Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-08-26

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER MILUTINOVIC ARRIVES IN CHINA

[02] YUGOSLAV DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

[03] INTERNATIONAL FACTORS INTERESTED IN HIGHWAYS, RAILWAY IN SERBIA

[04] PLAVSIC INVITES ARMY GENERAL STAFF TO MEETING IN BANJALUKA ON TUESDAY

[05] MONTENEGRIN OFFICIALS SUPPORT OSCE MISSION

[06] GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER IN SARAJEVO

[07] GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER ON BOSNIA'S FATE

[08] OSCE OFFICIAL PRAISES YUGOSLAVIA'S ARMS CONTROL RESULTS

[09] UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR: NEW PAGE IN UKRAINE-YUGOSLAVIA RELATIONS

[10] MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT BULATOVIC RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

[11] YUGOSLAVIA, AZERBAIDZHAN SIGN PROTOCOL ON SETTING UP DIPLOMATIC TIES

[12] BANK CREDITS AND CMC TO STEP-UP EFFECTS OF DEBT CLEARANCE

[13] OSCE ACCEPTS INVITATION TO MONITOR ELECTIONS

[14] KRAJISNIK: RS WANTS GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

[15] GOVERNMENT SUSPENDS DECREE, COOPERATION WITH RS PRESIDENT

[16] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA ARMY ON POLITICAL, SECURITY SITUATION

[17] OSCE OFFICIALS MEET WITH MEMBERS OF SERBIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

[18] KLICKOVIC: PLAVSIC'S APPOINTMENT OF ACTING MINISTER IN VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTION

[01] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER MILUTINOVIC ARRIVES IN CHINA

Tanjug, 1997-08-25

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutionovic arrived on Monday on an official visit to People's Republic of China at the invitation of Chinese Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Qian Qichen. During the five-day visit, Milutinovic will convey to the Chinese leadership a message from Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to President Jiang Zemin.

Milutinovic started the visit to China in the southern city of Shenzhen were he talked with the Mayor about Chinese experiences in carrying out the policy of reforms and opening up to the world as well as about possibilities of expanding contacts and cooperation between Yugoslav firms and successful firms in that city.

On Monday, Milutinovic visited the corporation Hua Wei which develops and produces telecommunication equipment and other equipment at the cutting edge of technology. This firm has already established contacts with competent institutions here and is interested both in scientific research and production cooperation and in the creation of joint firms in Yugoslavia. The Hua Wei corporation is exporting its products to East European countries, South America and has a joint firm in Russia for the production of telecommunicaiton equipment, while in Hong Kong it recently won a tender in competition with Siemens. Milutinovic will visit on Tuesday the largest Chinese industrial center of Shangai and hold talks with the city's leadership.

[02] YUGOSLAV DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1997-08-25

Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Vojin Djukanovic on Monday received Italian Ambassador to Yugoslavia Ricardo Sesso and discussed with him the bilateral economic cooperation, the Yugoslav Information Secretariat said in a statement.

Both sides agreed there were realistic prospects of conducting and upgrading comprehensive cooperation. They focused on upgrading cooperation in all areas of transport (maritime, air and overland) and, at this stage, especially on bilateral exchange of overland transport permits, assessing that the upgrading of bilateral cooperation in this domain was one of the major preconditions for increasing overall commodity exchange.

The meeting also focused on cooperation in tourism and joint economic investments and in the domain of stimulating and developing private entrepreneurship.

[03] INTERNATIONAL FACTORS INTERESTED IN HIGHWAYS, RAILWAY IN SERBIA

Tanjug, 1997-08-25

Serbian Ministers Branislav Ivkovic, Svetolik Kostadinovic and Dejan Kovacevic held talks in the Serbian Government seat with representatives of the Greek economic group Eurodinamiks and the Vice-President of the U.S. group Parson Transportation, Zigmund Kobes, the Information Ministry said. Guests were interested in taking part in the building and financing of transportation infrastructure in Serbia, primarily highways and the railway.

It was said that the adoption of the Spatial Plan, the Law on Concessions, regulations in the field of foreign investments and of the Law on Ownership Transformation, at the initiative of the Serbian Government, has created an attractive economic and legal environment for the participation of foreign partners in infastructure development programs.

[04] PLAVSIC INVITES ARMY GENERAL STAFF TO MEETING IN BANJALUKA ON TUESDAY

Tanjug, 1997-08-25

Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic told a press conference in Banjaluka on Tuesday that she had invited the Republika Srpska Army General Staff to a meeting on Tuesday and that she expected them to accept the invitation. Plavsic said that in the General Staff's August 22 letter, the Collegium of the Republika Srpska generals accused her of the current grave political crisis. She said, however, that the contents of the letter differed from what had been agreed with Chief of General Staff Gen. Pero Colic following the outbreak of the constitutional crisis.

She said she had read in the Glas Srpski paper that the Republika Srpska Government had decided to sever contacts with her, which she described as anti-constitutional.

The Government is responsible to the President for its actions, Plavsic said. She said that, as a Supreme Commander, she had the right to dismiss those in charge of the armed forces, including Interior Minister Dragan Kijac, and that it was "her conditional right" to call Government sessions, but that the Government had failed to accept the invitations twice already.

Plavsic said that newly-appointed Interior Minister Marko Pavic was performing his duty.

Plavsic said that Pale leaders were allegedly pressuring the Srpska Radio Television (SRT) Banjaluka studio and that this had prompted all its employees to a public rally late on Sunday where they called for a united information system in the Republika Srpska, without the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) domination of the SRT or SRT's being in the service of this party.

[05] MONTENEGRIN OFFICIALS SUPPORT OSCE MISSION

Tanjug, 1997-08-25

Nikolai Vulkanov of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) visited Montenegro on Monday to discuss upcoming presidential and early parliamentary elections in this Yugoslav republic.

Vulkanov had talks at the Montenegrin foreign and interior Ministries, election commission and radio and television on preparations for the elections.

A Foreign Ministry statement quoted him as expressing "satisfaction with actions taken to date in all segments of the process leading up to the elections for creating the necessary conditions for democratic and fair elections."

The Montenegrin partners in talks expressed the readiness of state bodies and institutions to cooperate fully with and give every support to the OSCE monitors in order that their mission should be discharged in line with the OSCE procedure, the statement added.

[06] GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER IN SARAJEVO

Tanjug, 1997-08-25

German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe arrived in Sarajevo on Monday.

During the day, Ruehe confered with High Representative of the international community for Bosnia-Herzegovina Carlos Westendorp on civilian and military matters concerning the repatriation of about 320,000 Bosnian war refugees from Germany. Ruehe also visited German troops on the international force who are stationed in Kiseljak near Sarajevo.

[07] GERMAN DEFENSE MINISTER ON BOSNIA'S FATE

Tanjug, 1997-08-25

The fate of Bosnia-Herzegovina will be decided in September, German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe said on Monday in Sarajevo. That month will be decisive for Bosnia's future due to the local elections scheduled for September 14, Ruehe said.

German news agency DPA reports that Ruehe, who is on his seventh visit to Sarajevo, discussed the conditions for a more massive repatriation of refugees to Bosnia, including the 285,000 hosted by Germany.

Visiting the Sarajevo suburb Hadzici, Ruehe promised more aid as the suburb is inhabited by Muslims, Croats and Serbs together, DPA reports.

Hadzici is the location of the German civilian and military Headquarters whose principal task is to gather information on safe areas for the repatriation of refugees. Its civilian experts are in charge of technical assistance, while military experts study the situation in the field and report to their central Headquarters in Bonn on available accommodation and on the readiness of local population to accept repatriates.

[08] OSCE OFFICIAL PRAISES YUGOSLAVIA'S ARMS CONTROL RESULTS

Tanjug, 1997-08-22

Spokesman for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe chairman Vigleik Eide on Friday praised Yugoslavia's results in the implementation of an Agreement on subregional arms control. Speaking after a several-day visit to Yugoslavia, Eide told Tanjug that the Yugoslav side had carried out its obligations in a highly professional way which guaranteed that the second phase of the Agreement would be realised by the end of October as planned.

Eide said that the other signatories to the agreement - Croatia, and Bosnia- Herzegovina and its entities, the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Republika Srpska - consistently fulfilled their obligations.

According to him, the implementation of the agreement would help restore confidence and improve understanding both among the signatories and in the region.

Eide headed a delegation of the OSCE consultative commission for the subregional arms control, which visited Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Yugoslav Government's Commission for the implementation of the Agreement.

The delegation held separate meetings with Yugoslav Defence Minister Pavle Bulatovic, Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic and Chief of General Staff Gen. Momcilo Perisic.

The Commission also visited the centre where the agreement is being carried out in practice.

[09] UKRAINIAN AMBASSADOR: NEW PAGE IN UKRAINE-YUGOSLAVIA RELATIONS

Tanjug, 1997-08-24

Ukrainian Ambassador to Yugoslavia Vadim Primachenko has said that another page has been opened in the relations between Ukraine and Yugoslavia, while the closeness of their two peoples dates back to ancient times. In an interview with the Belgrade daily Politika on the occasion of Ukraine's independence anniversary, Primachenko said that another page in the bilateral cooperation was opened in 1993, when the new, sovereign and independent state of Ukraine inaugurated its diplomatic and consular office in Belgrade.

He said that, in less than four years, Ukraine and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had signed a number of bilateral agreements in different areas, initialling many others. He said that the most important one, regulating inter-state relations, was currently being coordinated.

Primachenko said that Ukraine and Yugoslavia, at the same time, had a real political dialogue, adding that Belgrade and Kiev had exchanged visits of high-ranking government and parliamentary delegations.

He said that the trade between Ukraine and Yugoslavia amounted to about 70 million US dollars in 1996, but that the prospects in this domain were considerably bigger.

He said he hoped that a Mixed Mommittee for economic, trade and scientific and technical cooperation would also contribute to the upgrading of the relations and added that cultural cooperation between the two countries was at a much higher level.

Primachenko said that during the international sanctions against Yugoslavia, Ukraine had urged their lifting and it now beleived that Yugoslavia's return to all international organizations as soon as possible would contribute to the strengthening of bilateral cooperation.

[10] MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT BULATOVIC RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1997-08-22

Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic received in Podgorica on Friday Italian Ambassador to Yugoslavia Ricardo Sesso. The two sides described as positive a development of Yugoslav-Italian relations, and in this context, the overall relations between Montenegro and Italy.

The Presidential Office said in a statement released after the meeting that the talks had focused also on the issues of further upgrading of cooperation between Montenegro and Italy within the development of overall relations and cooperation between Yugoslavia and Italy and especially on joint activities of importance and interest to both countries.

Bulatovic again paid tribute to Italy's objective, principled and constructive position in the process of settling the crisis in the former Yugoslavia and in the domain of Yugoslavia's reintegration into the international community. As for the current political situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Montenegro, Bulatovic said this was the crucial stage in strengthening and stabilizing the democratic processes, which defracted through the issue of relations to the federal state and the functioning of constitutional and legal principles in Montenegro.

Speaking of the constitutional concept of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the position of its member-republics, Bulatovic stressed that there were no legal or institutional mechanisms for any kind of Yugoslav Army's involvement in settling the political crisis in Montenegro or introducing the state of emergency.

Bulatovic also said that there was no fact in the political life of Montenegro or Yugoslavia that could trigger such predictions. He said that such rumours, coming from well-known political circles, were merely an attempt to emphasize a claim that Montenegro allegedly enjoyed an unequal treatment and was threatened in Yugoslavia, and that they aimed to distract the citizens' attention from real problems, those who caused these problems and from the way of settling them.

[11] YUGOSLAVIA, AZERBAIDZHAN SIGN PROTOCOL ON SETTING UP DIPLOMATIC TIES

Tanjug, 1997-08-22

Yugoslavia and Azerbaidzhan have signed a protocol on establishing diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level. The protocol was signed by Yugoslav Ambassador to Turkey Darko Tanaskovic and Azerbaidzhan's Ambassador to Turkey Mehmed Aliyev, in Ankara on Thursday.

[12] BANK CREDITS AND CMC TO STEP-UP EFFECTS OF DEBT CLEARANCE

Tanjug, 1997-08-22

The introduction of Compulsory Multilateral Compenstaion (CMC) into the existing system of payments in the country is a preventive measure of the current economic policy introduced by the Federal Government to reduce insolvency in the economy, banking and public spending, and control growing financil non-discipline, Yugoslav Deputy Premier Danko Djunic said on Friday. Compulsory debt clearance was also necessary to give more weight to the effect of pumping new funds into the country's economy, Djunic told a press conference in Belgrade.

In the first half of the year, more than 37,000 legal entities, with over a million employees, had blocked accounts with the Yugoslav National Bank because of arrears, with the dominant number of insolvents - 35,000 with 950,000 employees in the economy. A total of 80,179 legal entities have registered for the fist CMC cycle of the six planned for this year, and 5.8 billion dinars in debts have been cleared of the registered amount of 47.5 billion dinars (1 U.S. dollar = 6 dinars).

Also, 12.3 percent of the total registered debts were compensated for, or 14.7 percent of debts that can be cleared without additional engagement of money, the domestic resource most in hard supply.

Most of the compensated mass was in the economy - 3.1 billion dinars, or 10.8 percent of the registered debts, or 12.9 percent of the sum to be compensated.

Public spending took part in compensation for the first time, so that budgets of state organs and organizations cleared 1.2 billion dinars, and funds about a billion dinars.

Djunic said only debts and outstandings were being cleared, and not giro accounts, which means that no-one's funds can be blocked.

The possibility of multiplied debt clearance in additional compensation is increased with additional bank funds, because this further increases the amount of cleared debts.

The respective bank, provided it is solvent, decides about the engagement and amount of these funds independently, he said.

[13] OSCE ACCEPTS INVITATION TO MONITOR ELECTIONS

Tanjug, 1997-08-22

The Organization for security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Friday said it was accepted an invitation to supervize the presidential elections in Montenegro on Oct. 5 this year. OSCE Chairman Niels Helveg Petersen informed Montenegrin parliament Speaker Svetozar Marovic about this in a letter which also said the Organization would immediately begin the necessary prepartions.

The letter said the OSCE hoped its observers would be provided support.

[14] KRAJISNIK: RS WANTS GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Tanjug, 1997-08-23

Republika Srpska President in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Momcilo Krajisnik accepted here on Friday the invitation of Swedish Ambassador in Sarajevo Nils Eliasson that RS representatives be present tomorrow in Tuzla at the welcoming ceremony for the King of Sweden, visiting the Swedish batallion within SFOR.

Commenting on developments in RS, Krajisnik denied reports that he had invited SFOR to apply force in Banjaluka.

Krajisnik said that it was now clear to everyone for whom the multinational forces had secured forcible entry into the public security center building in Banjaluka. He added that RS President Biljana Plavsic was ignoring the Constitution and laws of RS and that Baljaluka risked isolation "as there are indications that control points will be set up in that city."

In regard to relations with SFOR, Krajisnik said that RS wanted good relations with the multinational forces and the international community, but that it will oppose the policy of drawing SFOR into the political dispute in RS.

"Someone gave the order to SFOR to brutally expell legal police forces and to enter by force the Public Security Center in Banjaluka and set up paramilitary formations," Krajisnik said, pointing out that this was the the gravest violation of the Dayton Agreement so far.

Krajisnik indicated consequences for RS would be unforeseeable if the Constitution and laws were continued to be stifled.

[15] GOVERNMENT SUSPENDS DECREE, COOPERATION WITH RS PRESIDENT

Tanjug, 1997-08-23

The Republika Srpska (RS) Government suspended on Saturday the decree issued by RS President Biljana Plavsic on the appointment of Acting Interior Minister Marko Pavic, pending a Constitutional Court ruling, RS news agency SRNA reported. Pavic, Srna said, has refused to accept the post, if it is not in the context of the activities of the RS Government and of the Serbian Democratic party, of which he is a member. The RS Government has announced that it was no longer under the obligation to cooperate with Biljana Plavsic, since she had refused to comply with the decision of the Constitional Court and, by her latest decisions, was continuing to violate the RS constitution and laws.

Under the Government's decision to suspend relations with the RS President, all future decisions, acts and doings of President Biljana Plavsic will be considered irregular, illegitimate and non-binding for the Government, and "will remain so until Mrs Plavsic complies with the constitution and laws of Republika Srpska and returns to the seat of the organs of the republic."

[16] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA ARMY ON POLITICAL, SECURITY SITUATION

Tanjug, 1997-08-22

The Republika Srpska chiefs of General Staff said here late on Thursday that the political and security situation in the Republika Srpska was very serious and that it was directly linked with the unconstitutional actions and decisions by President Biljana Plavsic, the Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA said on Friday.

"Our estimates have come true set out in the letter sent to the Republika Srpska President on July 5, where we warned, among other things, about the intentions by part of the international community to use the internal constitutional and political crisis in the Republic for the realisation of their goals," the chiefs of General Staff said in a statement.

The statement said that by openly interfering in the Republika Srpska problems and supporting one side to the political conflict, part of the international community had violated the Dayton Accords and, under a well- known scenario, opened a new phase in the the crisis in the Republika Srpska aimed at its disintegration and creation of Bosnia-Herzegovina as a unitary state. "In the realisation of the set goal, misunderstandings and divisions among the Serbs are skilfully used," the statement said and added that the latest developments in the Republic were part of this scenario directed against all state institutions and the Republika Srpska Army.

The General Staff believes that it is necessary to ensure a professional, efficacious and responsible carrying out of the roles of all state organs, especially the Republika Srpska Government and Defence Ministry.

"Starting with the army's constitutional role, the collegiate body of the chiefs of General Staff is determined to defend the Republika Srpska and its people with all available means and to oppose all attempts at dividing the Republika Srpska Army conducive to the division and disintegration of the Republika Srpska.

"If some protagonists of the crisis continue destabilising and undermining the state, the Republika Srpska Army will no longer tolerate and warn, but will take measures aimed at defending the integrity, soverignty and constitutional organisation in keeping with the Constitution and moral obligation," the statement said.

[17] OSCE OFFICIALS MEET WITH MEMBERS OF SERBIAN ELECTORAL COMMISSION

Tanjug, 1997-08-22

A working meeting of the Serbian Electoral Commission and officials of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) was held at the Serbian Parliament on Friday, the Serbian Electoral Commission said in a statement.

The OSCE officials are visiting Serbia to make the necessary preparations for the presence of international monitors at republican presidential and parliamentary elections in September.

Head of the Electoral Commission Balsa Govedarica and other commission members informed the OSCE officials about election laws and regulations and the organisation of elections in Serbia.

The Commission informed the OSCE officials also about the readiness of all 29 Serbian constituencies to help them carry out their mission through daily contacts with them.

International monitors will have access to all election documents and polling stations and will be allowed to monitor the activity of all electoral committees, the statement said.

[18] KLICKOVIC: PLAVSIC'S APPOINTMENT OF ACTING MINISTER IN VIOLATION OF CONSTITUTION

Tanjug, 1997-08-22

Republika Srpska (RS) Premier Gojko Klickovic has assessed that RS President Biljana Plavsic by appointing on Friday an acting Interior Minister had once again flagrantly violated the constitution and laws of RS.

Biljana Plavsic's Cabinet in Banjaluka announced on Friday that she had appointed by decree as Acting Interior Minister Marko Pavic, instead of the suspended Dragan Kijac.

In a statement to RS Radio Television, Klickovic explained that according to constitutional and legal procedure the Interior Minister can be appointed only by the premier, and then approved by Parliament.

The RS president can only appoint the Premier designate who then appoints the cabinet, Klickovic said.

Plavsic's decision is thus unconstitutional, he added.

Klickovic said that the RS Government already had a Minister of internal affairs and did not intend to make any cabinet changes, "especially changes made under the pressure of those who wish to overthrow the RS Government."

"All moves made at this moment are aimed at breaking up compeletly, or destroying Republika Srpska, and the Government will not allow that," Klickovic said and assessed that "by this move the President has that she has decided not to cooperate with the RS Government."

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