Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-10-14

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN TRADE MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

[02] DROBNJAK: ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS STILL TRYING TO PROVOKE CLASHES

[03] RUSSIAN DUMA DECIDES TO SEND DELEGATION TO YUGOSLAVIA

[04] SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN SUMMIT RESUMES WORK IN ANTALYA

[05] BULATOVIC: SUMMIT * CONTRIBUTION TO PROMOTION OF REGIONAL COOPERATION

[06] BULATOVIC SAYS EFFECTS OF ANTI-YUGOSLAV SANCTIONS STILL FELT IN REGION

[07] SUMMIT OF SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CLOSES

[08] STILL NO STATEMENT FROM ETHNIC ALBANIAN POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES

[09] BEIJING TAKES DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES FOR POLITICAL SOLUTION FOR KOSMET

[10] LUKIN: BELGRADE AGREEMENT IN KEEPING WITH RUSSIAN ASPIRATIONS

[11] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC SAYS ACCORD REACHED ON PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF PROBLEMS

[12] AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED

[13] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES HOLBROOKE, HILL AGAIN

[01] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN TRADE MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

Yugoslav Foreign Trade Minister Borislav Vukovic received on Tuesday Ita ly's ambassador in Belgrade Riccardo Sessa.

Vukovic and Sessa discussed the current situation and economic relations between the two countries, said a statement released by the Yugoslav Inf ormation Secretariat.

[02] DROBNJAK: ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS STILL TRYING TO PROVOKE CLASHES

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

Kosovo and Metohija information secretary Bosko Drobnjak has said that s mall ethnic Albanian terrorist gangs that have not been routed in Serbia' s southern province are still trying to provoke incidents using all means avaliable because of the foreign public.

Speaking in a BK television programme late on Monday, Drobnjak said, "Th ey are, of course, unsuccessful because regular security forces are doing their job professionally, in line with the law and international standar ds, and respond well to all these provocations."

Drobnjak described the humanitarian situation in Kosovo and Metohija as delicate and complex, saying, however, that Serbia, Yugoslavia and its ci tizens were making a maximum effort to remedy the situation successfully in the shortest time possible.

He said all who needed aid were getting it regardless of their religious or ethnic origin, which he said showed that the humanitarian situation w as under control.

"We do not divide people along ethnic lines, everybody can get aid despi te obstructions made by the remaining terrorist gangs in collusion with u ltra- separatists or their patrons," he said.

Drobnjak said that about 150 foreign reporters currently visiting the pr ovince included also those that had been instructed by those who paid the m to present the Serbs as a bad people and "bad guys."

He said he feared that, apart from a few exceptions, a growing number of reporters were instructed in advance what the results of their mission a nd work should be and cared nothing about humaneness or facts but only ac ted in line with these instructions.

Serbian Refugee Commissioner Bratislava Morina, who also took part in th e programme, said the humanitarian situation in the rest of Serbia where international aid programmes for about 700,000 refugees had been suspende d or abolished was much more serious.

She said the fact that the Serbian government had taken measures for dea ling with the humanitarian crisis and that the Serbian and Yugoslav Red C ross organisations as well as 60 international humanitarain organisations that had asked to open offices in the province were very active proved t hat the humanitarian situation in the province had not assumed alarming p roportions.

Reports about the alleged humanitarian crisis in the province are nothin g but yet another trick aimed at preparing the world public for a scenari o similar to that of the 1980s when reports about the alleged poisoning o f ethnic Albanian children were launched, she said.

[03] RUSSIAN DUMA DECIDES TO SEND DELEGATION TO YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

The Council of the Russian parliament's lower house, the State Duma, Tue sday decided in connection with the developments in Serbia's southern pro vince of Kosovo and Metohija to send a delegation to Yugoslavia.

The delegation, which will be headed by Duma Deputy President Sergei Bab urin and will comprise four representatives of the chief parliamentary gr oupings, will most likely leave for Yugoslavia on Wednesday.

"This needs to be done as urgently as possible," Duma President Gennady Seleznyov told reporters, and urged that the parliamentary delegation lea ve for Yugoslavia later in the day.

Seleznyov said he would like Belarus parliamentarians to join the Russia n Deputies, and set out, "We are all Slavs and the issue should be resolv ed together."

An overwhelming majority of Duma factions have taken a stance against th e NATO plans and threats with military strikes against Yugoslavia, on whi ch a sharply-worded resolution has been issued condemning NATO's aggressi ve behaviour. Many Deputies have urged that a new, even sharper resolutio n be adopted.

Seleznyov hinted such a possibility Tuesday when he said that NATO count ries should be clearly told "what the consequences of air strikes would b e."

"It seems to me that NATO is not aware of all the consequences. They are giving an impulse for the start of a cold war," the Russian parliamentar y official said.

The Russian Regions group of Deputies addressed an open letter Tuesday t o the leaders, parliaments and public of the NATO member-countries, voici ng the serious concern of the Russian parliamentarians and general public over the threats against Yugoslavia, which the Deputies said posed a thr eat peace and stability in the whole region.

"The attempts to resolve complex contradictions in the domain of ethnic relations by the force of arms is doomed in advanced," the letter said.

Seleznyov, who is Communist Party leader and president of the National-P atriotic Alliance of Russia, which rallies over 200 political movements a nd three strong parliamentary parties, visited the Yugoslav embassy Monda y and informed members of the Yugoslav mission that the Russian Left was preparing a series of drives to assist Yugoslavia.

[04] SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN SUMMIT RESUMES WORK IN ANTALYA

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

The closing session of the two-day summit of southeast European countrie s in the Turkish town of Antalya, at which a joint declaration on the fur ther promotion of cooperation in the region is to be adopted, opened Tues day morning.

Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic conferred with his Romanian coun terpart, Radu Vasilea earlier in the morning.

The main feature of the first day of the summit was commitment to the en hancement of all-round ties among the countries of the region and insista nce on a peaceful resolution of all disputes.

These points were emphasized by Prime Minister Bulatovic and the heads o f government of Turkey, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria and Macedonia.

Moderation was displayed also in connection with Serbia's southern provi nce of Kosovo and Metohija, as all participants, except for the Albanian delegation head, urged a peaceful solution through dialogue.

Albanian delegation head, Foreign Minister Paskal Milo presented Tirana' s well-known positions on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and openly urged NATO intervention against Yugoslavia.

In view of the interest shown by summit participants in the situation in Serbia's southern province, Yugoslav Prime Minister Bulatovic spoke agai n in the afternoon and presented figures about the activities of terroris ts in Kosovo and Metohija.

Her said, among other things, that Albania openly supports and aids the terrorists and underscored that Yugoslavia had met all the demands set by the international community in connection with Kosovo and Metohija.

[05] BULATOVIC: SUMMIT * CONTRIBUTION TO PROMOTION OF REGIONAL COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic told Tanjug and Serbian Radio Te levision on Tuesday that the second summit of countries of southeastern E urope, which ended today, gave a new and very important impetus to the pr omotion of comprehensive cooperation in the region.

"Regardless of the ever more present differences, regardless of the fact that some regional countries have other obligations as well, being membe rs of certain international integrations or organizations, we concluded u nequivocally that our destinies are interconnected, that each global regi onal disruption is reflected on stability within each country, and we est ablished that not only is there a necessity, but there are even concrete mechanisms for strengthening our economic cooperation," Bulatovic said.

Bulatovic said the summit Declaration was important, good and acceptable , adding it would be transferred into a series of concrete initiatives.

He said there would soon be regional centers for the development of econ omy, protection from transfers of dirty technologies into our region, as well as a series of expert consultative bodies, which should contribute t o the intensification of educational, scientific, cultural and technical cooperation.

"My main impression from this meeting is that * although different at th is point * we know that our future is in an integration process and linki ng, because that is the only way we can aspire to become an integral part of the continent of Europe, to which we belong in many ways, all togethe r, as soon as possible and as completely as possible," Bulatovic said.

Asked about the developments involving Serbia's province of Kosovo and M etohija, a subject which drew particular attention from the summit partic ipants, Bulatovic said the Declaration included a formulation which showe d that this was an internal affair of Yugoslavia. It also said that all c ountries of the region aspire to the same goal as Yugoslavia * that probl ems in Kosovo and Metohija are settled peacefully and democratically, sai d the prime minister.

He specified that "this means all citizens of Kosovo and Metohija, repre sentatives of all national and ethnic groups, which means not only ethnic Albanians but all others as well, are equally protected, represented and treated without any majority opressing the minority."

"The aspiration to these noble objectives has been joined also by effort s on behalf of all countries of the region, which is more than pleasing," the prime minister said.

Indicating that the regional countries are extending support to the Fede ral Republic of Yugoslavia as soon as possible to restore its place in al l international organizations, including financial forums, Bulatovic said this was "in the interest of each and every one of them," having in mind the full complementarity of the national economies in Europe's southeast.

"It is also pleasing that developed NATO countries, those of the Europea n Union, Turkey and Greece, which objectively have the greatest economic potentials, have indicated that one of the ways to oppose the growing and expected recession on a global scale is to increase overall trade in our region. Thus our idea on creating a free trade zone, which has already w on the support of some countries, has secured even better chances for suc cess, " the federal prime minister said.

[06] BULATOVIC SAYS EFFECTS OF ANTI-YUGOSLAV SANCTIONS STILL FELT IN REGION

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic said Tuesday that adverse effect s of unjustified anti-Yugoslav sanctions could still be felt in the regio n because of which it was more susceptible to various disruptions in the world economy.

Speaking at a two-day summit of southeast European countries which opene d in Antalya, Turkey, on Monday, Bulatovic said the fact that a number of influential countries had not abolished restrictive measures against Yug oslavia but had adopted new ones had a negative bearing on the economic s ituation in the southeast of Europe.

Yugoslavia's full integration into world economic and other organisation s and bodies will make possible a speedier and more comprehensive develop ment of both our country as well as the region in general, he said.

[07] SUMMIT OF SOUTHEAST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CLOSES

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

A two-day summit of the countries of southeast Europe closed in Antalya, Turkey, on Tuesday by adopting a joint decleration which strongly underl ines the need for promoting comprehensive cooperation, especially in the economic sphere, and that all internatinal disputes should be resolved in a peaceful way.

The Decleration welcomed the agreement on the resolution of the Kosmet c risis, reached by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and the interanti onal community. "We express great satisfaction over this development and the understanding achieved," the Decleration said and gave full support t o the preservation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Yugosl avia and the reaching of a solution for Kosmet within the borders of this country.

The second summit of southeast European countries was attended by the pr ime ministers of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia * Momir Bulatovic, Tu rkey * Mesud Yilmaz, Greece * Costas Simitis, Bulgaria * Ivan Kostov, Rom ania * Radu Vasile, Macedonia * Branko Crvenkovski, while Tirana was repr esented by Albanian Foreign Minister Pascal Milo instead of the prime min ister who was detained by the serious situation in Albania.

The foreign ministers of the participating countries at the Antalya summ it signed an agreement on the setting up of a Regional Centre for Trade P romotion in the Balkans. The next summit will be held in 1999 in Romania.

At a joint press conference all participants expressed satisfaction with the success of the summit and the unity regarding the key issues of coun tries of southeast Europe. All prime ministers and the Albanian foreign m inister pointed out the position on Kosovo contained in the Decleration a nd set out that this is the way for the resolution of all disputes and pr oblems in the region.

Yugoslav Prime Minister Bulatovic recalled that the idea of Balkan coope ration came from Belgrade ten years ago and that, regardless of all diffe rences, the fates of the countries of the region are linked. He stated th at the Decleration is a balanced document which reflects that the countri es of the region are willing to compromise.

Bulatovic resolutely denied accusations by the Albanian representative a bout the alleged massacres of ethnic Albanian civilians in Kosmet and den ied the existence of a humanitarian catastrophe. In Kosovo, our opponents are terrorists who want to realize their separatist aims through the use of weapons, and not members of the ethnic Albanian minority, Bulatovic s aid.

He undescored that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) has fully co mplied with all the demands from U.N. Security Council Resolution No. 119 9, it has met all obligations from the Dayton agreement and coordinated m ilitary potentials. A military action against FRY would, according to him , represent a blow to Dayton causing an inbalance of military potentials in the region and an arms race.

Bulatovic set out that the displaced persons have returned to their home s, the police forces have withdrawn, that humanitarian aid is reaching al l citizens and that there is no humanitarian catastrophe.

The Decleration was adopted unanimously, and Yugoslavia made a significa nt contribution wiht a number of proposals, thus contributing to the succ ess of the sumit. The Decleration underscores that political will and rea diness for cooperation are of utmost importance for the resolution of the challenges to regional stability.

Success in creating favourable political and economic conditions will ev entually enable the integration of all our countries into the European an d international communities, the Decleration said.

The participants of the summit expressed much concern over the situation in Albania pointing out that the formation of a new government is a cond ition for establishing public peace and order in that country. They also expressed satisfaction that the elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina were cond ucted in a peaceful atmosphere and fully supported the implementation of the Dayton peace accord.

The final, third summit session, held on Tuesday morning, focused on the effects of world economic trends on the economies of the region. Bulatov ic told this session that the region of southeast Europe still feels the negative effects of the unjust sanctions, introduced against FRY, and tha t this is why this region is more sensitive to economic upheavals in the world.

Bulatovic set out that the fact that, even after the lifting of the sanc tions, a number of influential countries maintained certain previous and introduced new restrictions against FRY, has a negative effect on the eco nomic situation in the region of southeast Europe.

"The full integration of FRY into international economic and other organ izations and forums, will enable the faster and more comprehensive develo pment both of our country and of the entire region," he said.

Bulatovic met today with Romanian Prime Minister Vasile, while the influ ential Turkish paper Milliyet carried an interview with the Yugoslav prim e minister.

Bulatovic also conferred with the prime ministers of Turkey, Greece, Bul garia and Macedonia.

The Yugoslav delegation, which included Federal Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic, left for Belgrade after the closure of the summit.

[08] STILL NO STATEMENT FROM ETHNIC ALBANIAN POLITICAL REPRESENTATIVES

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

The representatives of ethnic Albanian political parties in Pristina hav e so far not reacted to the agreement on the peaceful resolution of the c risis in Kosmet reached by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke.

All attempts by numerous reporters to obtain a statement or official sta nd from any of them, remained unsuccessful because, as some of them said, they have not been informed about anything yet.

Instead of the ethnic Albanian politicians, individuals from abroad made statements on behalf of the ethnic Albanian terrorist organization, the so- called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), saying that they reject the reach ed agreement and all others which would guarrentee autonomy within Serbia.

In a statement issued during the day in Pristina, the supporters of terr orism and separatism reiterated their insistence on independence "because they cannot live with the Serbs."

The political representative of the so-called KLA, Adem Demaci, said in Pristina today that he "would be disappointed if the verification of the agreement resulted in the disarmament of their forces (KLA terrorists)."

The member of the temporary Executive Council of Kosovo and Metohija in charge of information, Bosko Drobnjak, said, commenting the terrorists' s tatement, that the international community should react now because now i t is completely clear who is opposed to peace.

"If it has refused to do so until now, the international community can n o longer hide from the truth and must confirm who is the sole cause of th e problems in Kosovo and Metohija," Drobnjak said.

He underscored that, following the reaching of the agreement, the ethnic Albanian political representatives should finally meet the provisions of the U.N. Resolution and denounce terrorism.

[09] BEIJING TAKES DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES FOR POLITICAL SOLUTION FOR KOSMET

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

China Tuesday made public its diplomatic initiatives for a political sol ution to the issue of Kosovo and Metohija and reiterated, in connection w ith NATO military threats against Yugoslavia, that it opposed "the use of force and threat with the use of force in international relations."

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Tang Guochiang told a regular news co nference that a headway had been made in the talks on the resolution of t he Kosovo and Metohija issue.

Listing Beijing's diplomatic initiatives, the spokesman said that Chines e Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan had sent messages to U.N. Secretary-Gener al Kofi Annan and the chief diplomats of the other four permanent U.N. Se curity Council members, in which he presented China's position on Kosovo and Metohija and "urged effective measures to reach a political solution and avert the use of force."

The spokesman reminded the press that Minister Tang had last Friday rece ived Yugoslav ambassador in Beijing Slobodan Unkovic and communicated to him China's principled position on the resolution of problems in Serbia's southern province.

Chinese media Tuesday reported Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's a ssessment, after the round of talks with U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke lat e Monday, that conditions for a peaceful political resolution of problems in Serbia's southern provice doubtlessly exist.

Spokesman Tang said that "it must be borne in mind that larger-scale arm ed conflicts have ceased, the overall situation is calming down, and rele vant sides have offered new suggestions for a political solution to the p roblem through talks."

The spokesman voiced hope that dialogue would be resumed as soon as poss ible and repeated China's position that a "peaceful solution through talk s -* coupled with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity o f Yugoslavia and the securing of the rights and interests of all national ities in Kosovo and Metohija -* is the sole way to fundamentally resolve the Kosovo and Metohija issue."

"The international community must unwaveringly move towards that goal, i n keeping with international law norms and the objectives and principles of the U.N. Charter," The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman set out.

[10] LUKIN: BELGRADE AGREEMENT IN KEEPING WITH RUSSIAN ASPIRATIONS

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

The president of the foreign policy committee of the Russian Duma, Vladi mir Lukin, said on Tuesday that the Russian parliament had received with hope the news that in the talks between Yugoslav President Slobodan Milos evic and U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke an agreement had been reached on a solution for the Kosovo problems.

"This is the position for which Russia has strived," Lukin told the pres s.

According to him, "Russia did not disagree in principle with the West or with NATO about the final goals of the talks."

These are: "the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia and widespread auton omy for Kosovo," Lukin said.

However, he said that disagreement with NATO had been over whether milit ary or political means should be employed for the resolution of the confl ict.

Lukin said that the agreement reached with the Yugoslav president "is no t in disagreement with the Russian proposals."

"In question is the development of an efficient system for the resolutio n of the conflict and in this sense we will consider to what extent and i n which way Russia will participate in this mechanism," Lukin said.

Lukin set out that the Yugoslavs want Russia to participate in everythin g as much as possible, because they trust Russia more.

"I believe that we must agree with the Yugoslavs," Lukin said.

[11] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC SAYS ACCORD REACHED ON PEACEFUL RESOLUTION OF PROBLEMS

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic Tuesday said that accord had been reached that problems in Kosovo and Metohija be resolved by peaceful mean s and that the danger of military intervention against Yugoslavia had bee n averted.

Addressing the public after the talks with U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke, President Milosevic set out that the next task was to step up the politi cal process and country's economic recovery.

[12] AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke said in Belgrade Tuesday that agreement had been reached on a peaceful, political solution to the Kosovo and Metohij a crisis.

Holbrooke told a news conference that Yugoslavia had agreed to the inter national community's engagement which would secure a permanent monitoring and verification of the developments in Kosovo and Metohija.

Holbrook said it was hoped that this was a "turning point" and set out t hat the agreement reached in the talks with Yugoslav President Slobodan M ilosevic would help resolve problems in Kosovo and Metohija.

[13] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES HOLBROOKE, HILL AGAIN

Tanjug, 1998-10-13

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received again on Tuesday U.S. amb assadors Richard Holbrooke and Christropher Hill.

Steps taken by the country for the peaceful resolution of problems in Ko sovo and Metohija show the country's strong commitment to solving the iss ue through political methods but also its determination to protect its te rritorial integrity and sovereignty.

The talks dealt with the international community's efforts to introduce an adequate engagement that would secure permanent monitoring and verific ation of developments in Kosovo and Metohija.

It was stated that agreement reached in talks held up to Monday has made possible the resolution of problems. It was agreed that a mission by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should be ent rusted with the task. Consequently, Yugoslavia expects all wrong, incorre ct or ill-intentioned reports on developments in Kosovo and Metohija to b e eliminated.

The talks dealt also with outstanding issues to be dealt with through po litical dialogue. A constructive approach was taken that can doubtless co nstitue a basis for a lasting political solution to the autonomy of Kosov o and Metohija within Serbia, in line with the principle of equality of a ll citizens and ethnic communities living in the province, which is the c ountry's lasting commitment.

Also present was Serbian President Milan Milutinovic.

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article