Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-06-11

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] DEPUTY PM SAINOVIC RECEIVED THE BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE

[02] YUGOSLAVIA AND MACEDONIA SIGN AN ACCORD ON SEASONAL ELECTRICITY EXCHANGE

[03] YUGOSLAVIA SUCCESSFULLY PRESENTED ITS ECONOMIC POTENTIAL IN ISTANBUL

[04] RADIO STATIONS SIGN FIRST CONTRACTS ON USE OF FREQUENCIES

[05] YUGOSLAV INFORMATION SECRETARY ON THE MEDIA SITUATION

[06] JOVANOVIC: YUGOSLAVIA AND TURKEY SHOULD ESTABLISH DIRECT COOPERATION

[07] FOREIGN REPORTERS VISIT THE TOWN OF PEC

[08] SERBIAN AUTHORS ADOPT A DECLARATION ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[09] SPS MAIN BOARD URGES DIALOGUE IN THE RESOLUTION OF THE KOSMET ISSUE

[10] U.S. DIPLOMATS VISIT KOSOVO DISTRICT

[11] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS MEXICO

[12] DELEGATION OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE VISITS YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENT

[13] LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER RECEIVED THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION

[14] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS BELARUS

[15] LLOYD: YUGOSLAVIA BELONGS IN THE EUROPEAN FAMILY OF NATIONS

[01] DEPUTY PM SAINOVIC RECEIVED THE BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic on Wednesday received Secretary of State at the British Foreign Office Tony Lloyd, the Yugoslav Information Secretariat said in a statement issued after the meeting.

Lloyd voiced special interest in the situation in the Yugoslav repub lic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province.

Sainovic said that it was Yugoslavia's clear commitment that dialogu e is the only way to a just and lasting solution for all ethnic communities an d to the equality of all citizens in Kosovo and Metohija.

It was clearly stressed that the international community was expecte d to contribute to an atmosphere of dialogue instead of exerting pressure and threatening to use force, because this only encouraged terrorists more an d jeopardized people's lives, while constructive talks receded into the dis tance.

[02] YUGOSLAVIA AND MACEDONIA SIGN AN ACCORD ON SEASONAL ELECTRICITY EXCHANGE

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Yugoslav and Macedonian power industry officials signed in Macedonia 's capital of Skopje on Tuesday an Accord on seasonal exchange of 50 million kwh of electricity, Serbian Radio and Television reported.

The accord was signed within a visit to Skopje by a Yugoslav busines s delegation, headed by Yugoslav Economy Minister Rade Filipovic. Filipov ic and his Macedonian opposite number Boris Rikalovski, whom he met on Tuesday, agreed that the implementation of all projects of cooperation among southeast E uropean countries in the sphere of power industry was in the interest of both cou ntries. Yugoslavia is ready to take part in the development of a regional power s upply market and to contribute to the construction of necessary infrastructure and improvement of power supply, in line with European standards, Filipovic s aid. Rikalovski stressed Macedonia's interest towards joint coordination of development projects in oil and gas production and deliveries and in buil ding a pipeline between Skopje and the southern Serbian town of Vranje. Serbian Radio and Television also said it had been agreed that sub-commissions and comp anies in the sector should meet as soon as possible to map out a joint strategy and prepare the ground for a meeting of the Yugoslav-Macedonian Commission fo r economic cooperation.

[03] YUGOSLAVIA SUCCESSFULLY PRESENTED ITS ECONOMIC POTENTIAL IN ISTANBUL

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Yugoslavia successfully presented its economic potential at a business forum that coincided with the Conference of Southeast European Foreign Mi nisters in Istanbul, Turkey. About 90 businessmen from Bulgaria, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Romania, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia sp oke of their countries' economic potential, conditions for investment and invest ment projects in which foreign partners are expected to take part. Yugoslavia showed a video containing basic data about its economy, while officials of the Y ugoslav Chamber of Commerce informed businessmen from other southeast European co untries about the transformation of the Yugoslav economy and programmes offered to foreign investors. They also presented major projects in the power indust ry and transport sectors.

The participants in the forum showed great interest in cooperation w ith partners in Yugoslavia, especially in the sphere of the building industry , Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce advisor Snezana Raseta said. At the close o f the forum, the participants adopted a declaration containing the forum's basi c goals. The goals primarily refer to the construction and linking of power supply systems in southeast European countries. They stressed the need for defining pro jects vital for the region, saying it would be easier to secure international investors' funds in this way.

[04] RADIO STATIONS SIGN FIRST CONTRACTS ON USE OF FREQUENCIES

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Representatives of 35 radio stations signed at the Yugoslav Governme nt building on Wednesday first contracts on the temporary use of frequencies granted to them by the Yugoslav Telecommunications Ministry under a public bid.

Telecommunications Minister Dojcilo Radojevic said that present and future radio and TV stations could still address the ministry in order to be gra nted frequencies. He said that the ministry had aimed at creating order among the electronic media "so that no one should be in anybody else's way and tha everyone should operate legally, without feeling insecure." Yugoslav Inf ormation Secretary Goran Matic described the signing as the start of the legalisat ion of the electronic media operation and electronic information concept. In th e past few years, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has undergone a media boom and about 700 electronic media operated in our territory at one point, he sa id and added that this was an "extremely important step in strengthening democra cy, freedom of speech, pluralism and all important preconditions of a modern society." Matic said that many radio and TV stations had started to oper ate without coordination, interfering with others, and the Yugoslav Telecommunications Ministry decided to "legalise frequencies and improve coordination in order to enable everybody wishing to engage in the field of electronic media information to realise their project in a legal, sociall y acceptable and satisfactory way." He described as "important for our soc iety that 250 subjects were granted about 400 frequencies at the bid," and sai d that the process continued.

Matic urged that "media remain different and pluralistic, holding th e social positions they have, but they should always bear in mind that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is our country and should have its interests at he art."

He said that opinions and assessments about the important processes in the society had to be different, but that media had to take care that the dif ference should never be harmful to Yugoslavia.

Matic said that transition, which is very important in all segments, "would probably speed up the exchange of information, which is important as a ba sis of the flow of ideas, people, goods and capital" in the media sector.

[05] YUGOSLAV INFORMATION SECRETARY ON THE MEDIA SITUATION

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Yugoslav Information Secretary Goran Matic said on Wednesday that th e granting of frequencies was a major technical and material process, on wh ich some countries work for years, and that the number of frequency users could ri se by 200 by the end of the year. Speaking to reporters after the signing of th e first contracts on the temporary use of radio frequencies, Matic said that the granting of new frequencies was in progress and that none of those who really wish to work and meet the demands of the bid would be damaged. Matic said that Yugosl av Radio-TV was a Yugoslav Government television and that its programmes wou ld be received in Montenegro within a month. He said that Yugoslavia deserved a single information space and that both the state and those who wish to en gage in informing had to be engaged in creating this space. Speaking about the w ork of some media, Matic said that one could not say that those media which "cal l for a NATO intervention, present a distorted picture about the important proc esses in our society and live solely from foreign financial assistance by those who are not friendly disposed towards us" were working for the benefit of the FR of Yugoslavia. "There are media which are the long arm of political and oth er interests and they do not work for the benefit of the FRY, because the bo sses who pay them request a certain type of work," Matic said.

He said that the state would not use state means to fight against su ch media, since the "freedom of speech exists in the FRY which is an open so ciety." Asked to name these media, Matic said that the lists of media financed fr om abroad had been published several times and that the information existed about who financed which media in Yugoslavia.

[06] JOVANOVIC: YUGOSLAVIA AND TURKEY SHOULD ESTABLISH DIRECT COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic told Turkish daily Miliy et that the relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Turkey had b een normalized, especially in the economy, culture and science, and that they should now be formally regulated. The two governments should establish direct cooperation and pave the way for a normal movement of passengers and good s, Jovanovic said. In his interview to the daily, Jovanovic underlined t hat the problem of Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija was an inter nal affair and ruled out any secession or independence of the province. The d ialogue initiated by the meeting between Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic an d ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova must be pursued, Jovanovic said. The mini ster denied any ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and Metohija. The problem in the p rovince stems from separatism and terrorism, Jovanovic said.

[07] FOREIGN REPORTERS VISIT THE TOWN OF PEC

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

About 50 foreign reporters, accredited in Belgrade, visited the town of Pec in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija in the organisation of the Pristina-based Media Centre. Serbian Interior Ministry officials Gen. Sr eten Lukic and David Gajic held a press conference at a Pec hotel. Foreign re porters wanted to know the number of terrorists killed during the unblocking of t he Pec-Decani-Djakovica road and whether any of the terrorists were captured 2E Lukic said that terrorists had a large number of casualties during the unblocki ng of the road. He further stated that nobody had been captured because it was a known practice of similar organisations in the world that terrorists did not gi ve themselves up alive. Asked whether there has been any Yugoslav Army enga gement in fighting the terrorists, it was said that Yugoslav Army units had not participated in the clashes with terrorists, apart from the attacks at th e border, where the army acted in accordance with military service regulati ons. "The Serbian Interior Ministry is able to keep the complex situation in t his part of Serbia under control, of which the terrorists are aware and are in con fusion, although the terrorists, whose headquarters are in Bajram Curri in Albani a, include former Yugoslav People's Army officers and about 50 mercenaries," Lukic said. As for the unblocking of the Pec- Pristina trunk road, Lukic voiced belief that the traffic on this route would soon be normalised and that this wou ld most likely be achieved through talks. The Serbian Interior Ministry official s said that terrorists had looted and torched a large number of Serb and Montene grin houses in the villages of Metohija, but also the houses of their compatri ots who had not joined them in terrorist operations. None of the foreign reporte rs asked about the number of casualties among the civilians or Serbian Interior Mi nistry members or about the fate of Serbs and Montenegrins who were expelled fro m villages in the municipalities of Klina, Decani and Djakovica.

[08] SERBIAN AUTHORS ADOPT A DECLARATION ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

The Serbian Authors' Association, the Vojvodina Authors' Society, the Kosovo and Metohija Authors' Society and the Republika Srpska Authors' Association adopted in Gracanica a Declaration on Kosovo and Metohija, co ndemning in strongest terms the escalation of ethnic Albanian terrorism. The Decla ration was adopted on Tuesday and forwarded to Tanjug on Wednesday. The Declara tion said that Kosovo and Metohija (Old Serbia) was the cradle of the Serbian spirituality and that its Serbian Orthodox diocese was 980 years old. "W ith about 1,300 monuments (such as those which Andre Malraux described as the best examples of the 13th century art), Kosovo and Metohija is an inalienable part of the Serbian state. "The Old Serbia, in which ethnic Albanians have been carrying out a drastic genocidal religious terror campaign for two centuries, is t he spiritual heir of the European civilisation. The leading figures of the m ankind, from Victor Hugo to Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, have raised their voices in t he defence of the Christian deeds in the region.

"We do not accept the violently altered demographic situation in Kos ovo and Metohija (permanent persecutions, torching of monasteries, rapes and brut al murders) as a starting point for an equal political dialogue between Serb s and ethnic Albanians. "We expect ethnic Albanian political leaders and autho rs decisively to condemn ethnic Albanian terrorism in the name of humaneness and giving up of xenophobia in order to protect the civilian population of Ko sovo and Metohija. "We are warning the international community and the world public that the policy of double standards can make a dangerous precedent and an intr oduction to a Balkan crisis of unparalleled proportions. In the name of human righ ts, the United Nations and the European Union must protect all inhabitants of Old Serbia and introduce a diplomatic embargo against ethnic Albanian leaders becaus e they support and encourage terrorism and flare up hatred between races and rel igions.

"We regard the world's power-wielders' interpretation of the present crisis as wrong and ill-disposed. The granting of legitimacy to terrorists and c ivilian revolt, preparations for an annexation of the region by NATO forces and establishing of a so-called peace through military means will lead to a p olitical anarchy and historical alteration of results of both world wars. "We can interpret new economic and military threats to Serbia only as a humiliati ng ultimatum and demonstration of force since the international community (a s an accessory in the ethnic cleansing of Croatia from Serbs) is not ready to resolve the rights of ethnic Albanians in the Old Serbia and the rights of Serbs in Croatia in a principled manner," the Declaration said. "Being humanists according to their moral and professional affiliation, Serbian authors ar e appealing to Europe's common sense, because the annulment of the Eastern Orthodox Old Serbia would mean a victory of a distorted policy and the beginning of a suicidal end of cultural Europe," the Declaration said. The Declarati on was signed by Serbian Authors' Association President Slobodan Rakitic, Kosovo and Metohija Authors' Society President Milos Djordjevic, Vojvodina Authors' Society President Selimir Radulovic and Republika Srpska Authors' Association Pre sident Vladimir Nastic.

[09] SPS MAIN BOARD URGES DIALOGUE IN THE RESOLUTION OF THE KOSMET ISSUE

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

The Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) Main Board at its Wednesday's se ssion chaired by President Slobodan Milosevic discussed basic guidelines for strengthening the party's organization, as well as current problems in Ko sovo AND Metohija, the implementation of an economic and welfare program of the Se rbian Government of National Unity and also defined guidelines for political ac tion, the Main Board Press Office said in a statement.

Special attention at the session was devoted to the current problems in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province. The SPS stres sed its principled stand that all questions outstanding there could be solved by political means, based on the fundamental principle of national equality of all citizens.

The SPS remains committed to a direct and unconditional dialogue as the best way to achieve peaceful, humane, just and lasting solutions that wil l affirm the interests of all citizens and national communities living in the prov ince. In the interest of peaceful co-existence and safety of all citizens, comp etent state bodies will be firmly fighting terrorism. Fighting terrorism is a c ommon interests of all those living in Serbia, regardless of their nationality.

The Main Board upheld measures taken by the state bodies toward brin ging the situation in this part of the republic back to normal. It also stress ed the need for organized efforts in reducing the tension and also for taking st eps toward restoring the trust among different ethnic communities in Kosovo a nd Metohija. An efficient functioning and activities of the state bodies hav e a special role and responsibility in this, the statement said.

[10] U.S. DIPLOMATS VISIT KOSOVO DISTRICT

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Head of the U.S. mission in Yugoslavia Richard Miles, First Secretar y Nicholas Hill and head of the U.S. Cultural Centre in Pristina Richard Ha ckaby on Wednesday visited the Kosovo district and met with the prefect Veljko Odalovic.

The Kosovo and Metohija Information Secretariat said in a statement that both sides had voiced concern about an increasingly complex situation in Kosovo and Metohija, caused by an intensification of terrorist attacks by ethnic Albanian separatists. Odalovic said that the terrorist attacks were aime d at provoking a wider unrest and carrying out ethnic cleansing of the territo ry. He pointed at the Serbian state's legitimate right and obligation to prevent terrorism and secure stability, peace and order in the region in an adequ ate way. It was said that the engagement of state bodies had lately created securi ty conditions enabling diplomats, foreign and domestic reporters and humanit arian organisations to visit the crisis region and obtain first-hand informatio n about the facts and the situation on the ground. It was said that a resumption of the dialogue was the most important thing at this moment. Odalovic stressed that the international community had to influence ethnic Albanian political leader s to give up their idea of an independent Kosovo, to condemn terrorism and to resume talks without any new conditions.

[11] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS MEXICO

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

A Yugoslav multi-party parliamentary delegation, headed by Chairman of the Chamber of Citizens (Lower House) Foreign Policy Committee Ljubisa Ristic , has arrived in Mexico City. Serbian Radio Television (RTS) reported on Wedne sday evening that the three-day return visit would include talks with the Mexi can Senate Speaker and Chairman of the International Relations Commission and also a tour of the state-owned oil company Pemex. The talks with Congress off icials are expected to focus on the development of bilateral parliamentary coope ration and also on paving the way for major economic contacts.

[12] DELEGATION OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE VISITS YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENT

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Members of the Yugoslav Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Relation s Ivica Dacic and Milan Bozic met on Wednesday the delegation of the Council of E urope Parliamentary Assembly headed by the President of its Political Committee Andras Barsony. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia should join the Council of E urope as soon as possible, and the Council is ready for cooperation and good of fices, it was noted during the meeting. Dacic and Bozic underlined that Yugosla via was endeavouring to regain its membership in all international organizations and institutions as soon as possible and expects a positive response to its r equest for admission into the Council of Europe.

Referring to the situation in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo a nd Metohija, Dacic and Bozic underlined that the problem can be resolved onl y by peaceful means, through dialogue. They said they expected the talks betw een the Serbian delegation and representatives of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo an d Metohija to continue shortly and that a solution would be found to the be nefit of all citizens of the province.

[13] LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER RECEIVED THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Speaker of the Yugoslav Parliament's Lower House (Chamber of Citizen s) Milomir Minic received on Wednesday the delegation of the Council of Euro pe Parliamentary Assembly headed by the President of its Political Committee Andras Barsony, the Federal Parliament said in a statement. The delegation is v isiting Yugoslavia at the initiative of the Assembly President Leni Fischer in or der to pursue the dialogue between Yugoslavia and the Assembly on all issues of joint interest. Minic explained to the visiting delegation the current politic al situation in Yugoslavia and underlined Yugoslavia's legitimate aspiration s to an active role in all European institutions and organizations, especially th e Council of Europe. Yugoslavia has recently applied for membership in the Council of Europe. As a European and peace-loving country, Yugoslavia wishes to get its rightful place in this institution as soon as possible and is ready to as sume all responsibilities stemming from the membership, Minic said. Yugoslavia ac cepts the Framework Convention on yhe Protection of Minorities and expects an invitation to join the convention, and hopes to join shortly all activiti es of the Council at all levels open to states whose admission is under way.

Minic thanked the delegation for the earlier invitations for the participation of a Yugoslav delegation in Parliamentary Assembly sessions Minic also informed the delegation of the measures and activities of the Serbian Government aimed at pursuing the direct and unconditional dialogue with representatives of the ethnic Albanian minority in Serbia's southern prov ince of Kosovo and Metohija in order to resolve all issues regarding the exercise of human and civil rights of all citizens in the province in line with the h ighest international standards on minority rights. European parliamentarians sa id the Council of Europe and its Parliamentary Assembly hoped for a progress in the peace process in Kosovo and Metohija and for a further development of coo peration with the Yugoslav Parliament, the statement says.

[14] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS BELARUS

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

A Yugoslav parliamentary delegation visiting Belarus held talks with officials in Minsk on Wednesday about enhancing economic cooperation and stepping up contacts, Serbian Radio and Television reports. Talks included detail s of earlier contracted deals and prospects for enhancing trade. The Yugoslav delegation began its visit on Tuesday. It hopes to concretize business de als signed in the last few months so that exchange between the two countries would reach 100 million dollars.

[15] LLOYD: YUGOSLAVIA BELONGS IN THE EUROPEAN FAMILY OF NATIONS

Tanjug, 1998-06-10

Secretary of State at the British Foreign Office Tony Lloyd said on Wednesday that Great Britain and the European Union considered that Yugos lavia had a place in the European family of nations and that Europe felt no ani mosity to Yugoslavia. Tony Lloyd, who arrived on a two-day visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia earlier on Wednesday, was speaking at a news confe rence. Lloyd said that he had separate meetings with Yugoslav Vice Premier Nikol a Sainovic and Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic, handing to the latter a message from British Prime Minister Tony Blair for Yugoslav President Slobodan Mi losevic. Speaking about the situation in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province, Lloyd said that the Kosovo and Metohija problem could be solved only through dialogue, at the conference table. A solution was pos sible only through talks within the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, he said, st ressing that both parties must show a willingness to compromise. He said there wa s no military solution to the Kosovo and Metohija problem, because violence b reeds violence.

Lloyd said he would convey this position, assumed by Great Britain a nd the European Union, to the leaders of ethnic Albanian political parties in Ko sovo and Metohija with whom he would be meeting in the province's chief city of P ristina on Thursday. Lloyd said he would on Thursday be visiting also Podgorica, the capital of the other Yugoslav republic, Montenegro.

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