Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-10-13

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] PRIME MINISTER KONTIC RECEIVED JORDANIAN HEALTH MINISTER

[02] FRY*JORDAN: ACCORD ON COOPERATION IN HEALTH

[03] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA INTERIOR MINISTER: POLICE OBSERVES AGREEMENTS

[04] MARJANOVIC AND SAINOVIC ARRIVED IN MOSCOW

[05] CZECH FOREIGN MINISTER ARRIVES IN BELGRADE

[06] SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATION'S VISIT TO VOJVODINA OPENS COOPERATION PROSPECTS

[07] TALKS ON ALBANIAN-LANGUAGE EDUCATION INTERRUPTED

[08] KRAJISNIK: REPUBLIKA SRPSKA WILL REMAIN UNITED

[09] BOSNIAN SERB PREMIER SAID TELEVISION WILL TAKE NO DICTATES

[10] GERMAN TROOPS TO REMAIN IN BOSNIA AFTER EXPIRY OF SFOR MANDATE

[11] INTERLINKING OF YUGOSLAV ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM WITH EUROPE

[12] U.N.: DECISION ABOUT UNTAES MANDATE DEPENDS ON CROATIA'S CONDUCT

[13] TRAGEDY OF JASENOVAC VICTIMS TO BE PRESENTED TO U.S. PUBLIC

[14] FOREIGN MINISTER MILUTINOVIC REPORTS ON CONTACTS IN NEW YORK

[15] YUGOSLAV PREMIER RECEIVES PARTICIPANTS OF CONGRESS ON LIVESTOCK

[16] SERBIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER - STATEMENT

[17] GOVERNMENT ADOPTS A DOCUMENT ON THE COUNTRY'S DEVELOPMENT POLICY

[18] GROUP 3 PLUS 3 TO RESUME TALKS IN BELGRADE ON FRIDAY

[19] SERBIAN DEPUTY PREMIER MEETS LONDON COMPANY OFFICIALS

[20] YUGOSLAV-IRANIAN COMMISSION ENDS TALKS ON COOPERATION

[21] EXHIBITION OF SLOVAK ECONOMY AND CULTURE IN YUGOSLAVIA

[22] ELECTION COMMISSION CHAIRMAN STATEMENT

[23] YUGOSLAVIA - TURKEY: POSSIBILITIES FOR COOPERATION

[24] ANNAN: CROATIA FAILED TO MEET ITS OBLIGATIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIJA

[25] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR RECEIVES CZECH AWARD

[26] KRAJISNIK CONFERS WITH GERASIMOV

[27] SERBIA - SLOVAKIA: COOPERATION PROTOCOL

[28] YUGOSLAV MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT - STATEMENT

[01] PRIME MINISTER KONTIC RECEIVED JORDANIAN HEALTH MINISTER

Tanjug, 1997-10-10

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic conferred on Friday with Jordanian Health Minister Ashraf al-Kurdi, who headed a Jordanian delegation on a several-day visit to Yugoslavia.

The two sides voiced satisfaction with the renewal of cooperation between the two traditionally friendly countries after an interval of several years due to justified reasons, a Government statement said.

It was set out in the meeting that the interest displayed by the two sides and the agreements reached by them in the past few days in the domain of health were an indication that the bilateral cooperation would quickly pick up and surpass the previous level.

The two sides underscored the need for stepped-up work on inter-state agreements, above all those on the protection of investments and the avoidance of dual taxation.

Prime Minister Kontic suggested the renewal of top-level political dialogue between the two countries. He accepted an invitation from his Jordanian counterpart to visit the Hashemite Kingdom and an invitation for a return visit of the Yugoslav Health Minister.

The two sides agreed that they had both the interest and potentials to promote economic cooperation in keeping with their friendship, which Kontic and al-Kurdi set out had not been disrupted even at the time of grave trials during the crisis in the former Yugoslavia, the Government statement said.

[02] FRY*JORDAN: ACCORD ON COOPERATION IN HEALTH

Tanjug, 1997-10-10

Yugoslav Minister for Health and Social Policy Miroslav Ivanisevic and Jordanian Minister of Health and Health Care Assraf Al Kurdi signed on Friday an Agreement on mutual cooperation of the two countries in the fields of health, medical science and pharmacy.

According to Ivanisevic, the cooperation plan between FRY and Jordan in the field of health involves training and education of Jordanian medical personnel in our country, Yugoslav aid to Jordan in building rehabilitation centers, primarily cardio-vascular institutions, and the opening of possibilities for the development of health tourism.

Ivanisevic added that this is yet another accord signed by the FRY in the field of health, confirming Yugoslavia's commitment to renew international cooperation.

Jordanian Minister Al Kurdi expressed hope that the positive effects of the agreement will be visible in the near future and added that this was an agreement between two friendly countries who wish to deepen their links.

[03] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA INTERIOR MINISTER: POLICE OBSERVES AGREEMENTS

Tanjug, 1997-10-11

Republika Srpska Interior Minister Slavko Paleksic on Saturday described relations with the Bosnia Stabilisation Force as better than ever.

Paleksic thanked SFOR Commander Eric Shinseki for the operation in which SFOR had separated "Banja Luka paramilitary police and legal Interior Ministry members in Tromedje between Prnjavor and Derventa."

Paleksic said that relations with SFOR had "significantly improved, because we have agreed and all conditions have been met for starting the reconstruction and reorganisation" of the Interior Ministry, primarily the Special Police Brigade.

He said that his proposal had been accepted to carry out the reconstruction of the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry in Trebinje on October 16-17, in Brcko on October 23-24 and in Doboj on November 7-8.

Paleksic explained that the term reconstruction meant the testing of policemen's knowledge of police rules and their physical ability and said that the Republika Srpska Interior Ministry would afterwards make identification cards, which would be checked by the International Police Task Force.

Paleksic said he expected that the majority of policemen would pass the tests and that the Republika Srpska would have an internationally-approved police force.

"We have done all in our power to fully implement the Dayton Accords, and we will not deviate from it," Paleksic said.

[04] MARJANOVIC AND SAINOVIC ARRIVED IN MOSCOW

Tanjug, 1997-10-12

Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic and Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic arrived in Moscow on Sunday, accompanied by their associates.

A statement issued by the Serbian Information Ministry said the visit was aimed at boosting economic cooperation between Yugoslavia and Russia and in particular at improving still further the existing gas deal.

Marjanovic and Sainovic are to discuss the matter with Russian Government officials and businessmen, the statement said.

[05] CZECH FOREIGN MINISTER ARRIVES IN BELGRADE

Tanjug, 1997-10-13

Czech Foreign Minister and Vice-Premier Josef Zieleniec arrived on an official visit to Yugoslavia on Monday.

Zieleniec arrived on a one-day visit at the invitation of Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic.

[06] SOUTH AFRICAN DELEGATION'S VISIT TO VOJVODINA OPENS COOPERATION PROSPECTS

Tanjug, 1997-10-10

A four-day visit to Vojvodina of a delegation of South Africa's Northern Province has shown that there are great prospects for bilateral cooperation, the Vojvodina Information Secretariat said in a statement issued on Friday.

The statement said that the South African delegation had shown major interest in cooperation in the areas of agriculture, agricultural engineering, technological innovations and environmental protection, especially in the domain of scientific and research projects that had already won recognition on foreign markets.

To that end, the delegation met also with Head of the Novi Sad University Olga Hadzic and visited the University's Medical School and Faculties of Agriculture and Technology, said the statement.

It said that the two sides had stressed the need for an exchange of achievements in science and education and also for an exchange of students and lecturers.

The statement also said that the South African delegation had visited Vojvodina's agricultural and processing plants and other food-processing companies and agricultural produce manufacturers, whose line of production were in demand on the South African market, and was impressed with their results.

The delegation showed interest also in environmental protection, and, in the area of culture, in cooperation between cultural clubs, artists and other cultural associations and authors, the statement said.

[07] TALKS ON ALBANIAN-LANGUAGE EDUCATION INTERRUPTED

Tanjug, 1997-10-10

The 3+3 Working Group in charge of the implementation of an agreement on the normalisation of education for ethnic Albanian students in Serbia's southern Province of Kosovo and Metohija, interrupted its talks, which started in Pristina on Thursday and resumed in Belgrade on Friday, because the Albanian side had changed its stand, it was said at the Serbian Government on Friday.

On behalf of the government-appointed members of the Group, member Goran Percevic said that they were ready to continue working on the normalisation of education in the Province.

Percevic told reporters that the Group had worked on the implementation of the agreement on the normalisation of education in Kosovo and Metohija on Thursday and Friday.

He said that the Albanian side had on Thursday accepted solutions and conclusions leading to the normalisation but that on Friday it had refused what it had accepted on Thursday. "What we have here is obviously an insincere approach to the talks," Percevic said.

As for the Albanian side's intentions, one must wonder whether they deal with education or separatism. It turned out that the issue here is sheer separatism, Percevic said.

Percevic said, "As for our side, we are for a full observation of human freedoms and rights and normalisation of education for ethnic Albanian children and youth. On behalf of our part of the Working Group I declare that we are ready to resume work on the normalisation of the education system," Percevic said.

[08] KRAJISNIK: REPUBLIKA SRPSKA WILL REMAIN UNITED

Tanjug, 1997-10-10

Republika Srpska member in Bosnia's three-man Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik has stated that a united Republika Srpska will be preserved.

In an interview to the Novi Sad magazine Nedeljni Dnevnik, Krajisnik said Moslems' chief problem was that they wanted more and more territories all the time and wanted all Bosnia to belong to them, which he said someone had promised to them. He said this was never going to happen.

Referring to Bosnia's September local elections, Krajisnik said the aim had been to create a different Bosnia and to form a large number of municipalities where a minority in an entity, primarily Moslems in the Republika Srpska, would hold power, and where a concept urged by backers of R.S. President Biljana Plavsic would be affirmed - a concept of firmer ties and of the Republika Srpska merging into Bosnia or even of its being divided, the latter concept being hidden behind the former.

He said the Republika Srpska would be preserved despite a strong pressure exerted on it through a discriminatory manner in which economic aid was granted to the Moslem-Croat Federation only.

He said there were two plans, saying one of them provided for the merging of the Republika Srpska into Bosnia-Herzegovina through the setting up of Bosnia's common bodies while the other was to tear apart the Republika Srpska from within.

He said the worst fate possible had befallen the Republika Srpska and that was that its President was in the service of those who wanted to carry out the plans, saying the Republika Srpska was under a serious threat. "We alone are acting to our disadvantage and we alone are trying to achieve what a foreign factor, meaning our opponents, has failed to achieve," he said.

Referring to a possibility of the forcible arrest of Radovan Karadzic, Krajisnik said that would be a fatal mistake on the part of the international community which would elicit a strong response by the R.S. people and would, consequently, jeopardise the Dayton Peace Accords.

[09] BOSNIAN SERB PREMIER SAID TELEVISION WILL TAKE NO DICTATES

Tanjug, 1997-10-11

The Premier of the (Bosnian Serb) Republika Srpska said on Saturday that intra-Serb tension between Banja Luka and Pale had been eased.

Premier Goran Klickovic said that tension had been relaxed, except for an attempt by the Banja Luka Public Security Centre to seize police stations in Derventa, Srpski Brod and Teslic earlier this week.

Klickovic, together with Interior Minister Slavko Paleksic, toured the Police Academy in Doboj.

Klickovic said that the international community's efforts to postpone presidential elections in the Republika Srpska were designed to circumvent the Belgrade accord between Momcilo Krajisnik and Biljana Plavsic. "The Belgrade accord will have to be implemented, and I do not see how this accord could in any way affect the United States," he said.

"Europeans, however, are of the view that parliamentary and presidential elections should be held simultaneously, or separately, but within a very short time of each other," he added.

"The latest developments are threatening to plunge the Republika Srpska into a unitary Bosnia- Herzegovina, which is something we do not want to happen," he said.

"The Republika Srpska wants only to implement the Dayton Accord, i.e., to live and work in normal conditions and to trade with its neighbours," he said.

He said that, by seizing Bosnian Serb Radio and Television transmitters, the international peace Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina "wants in fact to upset the Belgrade accord at all costs." According to Klickovic, this only shows that Serb Radio and Television is not to somebody's liking.

"We have said that we do not want a conflict with the international community and SFOR, because the seizure of the transmitters is not the fault of the soldiers, who only carry out orders, but of those who issue the orders," he said.

"We shall never give in to blackmail of Serb Radio and Television by the international community, not even if the transmitters were never to be released again," he vowed.

[10] GERMAN TROOPS TO REMAIN IN BOSNIA AFTER EXPIRY OF SFOR MANDATE

Tanjug, 1997-10-11

German troops will remain in Bosnia once the mandate of the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) expires, German Defence Minister Folker Ruehe has said confirming what has been guessed for a long time.

In an interview to the German weekly Der Spiegel, Ruehe said the new multinational force would be called Deterrence Force (DFOR) and its numbers would be smaller than 36,000-strong SFOR.

Minister Ruehe's statement has confirmed what appears to have been agreed on in a recent meeting of NATO defence ministers in Maastricht, the Netherlands, and what was finally defined in a meeting of the chiefs of U.S., French, British and German army staffs in Bonn on Friday.

Bonn has engaged all forces available to repatriate in the shortest time possible 280,000 refugees that are still sheltering in Germany. Special Bundeswehr units, speaking Serbian and familiar with the terrain, are in the field trying to find safe repatriation routes. Government official Dietmar Schlee is in charge of the civilian aspect of the repatriation, while German provinces have offered moderate financial assistance to refugees in an attempt to prompt them to return home.

In addition to the issue of repatriation of refugees, which Germany received in great numbers at the outbreak of civil war in Bosnia- Herzegovina, German politicians are preoccupied with bringing war crimes indictees before the Hague-based international War Crimes Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

In this connection, Ruehe told Der Spiegel that Radovan Karadzic, former Bosnian Serb leader, must go to The Hague either of his own free will or must be taken there forcibly. He said preparations for Karadzic's arrest were under way.

[11] INTERLINKING OF YUGOSLAV ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM WITH EUROPE

Tanjug, 1997-10-09

The reconnecting of the Yugoslav electric power system with the West European Interconnection (UCPTE) is now certain, the Serbian Electric Power Industry (EPS) said.

At several SUDEL meetings, including the one held in Rome, on Wednesday, the green light was given for the program of renewing long-distance power lines and facilities on the northern and southern branches, near Ernestinovo and Mostar, over which the Yugoslav Electric Power Industry used to operate.

The links were forcibly severed in war operations at the end 1991 and since them the electric power systems of Yugoslavia, Macedonia and Greece have been disconnected from UCPTE and forced to operate separately. SUDEL, which is part of UCPTE for South Europe rallies the electric power industries of Austria, Greece, Italy and of the newly-created states in the territory of the former Yugoslavia.

[12] U.N.: DECISION ABOUT UNTAES MANDATE DEPENDS ON CROATIA'S CONDUCT

Tanjug, 1997-10-09

The U.N. Security Council upheld on Thursday Secretary General Kofi Annan's recommendation that the mandate of the U.N. force in the East Slavonia, Baranya and West Srem region should not be changed for the time being.

The body ruled at the Thursday consultations that future decisions about the mission of the U.N. Transitional Authority (UNTAES) in the Region should depend on how far the Croatian Government should honour its obligations.

A statement released after the closed-door session said that, in view of the situation in East Slavonia, Baranya and West Srem, the Security Council was of opinion that U.N. presence in the Region was still necessary.

The body noted that the Croatian Government had lately taken some positive steps and given assurances that it would honour its obligations, but added that the fact that questions at issue in many key areas had not yet been settled still gave rise to some concern. The Croatian Government must take immediate action in order to meet its obligation in full and create conditions for a successful conclusion of the UNTAES mission, the statement said.

The Security Council appealed to the Region's Serb leaders to intensify efforts and increase their involvement in the current processes.

[13] TRAGEDY OF JASENOVAC VICTIMS TO BE PRESENTED TO U.S. PUBLIC

Tanjug, 1997-10-09

The first international round table on Jasenovac will be held in New York on October 30-31 when the representatives of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will present the truth about this Ustashi camp where almost 700, 000 Serbs and Romanies and about 20,000 Jews were killed during World War Two, the director of the Museum of the Victims of Genocide Dr Milan Bulajic told Tanjug on Thursday.

"The aim of the round table and the exhibition of Jasenovac, which opens a day before, is to refute before the world public Tudjman's revision of history in his book "Wastelands of Historical Reality" in which he claimed that only 20,000 people were killed in this camp. This is why we have insisted that representatives of Croatia also attend this meeting, and they have accepted," Bulajic said.

[14] FOREIGN MINISTER MILUTINOVIC REPORTS ON CONTACTS IN NEW YORK

Tanjug, 1997-10-09

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic on Thursday reported to the Government about the results of his talks at the beginning of the 52nd session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, a Government statement said.

At the session presided by Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, the Yugoslav Government said that Milutinovic's talks in New York had helped affirm the foreign policy position of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and promotion of its international cooperation.

Milutinovic held over thirty meetings with his counterparts from the Contact Group' member-countries, the U.N. Security Council and European Union, neighbouring countries, including Albania, as well as Yugoslavia's other foreign policy partners.

Milutinovic also met with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, U.S. envoy in charge of the peace process Robert Gelbard, U.N. Security Council President Bill Richardson, U.N. General Assembly President Gennady Udovenko and a number of prominent U.S. public and political figures.

It was said that all talks had reflected appreciation and recognition of Yugoslavia's role in securing peace and safety in the region. Yugoslavia's special contribution to the consistent implementation of the Dayton Accords was stressed.

Much attention was drawn to the promotion of all forms of bilateral relations and Milutinovic's collocutors were interested the most in intensifying economic relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Milutinovic said that the mid-September visit to Belgrade by Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mate Granic had shown that the Yugoslav-Croatian relations were constantly improving.

Six very important inter-governmental agreements, which are very useful to Yugoslav citizens, were signed during the visit.

The visit was also important because concrete agreements were made on continuing talks about the regulation of some important fields of cooperation between the two countries through agreements. This primarily refers to foreign trade, economic and financial cooperation, cooperation among banks, air transport, environment protection and liberalisation of the visa regime.

The regulation of these issues and Agreement on speeding up the work on a mixed commission for the implementation of Article 7 of the Agreement on the normalisation of relations will create conditions for a further positive development of the Yugoslav-Croatian relations and good neighbourly relations, the Government said.

The Government drew up a draft law on the ratification of the Yugoslav- Swiss Agreement on returning and taking over Yugoslav and Swiss nationals who must leave the other one's territory.

A platform was established for talks between Minister Milutinovic and Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Josef Zieleniec in Belgrade on October 13.

[15] YUGOSLAV PREMIER RECEIVES PARTICIPANTS OF CONGRESS ON LIVESTOCK

Tanjug, 1997-10-09

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic received on Thursday a delegation of the first Yugoslav international congress on livestock breeding, headed by President of the Organizing Committee and Director of the Yugoslav Livestock Institute Ratko Lazarevic.

The meeting was also attended by the Yugoslav Minister of Agriculture Nedeljko Sipovac.

The congress is attended by experts from Yugoslavia, the United States, the People's Republic of China, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France and Italy.

[16] SERBIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER - STATEMENT

Tanjug, 1997-10-09

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Vlajko Stojiljkovic on Thursday toured the border crossing with Croatia in Batrovci and said the crossing was of enormous international importance.

In a brief statement to the press, Stojiljkovic said that the border crossing on the Belgrade-Zagreb highway was vital for establishing tighter economic, political, cultural, transport and financial relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbia and countries of both the Balkan region and the entire Europe. Stojiljkovic said that this route was the shortest link between western and southern Europe and the Middle East.

[17] GOVERNMENT ADOPTS A DOCUMENT ON THE COUNTRY'S DEVELOPMENT POLICY

Tanjug, 1997-10-09

The Government on Thursday adopted a document on the country's development policy through the year 2005.

Under the document, the development policy will be based on structural changes, and will be aimed at rationally activating the country's production and overall developmental potentials and raising the national economy's effectiveness and competitiveness.

The Yugoslav Government set out that the aim was to create conditions for stepped-up economic recovery and dynamic economic growth, based on higher exports and a stable domestic market.

The document defines stepped-up social and economic recovery, economic reforms, dynamic development and a higher living standard as basic objectives.

An objective will also be the creation of an open and export-oriented market economy, which will necessitate a market-based transformation of the national economy, the intensification of the privatization process, further liberalization of the foreign-trade regime, market and prices, the active functioning of the economic policy and the rule of law.

The Government stressed that the steps were indispensable for the elimination of high internal and external deficits and the creation of conditions for the country's continued dynamic and stable economic growth.

The document proceeds from macroeconomic projections which place the annual growth of the gross domestic product in real terms at 7 percent on the average.

The assumptions on which the macro-economic indicators are based are Yugoslavia's quick reintegration into the international community, the regulation of relations with international financial and trade organizations and also regional and sub-regional organizations, free access to the world capital market and to the Yugoslav assents abroad.

The Government also established basic principles for the resumption of talks with the London Club in New York on October 20-24. The Yugoslav delegation to the talks will be headed by Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Danko Djunic.

[18] GROUP 3 PLUS 3 TO RESUME TALKS IN BELGRADE ON FRIDAY

Tanjug, 1997-10-09

A commission in charge of implementing an accord on normalising lectures in the Albanian language in Serbia's Kosovo-Metohija Province adjourned on Thursday and agreed to resume talks in Belgrade on Friday.

The Thursday session of the commission, dubbed Group 3+3, was attended by Serbian Minister Ratomir Vico and officials Goran Percevic and Dobrosav Bjeletic, and by ethnic Albanian representatives Fehmi Agani, Agulj Ramaj and Redzep Osmani.

Representatives of the Roman Catholic organisation also attended the hours- long closed-door talks.

[19] SERBIAN DEPUTY PREMIER MEETS LONDON COMPANY OFFICIALS

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

Serbian Deputy Premier Svetozar Krstic has received representatives of the London company RMC Group, headed by director-general Stuart Walker, the Serbian Government said in a statement on Wednesday.

Krstic said he was satisfied because representatives of one of the biggest European and world producers of cement and concrete were in Serbia. He said that the Serbian Government was open to the influx of foreign capital and that its consistent economic policy measures secured the safety of foreign investments, the statement said.

It was said in the talks that both sides had interest in broadening the Serbian-British long-term economic cooperation, the statement said.

[20] YUGOSLAV-IRANIAN COMMISSION ENDS TALKS ON COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

The Yugoslav-Iranian Commission on economic cooperation ended its 10th meeting on Wednesday with a plenary session and the signing of a protocol.

The protocol was signed by Minister of Foreign Trade Borisav Vukovic on behalf of the Yugoslav delegation, and by Iranian Minister of Finance and the Economy Hossein Hamazi.

Also signed was a memorandum of agreement about the two countries' cooperation in transport. On the Yugoslav side, the document was signed by Deputy Minister of Transport Budimir Saranovic, and on the Iranian, by M. Khansari.

At its closing session, the joint commission initialled a trade agreement between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Iran, preparatory to this important document's endorsement by the respective governments.

These documents, and initiatives coordinated by Minister Vukovic and executives of Yugoslavia's leading companies with the Iranian side, have created the necessary legal framework and opened prospects for significantly promoting bilateral economic ties.

[21] EXHIBITION OF SLOVAK ECONOMY AND CULTURE IN YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

The first exhibition presenting Slovak economic and cultural achievements in Yugoslavia opened within the international Nature and Man event at the Novi Sad fair on Wednesday.

The Slovakia in Yugoslavia exhibition was opened by Yugoslav Internal Trade Minister Milorad Miskovic and head of the Slovak delegation and Economy Ministry Secretary-General Juraj Goerner.

Goerner said that the Yugoslav-Slovak trade was on the rise and that the turnover had exceeded the amount of 40 million dollars in the first eight months of this year. Goerner said that visas had a negative effect on any marked increase of trade between Yugoslavia and Slovakia and that he had reliable information that this obstacle would be removed in a very short time.

[22] ELECTION COMMISSION CHAIRMAN STATEMENT

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

"The turnout in the second round of the Presidential election in Serbia was below half of the total of 7,210,557 registered voters so that the entire election procedure will have to be repeated, in keeping with the Constitution and law", Election Commission Chairman Balsa Govedarica told a news conference Wednesday.

Govedarica said a total of 3,531,043 voters or 48.97 percent had cast ballots at 9,824 polling stations. Candidate of the left coalition Socialist Party of Serbia-Yugoslav Left-New Democracy Zoran Lilic carried off 1,691,354 votes or 47.90 percent. Candidate of the Serbian Radical Party Vojislav Seselj won 1,733,859 votes or 49.10 percent. Of the total number of ballots, 104,223 or 2.95 percent were found to be invalid.

Govedarica said that the second-round balloting would have to be repeated at three polling stations - one in the Leskovac electoral unit and two in the Pristina electoral unit - but that the results would not affect the outcome of the second round of the Presidential election.

[23] YUGOSLAVIA - TURKEY: POSSIBILITIES FOR COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

Yugoslav and Turkish businessmen are very interested in upgrading mutual cooperation, Yugoslav and Ankara Chambers of Commerce delegations said on Wednesday.

Despite the change of conditions for trade cooperation, the two countries' companies are interested in the same fields as before the sanctions against Yugoslavia, primarily in the textile, chemical and construction industries, Belgrade Chamber of Commerce President Branislav Vujinovic said.

Turkish businessman Alparslan Sahin said that the Turkish delegation's visit was aimed at increasing the currently unsatisfactory level of trade between the two Balkan states and making the first step towards establishing relations between Turkish and Yugoslav companies.

[24] ANNAN: CROATIA FAILED TO MEET ITS OBLIGATIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIJA

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

"Croatia has not met its obligations stemming from the Basic Agreement on the region of Eastern Slavonija, Baranja and Western Srem, nor is it showing the political will to build confidence and protect the Serb population in that area, which is why the United Nations believes there should be no consideration of terminating the UNTAES mandate at this time", said U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a report sent to the Security Council on Tuesday.

Annan said he would report to the Council on this issue again in early December. The actions by the Croatian Government until that time will determine the council decision, he said.

Annan said in his report that part of the observer mission would pull out as planned by mid-November, but that 400 civilian observers and 100 military observers would remain in Eastern Slavonija. "The Council should decide how long the observers will remain", Annan said.

He said the 500 observers would still be in charge of monitoring the implementation of UNTAES operations as part of patrols and the organization of control checkpoints.

In a criticism of Croatia, Annan said it demonstrated a clear absence of political will to realize the undertaken tasks. "Croatia has not invested sufficient efforts to build confidence in Eastern Slavonija and stop the violence against the Serb population", said Annan.

"The Croatian Government has not formulated a programme of national reconciliation and renewal to this day, one that should have been the basis for building confidence measures and starting peaceful coexistence", he said.

"The programme is necessary in order to stop the violence and abuse aimed at Serbs in Eastern Slavonija, and enable the return of displaced persons to the entire territory of Croatia", U.N. Secretary - General Kofi Annan said.

[25] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR RECEIVES CZECH AWARD

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

Yugoslav Ambassador in Prague Djoko Stojicic is one of the first winners of the RUDOLF II prize, established this year by the Masaryk Academy of Arts and granted to people whose artistic achievements and activities help different peoples cooperate and get to know one another.

The Academy quoted Stojicic's activities in the organisation of numerous Yugoslav cultural events in the Czech Republic as a good model of cooperation and understanding among peoples.

[26] KRAJISNIK CONFERS WITH GERASIMOV

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

Republika Srpska member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik received on Wednesday head of the Russian mission Yakov Gerasimov.

Activities in connection with Serb Radio Television (SRT) and as part of the implementation of the Belgrade accord were discussed, Krajisnik's office said.

Head of the Russian mission Gerasimov insisted on the principled position that the media came under the authority of the entities, as envisaged under the Dayton Agreement, and stressed that disputed issues in connection with the SRT were an internal affair of Republika Srpska.

Krajisnik underscored the importance of the implementation of the Belgrade accord, and set out the need for as fast as possible resolution of the dispute, as an essential condition for the normalization of the situation in the spirit of the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech.

[27] SERBIA - SLOVAKIA: COOPERATION PROTOCOL

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

A protocol on cooperation between Serbia's northern Province of Vojvodina and the Bratislava region in Slovakia was signed on Wednesday in Novi Sad, capital of Vojvodina.

The protocol was signed by the President of the Vojvodina Executive Council Bosko Perosevic and the head of the Bratislava region office Ladislav Bicar.

The protocol envisages the development of economic, trade, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation between Vojvodina and the Bratislava region in line with regulations in force in Yugoslavia and Slovakia.

[28] YUGOSLAV MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT - STATEMENT

Tanjug, 1997-10-08

The Yugoslav Government's main economic policy goals for 1998 will be stable prices, a stable national currency, a continued growth of production and exports, stepped-up reforms, and a higher living standard, Yugoslav Minister of Development, Science and Human Environment Jagos Zelenovic said on Wednesday.

Zelenovic told a consultation at the Serbian Chamber of Economy that the set economic policy for 1997 was successfully being implemented. "Stable prices and dinar's stable exchange rate are being maintained, production and exports are on the rise, as is also the standard of living," Zelenovic said.

He set out that the good economic policy results were being achieved in conditions quite different from those that had been expected, and singled out as the major issues the normalization of relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Trade Organization, the European Union, and former Yugoslav republics.

"Despite the invested efforts, there has been no major headway and no major results, which will account for significant economic policy limitations in the second half of the year, too," the Yugoslav Minister told the consultation on "Measures and Activities for Implementation of Economic Policy in Second Half of 1997."

Zelenovic said the Yugoslav Government would step up its activities aimed at suppressing the "gray economy," intensifying the process of privatization and the economy's transformation, and at a further liberalization of the foreign-trade regime.

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