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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 4, No. 44, 00-03-02Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 4, No. 44, 2 March 2000CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] AGREEMENT FORMALIZES RUSSIA'S FREE USE OF MILITARY BASE INARMENIAUnder a protocol signed by Armenian Deputy Defense Minister Astvatsatur Petrosian and Russian Embassy official Igor Gordyushev on 1 March, Moscow is exempt from paying rent for the use of land, buildings, and other facilities of its military base in Armenia, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. That agreement formalizes an arrangement that has existed since the collapse of the USSR. LF [02] ARMENIAN INTERIOR MINISTRY DENIES LINKS WITH LATEST SHOOTINGSUSPECTArmenia's Interior Ministry has issued a statement clarifying that Armen Harutiunian, who was detained on 28 February on suspicion of involvement in the 27 October parliament killings (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 March 2000), is not employed by the ministry, Noyan Tapan reported. According to the statement, since March 1999 Harutiunian has been employed as a security guard by Armentel. LF [03] UN REPRESENTATIVE CHIDES GEORGIAN OFFICIAL FOR WAR-MONGERINGDieter Boden, who is the UN secretary-general's specialrepresentative for Abkhazia, expressed concern on 1 March over Georgian parliamentary Defense and Security Committee chairman Revaz Adamia's recent remarks, according to Caucasus Press. Following talks in Sukhum(i) on 27-28 February with senior Abkhaz representatives, Adamia had said that Tbilisi should resort to the "Chechen variant" if Abkhazia continues to reject the offer of autonomous status within Georgia. Boden said such statements run counter to Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze's insistence that the Abkhaz conflict must be resolved peacefully. Also on 1 March, Georgian presidential adviser Levan Aleksidze told Interfax that "Georgia will not launch hostilities against the separatist regime in Abkhazia because the international community may respond with force as it did in Bosnia." LF [04] ADJAR LEADER LAYS DOWN GEORGIAN PARLIAMENT MANDATEAdjarSupreme Council chairman Aslan Abashidze, who heads the so- called Batumi alliance of five Georgian opposition parties, has informed the Georgian parliament that he is relinquishing his deputy's mandate, Caucasus Press reported on 1 March. Abashidze was elected a parliamentary deputy in 1992, 1995, and again in October 1999 but has not attended a single parliamentary session, claiming that he fears Georgian security officials may undertake an attempt on his life. On 2 March, "Alia" quoted a member of Abashidze's parliamentary faction as saying that Abashidze plans to travel to Tbilisi later this month for the first time since 1991 to campaign for the 9 April presidential poll. LF [05] KAZAKH OIL SECTOR EMPLOYEES CALL FOR ANNULMENT OF CHINESECONTRACTEmployees at the oil production company Aktobemunaigaz have published in the local Aktyubinsk press an open letter to Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbaev asking him to annul a contract concluded in 1997 with the Chinese National Petroleum Company, which owns a 60 percent stake in Aktobemunaigaz, Interfax reported on 29 February. The appeal claimed that the Chinese management of Aktobemunaigaz continues to ignore the interests of the company's personnel and to violate labor legislation. Specifically, it has reneged on an agreement to pay unemployment benefit to 2,000 Kazakh staff made redundant in April 1999. The signatories to the appeal asked Nazarbaev to establish a government commission to launch an investigation. Kazakhstan's Premier Qasymzhomart Toqaev discussed the situation at Aktobemunaigaz with Chinese Vice Premier Wu Bangguo in Davos earlier this year (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 January 2000). LF [06] KYRGYZ FIRST-ROUND ELECTION RESULTS STILL UNCLEARKyrgyzstan's Central Electoral Commission announced on 1March that the final results of voting in the 20 February parliamentary elections are still unclear, RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau reported. The commission refuses to grant opposition candidates permission to resume campaigning until it becomes clear which candidates qualify for the 12 March runoff in an estimated 87 constituencies where no candidate won a clear majority in the first round. A group of 11 prominent opposition candidates, including the chairmen of the El (Bei- Bechara) and Ar-Namys parties, Daniyar Usenov and Feliks Kulov, had intended to tour the country together to meet with voters. The opposition attributes the delay in publicizing the results of the first round of voting to the authorities' attempt to falsify the outcome in those constituencies where opposition candidates won. The CEC says it is still checking numerous reported violations. LF [07] ANOTHER ATTACK ON POLICE IN TAJIKISTANThree police officerswere wounded on 29 February in an exchange of fire in Darband, 80 kilometers east of Dushanbe, with fighters loyal to one of the former field commanders of the United Tajik Opposition, Asia Plus-Blitz reported, quoting Interior Minister Humdin Sharipov. LF [B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[08] SERBIAN GENERAL SAYS NATO RESPONSIBLE FOR TROUBLE INSOUTHWEST SERBIA...General Vladimir Lazarevic, who commands the Yugoslav army in southern Serbia, said on 2 March that "NATO forces already call the Pcinj district (Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja municipalities) 'eastern [Kosova],' and plan [to annex it to Kosova] as the next phase in breaking up Serbia and Yugoslavia. In other words, they want to spread the very bad security situation in [Kosova] to this part of Serbia," AP reported from Belgrade (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 29 February 2000). Zivorad Igic, a Serbian official from Kosova, added: "Albanian terrorists now have aspirations toward Serbian territories outside [the province]. Unfortunately, the international security forces are unbelievably and unreasonably tolerant toward the Albanian terrorists, whose unpunished crimes show that they...can do whatever they want and be responsible to no one," Zigic added. NATO officials previously said they are closely observing the tense situation in the region and will not allow armed persons to cross the frontier. PM [09] ...WHILE UNHCR CONCERNED ABOUT SERBIAN INTIMIDATION OFALBANIANSThe UNHCR said in a statement in Geneva on 2 March that 102 ethnic Albanians recently arrived in Gjilan seeking safety. They reported an increase in Serbian military and police presence in southern Serbia, AP reported. The refugees gave "consistent accounts of harassment, beatings, confiscation of houses and apartments, forced conscription, rape threats, and demands for money," the UNHCR added. Young families make up the majority of the refugees and call the security situation "intolerable." Observers note that the incidents reported by the refugees recall the developments in Kosova prior to the 1999 conflict. PM [10] SERBS STONE ALBANIANS USING KFOR FOOTBRIDGESome 150 Serbs--most of whom were women--threw stones at two ethnic Albanians trying to cross KFOR's new footbridge across the Ibar River in Mitrovica on 2 March (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 February 2000). The Albanians fled back to the south side of town. Prior to the incident, a French KFOR spokesman said: "We launched this little temporary footbridge to provide civilians freedom of movement, which is their essential right. Freedom of movement is essential for the development of civic society here. We are monitoring the situation closely and we hope that there will be no incidents," AP reported. PM [11] SERBIAN CIVILIANS IN STANDOFF WITH U.S. TROOPSOn 1 March,some 200 angry Serbian civilians surrounded 15 U.S. KFOR soldiers near Gjilan after the troops detained one Serb in possession of illegal weapons. The Serbs let the soldiers leave with the suspect only after U.S. reinforcements arrived, AP reported. PM [12] RUSSIAN KFOR SOLDIER DIES OF WOUNDSA KFOR spokesman said inMitrovica on 2 March that a Russian soldier "died of internal bleeding overnight," Reuters reported. Unknown persons in an ethnic Albanian area of Skenderaj shot the man recently while he was on patrol (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 March 2000). Meanwhile in Decan, KFOR troops arrested two ethnic Albanians in connection with the recent mortar shelling of the medieval Serbian Orthodox monastery complex there, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported on 1 March. The monastery was not damaged. PM [13] KOUCHNER'S PLAN A NON-STARTER?The UN's chief administratorin Kosova, Bernard Kouchner, has prepared a four-stage plan for the reunification of Mitrovica, "Danas" reported on 2 March. It calls for reestablishing security, allowing all persons to return to their homes, and setting up a unified city council and administration. Kouchner has submitted his proposal to the Security Council. Oliver Ivanovic, who is a leader of the local Serbs, dismissed the plan, calling it "cosmetic" and stressing that it will "not lead to a lasting solution" to Mitrovica's problems. PM [14] ARTEMIJE: NO CHANGE IN KOSOVA'S STATUS YETSerbian OrthodoxArchbishop Artemije, who is one of the two main leaders of the Kosova Serbs and who supports the Serbian opposition, said in Washington that it is too early for any discussion on Kosova's political future. He said that a change in the province's status should come only after democracy has been established in Serbia and Yugoslavia. Some international as well as Albanian observers have recently called for talks on the political future of Kosova. They argue that the UN's interim administration has proved ineffective and that time has come to set up permanent structures, which presumably would be controlled by the ethnic Albanian majority. PM [15] ALBANIA SEEKS 'ALBANIAN SPACE IN EU'Tirana's ForeignMinister Paskal Milo told Vienna's "Die Presse" of 1 March that his government does not support the creation of a "greater Albania," as Belgrade has frequently charged. Instead, Milo argued, his government wants "an Albanian space within the EU...[which has] nothing to do with a greater Albania or Albanian state." He called for increased regional cooperation involving Albania and all of its neighbors as preparation for their joining the EU. Referring to Kosova, he called on KFOR not to allow local Serbs to affect a partition of Mitrovica or of the province. Milo regretted that Serbs and Albanians have not yet re-established joint communities, but he added: "How can that happen in such a short time after the Serbs have committed so many atrocities?" PM [16] ITALY, ALBANIA DISCUSS FIGHTING MAFIAA delegation ofItalian experts on fighting organized crime held talks in Tirana with top Albanian officials on 1 and 2 March. Issues include traffic in illegal immigrants, prostitutes, drugs, weapons, and stolen cars from the Balkans to Italy via Albania, dpa reported. President Rexhep Meidani argued that "Albania needs special attention and assistance because it is the last station in the traffic in illegal emigrants and other traffic to Italy." In particular, he asked for technical assistance for Albanian police, prosecutors, and judges. Albanian efforts in combating organized crime have been hurt by corruption, inefficiency, and lack of experience among police and other officials. Italy has long stationed police, customs agents, and other experts in Albania. Italian ships also patrol Albanian waters in an effort to curtail smuggling. PM [17] SERBIA HIKES ELECTRICITY PRICESThe state-run power companyannounced in Belgrade on 1 March that it has raised its prices to consumers by 9.5 percent, effective immediately. The company stressed that it needs more money to repair the damage inflicted by NATO's 1999 bombing campaign. PM [18] SERBIAN POLICE DETAIN OPPOSITION ACTIVISTSPolice took some43 supporters of the League of Social Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) to the Novi Sad police station on 1 March. Most of the activists were later released. The party had called a protest for that afternoon to coincide with the arrival of Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic to inaugurate work on rebuilding the Varadin Bridge. The LSV has called the government's reconstruction plans a "sham" and charged that Belgrade is dealing with the authorities in Novi Sad in a high-handed manner. PM [19] CROATIA'S MESIC NAMES LEGAL TEAMCroatian President StipeMesic appointed a five-member legal advisory committee on 1 March to draft proposals for reducing the powers of the president. Initial drafts could be ready within two to three weeks, and the final proposals for changes to the constitution could be finished in about six months, "Jutarnji list" reported. All parties and presidential candidates in the recent elections agreed that many of the late President Franjo Tudjman's powers must be transferred to the parliament or other governmental bodies. PM [20] ANKICA TUDJMAN WANTS AUDITAnkica Tudjman, who is the widowof the late president, called on Prime Minister Ivica Racan to launch a formal audit of her family's wealth, "Jutarnji list" reported on 2 March. She said that she wants to put an end to rumors and media reports that the Tudjmans possess a huge fortune that was accumulated illegally. Mesic has said that the Tudjmans will face legal measures--"as would any citizen--if they are found to have broken the law." PM [21] SLOVENIA SEEKS REASSURANCE FROM AUSTRIAForeign MinisterDimitrij Rupel said in Ljubljana on 1 March that his government will soon ask its Austrian counterpart not to block Slovenia's admission to the EU. He also asked Austria to cease raising objections to the Krsko power plant, which, Rupel argued, was built according to Western safety standards. The Freedom Party's Joerg Haider has previously called for Krsko to be closed. He is governor of Carinthia, which borders Slovenia and is home to most of Austria's ethnic Slovenian minority. PM [22] ROMANIAN DEFENSE INDUSTRY WORKERS MARCHMore than 10,000Romanian defense industry and aeronautics workers demonstrated outside the governmental and presidential buildings in Bucharest on 1 March, Rompres reported. The demonstrators called on the government to ensure that workers receive part payment of their wages during temporary layoffs, Reuters reported. The same day, NATO Supreme Commander in Europe General Wesley Clark arrived in Bucharest to discuss Romania's defense industry reform plans and thank Romania for its support for the alliance during its bombing campaign in Yugoslavia last year. VG [23] TWO ROMANIANS BEING INVESTIGATED FOR NUCLEAR SMUGGLINGTheRomanian intelligence service on 1 March said it is investigating two Romanians on suspicion of trying to smuggle nuclear secrets out of the country, AP reported. The two suspects were carrying materials from the Cernavoda nuclear plant when they were detained on 29 February at the border with Moldova. VG [24] ROMANIAN LIBERALS DEFUSE GOVERNMENTAL CRISISThe StandingBureau of the National Liberal Party (PNL) on 1 March decided to put an end to the coalition crisis triggered by the resignation of Defense Minister Victor Babiuc from the Democratic Party and by the subsequent attacks of Democratic Party Deputy Chairman Traian Basescu against President Ion Iliescu and the PNL, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. The bureau said it has "taken note" of the Democrats' "regrets" expressed one day earlier for having "used formulations that affected the public image of the PNL" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 March 2000). MS [25] MOLDOVA APPEALS TO MOSCOW TO RESUME GAS SUPPLIESPresidentPetru Lucinschi met with Russian Ambassador to Moldova Pavel Petrovsky on 2 March to ask Russia to resume the supply of natural gas to Moldova, AP reported. On 1 March, Deputy Moldovan Prime Minister Valeriu Cozarciuco and Mihail Lisnic, chairman of Moldovagaz, flew to Moscow in an attempt to persuade Russia to resume supplies. Russia cut off gas supplies to Moldovan on 28 February because of unpaid bills. Moldova owes Russian some $7 million for gas deliveries. Moldovan parliamentary speaker Dumitru Diacov said Russia could be using the cutoff to gain "political capital," but he refused to elaborate. Meanwhile, hospitals in Chisinau have canceled all routine surgery owing to the lack of natural gas. VG [26] RUSSIA HELPS BULGARIA IN LIBYAN DOCTORS' CASEThe chairmanof Bulgaria's National Assembly, Yordan Sokolov, met with Russian Ambassador to Bulgaria Vladimir Titov on 1 March to discuss the trial of six Bulgarian doctors in Libya, BTA reported. The doctor are accused of willfully infecting children with the HIV virus. At the meeting, Titov informed Sokolov of his contacts with Libyan officials over the trial. Sokolov says Russia's intervention in the case has helped in securing a postponement of the trial until April (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 29 February 2000). Titov said: "Our common aim is to guarantee just and humane proceedings." Deputy Foreign Minister Vasiliy Takev said on 1 March that Bulgaria has demanded that all formalities be settled to allow the departure of another 17 Bulgarian doctors who were initially detained in connection with the case. VG [C] END NOTE[27] TURKMEN INCONSISTENCY COULD JEOPARDIZE PIPELINE PROJECTBy Michael LelyveldA U.S. official says Washington is working on a finance plan for the trans-Caspian gas pipeline to meet the concerns of Turkmenistan President Saparmurat Niyazov. John Wolf, the Caspian adviser to U.S. President Bill Clinton, told reporters in Istanbul earlier this week that the project's developers will submit a detailed project plan by the end of March. The aim is apparently to convince Niyazov that Turkmenistan will not lose money on the pipeline to Turkey if it agrees to terms demanded by Azerbaijan. In an unusual public show of anger toward a U.S. diplomat, Niyazov last week accused Wolf of "deliberately holding up" the $2,5 billion dollar project and of pressuring Ashgabat to accept unfavorable conditions from Baku. Azerbaijan has demanded half the capacity of the pipeline for its own gas sales to Turkey as a condition for allowing transit on its territory. Niyazov believes the remaining share for Turkmenistan's gas will not be enough to pay for the line across the Caspian. In comments carried on the Turkmen Press website on 29 February, Niyazov said if Ashgabat accepts Azerbaijan's terms, it will take Turkmenistan eight years to realize a profit once the pipeline opens in late 2002. In the meantime, Turkmenistan will be faced with an estimated $3 billion debt, Niyazov said. Showing frustration, Niyazov noted that previous attempts to deal with U.S. companies on planned pipeline projects to Pakistan and Turkey had failed. Turkmenistan recently opened talks with Russia's Gazprom on selling up to 50 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Some analysts believe the sales to Russia could replace the trans-Caspian deal. The partners for the pipeline will have until 20 March to present new figures that will address Niyazov's concerns. He has extended the mandate of the PSG International consortium for one month from 19 February, when it was due to expire. U.S.-based Bechtel Corporation and General Electric Capital have been working on the project, along with the British-Dutch firm Royal Dutch/Shell. A further threat to the entire project is posed by Azerbaijan, which last year laid claim to half the pipeline's capacity after finding a large gas deposit in its Caspian offshore field, known as Shah Deniz. At the same time, Baku started its own push to sell gas to Turkey, pressing its advantage of shorter transit distance. That move is also thought to be in retaliation for Turkmenistan's claim to a Caspian oilfield on its border with Azerbaijan. Niyazov has refused to give ground on the disputed oilfield. As originally planned, the trans-Caspian line was designed to carry 30 billion cubic meters of gas per year. Turkmenistan agreed to sell 16 billion cubic meters to Turkey and an additional 14 billion for transit to Europe. But Azerbaijan's demand for 16 billion cubic meters of capacity on the same line would make Turkmenistan's agreement with Turkey impossible to fulfil. In trying to make the deal work with less gas, the consortium partners may be facing another problem. Niyazov himself has negotiated terms with Turkey that may not be favorable, regardless of what Azerbaijan does. Turkey has agreed to pay Turkmenistan only a fixed price for its gas in the first six months of deliveries. After that, the price may be renegotiated to reflect market forces. If the price drops, so would Turkmenistan's profits, making it harder to pay pipeline costs. Because countries such as Iran and Russia are also planning to sell large volumes of gas to Turkey, there is a good chance that prices will decline for supplies that are not already covered by contract. Turkmenistan is unlikely to be in a strong bargaining position, even if the trans-Caspian pipeline is built. Niyazov has tried to deal with his troubles by threatening to sell huge volumes of gas to Russia. But higher volumes may only result in lower prices, making Turkmenistan's financing troubles worse. But without the competition from a trans-Caspian deal, Russia could insist on paying even less for Turkmen gas. The options appear to be limited, and Niyazov may be in the process of limiting them even further unless he can compromise with Azerbaijan. The author is an RFE/RL correspondent based in Boston. 02-03-00 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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