Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-06-15

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS WOUND A POLICEMAN

[02] KINKEL AND RUGOVA MEET IN LONDON

[03] SADAKO OGATA URGES PEACE IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[04] RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER ON RUSSIA'S PARTICIPATION IN NATO EXERCISES

[05] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER - STATEMENT

[06] FIVE SOLDIERS AND ONE POLICEMAN WOUNDED BY TERRORISTS

[07] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS KILLED TWO POLICEMEN

[08] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS TORCH 11 HOUSES

[09] KLA INTIMIDATES ETHNIC ALBANIANS TO DONATE MONEY

[10] "TRANSKOSMET" GUARDS BEATEN UP BY ETHNIC ALBANIANS

[11] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS CONTINUE WITH ETHNIC CLEANSING OF METOHIJA

[12] APPEAL FOR OBJECTIVE, TRUE, AND CORRECT REPORTING

[13] FOREIGN JOURNALISTS CALLED ON TO INFORM OBJECTIVELY ABOUT TERRORISM

[14] TWO SERBIAN POLICEMEN KILLED AND ONE WOUNDED IN AN AMBUSH

[15] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARIANS HOLD BUSINESS TALKS WITH MEXICAN OFFICIALS

[16] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION WILL VISIT NETHERLANDS

[17] MEXICO SUPPORTS YUGOSLAVIA'S ADMISSION TO WTO

[18] LUKASHENKO SAYS BELARUS HOLDS IDENTICAL STAND AS YUGOSLAVIA

[19] FINAL RETURNS OF MONTENEGRO'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ARE RELEASED

[20] ASSISTANT MINISTER KORAC: SOCIAL SECURITY ACCORD COVERS ALL AREAS

[21] MILOJEVIC RECEIVED BUSINESSMEN FROM SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE

[22] SERBIAN INTERIOR MINISTER RECEIVED THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR

[23] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC RECEIVED A DELEGATION OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

[24] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC CONGRATULATES YUGOSLAV ARMY

[01] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS WOUND A POLICEMAN

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Serbian Interior Ministry member Boban Veljkovic was wounded at about 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) on Friday, when a large group of armed ethnic Albanian terrorists attacked a police station in the village of Prilip near Decani.

Head of the Pec General Hospital's surgery department Nebojsa Mihailovic said that Veljkovic had received serious injuries in the chest and that he had undergone surgery.

[02] KINKEL AND RUGOVA MEET IN LONDON

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel met in London on Friday with the leader of Kosmet Albanians Ibrahim Rugova and demanded from him that "the militant KLA org anization be isolated."

A statement from the meeting, issued by the Foreign Ministry in Bonn, said that Kinkel demanded from Rugova to resume the dialogue with Belgrade, noting that et hnic Albanians should not "squander the sympathy of the international community by refusing talks."

Rugova, the statement said, "thanked the government for its consiste nt support," and said that the so-called "Kosovo Liberation Army" "does not enjoy a wide support of the people."

Rugova on that occasion, in the presence of the German Foreign Minis ter, "dissociated himself from every form of violence and provocations" and said he believed that a "solution for Kosovo and Metohija can be found only by way of negotiations."

Kinkel confirmed that "autonomy for Kosovo and Metohija must be obtained through direct talks with Belgrade."

The German side, according to the statement, warned Kosmet Albanians that they must stop with the "escalation of violence and provocations," pointing to the gener ally-known facts that the so-called "KLA" "is most probably supported by Albanians living abroad, a nd also in Germany."

The Bonn ministry, revealing the details of the meeting in London, s aid among other things that "commitment of the international community to Kosmet Albanians requires a s a precondition their readiness for seeking a peaceful solution through negotiations."

Also added is the interpretation that this "basis is also included i n the NATO conclusions from Thursday."

[03] SADAKO OGATA URGES PEACE IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata urged on Friday an immediate halt to violence in Kosovo and Metohija, which she said primarily affected the ci vilian population.

Ogata said that a greater exodus of the population was possible in S erbia's southern province, where ethnic-Albanian separatists and terrorists have stepped up their ac tivities.

She set out that there was growing concern over the security situati on in the province, as arms smuggling threatened to fan the conflicts within and round Kosovo and Me tohija.

The U.N. High Commissioner said that nobody wanted another Bosnia.

[04] RUSSIAN DEFENCE MINISTER ON RUSSIA'S PARTICIPATION IN NATO EXERCISES

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Russia will decide on its participation in NATO exercises only if th eir format, goals, the number and composition of troops are clarified on the basis of the Partnership f or Peace programme, the Itar-TASS news agency quoted Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev as sa ying.

Sergeyev was commenting on a Thursday statement by NATO Secretary-Ge neral Javier Solana to the effect that Russia was ready to participate in NATO exercises in A lbania and Macedonia in August.

As for other NATO operations, they can be taken only on the basis o f a U.N. Security Council assessment and mandate, Sergeyev told Russian reporters.

"The U.N. Charter is for everyone. Only the Security Council can tak e a decision on such measures," he said.

Sergeyev said that his separate talks with U.S. Defence Secretary Wi lliam Cohen, other NATO counterparts and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Wesley Clark had al so dealt with the situations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo and Metohija.

Assessments about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija largely coinc ide, he said and added that the situation was dangerous and that operative, primarily political, measures were necessary.

Russia would take negatively NATO's armed interference in Kosovo, he said. "It is important to concentrate on political measures and solve the complicated problem, a s the problem was recently solved in the Persian Gulf, where the West made a preventive deployment of forces," the Russian minister said.

[05] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER - STATEMENT

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

The forthcoming visit of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to Mo scow will be extremely important and could change the situation for the better, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov said on Friday following the Contact Group meeting in London.

All members of the G-8 and the Contact Group think that the meeting between Presidents Boris Yeltsin and Milosevic will be both fruitful and potentially decisive, Pr imakov said.

Primakov told the press that Russia had at the Contact Group meeting rejected the use of military force against Yugoslavia as a means for resolving the problem of Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija.

Describing the situation as extremely dangerous, Primakov underlined that Russia would not take part in any possible military actions against Yugoslavia.

[06] FIVE SOLDIERS AND ONE POLICEMAN WOUNDED BY TERRORISTS

Tanjug, 1998-06-14

A group of armed ethnic Albanian terrorists attacked Yugoslav Army soldiers at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in Dulje, on the Prizren-Urosevac-Pristina road in Serbia's southe rn province of Kosovo and Metohija, using automatic weapons, the Pristina Media Centre was informed by Urosevac municipal authorities.

Two soldiers, Vojislav Vasic and Slobodan Jokic, were wounded in the attack.

One hour later, a group of armed ethnic Albanian terrorists used aut omatic weapons to attack Yugoslav Army vehicles transporting food for the troops in Crnoljevo, near Dulje.

Soldiers Zeljko Antovic and Veroljub Smiljkovic, and civilian Stojan Milosevic employed by the Army, were wounded in the attack.

A police patrol was attacked at 3:40 p.m. in the same village, and o fficer Nenad Milanovic was wounded.

Stojan Milosevic has sustained the most serious wounds and his condi tion is critical.

[07] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS KILLED TWO POLICEMEN

Tanjug, 1998-06-14

The security situation in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija (Kosmet) is still complex and burdened with individual attacks by ethnic Albanian terrorist s on citizens, objects and members of the police and Yugoslav Army during their regular work, Serbian police Lt.-col. Novica Zdravkovic said in Pristina on Sunday.

Early this morning, a large group of terrorists attacked the police station in Rakovina, region of Djakovica, using automatic weapons, sniper rifles, mortars and hand grena de launchers. Policeman Dragan Stamenkovic (34) was killed in this attack, Lt.-col. Zdravkovic to ld reporters at the Pristina Media Centre.

Policeman Nebojsa Vukojcic (39) was gravely wounded, but his condit ion is not critical. A police armoured vehicle was damaged with a hand grenade launcher during t he attack.

The group of terrorists was broken up in a strong police action, inf licting heavy losses on the group. A search is under way for the remaining terrorists.

At about noon today, terrorists attacked a police unit securing the road Decani-Djakovica from the direction of Drenovac, municipality of Decani. One policeman was kill ed in this attack and another was seriously wounded. An action is under way to break up this terrorist group.

According to available information, the territory of the Republic of Albania is still being used for training and arming of ethnic Albanian terrorists, Lt.-col. Zdravkovic sa id.

The authorized bodies securing the state border continue successfull y to cut the pathways of armed terrorist groups and prevent their illegal entry into the country.

Refugees, regardless of national affiliation, who have been forced b y terrorists to flee, can return to their homes and resume normal life, Lt.- col. Zdravkovic said.

[08] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS TORCH 11 HOUSES

Tanjug, 1998-06-13

Armed gangs of ethnic Albanian terrorists have in the past five days set fire to 11 houses of the Smigic family in the Leocina village near Srbica, Serbia's southern p rovince of Kosovo and Metohija, a family member told municipal authorities.

The houses belonging to Ilija, Milosav, Cvetko, Dragan, Zivko, Radom ir, Voja, Golub, Mirko, Slobodan and Dragisa Smigic were burned down, the Pristina-based Media C entre reported on Saturday.

The fate of Leocina villagers Milosav (80), Sultana (75), Aleksandra (75) and Radomir (65) Smigic is unknown as they have not contacted either their relatives or th e authorities.

The house of Blagoje Jovanovic, who was killed by terrorists on June 5, was also set on fire in the Kostrc village.

[09] KLA INTIMIDATES ETHNIC ALBANIANS TO DONATE MONEY

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

The "General Staff" of the terrorist organization "Kosovo Liberation Army" (KLA) has appointed Jakup Krasnici, a professor in the village of Negroc in the Drenica munic ipality, its spokesman, according to a KLA statement published on Friday in the Albanian-language newspapers in Pristina.

The terrorist organization said it was releasing the statement in or der to put an end to "unauthorized and irresponsible statements by incompetent individuals."

However, the published statement clearly reflects the real intention s of the terrorist organization KLA, which does not chose the means in its attempts to achieve its goals and brutally kills innocent civilians, including ethnic Albanians who are loyal to the state of Serbi a.

The purpose of the latest KLA statement is to rally the organization s's routed forces. It is clear from the statement's wording that the KLA's ranks have been seriously und ermined.

The statement severely criticizes ethnic Albanians who live abroad f or inadequately funding the organization's terrorist operations, and openly says that the KLA's ultim ate goal is a Greater Albania.

The statement says that the KLA "General Staff" assesses that the "s ituation is very serious and brimming with unforeseen dangers," and it calls on the "Albanian peop le" to "coordinate activities in the interest of liberation and national unification."

The terrorist organization KLA calls on the "Albanian people... thro ughout national territory" to unite under Skenderbeg's flag and "boldly and categorically overcome all obstacles, barriers, beliefs, parties and ideologies."

The KLA "General Staff" urges "all Albanians", wherever they may liv e, to pay all the money they have into the Motherland Calls Fund.

The terrorist organization also urges the illegally elected ethnic-A lbanian "government" in Kosovo and Metohija "to donate funds for the liberation struggle, without which no independence, freedom or unification is possible."

The statement said the people who were in a position to aid "freedom and the liberation" but did not "assumed a great historical responsibility."

It set out that the "liberation struggle has entered a new phase" an d the terrorist organization's "General Staff" needed "to communicate with the public, through its spoke sman, more often."

[10] "TRANSKOSMET" GUARDS BEATEN UP BY ETHNIC ALBANIANS

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Guards Jordan Popovic and Borivoje Velickovic were attacked, disarme d and beaten up by ethnic Albanians while at work in the "Transkosmet" company in Kosovska M itrovica late on Thursday.

Three ethnic Albanians, armed with automatic rifles, handguns and bo mbs, attacked the plant at about 22:30 hrs local time. The terrorists ripped out telephone cables , seized three semi-automatic rifles, complete with clips, from the guards and left them in the guardho use beaten and tied up.

The attackers wanted to know about the vehicles in the plant and the y knew the names of the guards, which indicates that they had been well-informed about the situat ion in this company.

An investigation is underway.

[11] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS CONTINUE WITH ETHNIC CLEANSING OF METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Armed gangs of ethnic-Albanian terrorists continue with ethnic clean sing of Serbs and Montenegrins from villages in Metohija. All Serbian and Montenegrin famil ies have been driven out of the villages of Barane, Gornje Barane, Vranovac, Kotradic, Rosulja, Turja k and Bucane in the Pec municipality.

Ten large families have left behind on their farms of several hectar es many heads of livestock, and their homes have been plundered and most of them torched by ethnic-Al banian terrorists.

As a result of the ethnic cleansing, of the 30 Serbian and Montenegr in families, only eight old people remain in the villages of Krusevac, Rasic, Zlopek and Brolic, also in the Pec municipality.

The ethnic cleansing of villages in Metohija of Serbs and Montenegri ns has been going on for several months, so that out of 64 villages in the Klina municipality no S erbs and Montenegrins are left in 40.

The displaced Serbian and Montenegrin families are staying with rela tives, friends or at Red Cross reception centres in Pec, Klina and Decani.

Although their property has been plundered by ethnic-Albanian terror ists, displaced Serbs and Montenegrins are not considering leaving Kosovo and Metohija. They have f aith in the Serbian state and expect it uncompromisingly to reckon with ethnic-Albanian terrorists.

[12] APPEAL FOR OBJECTIVE, TRUE, AND CORRECT REPORTING

Tanjug, 1998-06-13

Serbian Reporters' Association (UNS) President Milorad Komrakov on S aturday appealed to all media in Serbia to report on developments in Kosovo and Metohija objectiv ely, truly and correctly.

The UNS assembly on Mt. Zlatibor in southern Serbia is taking place under the heading "Media Picture of Serbia and Reporting on Developments in Kosovo and Metohija." Komrakov also appealed to reporters in Serbia to form a united and professional front for the st ruggle for objective, true and unbiased information on developments in this Serbian province.

Komrakov urged all colleagues not to achieve better circulation, vie wing and listening through sensational news, half-truths, guesswork, and suppositions which confuse the public.

The UNS Board of Managers has asked all reporters to contribute with their reports to curbing ethnic Albanian separatism and to try and help all problems in Kosmet be resolved peacefully, he said.

Komrakov said the UNS most strongly condemned one-sided, malicious, unprofessional reporting from Kosmet by some foreign and home reporters and news media.

According to the scenario already seen and applied in areas of the f ormer Yugoslavia, certain foreign media are very thoroughly applying a political concept which is d amaging to Serbia's interests.

Komrakov appealed to the respective state organs to take decisive me asures, in keeping with the law, towards reporters who in their work advocate the breaking up of the territorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia.

Yugoslav Information Secretary Goran Matic said "something exceeding a conventional media war" was in effect in Kosmet.

Addressing the assembly, Matic said many sides in the world had plan ned the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, with the idea that an international protectorate w ould be imposed over Kosmet in 1992, with the presence of foreign troops.

"That part of the plan fell through and it was again taken up follow ing the Dayton Accords. Anyway, the outer wall of sanctions remained as a threat to Yugoslavia an d to prevent access to international political and financial institutions, since such an approac h would define Yugoslavia as a united, indivisible and internationally recognized country," Matic said.

He underscored that it was evident that an unscrupulous media war ha d been applied in Kosmet, and everything from the arsenal of underhandedly persuading Serbi an citizens to accept the stands, values and economic interests of some others, and, of course, to the detriment of Serbia.

"The situation in Kosovo is complex, since much has been invested in what is happening there now. They tell us that they will intervene militarily if we do not agree that terrorists freely banish and kill Serbs. What kind of a country would we be, if we would not prevent t he exodus of our people and citizens," he said. The media war in Kosmet has failed because the w orld today knows what is happening there, and the economic and political interests of certain worl d powers have been revealed, said Matic.

Speaking about the actions of certain media in our country on formin g the public opinion to serve foreign interests, Matic said this was an "economic and political s ervice" for interests which bring nothing good to our country. "Our answer to all this must be the truth. W e are certain that shows of force will not pass, and in this we have the united support of our citize ns," Matic said.

The UNS assembly was also addressed by Serbian Information Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who said the media picture of Serbia was diverse, provided by the 2,660 paper s, and 71 radio and 22 television stations.

During the media war waged against our country regarding Kosmet, som e of these media launched half-truths and lies after placing themselves in the service of some world powers to wage a special war against our country, Vucic said.

When we point out that this is not professional, that it is not obje ctive, but in fact anti-state, anti-national information, they accuse us of being non-democratic and rep resentatives of an anti-civilized regime and society which wants to stifle media, Vucic said 2E

He said certain propaganda theses were being launched these days whi ch "have been seen before in former Yugoslavia, especially in Bosnia- Herzegovina and Croatia 2E" It is indicative that western media are coordinated in reports on Kosmet. They use the same theses on t he necessity of a NATO intervention, on alleged ethnic cleansing, and a humanitarian disaster in Kosovo, he said.

The situation concerning the professionalism and objectivity of fore ign media is quite clear, he said. The ministry daily sends reports and reactions to all foreign media and diplomatic offices in reaction to untruths and forgeries, Vucic said.

Contrary to world media, which reflect the political interests of th eir governments, some home media which are financed from abroad work against the interests of their own country, launching half-truths and lies, and often even open invitations from certain Albani an leaders for an armed revolt against our country, Vucic said.

The Information Ministry will do its utmost for the truth on Kosmet to be reported objectively - both to the home and the world public, Vucic said.

[13] FOREIGN JOURNALISTS CALLED ON TO INFORM OBJECTIVELY ABOUT TERRORISM

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

The Serbian Information Ministry protested strongly on Friday agains t the hypocritical and incorrect reporting of some foreign media, while the so- called "Kosovo Li beration Army" launches terrorist attacks by the hour on civilians - Serbs and ethnic Albanians, and on Serbian police officers.

The Ministry, in the statement, called on foreign journalists and ne ws agencies to report objectively in the future about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and to show to the world who are terrorists and who protects the interest of all residents of Kosovo and M etohija.

The statement said that Albanian terrorists continue to portray them selves as the victims, helped by the unprofessional and unobjective reporting of foreign media a nd agencies. For example, while the world thinks of ways of protecting them, terrorists of the so-c alled "Liberation Army of Kosovo", on June 11, 12 kilometres from Pristina, killed two more policem en, while performing their duties.

The Ministry pointed out that the murder of policemen everywhere in the world is strictly punished, and in the United States and Great Britain the penalty for this crime is the death sentence.

[14] TWO SERBIAN POLICEMEN KILLED AND ONE WOUNDED IN AN AMBUSH

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Serbian policemen Branko Karavelic and Zivorad Lukic were killed as ethnic Albanian terrorists lying in ambush opened fire on their patrol at the village of Hamidi near Obilic, Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija, at around 9 p.m. local time on Thursday, the Pristin a-based Media Centre said.

Another policemen, Dalibor Bogicevic, was wounded in the arm. He was transferred to a hospital in Pristina. The police are looking for the perpetrators of the crime.

[15] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARIANS HOLD BUSINESS TALKS WITH MEXICAN OFFICIALS

Tanjug, 1998-06-14

A Yugoslav parliamentary delegation headed by the Chairman of the Ch amber of Citizens (Lower House) Foreign Affairs Committee Ljubisa Ristic, had important talks on b ilateral economic cooperation at the Mexican Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development on Saturday.

The delegation conferred with the ministry's Director-General in cha rge of negotiations with European countries Fernando Demateo, Serbian Radio Television (RTS) repor ted.

Mexico is ready to start direct trade with and to invest in Yugoslav ia. For a start, the Mexican Trade Ministry will communicate a list of 100 imported products and 100 e xported products, and Yugoslavia should do the same, Demateo said.

Mexico expects Yugoslavia to send new draft projects, especially tho se concerning the exploitation of the Danube River. The first meeting of a Mixed Commission could be held in Belgrade, he said.

Ristic and his hosts agreed that such meetings helped the two countr ies get better acquainted, which laid good foundations for boosting economic and other cooperation.

[16] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION WILL VISIT NETHERLANDS

Tanjug, 1998-06-14

A delegation of the Yugoslav Parliament headed by President of the H ouse of Citizens (Lower House) Foreign Relations Committee Ljubisa Ristic will visit the Netherla nds on Monday.

The delegation will hold talks with a Dutch parliamentary delegation headed by the President of its Foreign Relations Committee.

[17] MEXICO SUPPORTS YUGOSLAVIA'S ADMISSION TO WTO

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Mexico will support a proposal for Yugoslavia's membership to the Wo rld Trade Organization and normalization of its status in international trade and financial orga nizations, a Mexican official said on Friday.

Economic ties between Yugoslavia and Mexico will become closer in th e near future, it was heard during talks with Mexican officials, Serbian Radio and Television s aid in a report.

A Yugoslav parliamentary delegation, headed by the Chairman of the C hamber of Citizens (Lower House) Foreign Affairs Committee Ljubisa Ristic, is visiting Mexico.

Miguel Huaregi Rohas, an official of the Mexican International Affai rs Council of Businessmen, said Mexico was interested in projects under way in Yugoslavia, in partic ular usage of the Danube River, whose passage through Serbia offered wide possibilities for constr uction of ports and industrial objects, free customs zones, and the building of a powerful river fleet.

We would like Mexico to be part of that project, said Ristic, primar ily because of its vast experience in building free trade zones, and because Mexico has in a few years built the most open economy in the world, which has enabled stable production and economic gr owth.

The delegation was received by Carlos Deikeza, acting Foreign Minist er. The hosts were acquainted with the current situation in Yugoslavia.

[18] LUKASHENKO SAYS BELARUS HOLDS IDENTICAL STAND AS YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday that his count ry held identical stand as Yugoslavia on Yugoslavia's territorial integrity and impermissibility of foreign interference in its internal affairs.

Welcoming a Yugoslav parliamentary delegation, headed by Upper House speaker Srdja Bozovic, Lukashenko said the Belarus people knew what both the unity as well as t he disintegration of a country meant. Stressing that the Belarus leadership understood just how difficul t were the times through which Yugoslavia was going, Lukashenko said he was ready to hold consultations on the matter with top Yugoslav state officials. He also said Belarus was ready to unconditional ly meet all agreements and obligations undertaken during his meeting with Yugoslav President Sloboda n Milosevic in Belgrade early this year. He underlined that Belarus would do all it could to promote co operation with Yugoslavia in all areas.

Bozovic said he was confident that an agreement on cooperation betwe en the two countries' parliaments to be signed in Minsk later in the day would constitute a las ting basis for close cooperation between the two countries.

[19] FINAL RETURNS OF MONTENEGRO'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS ARE RELEASED

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Montenegro's Electoral Commission released on Friday final returns o f parliamentary elections held in the Yugoslav republic on May 31.

The coalition For a Better Life won 42 seats securing 170,080 votes, followed by the Socialist People's Party of Montenegro which won 29 seats and 123,957 votes and the Liberal Alliance which won five seats and 21,812 votes.

Under special regulations on the number of seats to be held in the R epublican Parliament by ethnic Albanians, the Democratic League for Montenegro and the Democratic Union of ethnic Albanians secured one seat each winning 5,245 and 3,529 votes respectively. The rem aining 12 parties that ran in the elections failed to secure the necessary three percent of the vote

Stevan Damjanovic, the President of the Commission, said 347,985 vot ers cast ballots in the elections of which 4,634 ballots were declared invalid.

[20] ASSISTANT MINISTER KORAC: SOCIAL SECURITY ACCORD COVERS ALL AREAS

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Yugoslav Assistant Minister of Labour, Health and Social Security Ma ksim Korac said on Friday that the Accord on social security signed recently with Austria covered a ll areas and services for persons living in the two countries regardless of the fact whether they w ere their citizens.

The accord was signed in Belgrade on June 5 by Yugoslav Foreign Mini ster Zivadin Jovanovic and his Austrian counterpart Wolfgang Schuessel.

Korac said, "The accord provides for health insurance and services, pregnancy and child care, old-age pension and disability insurance, the dole and child's allowance. "

He said the former Yugoslavia and Austria had signed the first conve ntion to this end in 1965. In June 1996, the Austrian Parliament annulled the convention signed with Yugoslavia and ten other countries because it had to economise on the social security budget.

"In the light of the fact that the convention regulated major rights of more than 200,000 people, Yugoslavia insisted that a new convention be signed as soon as possible. Consequently, the Austrian and Yugoslav delegations agreed in Belgrade in early July 1996 that all r ights provided for by the previous convention be included," he said.

The two sides reached agreement on a draft accord in Vienna in Septe mber 1996 agreeing also that it should contain all positive aspects of the two countries' legisla tion in the domain, including the rights granted to Austria when it joined the European Union.

"Subsequently, full protection of not only of Yugoslav citizens and refugees and expellees sheltering in the country but also of persons that used to hold the citiz enship of the former Yugoslavia has been secured, which confirms Yugoslavia's continuity with that state, " he said.

The accord is yet to be ratified by the Austrian and Yugoslav parlia ments.

[21] MILOJEVIC RECEIVED BUSINESSMEN FROM SOUTHEASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE

Tanjug, 1998-06-13

President of the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce Mihajlo Milojevic rece ived on Friday businessmen from southeastern and central Europe, participants of a Belgr ade weekend meeting on business cooperation. Presidents of Chambers of Commerce, directors in the fields of trade, industry, private sector and owners of private companies in Russia, Moldova, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Italy and Austria, as well as representatives of private entre preneurship in the Yugoslav, Serbian, Montenegrin and Belgrade Chambers of Commerce, attended the rece ption.

The two-day session, titled Entrepreneurship - Challenge for Central , Eastern and Southern Europe, opened on Saturday at the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce. Its purpo se is to give impulse to exchange of information, contacts and cooperation between big production systems and small and medium-size businesses.

[22] SERBIAN INTERIOR MINISTER RECEIVED THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Serbian Minister of the Interior Vlajko Stojiljkovic received on Fri day the Chinese Ambassador to Yugoslavia Pan Zhanlin and First Advisor Vu Liyuan, the Ministry Press Service said.

The good, friendly and all-round ties and relations between the two countries and peoples are the best basis for intensifying economic, cultural, scientific and sports cooperation, and particularly cooperation in the fields of security and internal affairs, it was noted during the meeting.

Ambassador Pan reiterated China's view that the issue of Serbia's so uthern province of Kosovo and Metohija was an internal affair of Serbia and Yugoslavia and that it should be resolved by political means.

The Ambassador added that during his recent visit to the province wi th other foreign diplomats, he witnessed that peace and safety of all citizens were being ensured in Kosovo and Metohija as in all other parts of Serbia and that peace and security were jeopardized in som e areas by terrorist gangs, the statement says.

[23] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC RECEIVED A DELEGATION OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE

Tanjug, 1998-06-12

Yugoslav Minister for Foreign Affairs Zivadin Jovanovic received a d elegation of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, which is visiting the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, headed by the President of the Foreign Affairs Commission, Andras Barsoni, a parliament arian from Hungary. The talks focused on issues related to the application of the FR of Yugoslavia for admission to the Council of Europe and on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija.

Minister Jovanovic emphasized that Yugoslavia was open to cooperatio n with the Council of Europe and expressed the expectation that the visitors will support its a pplication for admission to this European institution. He also informed them about the readiness of the FR Y for an early accession to the Council of Europe Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. In response to an interest expressed by his interlocutors, the Federal Minister informed them about the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija, stressing that dialogue was the only wa y to resolve all outstanding issues. He assessed that pressures and sanctions were contrary to dialogu e as they render difficult the position of the government, which favours a political and peaceful soluti on, and they help those who by delaying the dialogue are buying time for terrorism.

Both sides expressed their expectation that the cooperation initiate d with respect to the FRY's application for admission to membership of the Council of Europe will be resumed, whether by exchange of visits by parliamentary delegations and experts, as well as b y the participation of Yugoslav parliamentarians in the work of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assem bly.

Mr Bletzer (Switzerland), Mr van der Linden (Netherlands) and Mr Ack ali (Turkey) also participated in the talks.

[24] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC CONGRATULATES YUGOSLAV ARMY

Tanjug, 1998-06-14

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has congratulated members of t he Yugoslav Army on the occasion of Yugoslav Army Day - June 16. The telegram says, among oth er things:

"On the occasion of June 16 - Yugoslav Army Day, I send sincere feli citations to all members of the Yugoslav Army.

Over the past year, the Yugoslav Army has overcome many difficulties and challenges and successfully carried out its constitutional obligations and professional tasks. Members of the Yugoslav Army deserve great recognition for such work and achievements in the cons truction of the command, the units and the institutions.

Congratulating you on your holiday, I am confident that you will con tinue successfully to carry out the given tasks to the welfare of our homeland - the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."

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