|
|
|
RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 5, No. 50, 01-03-13
RFE/RL NEWSLINE
Vol. 5, No. 50, 13 March 2001
CONTENTS
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT REJECTS FORMER OFFICIALS' KARABAKH STRATEGY...
[02] ...BEGINS TURKEY VISIT...
[03] ...SIGNS GAS SALES AGREEMENT
[04] NO DATE SET FOR GEORGIAN PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT...
[05] ...AS OPPOSITION DISAGREES OVER WHETHER HE SHOULD RESIGN
[06] GEORGIAN TAX POLICE DENY AZERBAIJANI WOMAN WAS KILLED
[07] PRESIDENT SAYS KYRGYZSTAN VULNERABLE TO 'TERRORISM,' BUT NOT INTERNAL
TENSIONS
[08] KYRGYZ OPPOSITION PARTY PROTESTS COURT RULING ON ITS LEADER
[09] RUSSIAN MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS TAJIKISTAN
[10] TAJIK FOREIGN MINISTRY AGAIN CRITICIZES RUSSIAN PRESS COVERAGE OF
AFGHAN DEVELOPMENTS
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[11] NATO, PRESEVO FIGHTERS SIGN CEASE-FIRE
[12] NATO'S CABIGIOSU WELCOMES 'LEGITIMATE AUTHORITIES'
[13] SERBIA'S COVIC SAYS 'THINGS HAVE CHANGED'
[14] NATO SETS LIMITS ON SERBIAN FORCES
[15] MACEDONIAN FORCES RETAKE TANUSEVCI
[16] MACEDONIAN MINISTER REJECTS FEDERATION
[17] HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: SIMIC SURRENDER NOT ENOUGH
[18] DEL PONTE EXPECTS COOPERATION FROM YUGOSLAV AUTHORITIES
[19] CITIZENSHIP RESTORED TO SERBIAN ROYAL FAMILY
[20] YUGOSLAV DIPLOMATS INVOLVED IN DRUG TRADE?
[21] BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVED
[22] BOSNIAN SERBS SLAM CROATIAN PROPOSALS
[23] ROMANIAN PARTIES TO CONTEST LAW ON STATE SECRETS
[24] CONFLICT BETWEEN SECURITATE ARCHIVES COLLEGE AND INTELLIGENCE
SERVICE...
[25] ...WHILE PREMIER CRITICIZES CNSAS'S WORK AND ROLE
[26] MOLDOVAN COMMUNIST LEADER ON FOREIGN FINANCING
[27] GAS DELIVERIES TO CHISINAU STOPPED
[28] MOLDOVA'S ADMITTANCE TO WTO DELAYED
[29] BULGARIA'S STATE CARRIER DECLARED BANKRUPT
[30] MINE CLOSURES REFLECTED IN BULGARIAN INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT
[C] END NOTE
[31] There is no End Note today.
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[01] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT REJECTS FORMER OFFICIALS' KARABAKH STRATEGY...
President Heidar Aliev told journalists in Baku on 12 March that the
approach to resolving the Karabakh conflict unveiled last week by his
former aide Eldar Namazov and former Foreign Minister Tofik Zulfugarov
contains "nothing new" and cannot contribute to resolving the conflict,
according to Azerbaijan State Television on 12 March, as cited by Groong.
Aliev expressed regret that there has not been any response to his appeal
during last month's parliament debate on Karabakh for suggestions on how to
reach an acceptable peace. Aliev again commended last month's offer by
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem to mediate talks between Baku and
Yerevan aimed at reaching a solution to the Karabakh conflict, but added
that he thinks it is unlikely that Armenia would agree to such talks (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 19 and 20 February 2001). Aliev said "we should always
be ready for a war." But he warned that "waging a war is more difficult
than to hold talks," adding that "whoever is now talking about war is
pursuing private goals," Reuters reported. LF
[02] ...BEGINS TURKEY VISIT...
President Aliev flew to Ankara on 12 March on a five-day state visit that
is expected to give further impetus to bilateral political, economic, and
military cooperation. He met the same day with his Turkish counterpart
Ahmet Necdet Sezer, who noted an ongoing rapprochement between the two
countries' foreign policy objectives. "Developments...revealed that the
policies we follow should be complementary and support each other,"
Turkey's Anatolia news agency quoted Sezer as saying, according to Groong.
Sezer said his talks with Aliev will cover the Karabakh conflict,
Nakhichevan, and the implementation of the Baku-Ceyhan pipeline project.
Nine bilateral agreements were signed, including protocols on cooperation
between the two countries' finance, justice, and culture ministries, and
their tax services. LF
[03] ...SIGNS GAS SALES AGREEMENT
Sezer and Aliev also signed a 15-year agreement whereby Turkey will
purchase natural gas from Azerbaijan's Caspian Shah Deniz field beginning
in 2004. That year, Turkey will take delivery of 2 billion cubic meters of
gas, rising to 6.6 billion cubic meters in 2006 and as much as 20 billion
cubic meters thereafter. Azerbaijan had hoped for a commitment from Ankara
to purchase a minimum of 5 billion cubic meters annually. The price that
Ankara will pay is likewise not clear: Aliev told journalists prior to his
departure from Baku that Turkey had agreed to pay world market prices, but
ITAR-TASS quoted Turkish Energy Minister Cumhur Ersumer as saying that the
price is the lowest of any agreed upon by Turkey for gas purchases. The
"Financial Times" on 13 March estimated the cost of upgrading and extending
the existing pipeline network to bring that gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey
via Georgia at $700 to $800 million. LF
[04] NO DATE SET FOR GEORGIAN PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT...
No date has yet been set for President Eduard Shevardnadze's annual address
to the Georgian parliament, the daily "Dilis gazeti" noted on 13 March. The
address is traditionally scheduled for the first week of the spring
parliament session, but in mid-February Shevardnadze postponed it until
March on the grounds that a bad cold was affecting his voice (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 13 February 2001). LF
[05] ...AS OPPOSITION DISAGREES OVER WHETHER HE SHOULD RESIGN
"Alia" on 12 March published the findings of a poll conducted among
Georgian politicians. Asked whether they think Shevardnadze should step
down as president, the leaders of the opposition Communist, Socialist, and
Labor Parties and supporters of deceased former President Zviad
Gamsakhurdia answered in the affirmative. Leaders of moderate and right-
wing political groups answered "no," on the grounds that Shevardnadze's
departure could unleash civil unrest and even civil war. Georgian Popular
Front Chairman Nodar Natadaze said the question cannot be answered with a
simple "yes" or "no," while National Democratic Party leader Irina
Sarishvili-Chanturia declined to respond. LF
[06] GEORGIAN TAX POLICE DENY AZERBAIJANI WOMAN WAS KILLED
Temur Khevsuriani, the head of the Georgian Tax Ministry's special police,
told "Caucasus Press" on 12 March that claims by members of Georgia's
Azerbaijani minority that an Azerbaijani woman died after being trampled by
tax police during a raid on a Tbilisi market are untrue (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 12 March 2001). Also on 12 March, Georgian parliament speaker
Zurab Zhvania met with a visiting Azerbaijani parliament delegation to
discuss the 5 March incident in which an Azerbaijani was shot dead by a
Georgian frontier guard while trying to avoid border controls (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 6 March 2001). LF
[07] PRESIDENT SAYS KYRGYZSTAN VULNERABLE TO 'TERRORISM,' BUT NOT INTERNAL
TENSIONS
In a 4,600 word article published in "Nezavisimaya gazeta" on 13 March,
Kyrgyz President Askar Akaev rejects as "the fruit of a sick imagination"
recent Russian press coverage that concludes that his country is "a powder
keg" that could ignite as a result of tensions between Kyrgyz and other
ethnic groups. Akaev claimed that measures intended to improve the position
of Kyrgyzstan's Russian minority have resulted in a fall in emigration (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 1 March 2001). He denied the existence of tensions
between the north and the largely Uzbek-populated south, and claimed that
measures to counter poverty will preclude widespread social unrest. Akaev
further called for massive international support and financial aid to
combat the threat of a new incursion by Islamic militants who, he said, are
supported by Afghanistan and whose ultimate aim he said is not merely to
overthrow the existing regimes in Central Asia but to extend their
influence to Russia and the entire planet. LF
[08] KYRGYZ OPPOSITION PARTY PROTESTS COURT RULING ON ITS LEADER
The opposition Ar-Namys Party issued a statement on 12 March condemning as
politically motivated the Bishkek Military Court's 9 March decision
upholding the sentence handed down by the Bishkek City Court in January on
the party's chairman, former Vice President and National Security Minister
Feliks Kulov, RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline" 12
March 2001). The Ar-Namys statement said the Kyrgyz judiciary remains
dependant on the government, and that all statements by Kyrgyz authorities
affirming their commitment to democracy and human rights are "no more than
cynicism." LF
[09] RUSSIAN MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS TAJIKISTAN
A Russian Defense Ministry delegation met in Dushanbe on 13 March with
Tajik Defense Minister Colonel-General Sherali Khairulloev to discuss the
prospects for long-term military-technical cooperation, "Asia Plus-Blitz"
reported. The delegation is to assess the condition of Russian-made arms
and materiel supplied to the Tajik armed forces and determine how much
needs to be repaired or replaced. LF
[10] TAJIK FOREIGN MINISTRY AGAIN CRITICIZES RUSSIAN PRESS COVERAGE OF
AFGHAN DEVELOPMENTS
The Tajik Foreign Ministry has issued a statement criticizing as a
deliberate distortion based on out-of-date information Russian TV reports
on 11-12 March claiming that the situation on the section of the Tajik-
Afghan border controlled by Russia's Moskovskii Frontier Detachment has
deteriorated. The ministry claimed those reports were based on an
assessment of the situation made by a group of Russian journalists who
visited Tajikistan in mid-February, and that the situation on the border
has been stabilized and has remained quiet since then. Tajikistan issued a
similar criticism last month of Russian media coverage of the fighting in
Afghanistan (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 February 2001). LF
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[11] NATO, PRESEVO FIGHTERS SIGN CEASE-FIRE
Representatives of the Liberation Army of Presevo, Medvedja, and Bujanovac
(UCPMB) signed a cease-fire agreement with NATO officials near the border
crossing at Merdare on 12 March, Reuters reported. Sejdullah Kadriu, who is
an official of the UCPMB's political wing, said the agreement is for one
week and in preparation for full-scale peace talks. The Serbian authorities
previously agreed to the cease-fire, which they appear to regard as open-
ended. PM
[12] NATO'S CABIGIOSU WELCOMES 'LEGITIMATE AUTHORITIES'
The agreement was concluded on the same day as a separate one between
Belgrade and NATO to permit some Serbian forces to return to a section of
the demilitarized safety zone separating Serbia from Kosova (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 12 March 2001). KFOR commander, General Carlo Cabigiosu, said
near Merdare on 12 March that Serbian forces will move into the 25 square-
kilometer area "within a few days," Reuters reported. He stressed that "the
aim is to allow the legitimate authorities to exercise their authority in
the area." But in Sofia on 13 March, Yugoslav Defense Minister Slobodan
Krapovic said he is not sure when Serbian forces will enter the zone. "We
have not received full assurances over the safety of our soldiers and
police forces," he noted. Krapovic added that the agreement nonetheless
opens up prospects for a political solution to the problems of the region,
AP reported. PM
[13] SERBIA'S COVIC SAYS 'THINGS HAVE CHANGED'
UN civilian, ethnic Albanian, and NATO officials in Prishtina nonetheless
expressed fears that the deployment will lead to instability in Kosova, the
"Daily Telegraph" reported on 13 March. The previous day, Serbian Deputy
Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic told Reuters near Merdare: "I understand the
concern over the issue of the army and the police, but Serbia has new
authorities now. The authorities want broad international cooperation, as
do the army and the police. We are convinced this can be achieved." What he
did not say is that the army General Staff is commanded by General Nebojsa
Pavkovic, who led regional army units during the 1999 ethnic cleansing
campaign in Kosova. The national paramilitary police are now headed by
General Sreten Lukic, who commanded the police in Kosova during the
crackdown. PM
[14] NATO SETS LIMITS ON SERBIAN FORCES
General Cabigiosu told Milan's "Corriere della Sera" that Serbian forces
will be allowed to use mortars and, under certain conditions, artillery,
Reuters reported on 12 March. They will not be permitted to use armor,
rocket launchers, antitank weapons, helicopters, or mines. Cabigiosu added
that "we have demanded that they do not occupy houses [or] enter villages."
PM
[15] MACEDONIAN FORCES RETAKE TANUSEVCI
Macedonian army and special police units have captured the border village
of Tanusevci and linked up with KFOR troops on the other side of the
frontier, London's "Daily Telegraph" reported on 13 March. In Skopje, a
Defense Ministry spokesman said Macedonian forces "quickly and efficiently
overcame" resistance by ethnic Albanian gunmen in the region, from which
journalists are banned. The guerrillas vowed to fight on, however, saying
that "if the international community wants one more war in the Balkans, we
are ready." A guerrilla spokesman told the BBC that there are some 400
fighters in the field who can count on a civilian support network of 4,000
people. The BBC said that it is not possible to confirm these figures. PM
[16] MACEDONIAN MINISTER REJECTS FEDERATION
Speaking in Stockholm on 12 March, Macedonian Foreign Minister Srdjan Kerim
rejected demands by ethnic Albanian nationalists that Macedonia be
reorganized as a two-part federation, RFE/RL's South Slavic Service
reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 March 2001). This is a long-standing
policy of the Macedonian government. But even some mainstream Albanian
leaders -- such as Arben Xhaferi, whose Democratic Party of the Albanians
belongs to the current government -- say that the current system enables
Macedonians to easily outvote Albanians in parliament when issues are
decided along purely ethnic lines, Ljubljana's "Delo" reported on 13 March.
PM
[17] HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: SIMIC SURRENDER NOT ENOUGH
The New York-based NGO said in a statement on 12 March that the surrender
of a former Bosnian Serb mayor, Blagoje Simic, to the war crimes tribunal
in The Hague should not be considered real Yugoslav government cooperation
with the tribunal (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 March 2001). "Too many people
indicted for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity are still at
large in Serbia," said Holly Cartner of Human Rights Watch. "The Yugoslav
authorities are eager to portray Simic's surrender as 'voluntary' to avoid
creating any precedent that might bind them. But that doesn't change the
fact that Belgrade has a clear legal obligation to surrender indictees to
The Hague tribunal." The statement added that real cooperation with the
tribunal must include the arrest and transfer of indictees such as former
Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic and four others indicted for
crimes against humanity in Kosova -- including current Serbian President
Milan Milutinovic -- as well as former Bosnian Serb General Ratko Mladic.
PM
[18] DEL PONTE EXPECTS COOPERATION FROM YUGOSLAV AUTHORITIES
Referring to Simic's decision to turn himself in to the tribunal, chief
prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said in The Hague on 12 March that "this
development today is significant because it shows again, that the
impartiality of [tribunal] is truly acknowledged, even by its indictee,"
RFE/RL reported. She added that "the fact that this surrender was carried
out with the knowledge and approval of the authorities of the Republic of
Serbia is a first encouraging signal. But I still expect positive action to
be taken by the federal authorities of Yugoslavia on the number of issues I
discussed with them in January, in particular, the proactive arrest and
transfer of indictees" (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 10 February 2001). PM
[19] CITIZENSHIP RESTORED TO SERBIAN ROYAL FAMILY
In a 12 March ceremony in the London hotel where he was born, Crown Prince
Aleksandar Karadjordjevic received documents from Yugoslav Interior
Minister Zoran Zivkovic restoring his citizenship, Aleksandar's office said
in a statement. Citizenship was also extended to his wife, Katarina, as
well as to princes Aleksandar, Petar, and Filip. Yugoslavia's communist
regime stripped the Karadjordjevic family of its citizenship, property, and
titles in 1947 (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 9 February 2001). PM
[20] YUGOSLAV DIPLOMATS INVOLVED IN DRUG TRADE?
Marko Nicovic, a former head of the Belgrade criminal police and now vice
president of the board of directors of the International Police Association,
said that large quantities of drugs found in the vaults of the Komercijalna
banka were most likely intended for the West European and U.S. markets,
"Vesti" reported on 13 March. He noted that the vast quantities of drugs
kept by the State Security were too large for the Serbian market alone.
Nicovic added that upon recently receiving information about the discovery
in the bank vaults "all major foreign intelligence services" began
investigating how Belgrade might have shipped large quantities of heroin to
Kosova and to the West. Yugoslav diplomatic and foreign trade missions are
under scrutiny in this respect, he added. Observers recall that during the
1998-1999 crackdown in Kosova, Belgrade's propaganda often portrayed ethnic
Albanians as bosses of the drug trade. Nicovic also said that foreign
police have little trust in their Serbian counterparts because "98 percent"
of the Milosevic regime's officials are still in place. PM
[21] BOSNIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVED
Despite a boycott by most Croat deputies, the legislature approved the new,
non-nationalist government in Sarajevo on 12 March (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
23 February 2001). PM
[22] BOSNIAN SERBS SLAM CROATIAN PROPOSALS
Leading officials of Republika Srpska criticized plans by the Herzegovinian
branch of the Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) to form a Croatian "self-
administration" system, the BBC's Serbian Service reported from Banja Luka
on 13 March (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 9 March 2001). The officials also
blasted a suggestion by Zagreb politician Drazen Budisa to set up a canton-
based political system in Bosnia, calling the idea unwarranted interference
in Bosnia's internal affairs. Republika Srpska leaders stressed that
Croatia is obliged to help enforce the Dayton peace settlement and not to
scuttle it. Observers note that Bosnian Serb leaders regard Dayton's
provision recognizing the existence of Republika Srpska as a major
achievement. PM
[23] ROMANIAN PARTIES TO CONTEST LAW ON STATE SECRETS
Leaders of the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Party on 12 March
announced they will contest the recently approved law on state secrets in
the Constitutional Court, Mediafax reported. The law, adopted by parliament
on 7 March has been vehemently contested by the press as it is seen as
limiting public access to information (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 March
2001). Prime Minister Adrian Nastase said the Romanian Defense Ministry
will ask NATO experts to examine the law and report on its provisions. ZsM
[24] CONFLICT BETWEEN SECURITATE ARCHIVES COLLEGE AND INTELLIGENCE
SERVICE...
National College for the Study of the Securitate Archives (CNSAS) member
Horia-Roman Patapievici accused the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) of
interference in the college's activities by indirectly imposing priorities,
Romanian media reported. The CNSAS asked the SRI to deliver 50 Securitate
files on religious leaders and journalists, which SRI Director Radu Timofte
has refused. Timofte proposed to hand over the entire Securitate archive, a
proposal rejected by Patapievici, as the CNSAS does not have the necessary
space to hold all of the files. ZsM
[25] ...WHILE PREMIER CRITICIZES CNSAS'S WORK AND ROLE
Prime Minister Nastase on 12 March said he "never believed and still
doesn't believe in the CNSAS and its role," Mediafax reported. He added
that while examining the Securitate files, the CNSAS offered "partial or
untrue" data and that the opening of the files created only animosity in
the country. Nastase said the CNSAS is "fighting with the past," a fight he
considers useless. He added that the law on the Securitate files should be
modified. Replying to Nastase's declaration, CNSAS member Mircea Dinescu
said the new administration would like to close down the college, as the
CNSAS will soon have to examine Party of Social Democracy in Romania Deputy
Ristea Priboi, the head of the parliamentary commission supervising the
Foreign Intelligence Service. Priboi is suspected of having served as a
foreign intelligence officer in the former communist secret police (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 13 February 2001). ZsM
[26] MOLDOVAN COMMUNIST LEADER ON FOREIGN FINANCING
Party of Moldovan Communists (PCM) Chairman Vladimir Voronin on 12 March
said Moldova will strictly respect all international commitments assumed by
the former governments, Flux reported. Meeting with World Bank permanent
representative in Moldova, Carlos Elbirt, Voronin said the PCM is
interested in maintaining and extending relations with international
financial bodies, as long as these relations favor economic revival. He
added that the PCM's future activities will focus on economic issues.
Elbirt replied that the World Bank will support "all reasonable projects"
put forward by Moldova. ZsM
[27] GAS DELIVERIES TO CHISINAU STOPPED
Moldovagaz on 12 March halted supplying gas to Termocom, Chisinau's main
thermal energy provider, Moldovan media reported. Moldovagaz is demanding
payment of a $2.2 million debt it is owed by Termocom. Electrical power
supplier Union Fenosa announced that it will also stop deliveries to
Termocom, in an attempt to cash in on a $5 million debt. Chisinau Mayor
Serafim Urechean said an additional decision by Spanish company Union
Fenosa to stop deliveries to local enterprises is politically motivated. He
added that if local enterprises are actually disconnected from the
electricity net, it will mean "the beginning of the end" for the capital.
ZsM
[28] MOLDOVA'S ADMITTANCE TO WTO DELAYED
The World Trade Organization's (WTO) General Council on 12 March rejected a
request filed by the Moldovan government to examine Moldova's admittance in
a special meeting of the board, Flux reported. The WTO will analyze
Moldova's request only at its regularly scheduled meeting in May.
Negotiations for Moldova's admittance were concluded last month. ZsM
[29] BULGARIA'S STATE CARRIER DECLARED BANKRUPT
The Sofia City Court declared Balkan Airlines bankrupt on 12 March, BTA
reported. Judge Kamelia Efremova said the airliner has been insolvent since
late 1998, several months before Israel's Zeevi Holding Group purchased a
majority stake in the company from the Bulgarian government. The judge also
banned the company from transferring any of the firm's funds or assets and
asked all creditors to present their claims at a hearing on 3 April. Zeevi
is suing the Bulgarian government for some $230 million, citing problems
with the privatization contract. The head of Bulgaria's Privatization
Agency, Levon Hampartsumyan, said Zeevi could expect "a fierce legal
battle" and a countersuit. Balkan Airlines grounded all flights on 14
February and was placed under a receivership. PB
[30] MINE CLOSURES REFLECTED IN BULGARIAN INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT
Sharp decreases in production by the mining sector led to a 20.7 percent
decrease in Bulgaria's industrial output in January compared to the
previous month, AFP reported. Several unprofitable mines were closed,
leading to a 9.5 percent decrease compared to January 2000 in coal
production, and a 29.7 percent decrease in the production of minerals. Food
production also showed a serious decrease, dropping by 39.2 percent in one
year. On the plus side, electricity, gas, and water production increased by
14.6 percent over January 2000. Truck output (14.6) and paper production
(13.6) also grew. PB
[C] END NOTE
[31] There is no End Note today.
13-03-01
Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
URL: http://www.rferl.org
|
