. Balkan envoy Robert Gelbard in Pale late on Monday.

Speaking after the two-hour meeting devoted to the application of the Dayton Accord, Krajisnik said they had "cleared up many things" but that the question of cooperation between the Republika Srpska police and the International police force was yet to be settled.

Gelbard, for his part, said he was sorry that the Republika Srpska leaders were refusing to honour Dayton Accord Annexe 11 and cooperate, adding that this put in doubt their seriousness and that he feared there might be negative consequences.

According to Krajisnik, however, the International police force "wants to impose a solution which we see as interference in the professional duties of the Republika Srpska police."

He stressed that the Republika Srpska wanted the Dayton Accord implemented. He added that to say that the Republika Srpska resisted the implementation of Annexe 11 to the Accord, which provides for cooperation with international police, was to make an "arbitrary interpretation and show a lack of understanding for our position."

[03] VETERANS CALL FOR RELEASE OF FORMER VUKOVAR MAYOR

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

In a letter to the Hague-based criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the international public, the Association of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srem war veterans on Monday called for an immediate relase of former Vukovar Mayor Slavko Dokmanovic.

The letter said that the fact that the indictment had not been issued until the accused was arrested, like in Dokmanovic's case, was aimed at creating restlessness among the Serbs and that people could no longer be sure that a similar procedure was not opened against them at the Hague.

The Association said that Dokmanovic could not bear any responsibility at that time, because it is known that in mid-May 1991. the Croatian Government suspended the Vukovar leadership and appointed provisional commissionershp, in which Croat Marin Vidic performed Mayor's duties.

The arrest of Slavko Dokmanovic becomes even more tragic in view of the fact that Croatian courts have released criminals who admitted to have committed multiple murders of civilians, such as Antun Gudelj or the killers of the Zec family in Zagreb, who are criminals in the group of Tomislav Mercep, the Association said.

[04] REFUGEES PROTEST TO KLEIN THE ARREST OF DOKMANOVIC

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

The Belgrade-based Association of displaced and expelled Serbs from Croatia sent a letter on Monday to the UN Adminstrator in Eastern Slavonia protesting the forcible arrest of former Vukovar Mayor Slavko Dokmanovic.

"We express indignation and strongly protest the role of the UN Transition Administration in the abduction of Mr. Dokmanovic," the letter said. This is in contradition with the role of UNTAES, the Erdut agreement and the process of peaceful reintegration into Croatia, said the letter, a copy of which has been delivered to Tanjug.

"The act could spark off a large migration of Serbs from Eastern Slavonia, and affect Serb refugees so as not to return to Croatia, feeling insecure as it is, exposed to all kinds of threats, pressures, even extermination," the letter continues.

"We demand that you take decisive steps for the respect of human rights in the region and demand the release of Mr Dokmanovic," the letter said.

If this fails, Serb refugees will lose confidence in the UN Transitional Administration, the UN Security Council and other international factors, which can jeopardize peace not only in the region, but wider, said the letter.

[05] ARREST OF DOKMANOVIC AIMED AT INTIMIDATING SERBS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

The arrest of former Vukovar Mayor Slavko Dokmanovic was conducted by Croatian police, which dragged the U.N. Transitional Administration in eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) into the affair, in order to intimidate Serbs in the region and make easier the return of Croats, Borislav Mikelic, head of the Committee for the protection of displaced persons' rights and interests and their repatriation, said.

Mikelic told Tanjug that the action was also aimed at easing tensions surrounding Bosnian Croat Army General Tihomir Blaskic who he said had been behaving like a tourist in The Hague over the past year. The Hague-based International War Crimes Tribunal has not even opened a trial of Blaskic, indicted for war crimes against Moslems, he said.

Mikelic said 350,000 Serbs had been expelled from Croatia between 1991. and 1995. Of this figure, more than 250,000 Serbs were expelled during the Croatian army's Operation Lightning and Operation Storm, he said adding that all this had taken place in the presence of a multinational peace force and its generals. Despite that, none of the Croatian army members has been arrested by the Tribunal, he said.

He said the arrest of a man that met with UNTAES official of his own free will was something that U.N. Administrator Jacques Klein and UNTAES in general should be ashamed of.

He said the whole incident was a blow to stability in the region and a warning to Serbs what they should do before the region was integrated into Croatia.

In this connection, he said that, as a commander, Tomislav Mercep had ordered the liquidation of hundreds of Serbs, especially those in the region of Lika, in the conflict of 1991. Evidence of Mercep's crimes has been collected and submitted to the Hague Tribunal, but despite that Mercep moved freely in the presence of UNTAES in Vukovar and Ilok during Croatia's election campaign, he said.

On the other hand, as a parliament member of the Republic of Serb Krajina, Dokmanovic urged negotiations with Croatia, voting in favour of an economic agreement that was signed in December 1994, he said adding that Dokmanovic had signed also the Erdut agreement.

[06] FORMER VUKOVAR MAYOR HELD IN THE HAGUE HAS NO CONTACT WITH FAMILY

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

Former Mayor of Vukovar Slavko Dokmanovic, captured and taken by force to The Hague, is not allowed to contact his family.

Mrs Dokmanovic said she had been informed in a telephone conversation with the prison authorities of the International Tribunal in The Hague, that her husband was not allowed any contact with the outside world. Mrs Dokmanovic had been advised to have a lawyer contact the Tribunal, which will either cancel or mitigate the ban on telephone conversations. She said the lawyer in charge of the case would take over when informed to do so by Slavko Dokmanovic.

Mrs Dokmanovic is expected to meet with U.N. Administrator for Eastern Slavonia, Barania and West Srem Jacques Klein in the course of the day.

[07] MONTENEGRIN SHIP RETURNS

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

Zeta, the last of the four ships belonging to Montenegrin Jugooceania company that had been impounded in US ports five years ago, returned on Monday to the Kotor port.

Zeta's arrival was greeted in a traditional manner by waving white banners from windows.

Jugooceania stock corporation held its first assembly on board Zeta and elected nine members of its management board, five representing the Government and four the workers.

The company's capital is owned by Montenegrin Government and funds (26 percent each) and by the workers (48 percent).

With its fleet now complete with 14 ships and the planned purchase of three more, Jugooceania is ready to play an outstanding role on the world market, its Director Milivoje Jaukovic said.

[08] RATE OF INFLATION 0.1 PERCENT LOWER IN JUNE

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

Retail prices dropped by 0.1 percent in June compared to May due to which the rate of inflation also dropped for the first time since August 1994, Assistant Director of the Yugoslav Statistics Bureau, Mirjana Rankovic, said on Monday.

The several-month stabilisation of prices as well as a drop in prices were registered in the case of nearly all categories of products.

Since the beginning of the year, an inflation rate of 8.8 percent has been registered in Montenegro and of 3 percent in Serbia. Living costs dropped by 0.1 percent in June compared to May primarily due to stable prices of services.

In the January-June period, living costs in Montenegro increased by 10.7 percent and in Serbia by 4 percent.

[09] YUGOSLAV MINISTER OF ECONOMY RETURNS FROM FOUR-DAY VISIT TO CHINA

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

Yugoslav Minister of Economy Rade Filipovic returned from a four-day visit to China on Monday during which he had opened in Inner Mongolia's town of Bao Tao an exposition of building machines manufactured by the 14. oktobar factory of Krusevac.

On arrriving at Belgrade airport where he was welcomed by China's Ambassador in Belgrade Zhu Ankang, Filipovic described his visit to China as successful, saying agreement had been reached on future economic cooperation and prospects created for new deals.

The exposition, which rallied more than 2,500 visitors, marked the conclusion of talks on cooperation that opened a year ago, he said. This means that the production of Yugoslav building machines will begin in China once expert teams have reviewed prices of these products, he said adding that partners in China were mostly interested in TG 200 bulldozers.

Filipovic had met in Peking with China's Vice-Premier Lei Lai Cin and three deputy ministers of chemical industry. The two countries' officials agreed that Yugoslav-Chinese cooperation was being diversified on a daily basis and that Yugoslavia should deliver goods to China in exchange for oil.

Representatives of the fertilizers plant in Pancevo, near Belgrade, closed a favourable deal under which the plant will get on credit a part of the necessary equipment for its new production line.

Filipovic said this was of major importance because fertilizers were goods that could be sold so as to cover all annuities, with a two years' grace.

Filipovic felicitated Zhu on Hong Kong's reversion to China's sovereignty.

Zhu said China respected the Yugoslav Government's principled stand on the issue, saying future Chinese-Yugoslav economic cooperation would benefit from Hong Kong's reversion to its parent state's sovereignty.

[10] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1997-06-30

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic on Monday received Italian Ambassador to Yugoslavia Francesco Bascone on a farewell visit. A Yugoslav Government statement said that Kontic had praised Bascone's personal contribution to the normalisation of the Yugoslav-Italian relations after the suspension and lifting of the sanctions against Yugoslavia and a speedy restoration of bilateral economic cooperation.

Kontic and Bascone, who had come in a diplomatic mission to Yugoslavia in 1994, reviewed topical issues in the field of bilateral cooperation and agreed that all possibilities existed for its further promotion.

Bascone stressed Italy's readiness to continue its engagement in the normalisation of relations between Yugoslavia and the European Union and in Yugoslavia's reintegration in the international community.

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article