Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-09-14

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV POSITIONS WILL BE REFLECTED BY IPU CONFERENCE DOCUMENTS

[02] SERBIAN JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ADDRESSES THE BALKAN CONGRESS

[03] RTS DIRECTOR CALLS FOR COOPERATION IN THE BALKANS

[04] SERBIAN INFORMATION MINISTER DENY ALBANIAN MINISTER'S ACCUSATIONS

[05] WEAPONS FOR KOSOVO TERRORISTS SUPPLIED AS RELIEF AID TO ALBANIA

[06] ETHNIC ALBANIANS FROM VILLAGES AROUND PEC CONTINUE WEAPONS HANDOVER

[07] ABOUT 10,000 ETHNIC ALBANIANS RETURN TO VILLAGES AROUND DECANI

[08] POLICE RECOVERED 29 BODIES OF CIVILIANS EXECUTED BY TERRORISTS

[09] OCCHETTO ON HIS VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA

[10] DROBNJAK: GENOCIDE IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[11] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT: NO MORE ROOM FOR REFUGEES

[12] AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION BETWEEN GREEK AND SERBIAN MEDIA

[13] MINISTER VUCIC SAYS KOSOVO AND METOHIJA'S TROUBLE IS TERRORISM

[14] MATIC: YUGOSLAVIA HAS WORLD'S HIGHEST INFORMATION STANDARDS

[15] STEPS UNDERWAY TO TAKE CARE OF RETURNEES

[16] DISTORTED PICTURE OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[17] MINISTER JANKOVIC CONFERS WITH DIENSTBIER AND DAVIDS

[18] U.N. UNDERSECRETARY CALLS FOR POLITICAL SETTLEMENT OF THE KOSOVO ISSUE

[19] TERRORISTS ABUSE CHILDREN IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[20] MORINA MEETS WITH U.N. UNDERSECRETARY OTUNU

[21] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC GIVES AN INTERVIEW TO A GREEK DAILY

[22] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER RETURNS FROM HIS VISIT TO GREECE

[23] GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE KILLED IN KOSARE

[24] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC FELICITATES IVANOV

[25] PRIME MINISTER BULATOVIC EXTENDS FELICITATIONS TO PRIMAKOV

[01] YUGOSLAV POSITIONS WILL BE REFLECTED BY IPU CONFERENCE DOCUMENTS

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

The Yugoslav delegation has participated in the debate at the 100th Inter- Parliamentary Union conference in Moscow and its positions will be reflected by the general conference documents, head of the Yugoslav deleg ation and President of the Yugoslav Parliament's Chamber of Republics Srdja Boz ovic said on Friday. Apart from participating in the debate on the main topic of the five-day conference - the political, economic and social situation in the world - members of the Yugoslav delegation participated also in the discussions in the working groups, which covered human and civil rights and freedoms, the ri ghts of ethnic groups, the combating of terrorism and other important issues.

All members of the national parliamentary delegations with whom Yugoslav representatives had contacts lent support to the commitment of Yugoslav authorities to resolve the crisis in Kosovo and Metohija by peaceful mean s and in the interest of all citizens and to Yugoslavia's efforts to become a r espected factor in international organizations and associations, Bozovic said in a meeting with Yugoslav and foreign journalists at the Yugoslav Embassy.

He singled out the extensive and constructive talks held with Russia n parliamentary representatives - State Duma President Gennady Selenyov, hi s deputy Sergey Baburin, and Vice-President of the Council of the Federation (the Lower House) Vladimir Varnavsky.

[02] SERBIAN JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT ADDRESSES THE BALKAN CONGRESS

Tanjug, 1998-09-13

In his speech at the 1st Congress of Balkan journalists' federations and associations in the Greek town of Terez, Serbian Journalists' Association President Milorad Komrakov wondered why some world media still refused to get an objective insight into the overall situation and avoided to present the f acts which were happening in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija these days. Komrakov said that he referred to tens of thousands of ethnic Albanians a nd other citizens who were returning to their homes in Kosovo and handing over arm s received from terrorists and the fact that the state of Serbia was doing all in its power to enable a peaceful co-existence of all national minorities in Kosovo and Metohija.

Part of world media avoid to speak about measures and activities whi ch Serbia's state authorities are making on the restoration of confidence an d normal life in Kosovo and Metohija, making only critical reports and continuing their information practice which started during the conflict in the former Yugo slavia, which includes the affirmation of all activities, individuals and organis ations who aim at disintegrating Yugoslavia, Komrakov said. He appealed to his colleagues from Balkan journalists' federations and associations to make a real contribution to the peaceful resolution of all problems in Kosovo and Met ohije through objective and unbiased reporting. After Komrakov's speech, membe rs of the Albanian delegation tried to convince the participants that foreign r eporters could not have prepared truthful reports because they had not had an acce ss to developments in Kosovo and Metohija. Serbian association's members used arguments to deny these allegations and invited Albanian reporters to com e to Kosovo and Metohija as the Serbian association's guests and visit the pla ces they wish to see. They also called on the associations of Balkan journalists to condemn ethnic Albanian terrorism and help find missing Serbian Radio-TV reporters and all other kidnapped civilians in Kosovo and Metohija.

[03] RTS DIRECTOR CALLS FOR COOPERATION IN THE BALKANS

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

Serbian Radio Television (RTS) Director-General Dragoljub Milanovic on Saturday addressed a Salonika Conference on the role of media in the strengthening of cooperation among the Balkan countries. Serbia has alwa ys seen itself as part of the Balkans and Europe. Therefore, it has remained most interested in the revival and overall strengthening of integration in the Balkans, despite the fact that the destabilization of the situation in pa rts of the former Yugoslavia and the current situation in Serbia's Kosovo and Me tohija province serve the purpose of hindering the integration process in the Ba lkans, said Milanovic. He listed the geostrategic position and importance of th e Balkan peninsula as some of the factors that substantiated the idea that the Bal kan peoples should be the ones to decide on the fate of the Balkans. Coopera tion among the Balkan countries is necessary, it is a natural process. To this effect, a setting up of some kind of economic union of Balkan countries, as a pha se leading to a stronger political integration, should be placed under consideration, Milanovic said. It is necessary to launch a comprehensive cooperation and patiently complete the building of something that was sta rted two centuries ago by the famous Greek revolutionary Rigas Pheraios, he said. Milanovic highlighted the importance of the Crete Declaration on bringing Balkan peoples closer to each other. He also said that other steps should be tak en to this effect, regardless of obstacles and world power- wielders' clashing i nterests in the Balkans.

[04] SERBIAN INFORMATION MINISTER DENY ALBANIAN MINISTER'S ACCUSATIONS

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

Yugoslav representatives at a Salonika Conference on media and its r ole in the strengthening of ties among the Balkan countries, on Saturday success fully rejected Albanian representatives' attempts at presenting misleading info rmation. Serbian Information Minister Aleksandar Vucic, armed with strong argument s, fully denied all accusations against Serbia made by Albanian Foreign Minister P ascal Milo. Vucic said that Milo had taken even this opportunity to compromise the idea on the Balkan integration. Instead of taking this chance to support the strengthening of ties among the Balkan countries, the Albanian minister s upported the idea on the disintegration of Serbia and tried to convince some parti cipants in this gathering that there is some kind of repression in the Yugoslav r epublic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province, he said. Vucic said that the A lbanian Government tolerated and supported the existence of terrorist training ca mps in its territory without doing anything to stop the transfer of arms for ter rorist operations in Kosovo and Metohija from Albania to Yugoslavia. He said tha t this was in no way conducive to a peaceful settlement of the crisis.

Referring to Milo's statements about democracy and democratic relati ons in Serbia, Vucic said that the Serbian people elected its own government, pa rliament and president and would continue to do so in the future.

Serbia is convinced that it is only by peaceful means that all probl ems can be solved, but it takes two sides to start a dialogue. We hope that ethni c Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija will join the conference table in the ne ar future, he said. Serbian Radio Television (RTS) Director Dragoljub Milan ovic also lashed out against the Albanian Foreign Minister's allegations. Mila novic condemned part of Milo's speech in which he attacked without any argument s the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its President, one of the initiators o f last year's Summit of Balkan heads of state or government on the Greek island of Crete and advocates of Balkan cooperation and integration. It is sad that lect ures on democracy and freedom should be delivered here in Salonika by a ranking o fficial of a country which had long since been abandoned by democracy and in whic h the authorities are even unable to control all of its capital Tirana, said Mi lanovic. He said that some kind of democracy was being offered and designed by wor ld's current most notorious terrorists, who had found shelter in Albania, usin g it as their main base for preparing and conducting terrorist operations all ove r the world. Serbian Information Minister Vucic said in his speech that the Sal onika conference dedicated to great Greek revolutionary Rigas Pheraios contribu ted to the strengthening of overall Balkan cooperation.

The visionary concept of Balkan cooperation presented by Rigas Phera ios before Ottoman Turks killed him at Belgrade's Kalemegdan Fortress more th an two centuries ago had also been a warning, because destruction and disintegra tion must finally stop, he said. The time of integration processes is definit ely coming. Europe has removed boundaries, but is still keeping them in the B alkans, protecting advocates of separatism and a policy of double standards and supporting those who are re-tailoring internationally recognized borders, Vucic said. Vucic was also speaking about media manipulation in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, mostly in Croatia and Bosnia. He said that media today had more roles than one and represented the interests of their respective governments, preparing their respective public for possible actions and m aking a lot of money on sensational news. A threat of military intervention ag ainst Serbia has been constantly present. The home public should have been prep ared for possible sacrifices, having claimed that the Serbs deserve a military intervention. The rest was left to people's imagination and very often to some journalists' irresponsible behaviour, he said. Serbia and its state bodi es are fighting against ethnic Albanian terrorists, whose goals are secession of its territory and ethnic cleansing of the remaining local Serbs, Vucic said a nd stressed that all lawful anti-terrorist methods should enjoy approval. V ery often, foreign reporters from the Balkans are fabricating reports about e thnic cleansing of ethnic Albanians, Vucic said. He illustrated this by saying that reporter Erich Ratfelder for the German paper "Tages Zeitung" had claimed that mass graves had been discovered around the Kosovo and Metohija's village of Orahovac. He said that Ratfelder had later denied his own reporting, as d ifferent from most other media that had carried his misleading information.

[05] WEAPONS FOR KOSOVO TERRORISTS SUPPLIED AS RELIEF AID TO ALBANIA

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Croatian police have discovered several tonnes of weapons and ammuni tion made in Croatia and NATO countries beneath a relief supply on its way to Albania. The supplies were loaded in a refrigerated trailer truck with Bosnian registration plates. Police suspect that the final destination for the w eapons, ammunition and other military equipment was to be Serbia's province of Ko sovo and Metohija, for the purposes of the terrorist Kosovo Liberation Army. The weapons were discovered in the seaport of Split, Croatia, on Thursday, du ring a check-up of the truck, before it was to be conveyed by ferry to the Itali an seaport of Ancona. Under six tonnes of cooking oil and detergent on the way to Albania as humanitarian aid, police found tonnes of ammunition, 900 nitroglycerine grenades, explosives, 68 rocket launchers made in Croatia and NATO countries, seven machine-guns of German and Croatian make, and nine snipe r guns.

Head of the police in Split Marko Bekavac said the driver was a Musl im, and a citizen of Bosnia. He declined to reveal his identity.

[06] ETHNIC ALBANIANS FROM VILLAGES AROUND PEC CONTINUE WEAPONS HANDOVER

Tanjug, 1998-09-13

Ethnic Albanians from villages in the Pec municipality in the Yugosl av republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province on Sunday continued han ding over to the police weapons they have obtained from the self-styled Kosovo Liberation Army terrorist organization (KLA). These ethnic Albanians, wh o had been forced to leave their homes due to clashes between ethnic Albanian terrorists and the Serbian police, have recently returned to their homes and started the weapons handover. The Serbian police command in Pristina tol d Tanjug that about 150 pieces of various automatic and semi- automatic weapons had been handed over in the villages of Barane, Celopek, Krusevac and Vranovac.

[07] ABOUT 10,000 ETHNIC ALBANIANS RETURN TO VILLAGES AROUND DECANI

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Ethnic Albanians, who have recently fled their villages northeast of Decani in the face of terrorist operations, on Friday started to return home esc orted by police. According to municipal authorities in Decani, about 10,000 pe ople returned to the villages of Vranovac, Krusevac, Donja Luka, Gornja Luka, Rausic, Barane, Dubovik, Gornji Sreoc, Donji Sreoc and Papracane. Tanjug has lea rned that the distribution of food and other humanitarian aid which arrived fr om Pristina during the night, continued at a centre which on Thursday opened in the village of Istinic, where the number of ethnic Albanians is the largest. According to reports from the ground by humanitarian workers, ethnic Alba nians are seeking police protection and escort to their villages. There had be en no armed conflicts between Decani and Klina since Wednesday afternoon and th e terrorist organisation, the so- called Liberation Army of Kosovo (OVK), wa s completely defeated, police command officials in Pristina have said. Pol ice found hundreds of discarded rifles and uniforms with OVK insignia northea st of Decani, in the direction of Klina. The handing over of arms continued in the area on Friday. Ethnic Albanians from nearby villages have handed over to police about 2,000 different weapons including automatic rifles, machine guns, h and-held rocket launchers, mortars, bombs and several recoilless guns.

[08] POLICE RECOVERED 29 BODIES OF CIVILIANS EXECUTED BY TERRORISTS

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

Bodies of 29 civilians executed by ethnic Albanian extremists have b een recovered so far around the village of Glodjane in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province, Investigating Magistrate Rade Gojk ovic has confirmed to the Pristina-based Media Center. The bodies of 12 victims ha ve been brought in for identification to the provincial town of Djakovica to-date 2E Special divers' units are combing the bottom of the Radonjicko Jezero lak e and its access canal which is feared to contain more bodies. Serbian police o n Saturday recovered a body of an unidentified young woman in a trunk of ca r pushed into the canal. The investigation into the crime against civilians aroun d Glodjane continues. The search of the entire area is underway.

[09] OCCHETTO ON HIS VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Political representatives of the Albanian national minority in Serbi a's Kosovo and Metohija province reject a dialogue on a peaceful settlement o f the Kosmet crisis, the Rome daily "Manifesto" said on Friday, quoting a state ment by Achille Occhetto, who headed an Italian parliamentary delegation which vi sited Yugoslavia last week. Upon his return from a two- day visit to Yugoslavia , Occhetto said Belgrade was ready for cooperation and dialogue, but that e thnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova rejected talks and the proposal by Yugosla v President Slobodan Milosevic, because it ruled out the issue of the indep endence of Kosovo and Metohija. Occhetto specified that Rugova insisted on that issue being left open, and that a transitional solution with the idea on a prot ectorate should be accepted. Occhetto said neither Italy, nor the international c ommunity support the idea on independence for Kosovo and Metohija, said "Manifesto ". Only a certain degree of autonomy is possible for this southern Serbian provin ce, said the daily, quoting Occhetto. The President of the Italian Parliamen t's Foreign Relations Commission also critically spoke about the moves so far made by Europe, which he said had always considered the Balkan region an eleme nt for divisions and eliminations.

Now is the time to help settle the Kosmet crisis by acting toward th e integration of this region into Europe, Occhetto was quoted as saying.

[10] DROBNJAK: GENOCIDE IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-09-13

Ethnic Albanian terrorists and separatists are practising the blacke st genocide against Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija (Kosmet), said Bosko Drobnjak, the Information Secretary of this southern Serbian province. " It is not enough to say that the crimes committed in Klecka and Glodjani (by et hnic Albanian terrorists) are monstrous," Drobnjak said in a broadcast by Palm a Plus Jagodina TV late on Saturday. Unfortunately, certain centers of the international community still act as before, blaming Serbia and Yugoslavi a, but it is clear to any normal person what is going on and who is committing c rimes against civilians, Drobnjak said. "I do not know what else needs to happe n before they change their stand," he said. Drobnjak said the international commu nity, which knows of all the crimes by ethnic Albanian terrorist bands, was ado pting punitive measures against Yugoslavia, such as the ban on Yugoslav Airline s JAT flights to European Union countries. That very same international commun ity is allegedly concerned over the humanitarian disaster in these areas althoug h it knows only too well what Serbia and Yugoslavia and its citizens are doing , beyond their objective possibilities, to help the citizens of Kosmet, regardless of national or religious affiliation, the minister said.

If the international community is concerned over the alleged humanit arian disaster, why is it preventing us from acting better and more quickly to overcome the complex humanitarian situation in this area, Drobnjak said. Bans and other punitive measures against Yugoslavia do not contribute to the settling of the situation in Kosmet - neither the political nor the humanitarian one, he said. "Everyone is equally in danger in Kosovo and Metohija, not only the ethni c Albanian population, as certain foreign media claim, but Serbs most of al l," Drobnjak said.

[11] MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT: NO MORE ROOM FOR REFUGEES

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

Montenegro is objectively no longer able to accept new refugees from Kosovo and Metohija, the Montenegrin Government concluded at an emergency sessio n late on Friday devoted to this issue. The government agreed, on the grounds o f a report by the Republican Commissariat for Refugees, that there are now ov er 70,000 refugees in Montenegro, those that arrived earlier from Croatia an d Bosnia-Herzegovina and new ones, which is close to 12% of its resident population. That is why the government decided to address foreign govern ments with a special memorandum, saying it was unable any further to take on di splaced persons, but also informing them of the needs for the refugees already pr esent in Montenegro. The Montenegrin Government also appealed for an end to arm ed and any other activities which were conducive to emigration. Montenegrin Dep uty Prime Minister Dragisa Burzan said, on the occasion of the latest governm ent conclusions, that the decision on the further non-acceptance of refugees was "a product of political maturity." "It is a political decision to which w e have given much thought and it will not have the consequences which some might wish, as we have already made preliminary contacts in the international communi ty as well in this area," Burzan said. Burzan said Montenegro did not wish to stop the inflow of refugees with repressive measures, but was appealing to them no t to go to that republic as they would create problems to themselves and that rep ublic as well.

"However, we have ways and means to realize our will, if necessary," Burzan warned.

[12] AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION BETWEEN GREEK AND SERBIAN MEDIA

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

Serbian Information Minister Aleksandar Vucic told Salonika Radio Television ERT3 late on Friday that certain media in the world were still spreading untruths about Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province. here are still many unargumented reports about an alleged humanitarian disaster, while b rutal actions by the self-proclaimed Kosovo Liberation Army OVK and ethnic Alba nian terrorists are not mentioned, Vucic said. Vucic and Serbia Radio Televis ion Director General Dragoljub Milanovic conferred with the ERT3 Director on the promotion of mutual cooperation. It was agreed that greater cooperation w as necessary between Serbia and Greece and that a team of this Salonika TV c hannel would go to Kosovo and Metohija for on- the-spot reports. They agreed tha t this was necessary because the Greek public was mostly informed about developm ents in Kosovo and Metohija through reports by western agencies and media, which are mostly unobjective and apply double standards. Yugoslav Consul General in Salonika Rajko Ristic also took part in the talks.

[13] MINISTER VUCIC SAYS KOSOVO AND METOHIJA'S TROUBLE IS TERRORISM

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Serbia's Information Minister said on Friday that the security force s of that Yugoslav republic would continue their resolute battle against ethni c Albanian terrorists in the province of Kosovo and Metohija. Speaking for Salonika's leading Macedonia newspaper, Minister Aleksandar Vucic said th at the problem in Kosovo and Metohija was ethnic Albanian terrorism. He vowed t hat the state would fight the ethnic Albanian terrorist organisation calling itse lf the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) with all weapons used in the world against t errorist organisations. He said that the matter of Kosovo and Metohija must be se ttled by peaceful means, through dialogue. Vucic was speaking at the opening l ate on Friday of a Conference on the role of the media and their contribution to the development of inter-Balkan cooperation.

[14] MATIC: YUGOSLAVIA HAS WORLD'S HIGHEST INFORMATION STANDARDS

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Despite criticism in recent years that it cramps freedom of the pres s and objective reporting, Yugoslavia has the world's highest standards in info rmation, especially about Kosovo and Metohija, Federal Secretary for Information s aid on Friday. Secretary for Information Goran Matic, speaking in Belgrade, sai d that the past period had shown the seamy side of reporting about that province of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia by foreign media crews present there while te rrorism was raging. "Today, when terrorism has been finally defeated by the secu rity forces and the ethnic Albanian population who are handing in weapons, for eign media crews are leaving.

"Kosovo and Metohija has been abandoned by the CNN and Reuters, and the German ZDF television crew has been ordered to Belgrade to follow the sit uation developing around the national air carrier JAT," Matic said.

"It is obvious that mass graves, crimes of genocide and atrocities perpetrated by terrorists do not fall in with the picture that some media wish to create in their public about Serbia and Yugoslavia as the villains, " h e said.

In illustration of this kind of demonisation of Serbia and Yugoslavi a, he mentioned a story by a Deutsche Welle reporter, quoting a UNHCR official, alleging that the Serbian police had attacked a column of refugees south of Pec in Kosovo and Metohija. Matic dismissed such reporting as phantom stories - unattributable, uncheckable and unprovable.

He said that the Deutsche Welle action showed that the idea had been to use the situation in Kosovo and Metohija to accuse Serbia of uncivilised beha viour, which was in fact how the terrorists in the province were behaving.

He added that television crews were leaving Kosovo and Metohija now that they should be reporting about the handing in of weapons, the return of b etween 60,000 and 70,000 ethnic Albanians to their homes, security guarantees by the Serbian Government. Foreign media, he said, were presenting information about Serbia and Yugoslavia in a manner which had been branded as unfair in the ir own countries where freedom of the media, objectivity and professionalism wer e concerned. The normalisation in Kosovo and Metohija was not to the taste of those who had been promoting their own economic and political interests, while ignoring the interests of the population - Serbs, Albanians, Turks, Roman ies and others, he said. "This is the time to remind all media that we, who work in the field of information, together have a responsibility for the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and that our responsibility increases in direct proportion t o the complexity of the situation," Matic said.

[15] STEPS UNDERWAY TO TAKE CARE OF RETURNEES

Tanjug, 1998-09-13

There are no people in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province, who have taken refuge outside their villages, left out in the open, representatives of international aid agencies and local authorities told Tanjug on Sunday. The people who were forced to leave their villages bec ause of armed conflicts between ethnic Albanian extremists and the Serbian police have recently either returned to their homes or have taken shelter with their relatives and friends. Local authorities said that steps were being take n to take care of these people, to help repair their damaged houses and organi ze better the distribution of relief aid.

[16] DISTORTED PICTURE OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

The United Nations Security Council released a press statement late on Thursday after considering the situation in Serbia's province of Kosovo a nd Metohija presented in a report by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which sai d the Kosmet crisis could not be resolved by military means. The statement str essed the demand for an immediate cease-fire and start of political dialogue to ward a peaceful settlement of the problems in this province. Any violence by ar med groups of Kosovo Albanians must cease immediately, said the council in th e press statement, again avoiding to use the term terrorists. The statement also insisted on the so-called humanitarian problem in Kosmet, presenting it a s a distorted picture, saying the situation was allegedly a result of the use of force by the authorities. The statement also failed to mention that tens of thousands of displaced Kosmet Albanian civilians were daily returning to their homes.

The statement also made no mention of the real reasons why large num bers of Kosmet Albanians had been forced to abandon their homes - the onslaugh ts by ethnic Albanian terrorist bands and their propaganda. The statement dema nded an independent investigation into reports on crimes, but did not mention the horrendous crimes committed by ethnic Albanian terrorists against Serbian civilians in the village of Klecka and around the village of Glodjane.

[17] MINISTER JANKOVIC CONFERS WITH DIENSTBIER AND DAVIDS

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Serbian Justice Minister Dragoljub Jankovic on Friday met with U.N. human rights rapporteur for the former Yugoslavia Jiri Dienstbier and head of t he Belgrade office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Barbara Da vids. Minister Jankovic set out that the international community must take a cl earer position on the terrorism pursued by a part of the Albanian national mino rity in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija and condemn their crime s, a government statement said. Jankovic informed the guests about the number and nationality of the persons serving prison terms in Kosovo and Metohija an d the persons detained on charges of terrorism and the plotting against the sta te. In a lengthy and candid talk, the Serbia minister answered questions about t he existing criminal law regulations and individual cases. He expressed Ser bia's readiness further to improve its criminal law and apply norms in keeping with the highest world standards, which Minister Jankovic substantiated with the n ew Law on Criminal Sanctions and Bill on Courts and Judges. Asked whether foreig n lawyers would be able to participate in the trials of terrorists in Kosov o and Metohija, Serbia Justice Minister Jankovic replied that a federal law pro vided for such a possibility but on the condition of reciprocity.

[18] U.N. UNDERSECRETARY CALLS FOR POLITICAL SETTLEMENT OF THE KOSOVO ISSUE

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

United Nations Undersecretary for Children in War Olar Otunu on Satu rday called for an immediate political settlement of the situation in the Yugo slav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province. At the close of his t hree-day visit to Yugoslavia, Otunu told a news conference in Pristina that it was necessary to create conditions for a safe return of refugees to their hom es. He said that numerous international aid agencies and institutions were prese nt in this territory, but the relief they were providing was inadequate and insufficient. Otunu underscored that the international community must ta ke immediate and practical relief-related steps. He said that the needs of about half a million refugees from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina that had foun d shelter in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia must not be forgotten due t o the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, as these people were also in a very dif ficult position and needed help.

[19] TERRORISTS ABUSE CHILDREN IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

State coordinator for Kosovo and Metohija Andrija Milosavljevic and head of the Kosovo district Veljko Odalovic met on Friday with UN representati ve for children in war Olar Otunu and head of the UN liaison office in Belgrade Igor Halevinski. Talks focused on the situation in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, in particular the treatment of children. Olar Otunu showed particular interest in the process of education and said he was opposed t o every abuse of children, whatever side it came from. Milosavljevic and Odalovi c spoke about the situation in the province and government measures to deal with it and secure peace and safety. The government is working hard to make possible the return of displaced persons, who were forced to leave their homes due to terrorist activities, the two officials said.

It was heard that government and non-government agencies were offeri ng maximum assistance in food, building material, and medicine. The terrori sts' abuse of civilians, in particular children, using them as a live shield i n clashes with security forces is deplorable, it was heard in the meeting. Speaking about education, Milosavjevic and Odalovic said it was evolving normally, at all levels, and that efforts were being made to bring ethnic Albanian children into the legal system of education. They said that mem bers of the Albanian national minority exercised their right to health care, pens ion and invalid welfare, and children's allowance.

[20] MORINA MEETS WITH U.N. UNDERSECRETARY OTUNU

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Serbian Commissioner for Refugees Bratislava Morina received on Frid ay the U.N. Secretary General's special envoy, Olar Otunu, the Commissariat has said. Morina informed Otunu about the Serbian Government's measures for providi ng for refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, and especially the some 150 ,000 refugee children. She set out that all refugee children have free health care and education. Morina underscored the good cooperation with all government a nd non-government organizations for child care, especially UNICEF. She also informed Otunu about the activities aimed at easing the effect of war traumas on c hildren. Otunu underscored the humanitarian goals of his visit and added that he u rges the respect of the principle that child care should be a priority regardless of whether they are the victims of war or of other forms of violence and reg ardless of which ethnic community they belong to. After learning about the numbe r and manner of providing for refugee children, Otunu expressed satisfaction wi th the solidarity of all Yugoslav citizens. He set out that the greatest attenti on was being paid to this most threatened part of the refugee population. Comme nting the position of children in Kosmet, Morina said that on the verge of the 21st century we are once again facing the abuse of children in political aims carried out by the ethnic Albanian terrorists in Kosmet.

Morina pointed out that the Yugoslav and Serbian governments are doi ng everything possible to secure the respect of the U.N. Convention on Child Rights, as this country is obligated by its U.N. membership.

[21] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC GIVES AN INTERVIEW TO A GREEK DAILY

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic has told a Greek newspap er that there are no human rights violations in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province other than those committed by ethnic Albanian terro rists. Jovanovic gave an interview to the highest- circulation Athens daily "Ta N ea", which was published on Saturday. Yugoslavia makes a clear distinction be tween its citizens of Albanian descent and those who have declared an armed sec ession as their goal, he said. Ethnic Albanians in Yugoslavia are equal in ever y respect with all the other citizens and they enjoy the same opportunities to develop and express their cultural, historical, spiritual, and religious freedoms and rights, said Jovanovic. Ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija who have take up arms are terrorists and, in the treatment of terrorists, every st ate must implement adequate methods and take adequate steps to solve the problem, he said. He also stressed that the fighting against terrorism must no be mistaken for human rights violations.

Jovanovic reiterated Yugoslavia's position that Kosovo and Metohija is an internal affair of Yugoslavia, although the province has a majority ethni c Albanian population. Kosovo and Metohija is the cradle of the Serbian st ate, culture and spirituality. It has never been part of any other European st ate, he said.

"Ta Nea" on Saturday wrote about all aspects of the Kosovo and Metoh ija issue and quoted well-known Yugoslav stands on the matter, saying that th e solution was possible through dialogue alone.

[22] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER RETURNS FROM HIS VISIT TO GREECE

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic said on Friday that ever y visit to Greece was a pleasure "that only a meeting with friends with whom we a re tied by long-term traditional proximity and close cooperation can provide."

"We were reassured of it on this occasion as well. We had an opportu nity during talks with Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, who urges development of cooperation between Yugoslavia and Greece, to continue dia logue in the same spirit and confirm our custom of regular meetings," Jovanovic said in a news conference at the conclusion of his two-day visit to Greece.

"I attach special importance to our reception and talks with Preside nt Constantin Stephanopoulos, Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Parliament Spea ker Apostolos Kaklamanlis, and meetings with the leader of New Democracy, Con stantin Karamanlis. "Also, we had an audience with Archbishop Hristodoulos of At hens and entire Greece.

"In the political talks, we examined important bilateral and interna tional questions of interest to both sides, the state of relations and developme nt of the situation in the region, preparations for the forthcoming southeaster n European summit in Antalya, Turkey, and its inclusion into contemporary integration processes. We assessed that our stands are close and concurre nt. "This gave fresh substantive impetus to dynamic, overall development of b ilateral relations, the more so as economic cooperation, in particular commodity e xchange and investments, is on the rise. We expect new investments by Greek compa nies," Jovanovic said. "We deliberated on possibilities for promoting cooperati on in transportation, construction of road infrastructure, inclusion of Yugosla v highways into the pan-European line of communications, for which we have Greece's full support, and linking Yugoslavia's power system with regional and Eur opean interconnections.

"We examined in detail in a separate meeting with prominent Greek businessmen, the so-far successful flow of bilateral economic cooperation , and became convinced of the considerable interest shown by Greek businessmen for enhancing cooperation with Yugoslav companies.

"Minister Pangalos and I were pleased in particular to set out the r esults achieved in cultural cooperation, above all the multi-media presentation of Serbia and Greece and the ceremony marking the 800th anniversary of the ( Serbian) Chilandar monastery, to which competent Greek bodies and institutions had lent full support.

"In our exchange of opinions regarding cooperation among southeaster n European countries, we underscored the importance of open and equal parti cipation of all states in the region, respecting established principles of coopera tion and non-interference in internal affairs or differences between individual co untries.

"Greece confirmed it would continue to urge the return of Yugoslavia to international political and economic trends, to the place it deserves in the system of international relations, above all the United Nations, Organiza tion for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Council of Europe etc.

"We agreed on Friday to resume intensive high-level political contac ts and continue to promote all aspects of mutually beneficial cooperation," Yugo slavia's Foreign Minister said in conclusion.

[23] GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE KILLED IN KOSARE

Tanjug, 1998-09-11

Ethnic Albanian terrorists are suspected of killing Sinisa Mihajlovi c in the village of Kosare, Serbia's province Kosovo and Metohija, on Thursday night, about 11 pm (local time), sources at the district court said on Friday.

Mihajlovic (33) an employee of the administration for revenues, was killed in a car going from Urosevac to Stimlje. With him was his colleague Neboj sa Kostic, who was unhurt. They were attacked with automatic weapons, the s ource said.

[24] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC FELICITATES IVANOV

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic on Saturday sent a messa ge of felicitations to Igor Ivanov on his election as Russian Foreign Minister. Jovanovic expressed cordial felicitations and best wishes to Ivanov. He s aid he was convinced that traditionally friendly bilateral relations and compreh ensive cooperation would continue to develop successfully to the benefit of the Yugoslav and Russian peoples and also in the interest of peace and understanding.

Jovanovic also said to this effect that he was confident that fruitf ul and direct bilateral contacts would be deepened further.

[25] PRIME MINISTER BULATOVIC EXTENDS FELICITATIONS TO PRIMAKOV

Tanjug, 1998-09-12

Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic has extended felicitations to Yevgeny Primakov on his election as Russian Prime Minister. In his messa ge, Bulatovic offered cordial felicitations on behalf of the Yugoslav Governm ent and on his personal behalf. He wished Primakov success in performing his duti es in the interest of overall economic and social progress of the friendly Russ ia and to the benefit of the friendly Russian people. Bulatovic said he was con vinced that traditionally friendly relations between the Yugoslav and Russian pe oples and mutually beneficial bilateral economic and other forms of cooperation would continue to develop successfully and contribute to the preservation of international peace and stability and re*affirmation of equal relations b etween sovereign states in the international community.

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