Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-05-04

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT RECEIVES IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

[02] NATO IS FIRMLY OPPOSED TO INDEPENDENCE FOR KOSOVO-METOHIJA

[03] IVANOV: SANCTIONS ARE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

[04] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY ON CONTACT GROUP MEETING

[05] YELTSIN AGAINST PRESSURES ON YUGOSLAVIA

[06] PROTEST AGAINST FOREIGN INTERVENTION AND ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERROR

[07] CITIZENS PROTEST AGAINST CONTACT GROUP DECISIONS

[08] PRIZREN CITIZENS CONDEMN ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND CONTACT GROUP STANDS

[09] MESSAGE FROM A RALLY IN PRISTINA: WE ARE AGAINST WESTERN DUPLICITY

[10] SERBIAN RADICAL PARTY ON CONTACT GROUP DECISIONS

[11] SERBIAN REFUGEE COMMISSIONER URGES UNCONDITIONAL RETURN OF REFUGEES

[12] DROBNJAK: ANTI-TERRORIST CORE OF ETHNIC ALBANIANS SOON TO BE FORMED

[13] SERB BROTHERS CAPTURED BY ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS RETURN HOME

[14] STATEMENT OF THE SERBIAN MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

[15] PROTOCOL ON CLUB OF BALKAN CENTRAL BANKS' GOVERNORS SIGNED IN ISTANBUL

[16] YUGOSLAV DEVELOPMENT MINISTER ON A VISIT TO CHINA

[17] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ATTACK POLICE STATION NEAR SRBICA

[18] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION DUE IN BELARUS

[19] YUGOSLAV DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES IRANIAN COUNTERPART

[01] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT RECEIVES IRANIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

Tanjug, 1998-05-02

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received on Saturday Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Morteza Sharmadi who handed him over a message from Iranian President Mohammad Khatami. Sharmadi is visiting Yugoslavia in the capacity of special envoy of the President of Iran that currently presides over the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.

Khatami's message and the Milosevic-Sharmadi talks dealt with the promotion of bilateral relations, current regional and other issues of mutual interest.

Also present was Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic.

[02] NATO IS FIRMLY OPPOSED TO INDEPENDENCE FOR KOSOVO-METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

The NATO Council said on Thursday it firmly opposed independence for Kosovo and Metohija, and invited the countries of the region to confirm their respect for territorial integrity and inviolability of internationally recognised borders.

In a statement on the situation in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija, released in Brussels, NATO is explicit about the use of violence by "terrorist groups to seek political change," and rejects all use of violence.

The Council invites Yugoslavia's neighbours "not to allow their territory to be used for organising violence and notes the responsibility of neighbouring states to exercise control over their own borders with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."

It invites "the FR of Yugoslavia and the neighbouring countries to exercise maximum restraint, fully respect human rights, prevent the introduction of arms and of armed groups from outside, and to condemn terrorism."

The statement, states that NATO "is profoundly concerned by the further deterioration of the situation in Kosovo." It calls for beginning "urgently and without preconditions the process of dialogue necessary to resolve the differences," but omits to mention that ethnic Albanian leaders in Kosovo and Metohija have been turning a deaf ear to all invitations to talks.

[03] IVANOV: SANCTIONS ARE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

Russia believes that economic pressures are counterproductive and can only complicate the situation, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said on Thursday.

Ivanov was Russia's representative at Wednesday's Contact Group talks in Rome on the current situation in Kosmet.

Explaining that due to the situation in this province, the western members of the Contact Group urge economic pressure on the FR of Yugoslavia (FRY), Ivanov told Itar-Tass in Rome that "Russia's view - and this is our firm position - is that it is necessary to act with political methods, through a constructive dialogue."

All steps towards the regulation of the situation in Kosmet should be followed by concrete measures aimed towards Yugoslavia's return to the system of international organizations and towards the lifting of sanctions and limitations imposed on it, Ivanov said.

He underscored a series of joint assessments of all Contact Group members that the crisis in Kosovo and Metohija could grow into a serious international conflict and that this is why the international community should contribute to reaching a form acceptable to both sides in order that they can start a dialogue.

Tactical disagreement between the Contact Group members, from the Russian standpoint, should not be reflected on cooperation in realizing the main goal - to preserve security in the Balkans, Ivanov said.

Itar-Tass quoted sources at the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry as saying that Ivanov could in the near future visit Belgrade to explain the Russian position following the Rome Contact Group talks.

[04] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY ON CONTACT GROUP MEETING

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

The major result of Wednesday's Contact Group meeting on Kosmet is that it unconditionally condemned terrorism as a means for achieving political aims, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. The final document of the Rome Contact Group talks confirmed "the firm stand against the independence of Kosovo, the respect for the territorial unity of the FR of Yugoslavia and the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vladimir Rahmanin told a press conference in Moscow.

Rahmanin added that disagreement was expressed with the continuation of the unacceptable status quo in the province.

He said that the western members of the Contact Group "raised the issue of the introduction of economic measures against FRY." However, Russia did not allow that this receives the blessing of the authority of the Contact Group and decisively distanced itself from the part of the final document on the urgent freeze of Yugoslav and Serbian funds held aborad, and the stop of new investments if real advancement in the dialogue is not made by May 9.

Rahmanin said that Russia "specially underscored that it in principle did not accept steps with a character of sanctions."

Russian believes that the in current stage, the Contact Group should concentrate primarily on providing real help to the start of the dialogue. Such a contribution, rather than economic measures, are the key condition of the efficiency of joint international efforts for the resolution of the Kosovo problem, Rahmanin said.

[05] YELTSIN AGAINST PRESSURES ON YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

Russian President Boris Yeltsin said on Thursday that Russia opposed new punitive measures against FR Yugoslavia, it was said in Moscow.

"The Russian President stressed the unacceptability of approaches based on greater pressure on Yugoslavia", according to a presidential Press Service statement on the telephone talk the Russian head of state held with Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

The Russian side, it was pointed out, "continues an active line in ensuring a peaceful and civilized pull out of the Kosovo crisis."

"Yeltsin confirmed Russia's unequivocal position in favour of establishing a constructive dialogue between Yugoslav official authorities and representatives of the Albanian community in Kosovo," the statement said.

It was pointed out during the discussion of the topic that the sides manifested common approaches of Russia and Italy to settling the Kosovo problem in order to prevent the spread of the crisis as well as to prevent the situation from going out of control.

The Russian President conveyed this position to Italian Prime Minister Prodi after Russia at the meeting of the Contact Group in Rome on Wednesday announced its decision not to take part in the economic pressures on Belgrade, advocated by the United States and western countries.

Official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Rahhmanin said at a press conference on Thursday that Russia did not intend to change anything in its current economic links with Serbia as its traditional partner.

Commenting the proposal to increase economic pressure on Belgrade, contained in the final declaration of the Contact Group meeting, Rahhmanin underlined Moscow's fundamental opposition to declarations of such a sensitive nature."

[06] PROTEST AGAINST FOREIGN INTERVENTION AND ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERROR

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

A protest rally of several thousand people was held on Thursday in Kosovska Mitrovica to express their revolt against foreign pressures and the terror of ethnic Albanian separatists.

Speaking on behalf of the patriotic alliance, student Ninoslav Djeric said that "the people in Serbia were never more united in resolutely saying "no" as at the past referendum when they were almost one hundred percent against the interference of foreign representatives in the resolution of problems in Kosovo and Metohija.

Djeric told the Contact Group to keep its hands off Serbia and desist from threats and new sanctions.

"By your decisions you have directly supported terrorism instead of dialogue offered by Serbia. Open your eyes. Ethnic Albanians in Serbia enjoy all rights, the only thing we do not allow them is the break-up of Serbia, redrawing of borders, ethnic cleansing of these territories and the killing of policemen and citizens who do not think like they do," Djeric said.

At the rally in Kosovska Mitrovica citizens carried flags and banners with the slogans: We will not give up Kosovo, Enough with ethnic Albanian terror, Kosovo-Metohija is the heart of Serbia, Leave us alone, Our NO is great.

[07] CITIZENS PROTEST AGAINST CONTACT GROUP DECISIONS

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

Several thousand citizens rallied on Thursday in central Pec, Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija, to protest against decisions by the Contact Group.

The protesters sent a message to the world, underscoring that Serbian citizens had made it clear at the recent referendum what they think about the status of Kosmet - that it is an internal issue of Serbia and that they will never allow foreigners to mete out justice to them.

"The international community, in fact the so-called Contact Group, showed in Rome that they are hypocrites and that they support terrorism and bloodshed in Kosovo and Metohija. We have the strength to defend the integrity of our fatherland and preserve peace in these lands. Let us be united and harmonious because that is the only way we can manage to realize our state and national interests," said the message sent by several thousand patriots from the rally in Pec.

[08] PRIZREN CITIZENS CONDEMN ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISM AND CONTACT GROUP STANDS

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

At a rally in Prizren on Thursday, thousands of local Serbs, Montenegrins, Muslims, ethnic Turks and Romanies condemned ethnic Albanian terrorists and the stands of the Contact Group, which failed to condemn separatism and terrorism in Kosovo and Metohija.

Addressing the rally, head of the Prizren Municipal Assembly Ljubisa Stefanovic, MP, said that this proud and dignified people was running out of patience after the daily exposure to demonstrations of violent ethnic Albanian separatists.

Yugoslav Left member Sladjana Vidosavljevic said that ethnic Albanian terrorists and separatists should give up delusions about Kosovo and Metohija outside Serbia and invited all patriotic forces to unite and oppose the worst evil in the Balkans - ethnic Albanian terrorism.

Several thousand ethnic Albanian separatists on Thursday staged destructive demonstrations, directed against the symbols of Serbia and Yugoslavia. They removed a number of Serbian and Yugoslav flags, which provoked Serbian and Montenegrin inhabitants of Prizren to burst into the crowd of enraged ethnic Albanian protesters and take their national symbols.

[09] MESSAGE FROM A RALLY IN PRISTINA: WE ARE AGAINST WESTERN DUPLICITY

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

About 20,000 Serb and Montenegrin citizens of Pristina gathered on Thursday outside the National Theatre to protest against the unjust decisions of the Contact Group which is supporting terrorism.

Speaking on behalf of the gathered citizens, Ognjen Vujovic, a university student, set out that this rally once again expresses bitterness over the pressures of the international community on this country.

"We protest against the duplicity and injustice of the West which openly supports bloodshed and the actions of the Contact Group which supports Albanian separatism and terrorism. Serbs, Montenegrins, Turks, Muslims and Romanies in Kosovo and Metohija do not want a war and conflicts, but a joint life. We are warning the ethnic Albanian separatists and terrorists not to provoke our patience and not to play with fire as they will certainly get burned," the message from the rally said.

The gathered Serbs, Montenegrins and members of national minorities loyal to the state of Serbia walked the streets for some time, after which they dispersed peacefully.

[10] SERBIAN RADICAL PARTY ON CONTACT GROUP DECISIONS

Tanjug, 1998-05-01

The Serbian Radical Party (SRS) has pointed to the fact that the intensity and frequency of ethnic Albanian terrorist attacks in Kosovo and Metohija have increased after the unilateral and highly inappropriate decision by the so-called Contact Group.

Instead of strongly condemning Albanian terrorism advocated by ethnic Albanian political leaders from Kosovo and Metohija and daily aided by the infiltration of armed groups from Albania, Contact Group members have not voiced a single word of criticism, let alone condemned ethnic Albanian politicians who support separatism and directly attack the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia and the FR of Yugoslavia.

Ethnic Albanian extremists have obviously understood this decision as a permission for continuing with bloodshed and launching new criminal attacks against Serbian civilians and Interior Ministry members and retaliating against ethnic Albanians who do not think the same and who are our country's loyal citizens.

The SRS believes that the policy of blackmail and pressure pursued by Western forces has not yielded positive results anywhere in the world, but has increased human misfortune and disaster wherever applied.

Therefore the Serbian Radicals believe that our country will resist all threats and ultimatums by big powers, aimed at dismembering Serbia and the FR of Yugoslavia, and that the Western powers will finally realise that the problem of Kosovo and Metohija is our internal affair, the same as problems in California are America's internal affair and problems in Bavaria are Germany's internal affair, the SRS statement said.

[11] SERBIAN REFUGEE COMMISSIONER URGES UNCONDITIONAL RETURN OF REFUGEES

Tanjug, 1998-05-03

Serbian Refugee Commissioner Bratislava Morina has told Tanjug that there can be no more conditions for a return of refugees and displaced persons to Croatia and this is what the Yugoslav delegation insisted upon at the International Regional Conference on Refugee Repatriation, held in Banjaluka last week.

"At the conference, the international community stated for the first time that the return of refugees to Croatia is possible and that it must immediately become a reality, so, recommendations were given for Croatia to accept as soon as possible," Morina said.

A closing statement adopted at the conference specifies that the international community is dissatisfied with the procedure established by Croatia on April 27, because the procedure is "neither simple nor transparent."

Morina said that, under the conclusions of the conference, it was made clear that a return to abandoned villages in the regions of Kordun, Lika, Dalmatia and Slavonija was possible in the near future and that the international community would support a collective return of Serb refugees to their homes.

She said that Croatian authorities must promptly enable a voluntary return of nearly 300,000 Serb refugees from Croatia who had found shelter in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

At the Banjaluka conference, Croatia was given time until June 1 to introduce a simple and flexible mechanism allowing refugees to visit their homes in a safe and dignified manner and be free to travel to and move across Croatia, even if they do not have Croatian citizenship.

As a transitional measure, Croatia must immediately start issuing temporary entry permits for the period of 90 days, while Croatian embassies and consular offices in Bosnia*Herzegovina and Yugoslavia must do the same by the end of May.

Morina said that the conference unanimously condemned Croatia's actions viz. the return of Serbs and urged it to allow an unconditional return for all the refugees and to immediately settle the issue of their citizenship.

"The participants at the conference also shared an opinion that the developments in (the northwestern Bosnian town of) Drvar have been stage- managed by Croatian extremists, and, to this effect, Croatian authorities were held responsible," said Morina.

Since a donors' conference is scheduled to be held in Zagreb in May, our delegation voiced an opinion that funds earmarked for Croatia should be commensurate with the number of returnees, namely with the number of the returns approved. This would provide a direct insight into where the international community's funds are put to and prevent Croatia's practice of investing them solely in the reconstruction of displaced Croats' homes or Serb houses planned for the settling of Croats from Yugoslavia, Bosnia- Herzegovina and other countries.

"We have reiterated this stand many times before, because Croatia keeps stating to the international community that its being war-devastated made the return of Serb refugees impossible. However, there are more than 100, 000 Serb refugees in Yugoslavia that have come from Croatian territories where not a single day of war had been waged," Morina explained.

[12] DROBNJAK: ANTI-TERRORIST CORE OF ETHNIC ALBANIANS SOON TO BE FORMED

Tanjug, 1998-05-03

Provincial Information Secretary Bosko Drobnjak has said that a tight core of ethnic Albanians who will oppose torture by ethnic Albanian extremists will soon be formed in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija.

Speaking in a programme by the local television Palma Plus in Jagodina, central Serbia, Drobnjak said there were cases of firm opposition to ethnic Albanian extremists and political parties on the part of ethnic Albanians in the province, saying there would be more of them despite intimidation, maltreatment and murders.

He said all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija regardless of their ethnic origin, who were loyal to their state, expected it to act as a guarantor and to secure safety to them and their property. He said Serbia would do this.

"This will be soon clear to all both at home and abroad," he said.

"A large number of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija have realised that they have been deceived by (leader of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo) Ibrahim Rugova and leaders of other ethnic Albanian political parties," he said.

He said, "We have hardly any problems with ethnic Albanian citizens in Kosovo and Metohija because their views are far more rational and far wiser than those of ethnic Albanian politicians, and they are less and less interested in the politicians and a Greater Albania and are more and more interested in business and trade in Serbia and Yugoslavia."

Drobnjak said he had faith in the older generation of ethnic Albanians in the province whose views were wiser than those of their political leaders, saying the older generation were wise enough and had enough goodwill to open dialogue and reach agreement on the matter honouring all principles of co-existence.

[13] SERB BROTHERS CAPTURED BY ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS RETURN HOME

Tanjug, 1998-05-01

Brothers Igor, Slobodan and Vladan Mikic, captured by ethnic Albanian terrorists in Kosovo and Metohija five days ago, returned home to Klina late Thursday, the Klina municipal authorities told Tanjug.

The terrorists escorted the Mikics back to the village of Bica near Klina where they were taken captive on April 26. The Mikic brothers are reportedly in good condition.

A total of 11 Serbs and Montenegrins have been abducted by armed ethnic Albanian groups in the area of Metohija since April 22.

According to municipal authorities in Decani, another two abducted Serbs, Slobodan Radosevic and Milos Radunovic of the village of Dasinovac, had been shot dead.

According to the same source, their bodies had been left lying by the roadside at the entrance to Dasinovac until Thursday night.

The source also said that Radosevic's wife was being held hostage at her own house, as well as the Vlahovic couple of the village of Donji Ratis.

The fate of other abducted persons remains uncertain.

[14] STATEMENT OF THE SERBIAN MINISTRY OF INTERIOR

Tanjug, 1998-04-30

Terrorists attacked members of the Serbian police on the road Suva Reka- Stimlje, the village of Dulje, municipality of Suva Reka in Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija, at 22:55 hrs local time on April 29, killing Suva Reka policeman Sasa Jovanovic (26) said the Republican Interior Ministry.

The attack was carried out by a terrorist band of ethnic Albanian separatists, who used hand-held rocket-launchers and automatic weapons, said the statement.

Police reacted using firearms, and discovered hand grenades, automatic rifles and other equipment at the site of the attack, the police statement said.

[15] PROTOCOL ON CLUB OF BALKAN CENTRAL BANKS' GOVERNORS SIGNED IN ISTANBUL

Tanjug, 1998-05-01

A Protocol on setting up a Club of governors of central banks of the central Asia, Black Sea and Balkan regions, was signed in Istanbul on Friday, in line with an agreement reached at the October 1997 meeting of central bank governors.

On behalf of the National Bank of Yugoslavia, the protocol was signed by Governor Dusan Vlatkovic. Before signing the protocol, the governors discussed currencies and other issues relating to the present relations and future cooperation among central banks of the region.

The protocol includes specific provisions on the club's objectives, functions, activities, membership, structure, organization and holding of meetings.

The club aims to strengthen the existing relations and cooperation in financial terms, to establish regional cooperation among its members in monetary, financial and banking matters and also to step up efforts toward maintaining a monetary, banking and financial stability within the club members.

The Friday's meeting was hosted by the Central Bank of Turkey. The governors are scheduled to meet again on September 11.

[16] YUGOSLAV DEVELOPMENT MINISTER ON A VISIT TO CHINA

Tanjug, 1998-05-01

Yugoslav Minister of Development, Science and Environment Jagos Zelenovic arrived on a several-day visit to China on Friday, at the invitation of China's Ministry of Science and Technology.

Zelenovic heads a six-member delegation that is to hold talks in Beijing and other cities on the promotion of the two countries' cooperation in the domain.

The delegation is to visit first the Guangxi province and its capital Nanning as well as a number of other cities.

On the delegation's return to Beijing, the Yugoslav-Chinese Committee for scientific and technological cooperation will hold its second session. The delegation will also holds talks with officials of China's Economic Planning Bureau.

The session is to lead to the signing of a protocol that will provide for a large number of new scientific projects.

The committee met for the first time in Belgrade two years ago when the first Protocol on cooperation in the domain was signed.

[17] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ATTACK POLICE STATION NEAR SRBICA

Tanjug, 1998-05-03

Ethnic Albanian terrorists attacked the police station in Rudnik near Srbica from mortars and automatic weapons at about 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Saturday, Srbica municipal authorities told Tanjug on Sunday. The terrorists fired from several directions for an hour and fled after police responded.

None of the police officers were injured and several ethnic Albanian terrorists are believed to be hurt.

Several houses around the station were damaged by the terrorists' grenades.

Police has launched an intensive search for the perpetrators.

Rudnik is situated 12 km southwest of Srbica.

[18] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION DUE IN BELARUS

Tanjug, 1998-05-02

At an invitation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union of Russia and Belarus, a Yugoslav parliamentary delegation will take part in a Parliamentary Assembly session to be held in Gomel, Belarus, from May 3 to 5. The delegation will include Tomislav Nikolic, who chairs the Foreign Policy and Economic Relations Committee of the Yugoslav Parliament's Chamber of Republics (upper house) and Milutin Stojkovic, who chairs the Chamber of Citizens Defense and Security Committee.

[19] YUGOSLAV DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES IRANIAN COUNTERPART

Tanjug, 1998-05-02

Yugoslav Deputy Foreign Minister Radoslav Bulajic on Saturday met with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mortez Sharmadi.

Sharmadi is on a visit to Yugoslavia as a personal envoy of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami.

The two sides exchanged views about concrete possibilities for the promotion of the Yugoslav-Iranian relations, situation in the two regions and other topics of mutual interest.

Both sides stressed their readiness for a further promotion of economic cooperation, for which there exist realistic possibilities and contacts established between Yugoslav and Iranian business subjects.

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