Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-09-17

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] MONTENEGRIN FOREIGN MINISTER PEROVIC CONGRATULATED IVANOV

[02] ITAR-TASS: BRITAIN SEES E.U. THREATS TO BELGRADE AS UNREASONABLE

[03] COMMISSIONER MORINA DESCRIBES BOSNIA ELECTIONS AS VERY SUCCESSFUL

[04] ETHNIC SERBS IN ALBANIA AMONG WORLD'S MOST JEOPARDISED COMMUNITIES

[05] ICRC SENDS AID TO HOSPITALS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[06] 34 BODIES UNCOVERED SO FAR IN GLODJANE

[07] TERRORISTS ATTACK YUGOSLAV ARMY BORDER UNITS

[08] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS KILL A POLICEMAN

[09] STATE COORDINATOR MILOSAVLJEVIC MEETS WITH U.S. ENVOY PALMER

[10] STATE COORDINATOR MILOSAVLJEVIC MEETS JAPANESE AMBASSADOR

[11] YUGOSLAV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELEGATION ON A VISIT TO GERMANY

[12] YUGOSLAV-CROATIAN COMMISSION MEETS IN ZAGREB

[13] YUGOSLAVIA AND ISRAEL SIGN AGREEMENT ON CULTURAL COOPERATION

[14] MINISTER VUCIC MEETS WITH SCHMITER

[15] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVED ZAHARIYEV

[01] MONTENEGRIN FOREIGN MINISTER PEROVIC CONGRATULATED IVANOV

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

Montenegrin Foreign Minister Branko Perovic on Wednesday send a lett er of congratulations to Igor Ivanov on the occasion of his appointment to the office of Russian Foreign Minister. The letter expressed wishes for "new breakt hroughs by Russia on the international stage and stable internal democratic devel opment, as well as the strengthening of cooperation with Montenegro within the Yugoslav-Russian relations."

[02] ITAR-TASS: BRITAIN SEES E.U. THREATS TO BELGRADE AS UNREASONABLE

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

Great Britain considers European Union's threats to Belgrade as unreasonable and is reviewing its position on action towards Serbia, acco rding to a British Foreign Office functionary as quoted by Russia's Itar- TASS n ews agency.

London's sharp criticism of Belgrade is being re-examined, according to the unnamed British diplomat speaking for Itar-TASS. Quoting information obt ained from diplomatic sources in London, Itar-TASS also said that Great Britain was correcting its Balkan policy on the orders of Foreign Minister Robin Cook , given on Tuesday. According to the information, London inclines to the opinion that Serbian forces' armed operations in Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province do not directly affect the interests of the E.U. states, so that a NATO interven tion against the Serbs would not be justified.

It was learned on Wednesday, according to Itar-TASS, that Britain had intimated to its E.U. partners through confidential channels on September 7 that it did not consider reasonable threatening Belgrade with missile strikes or intervention. The agency quoted excerpts from a special British Governme nt memorandum questioning the legitimacy and political justifiability of the E.U. proposal to use force. The right to retaliate belongs only to an injured party, and since none of the E.U. states has been attacked by Serbia, the Europe an Union has no legal grounds for striking back, according to the Foreign Office d ocument. In a brief commentary, the Russian news agency said that London's sharp t urnabout practically invalidated the European Union's declaration of last June whi ch called for a tough punishment of the Serbs for allegedly violating human rights in Kosovo and Metohija. Also, Itar-TASS said, the new course adopted by Great Britain was closer to that of Russia on a peaceful settlement of the Balk an crisis.

[03] COMMISSIONER MORINA DESCRIBES BOSNIA ELECTIONS AS VERY SUCCESSFUL

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

Head of the Yugoslav Commission for assisting Bosnia refugees in Yug oslavia in realising their election rights Bratislava Morina said on Wednesday th at the September 12-13 Bosnia elections had passed without any problems at the 73 polling stations in Yugoslavia. Morina told a news conference that inter national observers had not had any objections to the polling in Yugoslavia. She d escribed as successful the cooperation with the OSCE office in Belgrade.

Forty percent of the 75,253 voters from Bosnia-Herzegovina who are in Serbia and Montenegro cast their ballots at the polling stations in Yugos lavia in the Bosnia-Herzegovina general elections, organised by the OSCE. A to tal of 42.8% of refugee voters from Bosnia-Herzegovina cast their ballots in Ser bia and 28.21% in Montenegro. At the polling stations in Serbia, 9,238 refugees voted for Republika Srpska authorities and 20,686 others for those in the Musli m-Croat Federation, Morina said. Representatives of the OSCE and the Belgrade of fice of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, who participated at the news conference, estimated that about 15% of ballots had been unconfirmed.

The ballots were handed over to the OSCE counting centre in Lukavica, Serb Sarajevo.

[04] ETHNIC SERBS IN ALBANIA AMONG WORLD'S MOST JEOPARDISED COMMUNITIES

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

The Serb ethnic community in Albania is one of the world's most jeop ardised national minorities as a consequence of the unconditional Albanisation ca rried out during the rule of Enver Hoxha and the stand of present Albanian auth orities, whose aspirations towards Kosovo and Metohija and the creation of a Great er Albania are indisputable. Metropolitan Amfilohije of Montenegro and the Coast said that several thousand Serbs in the Serbian Orthodox Church's Skadar Episcopate, which is situated in Albania, do not have a school, church or the right to use their mother tongue. The Serb school in the village of Vrak a, near Shkoder, was torn down in 1934 and has not been reconstructed since. Two Serbian Orthodox churches were torn down during Hoxha's rule and Serbian cemeteri es were obliterated despite a large number of Serbs in the region. Officially, e thnic Serbs still carry Albanian names and are of Albanian nationality, so that one can conclude that they have no national rights, Metropolitan Amfilohije told reporters.

[05] ICRC SENDS AID TO HOSPITALS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday beg an deliveries of basic surgical materials for hospitals in six towns in Serb ia's Kosovo and Metohija province, the Belgrade ICRC office said. Hospitals i n Pristina, Pec, Kosovska Mitrovica, Prizren, Djakovica, and Gnjilane will receive disposable surgical material and instruments and bedsheets. The total va lue of the equipment, which is a gift from the Norwegian Red Cross, is over 440,000 D-marks.

The ICRC said it had sent basic medical supplies to all main state hospitals and more than 20 other medical institutions in Kosovo and Metoh ija since the unrests began. The ICRC mission provides aid to all those who need it, without discrimination, the organization statement said.

[06] 34 BODIES UNCOVERED SO FAR IN GLODJANE

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

Special medical and forensic teams have uncovered so far 34 bodies of civ ilians killed by ethnic Albanian terrorists close to the village of Glodjan, sou thwest of Decani, in a canal leading towards the Radonjic Lake. Tanjug learned from the investigating bodies that special diving teams continue searching the bot tom of the Radonjic Lake which is believed to contain still more bodies. The identification process is underway and some of the bodies have been trans ferred to Djakovica for forensic analysis.

[07] TERRORISTS ATTACK YUGOSLAV ARMY BORDER UNITS

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

A group of about ten terrorists penetrated Yugoslav territory at 9 a.m. on Tuesday in the region of the Bosko Zilovic watchtower, on the slopes of M t. Djeravica, Tanjug learned on Wednesday from military sources. The armed terrorists, under the cover of fog and rain, entered Yugoslav territory a nd fired automatic guns and hand-held rocket launchers. Two missiles landed close to the watchtower. The Yugoslav Army border guards returned fire, after which t he attackers returned to Albanian territory. Tanjug learned that nobody was injured among the Yugoslav Army border units. The mixed local committee for border incidents was immediately informed a bout this, but so far it has not convened. The Bosko Zilovic watchtower, whic h is located on the three-border point between Serbia, Montenegro and Albania in a very unapproachable area, and is only used when the weather permits - mai nly in the summer. The military believe that the armed group aimed to check whe ther there are still border units in the watchtower.

[08] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS KILL A POLICEMAN

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

Policeman Marinko Kandic (33) of Pec was killed near Stari Trg in th e municipality of Kosovska Mitrovica at about 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Tuesday, when ethnic Albanian extremists attacked police, Kosovska Mitrovica municipal authorities told Tanjug. Policeman Nenad Jovanovic was seriously wounded and transported to the Kosovska Mitrovica hospital. Doctors said that his lif e was not in danger. Three policemen were slightly wounded. Police on Tuesday crushed strong groups of ethnic Albanian extremists between Stari Trg and the vil lage of Bajgora. Six members of the separatist "Liberation Army of Kosovo" were k illed, Kosovska Mitrovica authorities said. Early on Wednesday, groups of ethni c Albanian extremists repeatedly fired from automatic guns, machine guns an d mortars at police near Stari Trg and towards Bajgora. None of the policem en were hurt. Police responded to the fire and are searching for groups of ethni c Albanian extremists who are hiding in the nearby woods.

[09] STATE COORDINATOR MILOSAVLJEVIC MEETS WITH U.S. ENVOY PALMER

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

State coordinator in Kosovo and Metohija Andrija Milosavljevic and M atthew Palmer, who heads the U.S. State Department's Yugoslavia office, discusse d on Wednesday the situation in that province of the Yugoslav republic of Serb ia.

During the meeting in the province's chief city of Pristina, it was stressed that a solution to the current situation must be found as soon a s possible, according to a government statement. Milosavljevic said that a ll steps were being taken for life to return to normal in Kosovo and Metohija, add ing he was convinced that talks between the Serbian state and the province's eth nic Albanian negotiators would open soon, the statement said.

[10] STATE COORDINATOR MILOSAVLJEVIC MEETS JAPANESE AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

State coordinator in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Me tohija province Andreja Milosavljevic conferred on Wednesday with Japanese Ambas sador to Yugoslavia Noriaki Ohwada on the current situation in the province. Ac cording to a statement issued by the Kosovo and Metohija Information Secretariat, the talk focused on the return of temporarily displaced persons, operation of humanitarian centers and Japanese Government relief aid.

Ohwada said his government had allocated aid worth 2.3 million U.S. dollars mostly through aid agencies such as the U.N. High Commissioner for Refuge es (UNHCR) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). He said the government planned also to send additional aid in food, construction mate rial, medicine and fuel.

Milosavljevic said that the situation in Kosovo and Metohija was far better than before. He also said that state bodies were very efficient, successf ully implementing all Serbian Government decisions. He said that the state en abled ethnic Albanians to return to their homes and guaranteed safety for them and their property, which he described as a very important trust- restoring me asure. Milosavljevic informed the Japanese Ambassador that 12 humanitarian cente rs had been set up in the province to assist all the people, regardless of their nationality or religion. He said that strict measures were being implemen ted so as to make sure that relief aid was distributed to the most needy. He sa id that a number of international aid agencies had voiced readiness to take part in the operation of the humanitarian centers, adding that this necessitated grea ter coordination with state bodies. Milosavljevic thanked the Japanese Gover nment for offering material and financial assistance for Kosovo and Metohija.

[11] YUGOSLAV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELEGATION ON A VISIT TO GERMANY

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

A delegation of the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce, headed during a several- day visit to Germany by its President Mihailo Milojevic, has open ed a series of meetings and talks on better mutual informing and the expansion of economic cooperation between the two countries. "We need cooperation wit h the German economy," Milojevic told journalists in Bonn on Wednesday. He set out that the forthcoming contacts with the leading representatives of German chamb ers of commerce and firms interested in cooperation with Yugoslavia, could contr ibute to stepping up business cooperation. Milojevic said that a significant p art of the Yugoslav economy technologically depends on German equipment and that business cooperation has a long tradition. He also spoke about joint vent ures on third world markets.

Oskar Fodor, a member of the Yugoslav delegation, told the press tha t, during the visit, the German side will be informed in detail about the cu rrent stage of the privatization process, market transactions and especially, t he Law on Firms which was passed according to similar laws in western countries. He also indicated that Yugoslav businessmen could agree several concrete deals wi th German firms.

[12] YUGOSLAV-CROATIAN COMMISSION MEETS IN ZAGREB

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

The tenth meeting of the Yugoslav-Croatian Commission for the implementation of Article 7 of the Agreement on the normalization of rela tions between Yugoslavia and Croatia will be held in Zagreb, on September 17.

The meeting will be devoted to the implementation of the Protocol on the organized return of refugees and displaced persons and issues concerning the property of natural persons, a government statement said.

[13] YUGOSLAVIA AND ISRAEL SIGN AGREEMENT ON CULTURAL COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

The Yugoslav and Israeli governments signed in Belgrade on Wednesday an Agreement on cultural, educational and scientific cooperation. The agreem ent was signed by Federal Minister for Development, Science and Environment Jagos Zelenovic and Israeli Ambassador to Yugoslavia David Sasson. The agreeme nt, which represents a significant contribution to the promotion of the two countries' cooperation, should enable a speedier and easier upgrading of bilateral cooperation in the field of culture, education and science. Th e signing ceremony was also attended by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic, Serbian Culture Minister Nada Popovic-Perisic and Serbian Educ ation Minister Jovo Todorovic.

Zelenovic said that he was satisfied with the agreement and that the document enabled a dynamic cooperation between Yugoslavia and Israel. He said he was certain that the agreement would enable a flow of energy between scientists and workers in education and culture and voiced hope that the two countries' cooperation would match the desires of their peoples. "This i s just the first step, an institutional framework, which is necessary to enable our educational, cultural and scientific institutions to meet as soon as tomo rrow and agree on the forms of cooperation in order to establish closer relations as soon as possible," Zelenovic said. Addressing those present at the ceremony, Sasson said that the agreement opened a new page in relations between Yugoslavia and Israel. The two countries completed today what had been started in their relations a year ago, Sasson said and added that the agreement reflected the spirit of the two nations.

[14] MINISTER VUCIC MEETS WITH SCHMITER

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

Serbian Information Minister Aleksandar Vucic met on Wednesday with Klaus Schmiter, a specialist for UNESCO programs from the Sector for the Freedo m of Expression and Democracy. The talks were also attended by Assistant Info rmation Minister Miodrag Popovic. The Serbian Information Ministry said that Vuc ic informed Schmiter about the media situation in Serbia pointing out that t he 2,400 registered newspapers, 98 radio and television stations and the allocatio n of free frequencies to almost 300 electronic media, all show the existence o f complete freedom of information, without censorship, in the Republic of S erbia. Vucic said that laws and regulations of this country fully guarantee the freedom of public information. He added that all papers and magazines, regardless of their editorial policies, are have the possibility of free distribution a nd sale in the entire territory of Serbia. Schmiter informed Vucic about UNESCO" s program for a data base of TV programs which contains part of a package f or the training of TV reporters, exchange of news and development of a distribut ion network for, as he said, the independent press and which enables all Yugo slav TV stations to utilize high-quality educational and cultural programs of Eur opean TV stations free of charge.

Expressed was the need to overcome the division of the media into independent and state-owned ones. In this respect Vucic said that, logist ically speaking, there are no independent media because all of them depend on th ose who finance them. Responding to Schmiter's assessments about the state radio-televisions's reporting on the events in Kosovo and Metohija, Vucic set out that the Serbian Radio and Television, as the major media company in the Balkans, is informing its public about these developments in an objective and corr ect way and that its reporting stimulates the joint life of all citizens of Kosov o and Metohija regardless of their nationality and religion. Schmiter and Vuci c agreed to continue the talks and successful cooperation in the future, a stateme nt said.

[15] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVED ZAHARIYEV

Tanjug, 1998-09-16

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has received Zahariye Zahariye v, prominent Bulgarian intellectual and President of the Slavyani Foundation 2E The foundation aims to develop cooperation between Slav nations and to stimul ate their scientific, cultural, artistic and other work. Underscoring the imp ortance of the foundation, President Milosevic said that its activities contribut e to better understanding and firmer friendship between nations. Also present was Yugoslav Ambassador to Bulgaria, Rados Smiljkovic.

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