Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-09-19

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES ECONOMIC POLICY FOR 1998

[02] PREMIER MARJANOVIC INAUGURATED THE PECENJEVAC-KOCANE HIGHWAY SECTION

[03] YUGOSLAV ARCHIVES ON INTERNET

[04] THE YUGOSLAV-HUNGARIAN INTER*STATE COMMITTEE

[05] U.S. OBSERVERS WILL FOLLOW ELECTIONS IN SERBIA

[06] PRESIDENT PLAVSIC RECEIVED FROWICK

[07] BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL SATISFIED WITH FIRST LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

[08] KINKEL CONFIRMED WAGNER'S DEATH IN BOSNIA CHOPPER CRASH

[09] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVED MINISTER GRANIC

[10] DJUNIC RECEIVED JAPANESE OFFICIAL

[11] SERBIAN LANGUAGE AND ALPHABET SHOULD ENTER OFFICIAL USE

[12] SERB NATIONAL COUNCIL: SERBS WILL NOT BE PLACED IN GHETTOS

[13] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL ADDRESSED THE IPU PLENARY SESSION

[14] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA OFFICIAL SAYS 230,000 PEOPLE UNABLE TO VOTE

[15] SERBIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER RECEIVES OSCE DELEGATION

[16] NEW WAVE OF TERRORISM IN KOSMET

[17] MILUTINOVIC AND GRANIC MEET FOR TALKS

[18] CANCAR: MORE THAN 90 PERCENT TURNOUT OF VOTERS

[19] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC: YUGOSLAVIA'S ROAD TO EUROPE

[20] VOTING AT LOCAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WELL ORGANIZED IN FRY

[21] MOMIR BULATOVIC - DPS CANDIDATE

[22] FAVOURABLE RUSSIAN LOAN FOR YUGOSLAVIA

[01] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES ECONOMIC POLICY FOR 1998

Tanjug, 1997-09-17

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic said on Wednesday that the stability of prices and the exchange rate of the dinar, stepping up the pace of production, export, privatization, economic transformation and boosting living standards would be the basic goals of the economic policy in 1998.

Kontic was speaking at a meeting with Vojvodina businessmen, organized for the fourth time in a row by the Vojvodina Chamber of Commerce at the Novi Sad Fair. He said that prospects were real for a Social Product growth by about 10%, followed by a one-digit price rise. He said that the policy of foreign economic relations would be directed towards Yugoslavia's reintegration into international financial and trade organizations and further liberalization of foreign trade. Kontic said the economic policy in 1998 would focus on major prerequisites for normalizing relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other international financial institutions, on regulation of relations with the World Trade Organization, further normalization of relations with the European Union and also on stepping up ownership transformation and foreign investments, cutting down public expenditures and increasing fiscal and financial discipline. As for macro-economic movements in the Yugoslav economy, Kontic said that the basic goals of the economic policy, determined by the Yugoslav Government, were implemented over the past eight months of 1997. He said that prices and the exchange rate were stable, while retail prices were up by about 3% or approximately 0.3% monthly, as compared with December 1996. Kontic said that one-digit inflation in 1997, one of the lowest in Europe, was a remarkable result, considering the fact that the rate of inflation was about 120% in 1995 and about 60% in 1996. He said that, in the same period, import was increased by 28.2% as compared with the first seven months of 1996 and, with steps that had been undertaken, its results would get very close to the planned 40% rise in 1997. Despite = very important results achieved in the past period of 1997, Kontic reported a series of major problems in implementing the economic policy in 1997. He said the biggest problem was a further presence of the "outer wall of sanctions", and, therefore, the Federal Government's priority was to bring Yugoslavia back into the international community. He said that major internal problems were illegal parallel economy and those in the area of public expenditures. Kontic said results of the foreign policy were also very important. He also said that Yugoslavia had been accepted as an important and indispensable factor in the peace process, and also as a constructive and respected bilateral partner. He said that, thanks to the principled and constructive domestic policy, approaches to estimating the past tragic developments in the former Yugoslavia had become objective and more balanced. He said that normalization of relations with the former Yugoslav republics had continued, especially with Macedonia and Croatia, reporting also stepped-up activities in drafting the division of assets of the former Yugoslavia. Despite major progress on the relations with the international community, we are still being blocked by the "outer wall of sanctions", said Kontic. He also said that Yugoslavia's status in international organizations and institutions was more a political than a legal or economic matter. Kontic illustrated Yugoslavia's unequal position by saying that the division of assets is a condition for the lifting of the outer wall of sanctions, whereas no such or similar conditions have been made to former Yugoslav republics that normalized their relations with international organizations. He said that Yugoslavia's undefined status in the United Nations was an anachronism, considering the UN's universality. He also said that this problem could be overcome in a very pragmatic way. We believe that the UN General Assembly could make a decision enabling Yugoslavia to renew its activities within this and other UN working bodies without any political consideration, said Kontic. A renewal of Yugoslavia's activities within the UN working bodies would secure a normalization of its relations with other international organizations and institutions, said Kontic.

[02] PREMIER MARJANOVIC INAUGURATED THE PECENJEVAC-KOCANE HIGHWAY SECTION

Tanjug, 1997-09-17

Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic inaugurated on Wednesday a stretch of the highway between Pecenjevac and Kocane, a part of the international road Belgrade-Nis-Macedonian border.

Premier Marjanovic told a crowd of several thousand that Serbia and Yugoslavia were increasingly integrating themselves into the European transportation and communications systems and all other international economic and developmental processes.

Serbia is opening up to the rest of the world on all fronts, and the world is simultaneously opening up to Serbia, Premier Marjanovic said.

The policy we pursue and the energy and courage we have displayed in the difficult years of the blockade have convinced the whole world that we are a society capable of creatively using our resources and securing a material base for survival in hard times and a material base for rapid recovery and prosperity once the hard times are over, Marjanovic emphasised.

"We are sure that the most difficult years are behind us. And, the Government of national unity has created conditions for economic recovery, which is increasingly turning into stepped-up growth," the Serbian Premier set out.

He said that an even faster integration of Serbia and Yugoslavia into the international movement of goods, services, capital and labour called for "serious efforts in the building and modernization of our infrastructure."

Premier Marjanovic pointed out that more than 320 million German marks had been invested into roads, railways and the power industry from the republic's Development Fund this year alone, and noted that greater attention would be devoted to tourism in the future.

[03] YUGOSLAV ARCHIVES ON INTERNET

Tanjug, 1997-09-17

The Archives of Yugoslavia were linked on Wednesday to the global world information network Internet.

Archives Director Jovan Popovic said that the Archives will appear on Internet within several topical units which provide basic information about its founding, status, organizational development and activities, as well as the content of the archives, conditions and ways of using them, publishing activities and international cooperation.

The Archives will appear on Internet in Serbia and English at the web address: http:// www.gov.yu / archiv.

[04] THE YUGOSLAV-HUNGARIAN INTER*STATE COMMITTEE

Tanjug, 1997-09-17

The two co-chairmen of the Yugoslav-Hungarian Inter*state Committee for economic, industrial and technical cooperation, Filip Turcinovic - who is Assistant Yugoslav Foreign Trade Minister, and Lajos Bereni - who is Hungarian Undersecretary in the Trade, Industry and Tourism Ministry, met here on Wednesday.

The state and promotion of economic cooperation between the two countries and concrete activities for the preparation of the next session of the Joint Committee to be held in Budapest at the start of 1998, were discussed.

[05] U.S. OBSERVERS WILL FOLLOW ELECTIONS IN SERBIA

Tanjug, 1997-09-17

The United States will send observers to Serbia for the September 21 parliamentary and presidential elections, State Department Spokesman James Foley said late on Tuesday. He told the press at a regular briefing that the U.S. mission will be part of the OSCE delegation. The upcoming elections in Serbia will also be directly followed by delegations of very influential non-governmental organizations. It has been confirmed in Washington that the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and the Foundation for Election Systems will send observers to Serbia.

[06] PRESIDENT PLAVSIC RECEIVED FROWICK

Tanjug, 1997-09-17

Republika Srpska (RS) President Biljana Plavsic received Robert Frowick, Chief of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Talks dealt with the implementation and results of local elections, and preparations for the upcoming extraordinary parliamentary elections in RS.

"Although I expected it, I was very pleased to learn that the elections in the territory of RS were correct," Biljana Plavsic said and added "Serbs like elections because they want problems to be solved by democratic means."

Frowick said after the meeting that the just completed local elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina were only the first phase in the long process of democratisation in the country. He especially praised the citizens of RS, primarily because of turning out at the polling stations and expressing their free will.

[07] BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL SATISFIED WITH FIRST LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

Tanjug, 1997-09-17

Republika Srpska Deputy Prime Minister and Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) Acting President Aleksa Buha said that he was satisfied with the first, unofficial results of the local elections. Bosnian Serb Television quoted Buha as saying that the SDS had remained the main and by far the strongest party.

Stressing that he was pleased with the turnout, Buha said that people had realised that the elections were about the survival of the Republika Srpska as a single state. He said that regardless of the final results, the local elections could not resolve the "duality of government existing in the Republika Srpska," because there could be no democratic solutions without new parliamentary and presidential elections and even the elections for a new Republika Srpska representative in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency if necessary. Buha said that the holding of parliamentary elections alone would results in the "creation of at least two state structures, i.e. the territorial and political division of the Republika Srpska."

[08] KINKEL CONFIRMED WAGNER'S DEATH IN BOSNIA CHOPPER CRASH

Tanjug, 1997-09-17

German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel confirmed in Bonn late on Wednesday the report of the death of German diplomat Gerd Wagner in a helicopter crash in Bosnia earlier on Wednesday.

Wagner died when the United Nations helicopter he was flying in, piloted by an Ukrainian crew, crashed into a hill on route from Sarajevo to the town of Bugojno in the Muslim-Croat Federation.

Wagner, aged 55, was appointed Deputy to the International Community's High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Carlos Westendorp three months ago. Kinkel told a news conference that 12 passengers had died in the crash, including another German diplomat and three German nationals. Among the victims were also five U.S. citizens, one British subject and one Pole, Kinkel said, confirming that the four Ukrainian crew members had survived the crash.

Kinkel said that the helicopter had been flying a mission ordered by the NATO-led peace Stabilisation force (SFOR) command which had to do with supervising the return of refugees and with last week's elections in Bosnia- Herzegovina.

[09] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVED MINISTER GRANIC

Tanjug, 1997-09-15

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received on Monday Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic and his host, Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic.

The talks focused on matters of interest for the further strengthening of bilateral relations between Yugoslavia and Croatia.

Both sides expressed interest in the creation of conditions which should secure a renewal and stable development of mutual ties and cooperation, especially having in mind the interests of citizens and the economies of the two countries.

The importance of the further due and integral realization of the Erdut agreement was emphasized.

It was jointly assessed that regular holding of political dialogue between Yugoslavia and Croatia should continue, as the best way to overcome the remaining outstanding issues in international relations and the construction of a climate of mutual confidence and understanding, which should contribute to cementing peace and stability in the region.

[10] DJUNIC RECEIVED JAPANESE OFFICIAL

Tanjug, 1997-09-15

Deputy Yugoslav Premier Danko Djunic received Japanese Parliament's Foreign Policy Committee President Ichiro Aisawa in Belgrade on Saturday.

This is the first high-level meeting between the two countries since relations were normalized. The talks lasted over an hour and were comprehensive and friendly, with mutual understanding, the Deputy Premier's office said.

Aisawa underscored the importance of Yugoslavia's full return to the international community, saying the implementation of the Dayton accords was the road to stability, development and further democratic processes in the region.

Djunic said it was necessary for Yugoslavia to be reintegrated into international organizations, especially international financial institutions, where there were still certain obstacles of a political nature. Djunic spoke about Japan's role in the world as a global factor with a strong economy, which can contribute to stabilization and economic development, and said he hoped Japan would approach Yugoslavia's situation with understanding.

Djunic informed Aisawa about the concept of economic reforms aimed primarily at creating an open market economy. Integral reforms cannot be achieved quickly, but are a lengthy process, he said.

Yugoslavia is interested in open cooperation with all international subjects, including Japan, in order to secure necessary help for the implementation of reforms, he said.

Aisawa spoke about the significant possibilities, activities, but also certain principles which determine Japan's participation in supporting economic reforms in certain countries.

Views were exchanged on prospects for overall and especially economic cooperation. Interest was expressed in Japanese capital entering Yugoslavia and the expansion of trade, but a market economy and international standards are necessary for this, it was agreed.

The announced exchange of ambassadors will give impetus to further bilateral development, as well as a continuation and promotion of high- level dialogue, said Djunic.

Aisawa said the useful talks had given him a better understanding of Yugoslavia. He invited Djunic soon to visit Japan, said the statement.

[11] SERBIAN LANGUAGE AND ALPHABET SHOULD ENTER OFFICIAL USE

Tanjug, 1997-09-13

Discussions about the return of refugees and the state of Serb media in Croatia, chaired by Milorad Pupovac, continued on Saturday the second day of the session of the Serbian National Council Presidency in Croatia.

Presidency members adopted unanimously on Friday the proposal of the President of the Serb cultural society Prosveta, Slobodan Uzelac, to make known to President Franjo Tudjman and to the entire public the document about the educational and cultural autonomy of Serbs in Croatia, especially the recently-signed agreement on the education of Serb children in the region under UNTAES administration, was neglected or simply not put into practice.

Uzelac characterized the actions of the Croatian Education and Sports Minister and of other representatives of education authorities in Croatia as "deliberate and organized obstruction of the declared right of the Serb community to cultural and educational autonomy, which in the end is also detrimental for the Republic of Croatia."

In his view, that Ministry should review its actions, put an end to obstruction and start acting in accordance with the Constitution and signed documents.

The Serbian National Council Presidency in conclusion called on parents and school children to attend Serb schools in the region in spite of the risks involved.

The call is the result of the opinion that things will improve in the future and that the risks of schooling and finding employment with diplomas obtained in Serb schools will diminish as the society moves further away from war.

The Presidency, discussing the right and possibilities of using the official Serbian language everywhere in the Republic of Croatia where the Serb community represents a majority or a significant minority of the population, adopted an Act on the public use on an equal footing of the Serbian language and the cyrillic alphabet.

"We demand that the Serbian language and cyrillic, in cities or municipalities where Serbs form a majority or a significant minority, be in official use, so that official documents are issued in both languages and alphabets," Pupovac said.

He stressed that the Act was also significant because of the media, so that Serb media in the region, but also in other parts of Croatia could use their language and alphabet.

The Act is significant, he added, also because of signposting in the Serbian language for towns, street names and other public institutions, as is the case in some other parts of Croatia where representatives of other national minorities live.

[12] SERB NATIONAL COUNCIL: SERBS WILL NOT BE PLACED IN GHETTOS

Tanjug, 1997-09-12

The Presidency of the Serb National Council began a two-day session in Vukovar on Friday under the chairmanship of its President Milorad Pupovac. The Council is in charge of issues concerning the return of displaced persons, schools, media and the preservation of elements of national identity.

"Serb people do not ask for special privileges, simply for the privilege of being equal with others," Pupovac said, adding that Serbs demanded those rights which others already have - the right to their script, language, religion, culture and sense of belonging to their people.

Pupovac said the Council did not intend to place Serbs in ghettos in Croatia. With their existence and functioning, Serb people primarily want to contribute to the democratization of Croatia and the normalization of relations between Yugoslavia and Croatia, he said. This will not be possible, however, without organized institutions for preserving the Serb identity, he said.

Speaking about the objectives of the Presidency session, Council Vice- President Svetozar Livada pointed out that this institution was ready to be the best partner in dialogue to all Croatian institution.

"We have the intellectual strength to be the defense mechanism for all assaults on the lives and property of the Serb people in Croatia," said Livada.

In an introductory speech, Srem-Baranja region's Joint Council of Municipalities President Milos Vojinovic underlined that the Councils and other institutions would do their utmost to contribute to the settlement of all topical issues.

Pointing out that Serb institutions do not exist in order to criticize certain institutions in Croatia without any arguments, Vojinovic said the basic objective was to realize the rights guaranteed to the Serb people on the basis of agreements signed earlier.

Serb Independent Democratic Party (SDSS) President Vojislav Stanimirovic said the Serb National Council should protect the rights and interests of Serbs in Croatia, which is far from easy, since Croatia passes laws made according to European standards but does not implement them in practice.

Stanimirovic illustrated this with the concrete example of schools in the region. Already at the beginning of the school year, the Croatian Ministry of Education violated an agreement on education.

Documents analyzing the situation in the region of the U.N. Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonija (UNTAES), which are being prepared, will be presented soon to Transitional Administrator Walker and ambassadors of member-states of the Contact Group.

Stanimirovic said he was confident the analysis prepared by the Serb leadership, together with reports by other interested sides and international observers, would considerably add to top international institutions getting the real picture about the situation in the region.

[13] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENT OFFICIAL ADDRESSED THE IPU PLENARY SESSION

Tanjug, 1997-09-14

Yugoslav Parliament official said here on Saturday he was convinced that Yugoslavia's internal reforms, its activities in the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and its commitment to an overall regional economic and political cooperation led to its faster reintegration into the international community.

Chamber of Republics Speaker (Upper House) Srdja Bozovic heads a Yugoslav delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Conference in Cairo.

On the third day of the Conference, Bozovic said at a plenary session's general debate that a confirmation of democratic reforms was indispensable for a faster development of the FR of Yugoslavia and its member-republics of Montenegro and Serbia.

Bozovic also referred to the world's political, economic and social situation and to economic and social reforms and democratic processes currently under way in Yugoslavia.

The IPU rallies members of 140 parliaments the world over. Participating in the Cairo Conference are about 1,600 delegates from 138 countries.

[14] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA OFFICIAL SAYS 230,000 PEOPLE UNABLE TO VOTE

Tanjug, 1997-09-14

Republika Srpska Deputy Prime Minister in charge of international relations Aleksa Buha said after casting his ballot in Pale on Sunday that he felt both satisfied and bitter.

Buha, who is also acting President of Republika Srpska's Serb Democratic Party (SDS), also said he was "satisfied that we are taking part in the municipal elections and bitter because a lot of Serbs were unable to exercise their democratic right."

He said that 160,000 people from the FR of Yugoslavia and another 70,000 from the Republika Srpska were unable to cast their ballots in the Bosnian Serb state.

Buha called on the Republika Srpska people to come to the polls and exercise their democratic right, despite irregularities created by the international community.

He said that representatives of the international community had disrespected an agreement, reached in Belgrade, on constituents in Brcko and that the international community was responsible for major violations of election rules there.

Commenting that during the making of the election rules, a great deal of changes and irregularities took place, Buha said that the Provisional Election Commission's latest rule that the elected municipal bodies of power would have a two-year mandate was made public on the eve of the elections. He also said that this clashed with the Dayton Peace Accords.

[15] SERBIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER RECEIVES OSCE DELEGATION

Tanjug, 1997-09-13

Serbian Parliament Speaker and acting Serbian President Dragan Tomic on Saturday received a delegation of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), headed by Anthony Welch.

The OSCE delegation will be monitoring Serbia's parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for September 21.

The Serbian Parliament Press Office said in a statement released after the meeting that the delegation had been informed about what had so far been achieved in the organization of the coming elections.

It was heard at the meeting that, as on all previous occasions, all steps had been taken to ensure fair and democratic elections.

Tomic said that the presence of OSCE observers would be of mutual interest and that the officially accredited monitors would have direct access to all election documents and to all polling stations. The OSCE observers will also have access to all information they should consider interesting.

Welch thanked Serbian authorities for giving the OSCE delegation a direct insight into all the documents and information that would help them become better informed about the election process, the statement said.

[16] NEW WAVE OF TERRORISM IN KOSMET

Tanjug, 1997-09-12

Some ten terrorist attacks on police stations in Kosovo and Metohija were carried out almost simultaneously a little after Thursday midnight.

The terrorists used automatic guns and bombs against the police in Rznic near Decani, in Kijevo, Suva Reka, Glogovac, Klincina, Podnosevac near Djakovica, Rudnik near Srbica and in Pec.

No-one was injured but considerable material damage was inflicted.

Radio Pristina said that the police used weapons to repel the terrorists. There is no information whether the attackers had casualties.

During the night, strong police forces blocked the roads leading towards the attacked police stations and a large scale investigation was mounted.

This is the biggest wave of terrorist attacks in Kosovo and Metohija recorded in the past years. So far, responsibility for all similar attacks was claimed by the Albanian separatist terrorist organization "Liberation Army of Kosovo."

[17] MILUTINOVIC AND GRANIC MEET FOR TALKS

Tanjug, 1997-09-15

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic and Croatian Foreign Minister and Vice-Premier Mate Granic opened talks on bilateral cooperation in Belgrade on Monday.

After the talks, Milutinovic and Granic are to sign a number of agreements on cooperation in spheres crucial to the promotion of Yugoslav-Croatian relations.

Granic arrived in Belgrade earlier in the day at Milutinovic's invitation.

[18] CANCAR: MORE THAN 90 PERCENT TURNOUT OF VOTERS

Tanjug, 1997-09-14

Republika Srpska Elections Commission President Petko Cancar said in Pale late on Sunday that figures available to the Commission showed that more than 90% of the citizens of Republika Srpska had gone to the polls to vote for municipal authorities on Saturday and Sunday.

Cancar expressed satisfaction with the number of citizens who cast their votes and said elections had proceeded without any problems, which the many controllers and supervisors at the polling stations could have seen for themselves.

He said he expected the first preliminary results for municipalities would be known on Monday.

[19] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC: YUGOSLAVIA'S ROAD TO EUROPE

Tanjug, 1997-09-14

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic said on Sunday at the inauguration of the trans-Yugoslav highway section from Subotica to Feketic, that it should be Yugoslavia's road into Europe and a peaceful future.

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by over 50,000 people, Milosevic inaugurated the 55-kilometre-long highway section from Subotica to Feketic.

"I am very gratified that we are opening today together this modern highway, which should be of great importance for our whole country and I would say of equal importance for all of Europe.

Allow me at the very beginning to thank, in your and in my name, the builders of this highway. Rain like this one today often interrupted them this summer but they completed it anyway two months ahead of schedule. They would have finished it even earlier if it had not been for the rain. But on the other hand it was very beneficial for agriculture.

Allow me on the occasion of the completion of an important economic project to say a few words. In the past years we have left behind us huge difficulties. Each of these difficulties will make history, just as the fact that we had the strength to overcome all of them. And today we can say that economic revival has started and that it is well under way.

This is confirmed by the fact that we have the highest industrial and agricultural production growth rate, that we have the highest growth of investments, that the basis of our development is growing stronger every day and that in many fields, especially in infrastructure, telecommunications, energy infrastructure and other fields we have made even seven-mile steps this year.

Further revival will gain momentum once we regulate fully relations with the international community, and here I think about both financial and political relations. That is why it is of great importance, among other things, how the situation will evolve and the pursuit of the implementation of the program in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or Republika Srpska.

I want to tell you that since the moment an agreement was reached as defined by the Dayton agreement for Bosnia and Herzegovina it became clear that the interests of the international community, the interests of the people in Republika Srpska and the interests of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia are converging. That is why it is precisely the greatest interest of Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska and of all our people that the agreement is implemented consistently.

I am certain that everyone here in Yugoslavia and in Republika Srpska will do their utmost for the agreement to be implemented. The first task in Republika Srpska is to make sure that the leadership is united, and that they do not fight for power.

The people in Republika Srpska should elect a leadership whose first concern should be their problems, instead of fighting for power. That unity is indispensable in the interest of our people. Here, Serbia is the best example how unity was necessary in order to successfully start revival. It would not have been possible to start, and the Government of National Unity would not have been successful if that unity, in the political sense, had not been achieved in Serbia.

I am certain that the citizens of the FRY, of Republika Srpska and the entire Serbian people will know how much this unity is important for the successful continuation of processes that have started here and there, in the interest of the assertion of our national interests and the interests of all citizens of the FR of Yugoslavia.

I want to say that I am very pleased, and I think that we are all pleased that this new highway is starting its life here, in the north of our country, in Vojvodina. In Vojvodina which, I would say in a symbolic manner represents a model how people live and develop together who belong to different nationalities, different religions, who have different interests, to live in peace and to make progress in the most important fields.

I am certain that all of Yugoslavia will live that way and that this model, that exists in Vojvodina, will be developed very well in multiethnic, multicultural, multinational Yugoslavia, where only on the policy of national equality can be based any progressive policy.

Allow me to say finally that this good will and cooperation among peoples and between people in the territory of Vojvodina and in the territory of Yugoslavia will overcome all big and small hatreds that lie on the way of development of our country, and that this highway will be a road leading our Yugoslavia into calmer waters and a happier life," Milosevic said.

[20] VOTING AT LOCAL ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WELL ORGANIZED IN FRY

Tanjug, 1997-09-14

OSCE deputy coordinator for voting outside Bosnia-Herzegovina, Gerda Theuermann said that the voting process at the local election in Bosnia- Herzegovina in the territory of the FR of Yugoslavia was very well organized.

Theuermann arrived from Vienna to follow the voting process in the territory of the FRY and visited on Saturday polling stations in Belgrade, Stara Pazova, Indjija, Novi Sad and Ruma.

"My impressions are excellent. The polling stations are organized according to regulations and the local staff and supervisors are very experienced, enabling the voting process to proceed as it should," Theuermann told Tanjug.

Asked to explain the omissions registered on Saturday at some polling stations, she said that some technical omissions had been registered, but that they had been removed. The omissions involved an insufficient number of reserve ballots for those voters who could not find themselves on the lists but who possessed written confirmation that they were registered voters.

"Those who were not listed received reserve ballots which are cast in separate boxes and sent to the Sarajevo Provisional Election Commission. These ballots, and the regular ones, will be counted by international observers, OSCE supervisors and representatives of all three peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina," Theuermann said.

[21] MOMIR BULATOVIC - DPS CANDIDATE

Tanjug, 1997-09-13

The Montenegrin Election Commission confirmed and declared on Saturday the candidacy of Momir Bulatovic for President of Montenegro, submitted by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) of Montenegro, represented by Momir Bulatovic.

The Election Commission confirmed the candidacy of Momir Bulatovic on the basis of the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court, which has assessed as unconstitutional the legal provision about the election of the President of the Republic, according to which a political party can have only one candidate for the highest office.

The proposed candidacy of Momir Bulatovic for President of the Republic fulfils all conditions determined by law for his confirmation and proclamation, the Montenegrin Election Commission said.

[22] FAVOURABLE RUSSIAN LOAN FOR YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1997-09-12

Delegations of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and the Russian Federation met here to coordinate a draft agreement between their two governments for a state loan to FRY for financing the export of Russian equipment, goods and services, as well as other major issues for the promotion of the two countries' overall economic relations, the Federal Information Secretariat said on Friday.

The FRY and Russian delegations were headed by Deputy Finance Ministers Dragutin Vucinic and Mikhail Kasyanov respectively, who signed the draft agreement.

The agreement has secured on a long term basis the import of Russian goods, especially, equipment needed by the Yugoslav economy.

The two delegations made up a list of Yugoslav companies importers from the Russian Federation. The list will be open to new additions in keeping with Yugoslav needs.

The other conditions of the loan are much more favourable than was initially proposed by the Russian side. The loan will amount up to 150 million dollars, with a +1.25 % interest rate, it will be used in the 1997- 99 period, with possible new loans if this one is not used up at the end of the period. Also achieved was a very favourable repayment schedule and a grace period in keeping with the type of equipment and goods imported from the Russian Federation.

The agreement is the first goods loan which FRY has received and which will be used for the renewal and reconstruction of the Yugoslav economy.

The forthcoming session of the Inter-Government Yugoslav-Russian Committee, planned for this October, will continue work on the coordination of an inter-bank arrangement aimed to put the agreement into operation.

During the Russian delegation's visit, also was held a meeting between the representatives of the National Bank of Yugoslavia and the Vnyshekonombank of the Russian Federation which focused on the balance of the clearing account. The two sides' corresponding bodies will continue activities in this sphere.

The Russian delegation also exchanged views on the two countries' activities in international financial institutions. The Russian delegation expressed readiness to fully support the reintegration of FRY into international financial and trade organizations, the Federal Information Secretariat said in a statement.

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