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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 4, No. 123, 00-06-26Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 4, No. 123, 26 June 2000CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] FORMER ARMENIAN PREMIER DENIES ENERGY EMBEZZLEMENT CHARGESHrant Bagratian, who served as Armenian premier from 1993-1996, told RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau on 24 June that allegations of fraud and mismanagement in the energy sector during that period are unfounded. In a report unveiled on 14 June, an ad hoc parliamentary commission estimated that Armenia incurred losses totaling $200 million since 1992 as a result of thefts and embezzlement (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 16 June 2000). Bagratian denied that some 305,000 tons of fuel oil reportedly procured in 1992-1995 never reached Armenia or that the price of another 224, 000 tons was recorded as more than double the amount paid. For his part, he accused President Robert Kocharian, who served as prime minister from March 1997-March 1998, of condoning embezzlement and a joint venture with Russia's Gazprom that Bagratian claimed cost Armenia $80 million. LF [02] LAWYER BELIEVES ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT KILLERS ACTED ON ORDERSArtashes Pahlavuni, the former lawyer of Nairi Hunanian, theleader of the five gunmen who shot dead eight leading Armenian officials in the parliament building on 27 October, was quoted by Noyan Tapan on 23 June as saying that he believes unknown persons hired the gunmen to commit the killings. Hunanian insists that he acted on his own initiative (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 June 2000). Pahlavuni said he has resigned as Hunanian's defense lawyer, having originally agreed to represent him only for the duration of the preliminary investigation. LF [03] IRAN DISCUSSES TRANSPORTATION COOPERATION WITH ARMENIA,GEORGIAIranian Transport Minister Mahmud Hodjati held talks in Yerevan on 23 June with Armenian President Kocharian and Prime Minister Andranik Markarian on increasing Iranian exports via Armenia, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. Hodjati expressed interest in transporting Iranian goods via Armenia and Georgia and then by ferry across the Black Sea to Bulgaria and Romania. That route is part of the EU's TRACECA program, in which Armenia wants Iran included. Hodjati said that the transport corridor requires a favorable business climate and improved customs administration and road infrastructure. He also said Iran is interested in participating in the EU- and World Bank-funded programs to upgrade highways in both Georgia and Armenia. Visiting Tbilisi on 21-23 June, Hodjati signed a Memorandum of Understanding with his Georgian counterpart, Merab Adeishvili, related to the TRACECA project, Caucasus Press reported. Hodjati also met with Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze. LF [04] GEORGIA, RUSSIA STILL AT ODDS OVER BASES CLOSURETalks inTbilisi on 24-25 June between Georgian government officials and a Russian delegation headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov resulted in agreement on "practically all" issues related to the first stage of the closure by mid-2001 of two of Russia's four military bases in Georgia, Interfax and ITAR-TASS reported. But, at the same time, Klebanov suggested that one of those two bases, in Gudauta, Abkhazia, should be transformed into a training center for the Russian peacekeeping force currently deployed in Abkhazia under the aegis of the CIS. The Abkhaz leadership has made clear its opposition to the closure of the Gudauta base (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 19 June 2000). Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili said that on 1 August Russia will begin withdrawing military equipment in excess of the quotas it is permitted under the revised Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, but he noted that unspecified issues remain unresolved. LF [05] MOSCOW AGAIN DEMANDS CLOSURE OF CHECHEN REPRESENTATION INGEORGIAIn a statement released on 23 June, the Russian Foreign Ministry again called for the closure of what it termed the "illegal" Chechen representation in Tbilisi, Interfax and Caucasus Press reported. The statement claimed the presence in Tbilisi of that body poses a threat to the security and stability not only of Georgia but of the entire North Caucasus. It added that the representation employs more than 100 people. Georgian officials have previously responded to such Russian pressure by saying that the Chechen representation is not officially registered with the Georgian authorities and therefore its registration cannot be revoked. LF [06] GEORGIA DENIES IT PLANS TO DEPORT CHECHEN REFUGEESAlso on23 June, Russian presidential aide Sergei Yastrzhembskii expressed concern over the situation in the Pankisi gorge close to the Chechen-Georgian frontier, which he said has been divided into zones of influence by some 800 Chechen fighters who are planning to transport 150 mercenaries and quantities of military supplies from Pankisi to Chechnya, Caucasus Press reported. He said "such a wide network of Chechen terrorists and separatists could exist in Georgia only with the connivance of the local authorities," according to Interfax. Meanwhile, Georgian Foreign Ministry spokesman Avtandil Napetvaridze rejected as "disinformation" media reports that Tbilisi and Moscow have held talks on forcibly deporting to Chechnya the estimated 8,000 Chechen refugees currently in the Pankisi gorge, Caucasus Press reported. LF [07] TURKISH CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF VISITS GEORGIAGeneralHussein Kivrikoglu held talks in Tbilisi on 23 June with Georgian Foreign Minister Irakli Menagharishvili, parliamentary speaker Zurab Zhvania, and President Eduard Shevardnadze, Caucasus Press reported. Those talks focused on Turkey's ongoing financial and material assistance to the Georgian armed forces and the optimum format for the proposed South Caucasus security pact. Meeting with Shevardnadze, Kvirikoglu said Turkish-Georgian military cooperation contributes to stability in the South Caucasus, according to Interfax. LF [08] MINISTER CLAIMS PLIGHT OF GEORGIAN DISPLACED PERSONSDETERIORATINGMinister for Refugees Valeri Vashakidze told journalists in Tbilisi on 23 June that outstanding allowances owed to the Georgian displaced persons who fled Abkhazia during the 1992-1993 war have reached 13.6 million lari ($7 million). He added that he doubts that the Ministry of Finance will be able to make good on its commitment to pay those debts by the end of the year, Caucasus Press reported. Displaced persons in the west Georgian towns of Kutaisi and Zugdidi have staged recent protests to demand payment of their overdue allowances. Vashakidze also said that 1,140 families who fled Abkhazia are still waiting to be allocated accommodation in Tbilisi. LF [09] GEORGIAN INDUSTRIALISTS SEEK TO EXPEDITE TAX REFORMGogiTopadze, who heads the "Industry Will Save Georgia" parliamentary faction, told Caucasus Press on 23 June that his faction has begun collecting signatures for a petition demanding that the parliament begin debating the faction's draft bill on amendments to the tax code. The 15-member faction submitted that draft to the parliament's Committee on Legislation three months ago. Topadze also said that his faction has addressed an appeal to President Shevardnadze and parliamentary speaker Zhvania outlining proposed measures to overcome Georgia's worsening economic and budget crisis. LF [10] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT AMNESTIES 87 PRISONERSHeidar Aliev on25 June issued a decree amnestying 87 people serving prison sentences for crimes against Azerbaijan's sovereignty and independence, Reuters and ITAR-TASS reported. Three of those released were aligned with Colonel Alikram Gumbatov, who in the summer of 1993 declared an independent Talysh-Mughan Republic on Azerbaijan's southeastern border with Iran. Twenty were among several hundred people sentenced for their participation in alleged coups in 1994 and 1995, but the alleged leader of the 1994 action, former Premier Suret Huseinov, was not among them. Also freed were some persons sentenced on political charges, such as slandering the president. The amnesty comes on the eve of a decision by the Council of Europe to grant Azerbaijan and Armenia full membership in that body. LF [11] ANTI-GOVERNMENT DEMONSTRATION IN AZERBAIJANSeveral hundredpeople attended a rally convened in Baku on 24 June by the opposition United Azerbaijani Forces, which unite the Vahdat, Social Democratic, and Namus parties, Turan reported. The municipal authorities had given permission for the rally to take place. Participants accused the country's leadership of corruption and inability to resolve the country's problems. They also protested the recently passed law on the Central Electoral Commission and demanded the release of all political prisoners, including former Premier Huseinov and former Defense Minister Rahim Kaziev. LF [12] NAZARBAEV DENIES HE WILL REMAIN KAZAKHSTAN'S PRESIDENT FORLIFE...Nursultan Nazarbaev told journalists in Almaty on 23 June that he had not been informed in advance of the draft law already passed in the first reading by the parliament that would enhance his powers even after he retires as president, Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 June 2000). Nazarbaev said that he does not want "to become a khan or a president for life," but he added that the constitution allows him to run for another term after his current term expires in 2006. He said that he does not consider the draft legislation "helpful" but that he has no right to oppose legislative initiatives. LF [13] ...PRAISES CABINET...Nazarbaev told the same pressconference that there is no need for Prime Minister Qasymzhomart Toqaev's cabinet to resign, warning the media to desist from speculation on that possibility, Interfax reported. Rumors that Toqaev would be fired first surfaced early this year (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 9 February 2000). More recently, a spokesman for the premier denied rumors he is involved in corruption (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 21 April 2000). LF [14] ...PLANS DEVELOPMENT FUNDNazarbaev also said on 23 Junethat he has drafted a decree setting up a development fund drawing on some of the proceeds from the export of oil, oil products, and precious metals, Interfax reported. The fund will be used "for the benefit of generations to come" and to cushion the impact of adverse world economic developments, such as the devaluation of the Russian ruble in August 1998. LF [15] KYRGYZ COURT REJECTS OPPOSITION POLITICIAN'S APPEALTheboard of the Bishkek City Court on 22 June upheld the suspended sentence handed down last month on opposition El (Bei Bechara) Party Chairman Daniyar Usenov but commuted it from three to two years, RFE/RL's bureau in the Kyrgyz capital reported. Usenov was found guilty of assaulting a fellow businessman (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 May 2000). LF [16] KYRGYZ PRESIDENT CRITICIZES LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIESChairing a meeting in Bishkek on 24 June of senior lawenforcement officials, bank directors, and oblast and district administrators, President Askar Akaev criticized the law enforcement agencies for their inability to lower the incidence of economic and organized crime, RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau reported. He noted that 14 senior officials have recently been arrested on suspicion of corruption, but none of them was proven guilty. LF [17] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY RESPONDS TO TAJIK DEMARCHEIn astatement issued on 22 June, the Russian Foreign Ministry conceded that some Russian media coverage of developments in Tajikistan is one-sided, Asia Plus-Blitz reported. Noting that such bias does not benefit bilateral relations, the Russian statement added that the Russian government can hardly dictate to the media what approach they should take. Earlier this month, the Tajik Foreign Ministry had protested what it termed biased Russian media coverage (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 20 and 22 June 2000). LF [18] TURKMENISTAN BANS FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNTSIn a move that hesaid is intended to prevent capital flight, President Saparmurat Niyazov has signed a decree making it illegal for either individuals or businesses to hold foreign bank accounts, AP reported on 23 June, quoting the state news agency TDH. All hard-currency savings must be transferred to local banks within the next few months. LF [19] TURKMENISTAN, UZBEKISTAN HOLD BORDER TALKSFollowing talksin Ashgabat on 23 June between Turkmen government officials and a visiting Uzbek delegation headed by Vice Premier Rustam Yunusov, the two sides issued a protocol saying neither has territorial claims on the other, ITAR-TASS reported. They agreed on the creation of an intergovernmental commission to delimit and demarcate their common border and prepare a draft treaty on the state border for signing by the two countries' presidents. LF [20] TEN SENTENCED IN UZBEKISTAN FOR CRIMES AGAINST THE STATEThemunicipal court in the eastern city of Namangan on 21 June handed down sentences of between seven and 17 years in prison to 10 people, four of them women, on charges of undermining the constitution and organizing criminal groups, Reuters reported on 23 June. Those charges were based on the alleged support of the accused for the banned Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Nosyrzhon Khodjiev, brother of the movement's leader, Djuma Namangani, was among those sentenced. He received a 14-year prison term. LF [B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[21] BRITISH TROOPS CAPTURE INDICTED BOSNIAN SERBBritish SFORtroops, including members of the elite SAS, captured Dusko Sikirica in his home in Prijedor in the early hours of 25 June. He arrived in The Hague later that day. The Hague-based war crimes tribunal had indicted Sikirica and 12 other Bosnian Serb officials and guards on charges of responsibility for war crimes at the Keraterm concentration camp near Prijedor, where Sikirica was camp commander in 1992. In particular, the tribunal holds Sikirica ultimately responsible for one single incident in which 140 Muslim males were killed by machine-gun fire. Sikirica will join two of the 12 in the dock in The Hague. He is the 21st suspect to be arrested by NATO troops in Bosnia since 1995 and the eighth since Lord Robertson became the alliance's secretary-general in 1999. Some 27 publicly-indicted suspects and an undisclosed number of suspects wanted under sealed indictments remain at large, London's "The Guardian" reported. Approximately 40 suspects are in The Hague, including some who surrendered voluntarily. PM [22] MONTENEGRO'S DJUKANOVIC APOLOGIZES TO CROATIACroatianPresident Stipe Mesic and his Montenegrin counterpart, Milo Djukanovic, discussed "practical issues," including economic cooperation and cross-border traffic, in Cavtat, near Dubrovnik, on 24 June, the "Sueddeutsche Zeitung" reported. Djukanovic also said: "I'd like to express in my name and behalf of Montenegro...my sincerest apologies to all citizens of Croatia and especially of Dubrovnik...for all the pain and suffering and material losses inflicted by Montenegrins" during the Belgrade-led campaign against Croatia in 1991. He added that "Montenegro has paid a dear price [for its participation in the conflict]. We have paid in the lives of our people, the severance of traditional good ties between Croatia and Montenegro, and our banishment from the international community," AP reported. Djukanovic was Montenegrin prime minister when Yugoslav forces shelled Dubrovnik and Montenegrin reservists and other forces pillaged Cavtat, the Dubrovnik airport, and several other places in the area. PM [23] QUALIFIED OPTIMISM FROM CROATIA...Most leading Croatianpoliticians responded positively to Djukanovic's apology, "Jutarnji list" reported on 26 June. Most political leaders added, however, that Djukanovic's remarks were prompted by the pragmatic need to improve relations with Zagreb and that the question of Montenegrin responsibility for the 1991 conflict remains open. Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic said that Podgorica will now have to follow Djukanovic's words with concrete deeds. Opposition leader Vladimir Seks noted that Djukanovic did not offer to pay for war damages or to assist the Hague tribunal in investigating and indicting Montenegrins who committed atrocities during the conflict. PM [24] ...WITH CRITICISM FROM OFFICIAL BELGRADE...Belgrade's state-run Tanjug news agency sharply criticized Djukanovic on 24 June for his public apology. Tanjug charged that the Montenegrin "practically praised Mesic for his secessionist policies...which led to the tragic events in former Yugoslavia." The news agency added that Mesic had demanded as a precondition for the meeting that the Montenegrin apologize "for something that never existed--the alleged aggression against Croatia." Mesic was slated to be the rotating chairman of the former Yugoslav collective presidency in 1991, but then-Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and his allies (including Montenegro) prevented Mesic from taking office. PM [25] ...AND MIXED REACTION FROM OPPOSITIONThe Democratic Party'sVojislav Kostunica said in Belgrade on 24 June that Djukanovic "during the war not only implemented but literally created the policy of Montenegro and Yugoslavia, but he is now representing himself differently.... He came to power by manipulating the deepest national and patriotic sentiments. Now he is denying all that and is starting a new ruse," dpa reported. Alliance for Change leader Vladan Batic said that Djukanovic "must have had his reasons [for apologizing]...probably related to the interests of Montenegro." Batic added that it is Djukanovic's right as president to make such an apology if he chooses. Predrag Simic, who is foreign policy spokesman for Vuk Draskovic's Serbian Renewal Movement, hailed the apology as "not a move of a politician, but of a statesman who wants the past to become part of history, to take a new direction." Simic added that the apology "opens the question of the cause and the purpose of the war" for the citizens of Serbia and Montenegro. PM [26] SUSPECTS DENY ROLE IN ATTEMPT ON DRASKOVICThe brothersMilan and Ivan Lovric told a court in Podgorica on 23 June that they had no role in the recent attempt on the life of Draskovic in Budva (see "REFE/RL Newsline," 23 June 2000). Their lawyer told AP that the prosecution must now cross- examine them about where they were on the night in question. PM [27] JOURNALIST BEATEN IN SABACThree bodyguards of CedomirVasiljevic, who is a local leader of Vojislav Seselj's Radicals, beat journalist Hanibal Kovac in Sabac on 23 June. Kovac told RFE/RL's South Slavic Service, for which he is a reporter, that his attackers beat him "very professionally." He added that they chastised him for his unspecified writings about their boss, adding "next time you'll be dead." He was treated briefly in the local hospital and then reported the incident to the police. He has heard nothing from them to date, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service reported on 26 June. PM [28] KOSOVA SERB MODERATES RETURN TO KOUCHNER'S COUNCILFatherSava, who is a leader of moderate Serbs in Kosova, said at the Gracanica monastery on 25 June that most members of the Serbian National Council (SNV) agreed to return to the advisory body set up by Bernard Kouchner, who is the UN's chief administrator in the province. Sava stressed that his supporters realize that they must be present at Kouchner's meetings if they are to have a say in the decisions made there, the VOA's Croatian Service reported. Four of the 83 delegates, including Kosova Serb political leader Momcilo Trajkovic, walked out of the meeting to protest the decision, the BBC's Serbian Service noted. The SNV said the decision to end its weeks-old boycott is contingent on the UN's written agreement to send special anti-terrorist police to areas where Serbs are threatened by violence and to add more Serbs to the UN-sponsored Kosova police force. The Serbs launched their boycott to protest what they called the UN's failure to protect Serbian civilians against attacks by ethnic Albanian extremists. PM [29] UNHCR KEEPS MITROVICA OFFICE CLOSEDA spokeswoman for theUNHCR said in Prishtina on 26 June that the refugee agency will keep its office in Serb-held northern Mitrovica closed pending a daily review of the security situation there. The UNHCR closed the office on 23 June after an unspecified number of rioters attacked humanitarian aid workers and their property, AP reported. The rioters destroyed five UN vehicles and damaged another 20. PM [30] KFOR: ILLEGAL ARMS BELONGED TO UCKA KFOR spokesman said inPrishtina on 23 June that the weapons seized by NATO troops earlier that week in the Drenica valley were illegally "in the possession" of the former Kosova Liberation Army (UCK), AP reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 19 June 2000). He added, however, that there is no evidence that former UCK commander Agim Ceku, whose headquarters are near the bunkers where the arms were hidden, was aware that the weapons were there. The spokesman stressed that "to say that Ceku had overriding authority [in the UCK] is a misconception." Observers note that the UCK was not known for tight discipline and that many of the commanders have become bitter political rivals since the conflict ended in June 1999. Ceku is a professional military officer and a former leading general in the Croatian army. PM [31] END OF ROMANIAN DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION IN SIGHT...Theleadership of the National Peasant Party Christian democratic (PNTCD) on 24 June said its main partner in the Democratic Convention of Romania, the national Liberal Party (PNL), must decide by 15 July whether it will run jointly with the PNTCD on the lists of the Democratic Convention of Romania (CDR). If the PNL does not accept the PNTCD's offer of equal representation on the CDR lists for the parliamentary elections, the PNTCD will run alone. PNL First Deputy Chairman Valeriu Stoica said on 24 June that running jointly with the PNTCD would be "risky, since the PNTCD bears "the main responsibility for having compromised the CDR in the electorate's eyes." PNL Chairman Mircea Ionescu-Quintus said the PNL could run alone if it manages to "unify" around itself those opposition forces that would ensure the PNL "at least 15 percent" of the vote. MS [32] ...AS PEASANT PARTY TRIES TO SET HOUSE IN ORDERArelatively narrow majority of 46 out of the 77 members of the PNTCD's Leading Committee voted confidence in the party's interim-leadership on 24 June. The committee also decided that the PNTCD will initiate a constitutional amendment to simplify lifting the immunity of parliamentary deputies, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. PNTCD First Vice Chairman and Agriculture Minister Ioan Muresan, who has been accused by the opposition of being involved in illegal privatization transactions, said he is ready to renounce his immunity to prove his innocence. On 23 June, a Bucharest court canceled the sale of a state-owned tobacco company on suspicion of favoritism toward one bidder on the part of the Agriculture Ministry. MS [33] MOLDOVA TRANSFERS TO GAZPROM BONDS IN DEBT REPAYMENTTheMinistry of Finance on 23 June transferred to Russia's Gazprom $90 million in state bonds. The bonds have a seven- year maturity and yield 7.5 percent interest, to be paid quarterly. The Moldovan parliament had approved this arrangement earlier this year, but Gazprom had raised objections. The two sides reached agreement during last week's visit to Chisinau by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who was accompanied by Gazprom chief Rem Vyakhirev, Infotag reported. Also on 23 June, President Petru Lucinschi signed a decree withdrawing the citizenship of 12 Moldovan residents who are also citizens of other (unnamed) countries, in violation of the Moldovan Constitution, and have refused to renounce their dual citizenship. MS [34] WORLD BANK APPROVES BULGARIAN LOANThe World Bank on 23June approved a $63 million loan to Bulgaria to improve the country's health care system, an RFE/RL corespondent in Washington reported. The total value of the project is $87 million, and the Bulgarian government will make up the difference. MS [C] END NOTE[35] CROATIA'S 'SOFTWARE' FOR NATOBy Christian BuricCroatian foreign policy achieved some notable successes in May, reflecting how far the country has come in the short time that the new government has been in office. The greatest success was Croatia's admission to NATO's Partnership for Peace program. But that was not all. Officials in Washington talked of Croatian membership in the WTO. Zagreb's relations with the EU improved, and Brussels is considering possibilities for Croatia's admission to EU- related programs. Previously, Zagreb's integration was partly made dependent on developments in other former Yugoslav republics. Now, however, the EU has acknowledged that Croatia deserves to be considered separately from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia on both economic and political grounds. The governing coalition of six parties will thus be remembered for its swift attainment of some key foreign- policy goals. In no more than five months, Prime Minister Ivica Racan's government achieved things that former President Franjo Tudjman and his followers were unable to do in 10 years. Stanko Nick, who is a political scientist and President Stipe Mesic's adviser for foreign policy, said in Zagreb that Croatia has never had a better political image than it does now, "Slobodna Dalmacija" reported on 27 May. Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told "Nacional" on 31 May that the reason for the change in Croatia's image is its development of democracy, human and minority rights, and the freedom of press. In the parliament, Mesic said he foresees Croatia's becoming a full member of NATO and an equal partner in the international community, "Jutarnji list" reported on 31 May. Partnership for Peace does not include an automatic process of integration into NATO, however. NATO spokesman Jamie Shea told "Nacional" at the end of May that any decision about new NATO members will be made in two years at the earliest. Ensuring freedom of the press, transforming Zagreb's relations with the Croatian population of Bosnia, and promoting further democratization will be milestones on Croatia's possible path to Euro-Atlantic integration. Croatia will have to prove in the next few years that it can make some crucial contributions to NATO, Shea stressed, adding that it would be wrong if Zagreb is motivated only by the advantages it expects from being a member of the most powerful military organization of the world. Shea also noted that the modernization of the Croatian army is a "hardware" problem and that it is more important to look at the Croatian "software," where, he explained, Zagreb has something to offer. This means that Croatia can be useful to NATO not only in traditional military and geopolitical terms. Croatian officers are experienced in fighting against Serbian forces, and Croatian knowledge of the situation in southeastern Europe can be very helpful for the peace process in Bosnia and for peacekeeping in Kosova. Croatia's cooperation with the alliance will strengthen NATO's Balkan flank and stabilize the whole region. And the two partners could even work together to promote the democratization of Serbia. Another aspect of this "software" is promoting the development of a "common identity" between the Croatian army and NATO. Shea said that this aspect is much more relevant than introducing weapons compatible with NATO standards. Common identity is a prerequisite, for instance, for the Croatian army's participation in missions in hot spots and in peacekeeping operations. "Software" for NATO is about political culture, too. According to Shea, civilian specialists on military questions are needed in the government, the media, and the universities. Political culture is of special interest regarding the civilian control of the military, which is one of the pillars of NATO. The army has to be integrated into society, and therefore it is necessary that civilians have a sound understanding of military affairs. From Shea's comments, it follows that Croatia needs to gather, assemble, and package what it knows to eventually secure its place in the Atlantic alliance. This can be achieved by encouraging university projects dealing with security issues in southeastern Europe. Moreover, the reorganization of Croatian military academies in accordance with the standards of the Bundeswehrhochschule that was set up in West Germany after World War II could be another step in the same direction. The fact that professors at the Bundeswehrhochschule are civilians guarantees that the army has links to civilian life. This would help prevent the Croatian army from becoming a "state within a state," as was the case with the German army before 1945 or in Yugoslavia during the Tito era. Croatian civilian and military analysts will now have to pool their knowledge and present Croatia's "software" to the public and to NATO institutions. This kind of information- management can also be a useful strategy for approaching NATO in a more dynamic way than has been the case among most other former communist countries, possibly gaining an advantage over those Partnership for Peace members that have not sufficiently demonstrated that they have something to offer as well as something to gain. The author is a freelance writer and copy editor based in Munich, Germany. 26-06-00 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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