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OMRI: Daily Digest, Vol. 3, No. 48, 97-03-10
From: Open Media Research Institute <http://www.omri.cz>
Vol. 3, No. 48, 10 March 1997
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS.
[02] RUSSIAN STATE DUMA DELEGATION IN TBILISI.
[03] LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT IN KAZAKSTAN.
[04] KAZAKSTAN'S DEBT TO TURKMENISTAN.
[05] UZBEK ACTIVIST RELEASED BY RUSSIAN POLICE.
[06] MORE AGREEMENT IN TAJIK TALKS.
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[07] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT OFFERS DEAL...
[08] ...BUT WILL IT BRING PEACE?
[09] YET ANOTHER RALLY IN BELGRADE.
[10] BRCKO SUPERVISOR APPOINTED.
[11] BOSNIAN SHORTS.
[12] SERBS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA WANT DUAL CITIZENSHIP.
[13] VAN DER BROEK WRAPS UP ROMANIAN VISIT.
[14] ROMANIAN PARTY SPLITS.
[15] RUSSIAN OFFICIALS IN BULGARIA.
[16] HARVARD ECONOMIST CRITICIZES WEST IN BULGARIA TALK.
[A] TRANSCAUCASIA AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER RESIGNS.
Armen Sarkisyan, currently recuperating from windpipe surgery in London,
told journalists on 7 March that he had submitted his resignation the
previous day as he needs further intensive medical treatment, ITAR-TASS and
RFE/RL reported. President Levon Ter-Petrossyan, who has temporarily
assumed the duties of premier, accepted the resignation on 8 March having
initially proposed that Sarkisyan remain in his post until he has
recovered. Sarkisyan had served as prime minister since early November
1996. -- Liz Fuller
[02] RUSSIAN STATE DUMA DELEGATION IN TBILISI.
On the second day of a three-day official visit to Tbilisi, a Russian State
Duma delegation headed by Duma deputy chairman Mikhail Gutseriev met with
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze on 7 March, ITAR-TASS reported.
Talks focused on bilateral relations, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and the
possibility of creating an "Assembly of the Peoples of the Caucasus,"
presumably intended as an official counterpart to the existing
Confederation of Peoples of the Caucasus. Gutseriev subsequently told
journalists that there were "no insoluble problems" in bilateral relations
between the two countries. He also said that Russia would consider
withdrawing the CIS peacekeeping forces currently deployed in Abkhazia if
Georgia requests this. -- Liz Fuller
[03] LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT IN KAZAKSTAN.
Lithuanian President Algirdas Brazauskas ended a three-day visit to
Kazakstan on 8 March after signing agreements with his Kazak counterpart
Nursultan Nazarbayev covering elimination of double taxation,
standardization and certification, and legal issues, according to Russian
sources and the Baltic News Service. Talks focused on the Lithuanian port
city of Klaipeda which Nazarbayev called "extraordinarily important to
Kazakstan." Kazakstan is rich in oil but thus far has had a hard time
shipping it to prospective customers. Economic agreements signed between
the two countries would allow Kazakstan the right to ship oil, as well as
ferrous and non-ferrous metals, through the Lithuanian port. Lithuania
would receive a percentage of the materials for the use of the Klaipeda
port. Lithuania is also looking to import grain from Kazakstan and to
export meat and dairy products to the Central Asian country. -- Bruce
Pannier
[04] KAZAKSTAN'S DEBT TO TURKMENISTAN.
The Kazakstani government, using a now familiar tactic, agreed to pay off
its debt for Turkmen gas supplies by barter, ITAR-TASS reported on 5 March.
Kazakstan presently owes $24.3 million for Turkmen power. The Ministry of
Power and Coal will send the equivalent of the debt in asbestos, phosphorus,
lead, rolled copper, and other unspecified items. Kazakstan had a similar
deal with Kyrgyzstan, exchanging Kazak coal for Kyrgyz hydro-power, and
Kazakstan has also allowed local officials in the northern part of the
country to barter for energy shipments with Russia, usually trading grain
for electricity and heating. -- Bruce Pannier
[05] UZBEK ACTIVIST RELEASED BY RUSSIAN POLICE.
Uzbek human rights activist Albert Mousin was released by Russian
authorities on 8 March, RFE/RL reported. Mousin had been picked up in
February during a random check of documents by local militia and taken into
custody when it was learned Uzbekistan had a warrant out for his arrest
(see OMRI Daily Digest 24 February 1997). The release comes despite
Uzbekistan's insistence that Mousin be extradited to stand trial on charges
of "intentionally spreading falsehoods undermining the state and society." -
- Bruce Pannier
[06] MORE AGREEMENT IN TAJIK TALKS.
The sixth round of peace talks between the Tajik government and United
Tajik Opposition (UTO) ended on 8 March with the signing of an agreement on
integrating the armed forces of the country, Russian and Western sources
reported. The number two in the UTO, Ali Akbar Turajonzoda, and Tajik
Foreign Minister Talbak Nazarov signed the agreement in Moscow. Under its
terms, the UTO will bring all its forces remaining in Afghanistan to
Tajikistan within two months and these, together with UTO forces already
inside the country, will be distributed to 10 zones where they will be
disarmed. The second phase will be the preparation of UTO forces to serve
in legal government formations, at the end of which the UTO will declare
its forces disbanded. The final phase, to be completed by 1 June, will be
the actual assignment of UTO cadres into the Tajik armed forces units and
militia. -- Bruce Pannier
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[07] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT OFFERS DEAL...
Sali Berisha on 9 March appeared on state radio and television to offer a
deal to the rebels, who now control several towns in the southern part of
the country. In a bid to halt the violence, Berisha extended an amnesty
beyond its 9 March deadline and agreed, with the support of the opposition
parties, to the formation of a government of reconciliation that will
include the opposition. He also acceded to calls for early elections, which,
he said, will be held no later than June. The same day, Albanian TV
announced that its chief director, Qemal Sakajeva, has quit his post.
Rebels and protesters demanded his removal after the state media started
dubbing the rebels "terrorists." -- Stan Markotich
[08] ...BUT WILL IT BRING PEACE?
Opposition political leaders have said they will support Berisha's proposed
deal, and some rebels in the south of the country have deemed the
concessions to be at least a partial victory. But some rebels appear to
remain defiant and unwilling to surrender their arms. Just before Berisha
announced his proposals, rebels seized the southern town of Permet, Reuters
reported on 10 March. According to eyewitnesses, at least six people were
killed in the fighting. Rebel leaders claimed they fended off government
troops, who allegedly broke ranks and fled. Reuters notes that many of the
southern rebel leaders have already said they want Berisha to resign before
they consider turning in any of their artillery. -- Stan Markotich
[09] YET ANOTHER RALLY IN BELGRADE.
An estimated 50,000 opposition supporters crowded into downtown Belgrade on
9 March to attend a rally commemorating the sixth anniversary of the first
mass protest against Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, Nasa Borba
reported the next day. In 1991, Milosevic deployed army tanks and armed
police units to disperse the crowds, resulting in the deaths of one
protester and one policeman. But at the most recent demonstration--the
first to be held since Milosevic recognized opposition Zajedno coalition
wins in local elections some three weeks ago -- police kept a very low
public profile. The three main Zajedno leaders, Vuk Draskovic, Vesna
Pesic, and new Belgrade mayor Zoran Djindjic, appealed for reform and
called for greater media freedom. -- Stan Markotich
[10] BRCKO SUPERVISOR APPOINTED.
At the Vienna conference on Brcko, U.S. diplomat Robert W. Farrand was
appointed supervisor of the disputed Bosnian town, international agencies
reported on 7 March. Both Muslims and Serbs are claiming control over
Brcko. Farrand's main task will be to ensure that the Serbian authorities
currently controlling the town allow Croat and Muslim refugees to return to
their homes. Brcko was the only unresolved issue in the Dayton peace
accords. Its fate was to have been decided on 14 February, but it was
decided to postpone a final ruling until March 1998 and to appoint a
supervisor to oversee the running of the town and return of refugees. An
extra 200 UN police will be stationed in the town to monitor and advise the
Serbian police. They will have the same unarmed status as other UN police
in the town, AFP on 8 March quoted diplomats at the Vienna conference as
saying. The U.S. wanted an armed force in Brcko, but its European partners
vetoed that proposal. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[11] BOSNIAN SHORTS.
A gang of Serbs on 7 March attacked a bus carrying Muslim passengers on a
road that runs from Sarajevo to the Muslim enclave of Gorazde through the
Bosnian Serb entity, Oslobodjenje reported the next day. The Serbs
stopped the bus, robbed and beat the passengers, and threw a hand grenade
into the bus. The grenade failed, however, to explode. The Bosnian
Federation Interior Ministry has demanded that the UN police and SFOR
provide better protection for vehicles using the road. Meanwhile, some 500
Sarajevo citizens demonstrated against the recent bombings of Catholic
Churches in the Bosnian capital. The 8 March demonstration was organized by
the independent monthly Dani under the motto "Build Mosques, Save
Churches." It was intended to show solidarity among all Bosnians against
attacks on religious monuments. In other news, Austria is to offer cash
incentives worth $2,500 to Bosnian refugees in the country to encourage
them to return home, AFP reported. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[12] SERBS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA WANT DUAL CITIZENSHIP.
Vojislav Stanimirovic, head of the Serbian authorities in eastern Slavonia,
has said that all Serbs in the region would remain if the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia were to conclude a dual citizenship agreement with Croatia,
Reuters reported on 9 March. The region is slated to revert to Croatia
control later this year. Croatian law allows for dual citizenship, but
Yugoslavia has not given its citizens that option. Stanimirovic said the
decision whether the Serbs will take part in Croatia's April elections
depends largely on UN chief for eastern Slavonia Jacques Klein meeting
their demands. But Stanimirovic did not specify what those demands are.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has agreed to 13 April as the date for
local elections in eastern Slavonia. But the council criticized both
Croatia and local Serbs for preventing the smooth transition of the area to
Croatian rule. -- Daria Sito Sucic
[13] VAN DER BROEK WRAPS UP ROMANIAN VISIT.
EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner Hans van der Broek met with President Emil
Constantinescu, Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea, Foreign Minister Adrian
Nastase, and other officials during his visit to Romania, Radio Bucharest
reported on 7 March. Noting that reforms instituted by Ciorbea's government
are "encouraging," he said the EU commission will offer Romania a $ 80.5
million loan to facilitate the implementation of reforms. Romania's
integration into the EU will heavily depend on the passage of legislation
that meets EU norms, on "administrative efficiency," and on the existence
of a fully free market, he commented. Van der Broek also praised the
government's policy toward national minorities. In other news, three
Council of Europe rapporteurs said at the end of their visit to Bucharest
on 7 March that they are impressed by Romania's progress and that their
report will be "positive." The council has to decide in April whether to
stop monitoring Romania's democratization. -- Michael Shafir
[14] ROMANIAN PARTY SPLITS.
The wing of the National Liberal Party-Democratic Convention that supports
unification of liberal formations within the framework of the Democratic
Convention of Romania (CDR) elected a tripartite leadership to replace
chairman Nicolae Cerveni at a congress in Sibiu on the weekend, Romanian
media reported. Each of the three new party leaders will hold the
chairmanship for six months; Senator Alexandru Popovici is first in line.
Cerveni, who wants liberal formations to unify outside the CDR, said the
gathering was illegal. Earlier, he demanded that members of the Popovici
wing be dismissed from the government. But the presence of delegations from
other formations representing CDR members at the Sibiu congress suggests
support for the anti-Cerveni wing. -- Michael Shafir
[15] RUSSIAN OFFICIALS IN BULGARIA.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Lobov and Gazprom head Rem Vyakhirov
arrived in Sofia on 10 March for a two-day visit, Bulgarian media reported.
Lobov, who is also co-chair of the Intergovernmental Bulgarian-Russian
Commission for Commercial and Scientific-Technical Cooperation, said
Bulgaria needs to have more faith in Gazprom and that it will profit
annually if a gas pipeline is built through the country. Gazprom and former
socialist Prime Minister Zhan Videnov have sparred over the "TopEnergy"
joint venture. Videnov insisted that the government should represent
Bulgaria in managing that joint venture, while the Russians favor
Multigroup, a private business grouping. Talks are to center on Russian
credits for Bulgarian nuclear energy, Russia's supplying parts and
equipment for the Kozloduy nuclear power facility, military-technical
cooperation, and transport ties. -- Michael Wyzan
[16] HARVARD ECONOMIST CRITICIZES WEST IN BULGARIA TALK.
Jeffrey Sachs, a Harvard University economics professor famous for his role
in shaping reforms in Poland and Bolivia, has criticized the West's
approach to Bulgaria's economic problems, Bulgarian media reported. Sachs
was speaking to journalists and economists in Sofia on 8 March. He argued
that while it may have been necessary to introduce a currency board under
the Socialists, such a body may not be needed under a government committed
to economic reform. Sachs argued that the country's small foreign reserves
(about $400 million) casts doubt on the efficacy of a currency board,
adding that the introduction of one will not restore faith in the banks.
Noting that annual debt service is about 10% of GDP, Sachs lambasted the
West for being more concerned about the welfare of Western creditors than
about that of the Bulgarian people. He advised the Bulgarian government to
be tough in negotiations with the IMF and not to accept onerous conditions,
despite the desperate situation. -- Michael Wyzan
This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media
Research Institute, a nonprofit organization with research offices in
Prague, Czech Republic.
For more information on OMRI publications please write to info@omri.cz.
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