Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-10-31

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] PRIME MINISTER KONTIC RECEIVES SLOVAK ECONOMICS MINISTER CESNEK

[02] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION FOR SUCCESSION ISSUES PRESENTS REPORT

[03] YUGOSLAVIA AWAITS AGENDA OFFER TO RESUME LONDON CLUB TALKS

[04] REVIVAL OF YUGOSLAV-CUBAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION

[05] YUGOSLAVIA TO BE FULL-FLEDGED MEMBER OF DANUBE TOURIST COMMISSION

[06] KALINIC CONFERS WITH ELECKMAN, KUZNYETSOV

[07] UNTAES SPOKESMAN SAYS OLD BORDER REGIME STAYS IN FORCE

[08] YUGOSLAV ECONOMY MINISTER IN MOSCOW

[09] KRAJISNIK RECEIVES BOSNIA CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR

[10] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA OFFICIAL ON TALKS WITH INTERNATIONAL OFFICIALS

[11] ORGANIZATION OF DEMONSTRATIONS IS VERY RISKY

[12] YUGOSLAV DEFENSE MINISTER ENDS VISIT TO ROMANIA

[13] BELGRADE'S CONSTRUCTION COMPANY CONTRACTS 9-MILLION-DOLLAR DEAL IN ZIMBABWE

[14] MILOJEVIC: 500 ML DLRS WORTH OF TRADE WITH EGYPT SOON

[15] YUGOSLAVIA, SLOVAKIA SOON TO DISCUSS PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION

[16] YUGOSLAVIA WILL HOST CONGRESS ON TRANS-BALKAN LEGAL COOPERATION

[17] SUPREME DEFENSE COUNCIL CONSIDERS MILITARY BUDGET FOR 1998

[18] YUGOSLAV MEDICAL EXPERTS VISIT JORDAN

[19] CYPRIOT MINISTER: YUGOSLAVIA, CYPRUS HAVE TRADITIONAL GOOD RELATIONS

[20] INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE -DANUBE - RIVER OF COOPERATION- CLOSES

[21] YUGOSLAVIA, LONDON CLUB END NEW YORK ROUND OF TALKS

[22] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR TO FINLAND PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

[23] FRY DELEGATION IS COOPERATIVE

[24] YUGOSLAV ECONOMIC DELEGATION VISITS EGYPT

[01] PRIME MINISTER KONTIC RECEIVES SLOVAK ECONOMICS MINISTER CESNEK

Tanjug, 1997-10-29

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic received Wednesday Slovak Economics Minister Karol Cesnek, who heads his country's delegation to the second session of the Yugoslav-Slovak Commission for Trade and Economic Relations and Cooperation. In a cordial meeting, the two sides expressed interest in the renewal and all-round promotion of relations and cooperation between the two friendly countries, a government statement said. Prime Minister Kontic underscored the important role played in the development of Yugoslav- Slovak relations by Slovakia's constructive and principled stance on the crisis in the former Yugoslavia and its calls for Yugoslavia to be treated as an equal and for its return to international organizations and institutions. Kontic singled out the complementary nature of the two economies and open possibilities for joint ventures on third markets. The Yugoslav Prime Minister said that the liberalization of foreign-trade relations between Slovakia and Yugoslavia was of key importance for the development of economic cooperation. The two sides said they expected that an agreement between Kontic and his Slovak counterpart, Vladimir Meciar, on a Slovak credit to Yugoslavia would soon be translated into practice and that Slovak companies would soon start working on a regional water-supply system on the Montenegro coast. Minister Cesnek informed Kontic about Slovakia's economic development and said it expected that trade with Yugoslavia would reach in two years' time the previous level of 500 million dollars a year. The talk covered cooperation in the power, iron and steel industries, tourism and banking. The meeting was attended also by Yugoslav Foreign Trade Minister and Co-Chairman of the Yugoslav-Slovak Commission Borislav Vukovic. Slovak Prime Minister Meciar is to visit Yugoslavia in the first quarter of next year.

[02] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION FOR SUCCESSION ISSUES PRESENTS REPORT

Tanjug, 1997-10-29

The Federal Government Commission for Yugoslavia's relations with the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) and international financial and trade organizations held a session in Belgrade on Wednesday, chaired by Radoje Kontic, a government statement said.

The Commission considered and adopted a report by the Yugoslav delegation for issues of succession from a meeting it had held with Sir Arthur Watts in Brussels on Oct 16. It was assessed that the Yugoslav delegation at these talks in all things acted in keeping with the government platform for the participation of Yugoslav negotiators at the Conference on Yugoslavia and that the realized results present positive steps toward a greater respect of the Yugoslav options and proposals. It was concluded that the delegation report should also be considered by the Federal Government, and that it should also take stands on the resumption of these talks. Yugoslav Deputy Premier and head of the delegation for talks with the London Club Darko Djunic informed the Commission about the course of these talks in New York. It was assessed that the Yugoslav delegation had followed the government platform and that it was necessary to continue talks with representatives of commercial banks as soon as conditions were set, the statement said in closing.

[03] YUGOSLAVIA AWAITS AGENDA OFFER TO RESUME LONDON CLUB TALKS

Tanjug, 1997-10-29

Yugoslavia's negotiator at recent talks with the London Club of creditors said on Wednesday that this country was willing to resume the talks as soon as it received a concrete agenda proposal from the Club's board of coordinators. The negotiator, Vice Premier Danko Djunic, headed the Yugoslav negotiating team at last week's talks with the London Club in New York. Commenting on the New York talks, Djunic said that they had been discontinued precisely because there had been no concrete agenda proposal despite one having been promised. He said that he had been contacted from the London Club over the weekend with an inquiry if there was an interest in resuming the talks.

He described as highly positive the latest message from the London Club, as reported by the Financial Times, that the door to talks with Yugoslavia was still open. In connection with the Club's readiness, according to the Financial Times, to negotiate on all Yugoslav demands except a write-off of 80 percent of its debt, Djunic said: "Yugoslavia does not insist on this percentage, because the acceptability or otherwise of an arrangement would depend on the combination of factors such as the size of the write-off and others."

He said it was not in Yugoslavia's interest to accept an agreement with the London Club at all costs, because an agreement that could not be honoured would defeat its purpose.

[04] REVIVAL OF YUGOSLAV-CUBAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1997-10-29

Federal Economy Minister Rade Filipovic, who returned Wednesday from Cuba where he was heading a Yugoslav state-economic delegation at the 42nd session of the international association Interelectro, praised the results of the meeting and expressed satisfaction with his talks with Cuban ministers.

"Interelectro is one of the rare international associations where our country's continuity was not halted and where we were present during the sanctions. At the 42nd session, where we once again rised the global problems of energy, the electric power and machine-building industries, present were the representatives of 22 countries and five major holding corporations," Filipovic told the press at Belgrade Airport. According to him, the session in Cuba closed with the signing of a number of documents, and presented was the development of economies and new technologies, achievements in the sphere of the power industry, electronics and machine- building, elected was a new president of Interelectro from the Russian Federation and agreed was that next year's session would be held in the Crimea, Ukraine. "In Cuba we conducted bilateral talks with Cuban government representatives and I was received by five ministers: for investments and development, foreign affairs, economy and foreign trade. I also met with senior representatives of the Ministry for civil engineering and the directors of major Cuban construction firms," Filipovic said. He said that in all these talks possibilities for further investments and cooperation and the resolution of the problem of Cuban state debts towards Yugoslav firms who carried out work in Cuba before the sanctions were discussed.

[05] YUGOSLAVIA TO BE FULL-FLEDGED MEMBER OF DANUBE TOURIST COMMISSION

Tanjug, 1997-10-29

As of next year, Yugoslavia will again become a full-fledged member of the Danube Tourist Commission, Serbian Tourist Organisation director Jovan Popesku said on Wednesday. The Commission reached this decision at the recent assembly in Bratislava, he said. Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Ukraine participated in the assembly and a Serbian Tourist Organisation delegation had the observer status. In official contacts with the Danube tourist organisation it was suggested that Yugoslavia should put up its candidacy for holding the next assembly in the country, Popesku said and added that this would most likely be done. Popesku said that the next assembly would be dedicated to the capitals on the Danube.

[06] KALINIC CONFERS WITH ELECKMAN, KUZNYETSOV

Tanjug, 1997-10-29

Republika Srpska Parliament Speaker Dragan Kalinic, Deputy Premier Velibor Ostojic, and Interim Elections Commission member from Srpska Slobodan Kovac conferred in Pale on Wednesday with OSCE political directors Robert Eleckman and Vladimir Kuznyetsov. The Srpska representatives warned against the insupportable situation in media in Srpska ahead of the upcoming elections and asked that this problem be resolved immediately so that all sides in the political conflict in Srpska could be secured adequate coverage, said a statement released by Kalinic's office. It was also pointed out that it was necessary to define in the election rules that the holders of deputy seats were the political parties which nominated the candidates and not the respective individuals. During the talks, it was underscored that displaced persons in Srpska, who have fled from the (Muslim-Croat) Federation, should be allowed to vote at the upcoming parliamentary elections. The problem, however, of the large number of voters in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, who had not been allowed to vote at the last local elections, was still unsolved, said the statement. It was agreed that the centre for counting ballots from abroad would be in Srpska. The officials warned that the former practice of voting by mail and bring ballots to Srpska in bags had been very bad and that it was unacceptable for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Srpska and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe representatives are expected to meet again late this week, the statement said.

[07] UNTAES SPOKESMAN SAYS OLD BORDER REGIME STAYS IN FORCE

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

The United Nations Transitional Administration of Eastern Slavonija (UNTAES) will leave the borders completely open and keep the same border regime with Yugoslavia, UN Spokesman for the Srem-Baranya region Philip Arnold said in Vukovar on Tuesday. Arnold said there would be no limits for vehicles with Yugoslav licence plates to cross the border with the Srem- Baranya region. He also said that as of November 1, residents of the region - citizens of the Republic of Croatia - would have to change their licence plates into Croatian ones to be able to travel within the region.

Those who wish to travel to Yugoslavia will have to change their licence plates when crossing the border, said Arnold. He said he hoped that in a few weeks, Yugoslavia and Croatia would reach an agreement on crossing the border, which would settle the issue permanently.

[08] YUGOSLAV ECONOMY MINISTER IN MOSCOW

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

Yugoslav Economy Minister Rade Filipovic, who headed a delegation at the 42nd session of the International Organization for Cooperation in the Sphere of the Electric Power Industry "Interelectra" in Cuba, made a stopover in Moscow on Monday during his trip to Yugoslavia. The delegation met with Yugoslav and Russain businessmen to discuss the confirmation of the specification of goods and the signing of preliminary agreements for the delivery of power generation equipment in keeping with the approved Russian loan, as well as the receiving and contracting of new deals for the Yugoslav construction firms in Russia.

[09] KRAJISNIK RECEIVES BOSNIA CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

Republika Srpska member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik on Tuesday received newly appointed Bosnia-Herzegovina Central Bank Governor Peter Nicole. The meeting, attended by Minister of Civilian Affairs and Communication in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Government Spasoje Albijanic, focused on the functioning of the Central Bank. Albijanic said that the Serb side had received assurances from Nicole that he would work to clear the way for the operation of the Central Bank. This primarily refers to the design of the future national currency, the convertible mark, Albijanic said.

[10] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA OFFICIAL ON TALKS WITH INTERNATIONAL OFFICIALS

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

President from Republika Srpska on the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik said in Pale on Tuesday that he and international community's High Representative Carlos Westendorp and E.U. Commissioner Hans Van den Broek had discussed the laws on the central bank, citizenship and passports, in which Republika Srpska is specially interested. Speaking on his return from Sarajevo, Krajisnik said that the Muslim side again diminished the importance of an agreement reached earlier with Richard Holbrooke and Robert Gelbard on the law on the Central Bank, under which there should have been two designs of the currency called the convertible mark. Krajisnik said that in Sarajevo he had expressed his fears regarding the implementation of the Dayton Accords. We believe that Westendorp and the SFOR are overstepping their mandate and that this might jeopardise the entire peace process, Krajisnik said. According to him, Westendorp and Van den Broek were told that under the Dayton Agreement, informing was in the entities' jurisdiction and that a precedent was being set in the case of Srpska Radio-TV.

[11] ORGANIZATION OF DEMONSTRATIONS IS VERY RISKY

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

The organizing of demonstrations in Kosovo and Metohija is very risky and the responsibility for this lies with those behind such demonstrations, Kosovo District Deputy Head Veljko Odalovic has told Tanjug. Regarding announcements by the group which calls itself the Union of Independent (Albanian) Students which said it would once again on Oct. 29 organize protests by the alleged students of the illegal Albanian university, Odalovic said that "the minimum and basic condition and demand in all democratic countries is that all such gatherings and demonstrations should be approved by the authorities." Odalovic said that the group which announces the Albanian protests has so far not submitted any request to the corresponding authorities since this would show that it recognizes the state of Serbia and Yugoslavia. "However, they do not want this and it is clear that in question is stepped up presssure, with a political background, on the international factors and the domestic public," he said. Odalovic underscored that "the Albanian prostests and demonstrations represent a new form of pressure on Serbs and Montenegrins which additionally upsets them, creates an atmosphere of uncertainty and aims to force them to move away."

[12] YUGOSLAV DEFENSE MINISTER ENDS VISIT TO ROMANIA

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic ended on Tuesday his two-day official visit to Romania by visiting some Romanian army units and institutions. Minister Bulatovic first visited a special infantry battalion which had taken part in UN peace missions in Angola and Albania and which will become the nucleus of the future transformed and highly professional Romanian army, army sources said. During the Minister's visit to the Airforce Technical Institute whose experts had developed the Orao airplane together with Yugoslav Army experts, both sides noted that the Agreement on military cooperation signed on Monday would pave the way for resuming cooperation in this field. Bulatovic also visited the Bucharest Military Academy which trains officers for command posts in the national Defense Ministry, the joint staff and strategic commands. The Minister also met representatives of the Serb minority in Romania at the Yugoslav Embassy in Bucharest.

[13] BELGRADE'S CONSTRUCTION COMPANY CONTRACTS 9-MILLION-DOLLAR DEAL IN ZIMBABWE

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

The Belgrade-based construction company Partizanski Put has contracted a deal worth nine million US dollars to build a 47-km road in Zimbabwe. The company is to build a modern highway between Bulawayo and Nkayi, the country's southern regions where several gold mines are situated.

Director of the Partizanski Put office in Harare Mirko Jovanovic told Tanjug on Tuesday that as many as 12 international companies had taken part in the tender for this project, which will mostly be funded by a development fund of Kuwait. So far, the company has constructed more than 400 km of highways in Zimbabwe worth between 75-80 million dollars.

[14] MILOJEVIC: 500 ML DLRS WORTH OF TRADE WITH EGYPT SOON

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

Yugoslav and Egyptian businessmen and economists agreed that the value of trade between companies of the two countries could reach half a billion dollars soon, Yugoslav Chambre of Commerce (PKJ) President Mihailo Milojevic said on Tuesday, commenting the just ended visit of Yugoslav economists and businessmen to Egypt. Speaking to reporters, Milojevic said this was a visit to a friendly Arab country which has confirmed that there are prospects for cooperation, primarily in construction, technology transfer in agriculture and the food industry, and coproduction of hybrid seed. Egyptian businessmen are interested in imports of beef and mutton, oil crops and other products from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, he said. Milojevic, who headed the Yugoslav delegation of businessmen and bankers, said they had gone to Cairo at the invitation of economic associations of Egypt, primarily, the Fedeation of industrial chambers, the chambre of commerce, and the Egyptian business association. Milojevic pointed out that they had also met with Egyptian Government representatives. During these talks, it was confirmed that there were no obstacles to the revival of old and promotion of new business relations. Deputy Premier, Agriculture Minister, and Secretary-General of the ruling party Youssf Waly, who is very familiar with the Yugoslav economy, launched an initiative and proposed cooperation with Yugoslav companies in the area of production of hybrid seed, said Milojevic. The talks with Deputy Foreign Minister also showed that paths for economic cooperation between Egypt and Yugoslavia were open, Milojevic said, adding that this fact was confirmed in the establishment of diplomatic relations at ambassadorial level.

Egypt is a country where much construction is under way, and there is a chance for Yugoslav construction firms to find their place there, primarly in the valley of the Nile on a project to transform arid into fertile soil, he said.

The Yugoslav delegation, which included representatives of "Jugobanka," "Zastava," "Fiaz," "Jumko," "Jugodrvo," "Yugoexport," the IMR, "RAS- Jastrebac," and the travel agency "Kontiki," conferred in Cairo and Alexandria with potential partners for future copperation and visited an exhibition of Egypt's export products. Regarding cooperation between the two countries, Milojevic said the IMR and the Egyptian firm "El Nasco" had relatively good business relations. Yugoslavia's "Zastava" of Kragujevac and "Fiaz" of Prokuplje are establishing economic ties with partners in Egypt, Milojevic said.

[15] YUGOSLAVIA, SLOVAKIA SOON TO DISCUSS PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

The Yugoslav-Slovak Commission for general cooperation is to discuss the promotion of economic relations in a meeting in Belgrade on October 29-30, Slovak attache in Belgrade Igor Chamula has told Tanjug. Chamula said that the two countries' trade since the beginning of the year had amounted to 40.8 million dollars, saying their trade would amount to much more by the end of the year and would exceed last year's 70 million dollars. Both countries are interested in resuming old and establishing new business ties so that their trade is expected to reach about 400 million dollars in the next few years. Slovakia's and Yugoslavia's economies are complementary, Chamula said adding that firmer ties could be established in the sphere of natural gas distribution, chemical, paper and construction industries, agriculture and consumer goods trade. Slovakia is especially interested in resuming cooperation in the field of tourism and in taking part in the reconstruction of Yugoslav thermal power plants that have Slovak technology and equipment. The two countries will also work on setting up higher forms of cooperation, including co-production and joint-stock companies. Slovakia is also interested in taking part in additional capitalisation of Yugoslav companies once conditions have been created for it. Moreover, talks on linking the two countries' banking systems are also underway. Chamula said about 95 percent of Slovakia's economy had been privatised. The new Yugoslav law on tariffs create an opportunity for the two countries to form joint-stock companies. The Yugoslav Government's latest decision to gradually eliminate quotas by the year 2000 will also contribute to the promotion of business cooperation, he said. The two countries' businessmen meet at presentations of regional economies and fairs. Consequently, the production potential of the iron and steel works in Kosice, one of Slovakia's leading companies, will be soon presented at the Slovak Embassy in Belgrade. Chamula added the presence of ethnic Slovaks in Serbia was a bridge between the two countries.

[16] YUGOSLAVIA WILL HOST CONGRESS ON TRANS-BALKAN LEGAL COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

Yugoslavia will host the 3d Congress on trans-Balkan legal cooperation in 1999, as decided at the recent 2nd Congress in Timisoara, Belgrade Law School professor Dr. Djordje Lazin has told Tanjug. The Timisoara Congress from Oct. 17-19 was attended by 30 world renown law experts, and its theme was "importance of Law for the Idea of European Integration." The 3d Congress to be held in Yugoslavia will be organized by the Belgrade-based Balkan Association for Criminal Law, Professor Lazin said.

[17] SUPREME DEFENSE COUNCIL CONSIDERS MILITARY BUDGET FOR 1998

Tanjug, 1997-10-28

A session of the Supreme Defense Council was held here on Tuesday with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic as chairman. The Supreme Defense Council considered the elements of the military budget for 1998, informed itself about the stands of the Federal Government and determined the tasks of the Yugoslav Army General Staff in this sphere. The Council also discussed other issues from its constitutional competences. Participating were Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic, Acting Serbian President Dragan Tomic, who is also the President of the Serbian Assembly, Federal Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, Yugoslav Army Chief of General Staff General Momcilo Perisic and the Secretary of the Supreme Defense Council, General Major Slavoljub Susic, the Yugoslav Ppresident's Military Cabinet said.

[18] YUGOSLAV MEDICAL EXPERTS VISIT JORDAN

Tanjug, 1997-10-26

Jordanian Health Minister Ashraf Kurdi has received an expert group of the Yugoslav Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policy during their several- day working visit to Jordan. The Yugoslav delegation includes experts in medical rehabilitation and physiotherapy and experts in construction of medical centres. The delegation toured a number of health care institutions in Jordan and several prospective building sites. During Kurdi's recent visit to Yugoslavia, a Yugoslav-Jordanian agreement on medical cooperation has been signed. Kurdi said that Jordan wanted to extensively implement Yugoslav experiences in the domain of health care. The Yugoslav delegation also discussed with its hosts prospects of training Jordanian medical workers in Yugoslavia and treating Jordanian patients in Yugoslav medical institutions.

[19] CYPRIOT MINISTER: YUGOSLAVIA, CYPRUS HAVE TRADITIONAL GOOD RELATIONS

Tanjug, 1997-10-24

Yugoslavia and Cyprus have excellent relations, which stem from common values, beliefs and principles, Cypriot Foreign Minister Yoannis Casoulides has told the latest issue of the Belgrade weekly Medjunarodna Politika. Casoulides said that the two countries had developed close relations for years, which led to friendship, understanding and cooperation, both in bilateral and multilateral level.

We highly appreciate the fact that Yugoslavia has proved to be Cyprus's faithful friend during and after the Turkish invasion, strongly supporting our efforts to change the consequences of the aggression and reach a just solution to the problem, Casoulides said. Yugoslavia and Cyprus created the basis for their relations in the past through the signing of a large number of agreements with the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia, which are still in force with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, while various new agreements are being reviewed and a number of important ones are already about to be concluded, he said. The lifting of the sanctions normalised conditions for a new era of cooperation between the two countries, Casoulides said. Speaking about possibilities for the promotion of peace and cooperation in the Balkans and Mediterranean, Casoulides said that peace could be promoted primarily if the sides are bound by international law and agreements and the agreements they sign. The observation of the principle of inviolability of borders and the states' territorial integrity, minority rights, good neighbourly relations and peaceful settlements of conflicts are vitally important for the consolidation of security and stability and promotion of cooperation in the Balkans and the Mediterranean, he said. Casoulides said that Cyprus believed that there should not be unilateral attempts at renegotiating agreements in the Middle East, the Balkans and other unstable regions. In this view, the full and undivided attention should be paid to the implementation of the Dayton/Paris agreement on Bosnia, he said. Casoulides especially urged a speedy reintegration of Yugoslavia in the international community and the consolidation and strengthening of security and stability in this region. He said that a further liberalisation of the Balkan countries' economies represented the second component of stability in the region. Casoulides said that stability in the Balkans could be improved through regional cooperation. In this context he quoted the initiative for pan-Balkan cooperation, a E.U. initiative and the U.S. initiative for cooperation in southeastern Europe.

[20] INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE -DANUBE - RIVER OF COOPERATION- CLOSES

Tanjug, 1997-10-26

The international conference "Danube - River of Cooperation" closed in Belgrade Sunday by adopting a joint declaration. The document contains seven recommendations for the continuation of cooperation and a coordinated approach to the development of the region, modernization and development of regional economy, protection, promotion and development of trade on the Danube via the Rhone-Main link for the promotion of economic integration from the Black to the North seas.

Recommended were also more radical economic and social reforms in the eastern part of the region, the creating of a "new program for European revival", direct investment of capital from developed countries in Central and East European countries, and the promotion of cooperation between the communities and cities of the Danube basin region. The two-day conference was attended by experts from Yugoslavia, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Greece and other countries.

The meeting discussed joint problems and possibilities for promoting cooperation between the Danube basin countries in the sphere of science, economy, culture and the environment. In economic and ecology issues stressed were the possibilities for promoting regional cooperation between countries in the transition and joint ventures in developed countries.

[21] YUGOSLAVIA, LONDON CLUB END NEW YORK ROUND OF TALKS

Tanjug, 1997-10-24

A Yugoslav Government delegation, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Danko Djunic, has ended in New York the latest round of talks with representatives of the London Club of creditors.

The talks between the Yugoslav Government and the London Club started in May this year, when the two sides agreed that the sum to be repaid by the Yugoslav Government be in keeping with its possibilities. The London Club has had no objections so far to the figures presented by the Yugoslav Government about the state of the national economy and finances.

[22] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR TO FINLAND PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

Tanjug, 1997-10-24

The newly-appointed, extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to Finland Dusan Crnogorcevic on Friday presented his credentials to President Martti Ahtisaari, the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry said. After the official act, President Ahtisaari asked Ambassador Crnogorcevic to stay for a brief and friendly talk. Crnogorcegvic informed Ahtisaari about the current situation in Yugoslavia and the country's basic foreign policy priorities, in which Finland, as a member of the European Union, has an important place. President Ahtisaari underscored that it was necessary speedily to overcome the difficulties in the region and cement the peace process. He expressed Finland's readiness to develop mutually beneficial cooperation with Yugoslavia in all areas, the statement said.

[23] FRY DELEGATION IS COOPERATIVE

Tanjug, 1997-10-26

The Head of the Yugoslav delegation in the Group for Succession, Academician Kosta Mihajlovic, has described as "groundless and unjustified" the recent claims by State Department Deputy Spokesman James Foley, that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is the main obstacle to speeding up the talks on the resolution of the succession issues. Mihajlovic told Tanjug that the Yugoslav delegation acted in keeping with the agreement that all issues should be resolved within the Group and, in this sense, has made numerous suggestions and proposals. Tanjug asked Mihajlovic to comment more precisely Foley's statement made on Sept. 29, 1997 that the U.S. government decisively rejects claims by FRY that it is the sole successor of the former Yugoslavia. In keeping with international common law, the United States believes that all five states are equally the successors of the former Yugoslavia and that the international community joins it in this belief", Foley said.

"This most important part of the statement is brief and this is why the assessments made should be based on reliable information and be precisely defined. Unfortunately, it is not quite so," Mihajlovic said.

"It is true that FRY believes it is realizing the political and legal continuity of the Socialist Federative Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ). Since practice of countries and authoritative interpreters of international law have different stands towards this continuity, this question remains open. The Yugoslav side urges the resolution of this issue in one of the numerous possible pragmatic ways."

Regarding Foley's claims that the Yugoslav side considers itself the sole successor, I must say that this is totally untrue. Never and nowhere has any representative of FRY made this claim. If it is true that FRY, by insisting on the continuity, considers itself the predecessor country, then it would contradict itself by claiming to be the successor country because, it is well known that no-one can inherit oneself. Since FRY does not consider itself the inheritor of SFRJ, thus the possibility for it being the sole inheritor is excluded," Mihajlovic said.

"The Yugoslav delegation has never linked and included in the talks on the division of state property the question of state identity and subjectivity. Moreover, the Yugoslav delegation has said numerous times, and this has been publicized and explained, that the talks on the so-called succession as an economic issue should and must be separated from political and legal questions to facilitate and speed up the succession talks and to bear in mind the interests of all participants in the talks.

On the other hand, the other participants, and now the State Department Deputy Spokesman, are merging all talks and including political and legal issues which is objectively making more difficult and postponing the reaching of an agreement. FRY's insistence on political and legal continuity has no effect on the distribution of state property. If continuity as a political issue is separated from the division of state property and resolved in the adequate quarters, all five interested parties would neither profit nor lose in the division," Mihajlovic set out. Mihajlovic said that "the separation of the political and legal continuity creates a basis for more efficient work in the division of state property. A just division requires that it is both the guiding idea of the talks, but also the basis of the entire agreement.

The principle of a just division, which implies the elimination of the groundless acquisition of wealth, was accepted by all delegations from the very beginning of the talks and it is understandable that it has been included in the latest version of the Sir Arthur Watts' Memorandum.

However, it is surprising that the Yugoslav delegation was the only one to consistently urge that this principle remains in it and serve as a basis for the division. Foley's claims that the Yugoslav side is causing the biggest problems in the talks is groundless and unjustified. Criticized is the only side to come up with a draft agreement on a just basis and which, irrespective of that proposal, expressed readiness to accept all other just proposals. The Yugoslav side was the only one to make concessions and attempts to join the negotiation process although it is aware that this requires unavoidable concessions to reach a mutual agreement. Such conduct failed to stimulate the states which gained independence to enter real negotiations with all the possibilities and obligations thereof - accepted by all sides as the only reasonable and possible way for reaching an agreement.

Asked by Tanjug to comment the dissatisfaction expressed in the State Department statement with the slow progress in the Group for Succession, whether this is justified and if so which he considers are the main obstacles to faster work on the succession, Mihajlovic said:

"There are grounds for this dissatisfaction, but the lump statement that FRY is the main obstacle to stepping up negotiations, shows that Foley is insufficiently informed about the real reasons of this slow progress. From the very start of the work of the Group for Succession, the Yugoslav delegation insisted that the first step and necessary conditions for its more efficient work are the identification of the state property of SFRJ, which is the subject of the division.

This issue is of fundamental importance because SFRJ had the as yet unknown category of social property from which the state property had to be derived. It took four years and the appointment of Sir Arthur Watts as special mediator, for this stand of the Yugoslav delegation to be accepted with understanding. There is no dilemma who obstructed this identification over these four years, thus practically blocking all work. It was the four states which gained independence and which over the past year and a half failed to show readiness for the determining of criteria and the completion of the identification of state property. Instead of cooperating on this major issue, they constantly demand partial concessions form FRY in the expectation that their unjustified demands will be rejected so that they could use this as proof of Yugoslavia's uncooperativeness before the international community.

[24] YUGOSLAV ECONOMIC DELEGATION VISITS EGYPT

Tanjug, 1997-10-24

Egyptian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation Youssef Amin Wali discussed late Thursday with Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce President Mihajlo Milojevic the promotion of cooperation between the two countries in the domain of agriculture. Minister Wali invited Yugoslav agriculture experts to visit Egypt to discuss concrete projects of cooperation in agriculture and land improvement. Milojevic, who heads a delegation of Yugoslav businessmen on a visit to Egypt, voiced the Yugoslav side's satisfaction with the development of economic cooperation with friendly Egypt and with the readiness of the Egyptian side to send a delegation of experts to Yugoslavia to establish possible areas of cooperation.

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