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RFE/RL Newsline, 02-02-04
CONTENTS
[01] PREMIER LAUDS IMPROVED U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS...
[02] ...AS DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS RUSSIA WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN
[03] MEDIA BATTLE SEEN AS PREPARATION FOR UPCOMING ELECTIONS...
[04] ...AS BEREZOVSKY SAYS PUGACHEV APPROACHED HIM TO BUY TV-6...
[05] ...AND THAT IN 1999 HE HAD CONTACT WITH BASAEV, BUT FSB FAILED TO
[06] POLICE IMPOUND KISELEV'S LAND ROVER
[07] PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES AMBITIOUS CHANGE IN RUSSIA'S OIL-EXPORT
[08] ...DISCUSSES INVESTMENT PROJECTS WITH U.S. COMPANIES
[09] ANALYST SAYS RUSSIA STANDS TO GAIN FROM U.S.-CHINA BASE JOCKEYING
[10] RUSSIA HINTS AT CONCESSIONS WITH JAPAN OVER KURILE ISLANDS
[11] RUSSIA REMAINS ON MONEY-LAUNDERING BLACKLIST
[12] EUROPE MAY ALLOW RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT OVERFLIGHT RIGHTS
[13] PARLIAMENTARIAN SAYS RUSSIA IS 'ONE STEP' FROM AUTHORITARIANISM
[14] MAYOR WANTS TO EDIT TV NEWS
[15] CONFLICT OVER NORILSK FLARES UP
[16] POLICE, COSSACKS JOIN FORCES IN NORTH CAUCASUS REGION
[17] LENINGRAD OBLAST REGISTERS BIG INCREASE IN HIV CASES
[18] ENVOY SAYS CHECHEN PRESIDENT REMAINS IN CHARGE
[19] FORMER GROZNY MAYOR PREPARING POLITICAL COMEBACK?
[20] ARRESTED DAGHESTANI POLITICIAN ON HUNGER STRIKE
[21] MORE DETAILS EMERGE OF ARMENIAN SPY CASE...
[22] ...AS ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER OPTIMISTIC THAT RELATIONS WITH
[23] ITERA CONTINUES GAS SUPPLIES TO ARMENIA
[24] U.S. PRESIDENT SENDS MESSAGE TO ARMENIAN COUNTERPART
[25] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT REJECTS PROPOSAL TO EXTEND PRESIDENTIAL
[26] ...MEETS WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN...
[27] ...PRIOR TO UNDERGOING MEDICAL CHECKUP
[28] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT LAUDS UN SECURITY COUNCIL STATEMENT...
[29] ...EXPLAINS RATIONALE FOR EXTENDING CIS PEACEKEEPERS' MANDATE...
[30] ...MEETS WITH INGURI PROTESTERS...
[31] MAVERICK GEORGIAN EX-PRIEST AGAIN TARGETS JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
[32] PRELIMINARY GEORGIAN CENSUS RESULTS UNVEILED
[33] KAZAKH WORKERS MOVEMENT AGAIN SIDES WITH OPPOSITION
[34] KAZAKH PARLIAMENT WANTS CENTRAL BANK CHAIRMAN TO EXPLAIN COLLAPSE
[35] KYRGYZ POLICE DETAIN PICKETERS
[36] FRENCH MILITARY ENGINEERS ARRIVE IN KYRGYZSTAN
[37] RUSSIA NAMES CONSULAR OFFICIAL FOR SOUTHERN KYRGYZSTAN
[38] TAJIK PRESIDENT HOPES TO EXPAND ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH IRAN
[39] FINAL RESULTS OF UZBEK REFERENDUM PUBLISHED
[40] BELARUS'S NATIONAL BANK ORDERS TERRORIST ACCOUNTS FROZEN
[41] BELARUSIAN OFFICIAL SAYS RUSSIA MAY CUT GAS PRICES...
[42] ...EXPECTS MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN PETROCHEMICAL SECTOR
[43] BELARUSIAN GOVERNMENT RAISES PENSIONS
[44] UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS SEEKING PARLIAMENTARY SEATS URGED TO TAKE
[45] FOR A UNITED UKRAINE LEADER REJECTS INVOLVEMENT IN 'TAPE SCANDAL'
[46] UKRAINE TO GET $60 MILLION FROM WORLD BANK TO FIGHT AIDS,
[47] EU TO SCRAP SUBSIDIES ON FOOD EXPORTS TO ESTONIA
[48] NEW LATVIAN PARTY HOLDS FOUNDING CONGRESS
[49] LATVIAN PRESIDENT ATTENDS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
[50] LITHUANIA SHIFTS PEG FROM U.S. DOLLAR TO EURO
[51] POLISH GOVERNMENT READY TO RELIEVE THE POOREST OF TAXES
[52] POLAND WANTS SECONDHAND NORWEGIAN SUBMARINES
[53] CZECH PREMIER WANTS OMBUDSMAN AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
[54] CZECH SENATOR LEAVES PARTY IN PROTEST...
[55] ...AND ODA LEADER SAYS SPLIT IS NOT END OF COOPERATION
[56] SUDETEN GERMANS MULL LAWSUITS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC...
[57] ...WHILE KLAUS, SCHUESSEL DIFFER ON THE ISSUE
[58] SLOVAK PREMIER WANTS TO FORGE NEW 'RIGHT BLOC'
[59] SLOVAKIA WANTS 'BASIC BILATERAL PRINCIPLES' DEFINED IN STATUS LAW
[60] HUNGARIAN OFFICIALS CONTINUE CRITICISM OF EU PROPOSALS...
[61] ...AND OPPOSITION GRABS CHANCE TO ATTACK GOVERNMENT AGAIN
[62] CONTROVERSIAL BOOK DISAPPEARS FROM HUNGARIAN BOOKSTORES
[63] CROATIAN PRESIDENT: NEW ELECTIONS UNLIKELY
[64] HAS THE HAGUE SINGLED OUT TWO SERBIAN AIDES?
[65] FORMER TOP SERBIAN GENERAL DEFENDS HIS RECORD
[66] MILOSEVIC TO FACE ONLY ONE TRIAL
[67] EU TRIES ONCE AGAIN TO HOLD SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO TOGETHER
[68] MONTENEGRO POSTPONES CENSUS
[69] MONTENEGRO SLAMS SERBIAN PROPOSAL FOR SECURITY COUNCIL
[70] PRESEVO ALBANIANS PROTEST 'DISAPPEARANCE'
[71] BOSNIA AND YUGOSLAVIA CONCLUDE TRADE PACT
[72] FUEL TRUCKS CROSS INTO BOSNIA
[73] SFOR CALLS ON WAR CRIMES SUSPECT TO SURRENDER
[74] BOSNIANS CLAIM WORLD WAR II COMPENSATION
[75] MACEDONIAN POLICE ENTER ADDITIONAL VILLAGES
[76] ROMANIAN PREMIER DENIES EARLY ELECTIONS INTENTION
[77] HUNGARIAN PARTY APPROVES AGREEMENT WITH RULING ROMANIAN FORMATION
[78] NEW PARLIAMENTARY GROUP IN ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT?
[79] RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DENIES SAYING TROOPS WILL STAY IN TRANSDNIESTER
[80] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT READY TO MEET SMIRNOV AS 'HEAD OF LOCAL
[81] ...ASKS GOVERNMENT TO DISMISS DEPUTY PREMIER, AMBASSADOR TO U.S.
[82] GAGAUZ-YERI CONFLICT ERUPTS
[83] BULGARIANS MARCH AGAINST TAX INCREASES
[84] There is no End Note today.
4 February 2002
RUSSIA
[01] PREMIER LAUDS IMPROVED U.S.-RUSSIAN RELATIONS...
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in New York on 2 February, Mikhail
Kasyanov said that "despite several negative points, Russia and the
U.S. are developing a framework for new relations," and announced that
U.S. President George W. Bush will visit Moscow on 23-25 May, Russian
news agencies reported. Kasyanov also said that Russia hopes to attract
considerable investment from the U.S. this year because Russia's gross
national product is expected to rise by a "robust 3.5 percent" and "the
sources of this growth are sustainable." VY
[02] ...AS DEFENSE MINISTER SAYS RUSSIA WILL NOT PARTICIPATE IN
CAMPAIGN AGAINST 'AXIS OF EVIL'
Addressing the international military-political forum "Wehrkunde" in
Munich on 2 February, Sergei Ivanov said that Russia "does not share
the U.S. point of view that Iraq, Iran, and North Korea pose a
terrorist threat to mankind," and will neither support nor take part in
any military operation against them, ITAR-TASS reported. U.S. President
Bush accused those countries of being an "axis of evil" supporting
terrorism during his State of the Union address on 29 January. However,
Ivanov said that Russia "is very concerned by the situation in the
Pankisi Gorge in Georgia, where Chechen fighters concentrate." He said
"the government of Georgia recognizes the existence of a problem there,
but hardly can cope with it." Ivanov added that Russia, while it
respects Georgia's sovereignty, "cannot tolerate near her borders
pocket of terrorism and criminality." VY
[03] MEDIA BATTLE SEEN AS PREPARATION FOR UPCOMING ELECTIONS...
"Ekspert," No. 4, argues that the main explanation for "chaotic and
scandalous" developments around TV-6 is that various groups such as the
so-called "Family" and the St. Petersburg group within the Kremlin are
fighting to redistribute ownership and control in the Russian media
market before the end of the year. That way, the situation in the media
market will have time to settle before Duma elections in 2003. The
weekly also argues that the theory widely propagated in Western media
that President Vladimir Putin "personally hates" oligarch Boris
Berezovsky has no basis, because it was Berezovsky who "did everything
he could to bring Putin to power." It instead suggests that Putin
wanted to get rid of NTV and TV-6 because he believes that their
owners, Vladimir Gusinsky and Berezovsky, through their rapacious
behavior in the domestic economy, undermine Russia's international
reputation. JAC
[04] ...AS BEREZOVSKY SAYS PUGACHEV APPROACHED HIM TO BUY TV-6...
In an interview with "Novaya gazeta," No. 8, Berezovsky said that
Federation Council representative (Tuva) and Mezhprombank head Sergei
Pugachev approached him on behalf of the Kremlin telling him to sell
his stake in TV-6 -- an offer that Berezovsky refused. Berezovsky added
that the only thing they did agree on was not to discuss their meeting
-- an agreement he said Pugachev has already violated, which led
Berezovsky to confirm that the meeting took place. JAC
[05] ...AND THAT IN 1999 HE HAD CONTACT WITH BASAEV, BUT FSB FAILED TO
REACT
Berezovsky said in interview with the Swiss daily "Le temps" on 1
February that he will publish evidence he has repeatedly claimed to
possess that allegedly links the Federal Security Service (FSB) to the
terrorist explosions in Moscow and Volgodonsk in the fall of 1999. He
added that the evidence includes video materials and electronic
documents. Berezovsky admitted that in summer 1999 he had contact with
Chechen warlord Shamil Basaev, who made it clear that he was preparing
an invasion of Daghestan. Berezovsky added that he immediately relayed
this information to the FSB, but that the agency failed to react
"because it [the war] was in their interests." According to Berezovsky,
the FSB just waited for the explosions to signal the beginning of
Russian troops' march on Chechnya. VY
[06] POLICE IMPOUND KISELEV'S LAND ROVER
Moscow police stopped the car of TV-6 General Director Yevgenii Kiselev
on 2 February and then seized it, Interfax reported. Kiselev was told
that the car had been wanted since 11 January under a decision of the
bailiff service. The Land Rover automobile has belonged to Kiselev
personally since 1999, according to Ekho Moskvy. The website ntvru.com
reported that police officials said Kiselev can get the vehicle back
when he pays the 5,000 rubles ($160) he owes to former Kaliningrad
Oblast Governor Leonid Gorbenko. The sum was awarded as the result of a
lawsuit in December 2000. JAC
[07] PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES AMBITIOUS CHANGE IN RUSSIA'S OIL-EXPORT
POLICY...
Russia's new energy strategy is to expand its share of the world
oil-export market, and in that context Russia does not exclude
supplying oil to the United States, Kasyanov told journalists at the
World Economic Forum on 2 February. "We have no obligations to OPEC, we
are just consulting with this organization," he said, while adding that
within the framework of these consultations Russia had made the
tactical decision to cut its oil exports. However, he said that now
"Russia is considering as a fair oil price a range of between $20-25 a
barrel, and not [the] OPEC price corridor of $25-28." As a result, over
the next 1 1/2 years Russia plans not to extend constraints on its oil
exports and will once again seek to expand them, according to Kasyanov.
He said that by 2020 Russia plans to increase its oil exports to
370-375 million from the levels of 348 million tons over the last few
years. VY
[08] ...DISCUSSES INVESTMENT PROJECTS WITH U.S. COMPANIES
Kasyanov has also met with Royal Dutch/Shell board chairman Phillip
Watts, who confirmed that his company intends to expand its
participation with Exxon-Mobile on the $10-billion "Sakhalin-2"
project. (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 December 2001). In addition,
following his meeting on 1 February with Citibank Vice President
Stanley Fischer, Kasyanov said the U.S.-based bank is interested in
participating in the privatization of Vneshtorgbank. According to the
plan, the government would purchase 40 percent of Vneshtorgbank's
shares from the Central Bank, and those shares would then be offered to
foreign investors, Russian news agencies reported. VY
[09] ANALYST SAYS RUSSIA STANDS TO GAIN FROM U.S.-CHINA BASE JOCKEYING
Russia's withdrawal from its electronic intelligence center in Lourdes,
Cuba, and naval base in Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam, is part of a Kremlin
strategy to take advantage of the country's Soviet-era policies and
adapt them for use in 21st-century geopolitical games, political
analyst Mikhail Leontiev said on ORT television's "Odnako" program on 1
February. While in the Cold War era the Cuban base was aimed against
U.S. and the Vietnamese base was targeted against China, Leontiev
argued that with the Russian withdrawals has come the real possibility
that China could take over Lourdes, while the U.S. could rent Cam Rahn
for its Pacific fleet. "If both plans materialize, a new Chinese base
will emerge near American shores, and an American one near China,
[which would form] an axis of confrontation, a development that is
favorable to Russia," Leontiev commented. VY
[10] RUSSIA HINTS AT CONCESSIONS WITH JAPAN OVER KURILE ISLANDS
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said following his talks with his Japanese
counterpart Yoriko Kawaguchi in Tokyo on 2 February that the two
countries have agreed to resume negotiations next month on the
long-disputed Kurile Islands and on signing the Russia-Japan peace
treaty, gazeta.ru reported. He said the talks on the territorial issue
will be based on previously reached agreements, including the
Russian-Japanese Declaration of 1956 in which Moscow promised to return
two of the four Kurile Islands to Japan, RIA-Novosti reported. Ivanov
also mentioned that both Moscow and Tokyo support the idea of holding a
comprehensive international convention to discuss the combating of
antiterrorism, and that he delivered a personal message relating
President Putin's views on the subject to Japanese Prime Minister
Junichiro Koizumi. VY
[11] RUSSIA REMAINS ON MONEY-LAUNDERING BLACKLIST
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an anti-money laundering arm of
the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, announced in
Paris that Russia remains on its blacklist of states that do not
efficiently combat criminally obtained capital, "Kommersant-Daily"
reported on 1 February. Russia was first included on the blacklist in
February 2000, and despite the fact that Russia has since adopted a law
to fight money laundering and has set up entities to monitor financial
intelligence and suspicious deals and transactions, it has not done
enough to cause FATF to drop the country from its list. "It is worth it
to first see how Russia will implement the law and monitoring in
practice," "Kommersant-Daily" quoted an FATF spokesman as saying. VY
[12] EUROPE MAY ALLOW RUSSIAN AIRCRAFT OVERFLIGHT RIGHTS
The European Conference on Civil Aviation (ECCA) and the Russian
Transport Ministry have signed a document in Paris allowing Russia
additional time to bring Russian aircraft up to European ecological
standards (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 January 2002), RBK reported on 2
February. A spokesman for the ECCA said his organization decided to
help Russia in its efforts to reduce the noise levels of its aircraft,
because a simple ban would only serve to disrupt not only Russian
airlines but also European tour operators. VY
[13] PARLIAMENTARIAN SAYS RUSSIA IS 'ONE STEP' FROM AUTHORITARIANISM
Writing in "Vek," No. 5, Duma deputy Vladimir Lysenko said that the
political strength of President Putin is based not on the consolidation
of society around him and his policies, but rather on the weariness
felt by the Russian people as a result of those policies. Lysenko said
that it has become clear that the negative effects of Putin's
monopolization of political power have outweighed the positives
resulting from liberal economic reforms. Should a dismantling of the
political monopoly be made from above and very quickly, Lysenko argued,
Putin's regime of "directed democracy will make the step that separated
it from authoritarianism." VY
[14] MAYOR WANTS TO EDIT TV NEWS
The administration of the city of Astrakhan has started to openly exert
pressure on its journalists, RFE/RL's Astrakhan correspondent reported
on 1 February. Astrakhan Mayor Igor Bezprukavnikov has accused Natalaya
Filatova and Olga Dyakova, journalists with the Lotos television
company, of being "unprofessional" and "corrupt." On 29 January, Mayor
Bezprukavnikov arrived at the station and addressed the entire workers'
collective there. In a long speech, he emphasized his achievements and
enumerated at great length the number of awards and other honors
bestowed upon him during his tenure as mayor. He also explained that
there are a few deputies in the city's legislature who are in what he
calls the "destructive opposition" and "only interfere with work."
Dyakova and Filatova are following the political orders of this
opposition with "their one-sided reporting," according to the mayor. In
response, Dyakova said that she tried to present the administration's
point of view, but the deputy mayor refused to meet with her and called
the TV station's management to ask that another journalist be sent.
According to the correspondent, this is not the first time that the
city administration has refused to meet with independent journalists
and tried to stop their reports from appearing. JAC
[15] CONFLICT OVER NORILSK FLARES UP
Taimyr Autonomous Okrug representative to the Federation Council Leonid
Roketskii told journalists in Moscow on 1 February that authorities in
neighboring Krasnoyarsk Krai are trying to appropriate okrug territory.
Taimyr legislators do not agree with a point in the krai's charter that
makes the industrial city of Norilsk subordinate to the krai, according
to Roketskii. Krasnoyarsk Krai Governor Aleksandr Lebed dismissed the
Taimyr authorities' recent demarche by saying the question of control
over Norilsk was resolved by federal authorities in 1993. According to
"Kommersant-Daily" on 2 February, Taimyr legislators believe the
stipulation regarding Norilsk violates the Russian Constitution and
plan to appeal to the prosecutor-general and Constitutional Court if
the charter is not canceled. The governor of Taimyr Autonomous Okrug is
former Norilsk Nickel head Aleksandr Khloponin. JAC
[16] POLICE, COSSACKS JOIN FORCES IN NORTH CAUCASUS REGION
The head of the Stavropol Krai police department, Lieutenant General
Aleksandr Saprunov, and Ataman of the Terek Cossack brigade Vasili
Bondarev have agreed to form a joint unit to protect public order in
their region. Bondarev is also head of the krai's Security Council.
According to the agency, the Cossack police units will patrol streets,
monitor immigration flows, and prevent acts of terrorism, banditry, and
illegal weapons shipments. JAC
[17] LENINGRAD OBLAST REGISTERS BIG INCREASE IN HIV CASES
In Leningrad Oblast, the number of registered persons with HIV has
risen 2.3 times by the beginning of this year compared with 2000,
ITAR-TASS reported on 4 February, citing Aleksei Podlovskii, the
director of the oblast center for the prevention and struggle against
AIDS. According to Podlovskii, there are some 2,929 HIV cases in
Leningrad Oblast, of which 85 percent are people between the ages of 14
and 30 who use narcotics. In addition, the number of pregnant women
with HIV has also increased sharply. Meanwhile, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau
reported on 1 February, citing "Vechernyaya Kazan," that World Health
Organization experts believe that the official figure of 4,000 HIV
carriers in the republic of Tatarstan would be more likely to represent
the real number of HIV cases if it were multiplied by 10. JAC
[18] ENVOY SAYS CHECHEN PRESIDENT REMAINS IN CHARGE
In an interview with "Obshchaya gazeta" No. 5, Aslan Maskhadov's envoy
Akhmed Zakaev affirmed that contrary to repeated Russian media
statements, Maskhadov "controls more of Chechnya and more in Chechnya"
than does Russian President Putin, although Maskhadov's control does
not extend to those Chechens who have laid down their arms and quit the
resistance. Zakaev reaffirmed that "Chechens want only one thing:
sovereignty as a guarantee of security for the people." For that
reason, he said, political dialogue is essential. Zakaev also said that
the Chechen fighters have no shortage of either Russian weaponry and
ammunition or of money, as funds sent to Grozny for reconstruction are
channeled to the resistance by members of the pro-Moscow Chechen
government. LF
[19] FORMER GROZNY MAYOR PREPARING POLITICAL COMEBACK?
Interfax and "Kommersant-Daily" on 1 February quoted Chechen
administration head Akhmed-hadji Kadyrov as saying that former Grozny
Mayor Beslan Gantemirov has resigned his post as an inspector on the
staff of presidential envoy to Southern federal district Viktor
Kazantsev, and will shortly be appointed Chechen media minister.
"Kommersant-Daily" quoted unidentified sources as saying that
Gantemirov wants that post in order to control the Chechen media during
the run-up to presidential elections, in which he intends to run and
which he anticipates will be held next year. LF
[20] ARRESTED DAGHESTANI POLITICIAN ON HUNGER STRIKE
Nadir Khachilaev, the leader of Daghestan's Lak minority, has embarked
on a hunger strike following his arrest in Makhachkala last month,
Glasnost-North Caucasus reported on 2 February. Khachilaev is suspected
of involvement in the 18 January bombing in Makhachkala that killed
seven Russian servicemen (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22 January 2002). LF
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[21] MORE DETAILS EMERGE OF ARMENIAN SPY CASE...
The daily newspaper "Azg" on 1 February identified the Armenian
arrested several days earlier for espionage for Turkey as Murad
Bojolian, a former specialist on Turkish affairs with the Armenian
Foreign Ministry, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 1 February 2002). Bojolian, who is 51, left the ministry
under circumstances that are unclear and in recent years made a living
from retail trade. LF
[22] ...AS ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER OPTIMISTIC THAT RELATIONS WITH
TURKEY WILL IMPROVE
Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian told RFE/RL on 2 February
that his meeting the previous day on the sidelines of the World
Economic Forum in New York with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem was
"useful." Oskanian said he thinks "there will be a continuation of that
meeting in the near future," adding that "both sides are in the mood to
try to address our bilateral issues through direct dialogue. In that
sense this was a positive development in our relations." LF
[23] ITERA CONTINUES GAS SUPPLIES TO ARMENIA
The Russian gas exporter Itera failed to cut off supplies to Armenia on
1 February despite a warning that it would do so if Yerevan failed to
pay a $6 million debt for gas supplies last year and $3.85 million for
supplies in January 2002, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 30 January 2002). Energy Minister Armen Movsisian denied
that Itera had issued a written warning to Yerevan, and disputed the
$3.85 million sum. LF
[24] U.S. PRESIDENT SENDS MESSAGE TO ARMENIAN COUNTERPART
Following a session in Yerevan in late January of the U.S.-Armenian
intergovernmental task force to discuss U.S. government assistance to
Armenia and cooperation to combat terrorism, U.S. President George W.
Bush has sent a message to his Armenian counterpart Robert Kocharian
through U.S. Ambassador to Yerevan John Ordway, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau
reported. Kocharian and Ordway discussed ways of deepening bilateral
cooperation. LF
[25] AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT REJECTS PROPOSAL TO EXTEND PRESIDENTIAL
TERM...
Speaking on 2 February in New York, where he attended the World
Economic Forum, Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev said he sees no need
to amend the constitution of the Azerbaijan Republic to extend the
presidential term from five to seven years, ITAR-TASS reported. On 1
February, parliament deputies from the ruling Yeni Azerbaycan Party had
suggested doing so (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 February 2002), a proposal
that met with criticism from the opposition Musavat, Liberal,
Democratic, and Civic Unity parties, which in a joint statement
condemned it as a violation of constitutional norms that would damage
Azerbaijan's international image, Turan reported. LF
[26] ...MEETS WITH OSCE MINSK GROUP CO-CHAIRMEN...
President Aliev met in New York on 1 February with the co-chairmen of
the OSCE Minsk Group and assured them that he considers negotiations
within that format the optimum approach to resolving the Karabakh
conflict, Caucasus Press reported. He characterized the search for a
solution as "slow and painful." Also on 1 February, Caucasus Press
reported that Aliev and Kocharian will meet on 7 March in Astana to
discuss the Karabakh conflict on the sidelines of an informal meeting
of CIS heads of states. LF
[27] ...PRIOR TO UNDERGOING MEDICAL CHECKUP
Aliev flew on 3 February from New York to Cleveland for medical tests
at a clinic where he underwent coronary bypass surgery in 1999 and a
medical checkup last year, Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 30
April and 11 May 1999, and 13 April 2001). LF
[28] GEORGIAN PRESIDENT LAUDS UN SECURITY COUNCIL STATEMENT...
Eduard Shevardnadze told journalists on 2 February that the resolution
on Abkhazia adopted by the UN Security Council two days earlier is "the
most serious" such document to date, Reuters and Caucasus Press
reported. He noted that the document insists that the final definition
of Abkhazia's status must be based on Georgia's territorial integrity,
and stresses that displaced persons must be allowed to return to their
homes without preconditions. The document also calls on both sides, in
particular the Abkhaz, to accept as a basis for negotiations the
UN-drafted "Basic Principles for the Distribution of Competencies
between Tbilisi and Sukhumi," calls on Georgia to comply with the 17
January agreement under which Georgian troops are to be withdrawn from
the Kodori Gorge, and stresses the responsibility of the Abkhaz side to
ensure the safety of and provide Georgian-language education for the
Georgian population of Gali Raion. LF
[29] ...EXPLAINS RATIONALE FOR EXTENDING CIS PEACEKEEPERS' MANDATE...
Shevardnadze also told journalists that the UN Security Council would
not have worded its resolution so strongly if Tbilisi had not agreed to
extend until 1 July the mandate of the CIS peacekeeping force currently
deployed in the Abkhaz conflict zone, Reuters reported. "All this is so
important for us it does not matter whether the peacekeepers will stay
in Abkhazia a bit longer," he said. The Georgian parliament voted last
October to demand the peacekeepers' withdrawal after their mandate
expired on 31 December (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 October 2001). LF
[30] ...MEETS WITH INGURI PROTESTERS...
On 3 February, Shevardnadze met with representatives of the Georgian
guerrillas and displaced persons who began a picket on 19 January at
the Inguri bridge linking Abkhazia with the rest of Georgia to demand
that the CIS peacekeepers' either be withdrawn, or that they be
redeployed on the northern border of Gali Raion, Caucasus Press
reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 22, 23, and 24 January 2002). No
agreement was reached. The picketers were to meet on 4 February to
decide whether Shevardnadze's arguments that the peacekeepers should
stay are convincing, and if not, whether or not to demand his
resignation. LF
[31] MAVERICK GEORGIAN EX-PRIEST AGAIN TARGETS JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES
Defrocked Father Basil Mkalavishvili and several dozen of his followers
seized four tons of leaflets and other literature belonging to the
Jehovah's Witnesses from a Tbilisi warehouse on 3 February and burned
them, ITAR-TASS and AP reported. LF
[32] PRELIMINARY GEORGIAN CENSUS RESULTS UNVEILED
Georgia's population is currently 4.4 million people, 900,000 fewer
than at the time of the 1989 Soviet census, Caucasus Press and Interfax
quoted Statistics Department head Temur Beridze as telling journalists
on 1 February. The decrease is primarily the result of emigration in
search of employment. More detailed results of last month's census,
which did not encompass Abkhazia or South Ossetia, will be released
before the end of the year (see "RFE/RL Caucasus Report," Vol. 5, No.
2, 10 January 2002). LF
[33] KAZAKH WORKERS MOVEMENT AGAIN SIDES WITH OPPOSITION
At a press conference in Almaty on 1 February, Saqyp Zhanabaeva, one of
the leaders of the Almaty Workers Movement, condemned what she termed
attempts by the pro-presidential OTAN, Civic and Agrarian parties to
neutralize the opposition Forum of Democratic Forces, RFE/RL's Kazakh
Service reported. The movement had convened a press conference the
previous day to demand the publication of a report compiled by
President Nursultan Nazarbaev's son-in-law, Rakhat Aliyev, on top-level
corruption (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 February 2002). LF
[34] KAZAKH PARLIAMENT WANTS CENTRAL BANK CHAIRMAN TO EXPLAIN COLLAPSE
OF COMMERCIAL BANK
Deputies of the Mazhilis (the lower chamber of Kazakhstan's parliament)
on 1 February harshly criticized Central Bank Chairman Grigorii
Marchenko for ignoring their request to report to the legislature on
the circumstances surrounding the bankruptcy of Business-Bank, one of
Kazakhstan's largest, RFE/RL's Kazakh Service reported. LF
[35] KYRGYZ POLICE DETAIN PICKETERS
Police on 1 February detained for several hours and then released some
30 people who tried to stage a picket outside the government building
in Bishkek to demand the release of arrested parliament deputy Azimbek
Beknazarov, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. As of 2 February, the
number of people on hunger strike across Kyrgyzstan to demand
Beknazarov's release reached 408. LF
[36] FRENCH MILITARY ENGINEERS ARRIVE IN KYRGYZSTAN
Some 60 French military engineers arrived in Bishkek on 31 January and
more on 2 February, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. They will set
about modernizing the Manas airport. The total number of French
servicemen in Kyrgyzstan is now around 200. LF
[37] RUSSIA NAMES CONSULAR OFFICIAL FOR SOUTHERN KYRGYZSTAN
The Russian Foreign Ministry has named Professor Yurii Ivanov, a former
department head at the ministry, to serve as consul for the Osh,
Djalalabad, and Batken Oblasts in southern Kyrgyzstan, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz
Service reported on 2 February. LF
[38] TAJIK PRESIDENT HOPES TO EXPAND ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH IRAN
During talks on 2 February with visiting Iranian First Deputy Foreign
Minister Mohsin Aminzade, President Imomali Rakhmonov termed
cooperation with Iran one of the most important aspects of Tajikistan's
foreign policy, Asia Plus-Blitz reported. But he likewise deplored the
fact that five years after the end of the Tajik civil war the two
countries have still not adopted a comprehensive program of economic
cooperation. The two men agreed that the joint Tajik-Iranian commission
on trade and economic cooperation should work more intensively and
effectively. They also discussed the planned visit to Tajikistan of
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and the situation in Afghanistan. LF
[39] FINAL RESULTS OF UZBEK REFERENDUM PUBLISHED
Turnout in the 27 January referendum in Uzbekistan was 13.26 million,
or 91.58 percent of the total electorate, the National Information
Agency of Uzbekistan reported on 2 February (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 28
January 2002). Of those, 93.65 percent approved the creation of a
bicameral parliament, while 6.35 percent voted against. And 91.78
percent of respondents approved the proposal to extend the presidential
term to seven years from the current five, while 8.22 percent voted
against that proposal. LF
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[40] BELARUS'S NATIONAL BANK ORDERS TERRORIST ACCOUNTS FROZEN
The National Bank has issued a resolution instructing the country's
banks to stop "income and expenditure transactions on the accounts of
terrorists, terrorist organizations, and individuals connected with
them," Belapan reported on 1 February. National Bank spokesman Mikhail
Zhuravovich said the document stipulates that the central bank provide
information on such organizations and individuals after obtaining it
from the Foreign Ministry. Zhuravovich added that the Foreign Ministry
currently requires that the bank freeze financial assets on Belarusian
accounts of Afghanistan's Taliban movement and of Angola's Unita group.
No further details have been released. JM
[41] BELARUSIAN OFFICIAL SAYS RUSSIA MAY CUT GAS PRICES...
Deputy Premier Syarhey Sidorski told Interfax on 1 February that Russia
may reduce the price of natural gas supplied to Belarus from $30 to $19
per 1,000 cubic meters; that is, to the price paid by Russia's domestic
consumers in Smolensk and Bransk Oblasts. Sidorski said Belarus's gas
debt to Russia now stands at $200 million, adding that it was
accumulated not in 2001, but in "previous years." JM
[42] ...EXPECTS MASSIVE INVESTMENTS IN PETROCHEMICAL SECTOR
Sidorski said the government hopes that the earlier announced
privatization of six petrochemical giants in Belarus (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 22 January 2002) may bring $100,000 to $800,000 worth of
investments to each privatized plant. Sidorski added that such
companies as LUKoil, Surgutneftegaz, Itera, and Slavneft are expected
to take part in the privatization. JM
[43] BELARUSIAN GOVERNMENT RAISES PENSIONS
Beginning on 1 February 2002, pensions in Belarus will be increased by
20 percent, Belarusian Television reported on 31 January, citing the
Labor and Social Security Ministry. The maximum monthly pension for
women who served 40 years and for men who served 45 years is to be
128,854 rubles ($78). JM
[44] UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS SEEKING PARLIAMENTARY SEATS URGED TO TAKE
LEAVE
Premier Anatoliy Kinakh on 1 February pledged to ensure that all
government officials seeking parliamentary mandates in single-seat
constituencies as well as "a maximum number" of those officials running
as party-list candidates will take leave during the election campaign,
Interfax reported. Kinakh noted that the election law does not include
such a requirement, but added that he will insist on this measure in
order to avoid possible accusations that government officials use
"administrative leverage" to help their election bids. He did not say
whether he himself will take such leave. Kinakh is running on the list
of the For a United Ukraine election bloc. JM
[45] FOR A UNITED UKRAINE LEADER REJECTS INVOLVEMENT IN 'TAPE SCANDAL'
Presidential administration head Volodymyr Lytvyn, who leads the For a
United Ukraine election bloc, said on 1 February that he has no
connection to the "tape scandal" provoked by former presidential
bodyguard Mykola Melnychenko, Interfax reported. Melnychenko's secret
recordings from the president's office, which were made public by
Socialist Party leader Oleksandr Moroz in 2000, suggested that
President Leonid Kuchma, former Interior Minister Yuriy Kravchenko, and
Lytvyn might have been involved in the disappearance of journalist
Heorhiy Gongadze. Last week, Moroz made public five questions about the
"tape scandal" that he would like to pose to Lytvyn in their
anticipated public debate on radio or television. "Let Moroz elucidate
this problem with Melnychenko or the Prosecutor-General's Office, while
I am ready for debates on election programs," Lytvyn responded. JM
[46] UKRAINE TO GET $60 MILLION FROM WORLD BANK TO FIGHT AIDS,
TUBERCULOSIS
The World Bank is ready to allot $60 million to Ukraine to combat AIDS
and tuberculosis, New Channel Television reported on 1 February,
quoting unnamed World Bank officials who spent two weeks in Ukraine
studying the situation pertaining to those illnesses. The money will be
primarily channeled into diagnosing AIDS and tuberculosis, supplying
medicines, and monitoring infected people. Meanwhile, a World Bank
mission led by its director for Belarus and Ukraine, Luca Barbone, has
arrived in Kyiv to discuss conditions for a $250 million loan. The
funds are part of the World Bank's $750 million loan program to Ukraine
announced in 2000. Last year, Ukraine received a $250 million tranche
of the package. JM
[47] EU TO SCRAP SUBSIDIES ON FOOD EXPORTS TO ESTONIA
At a meeting of Estonian and EU delegations on 1 February, the EU
agreed to end export subsidies on foodstuffs exported to Estonia, with
the exception of sugar and rice, which are not produced in Estonia, BNS
reported. According to supplementary terms of the agreement, this
measure must be preceded by Estonian readiness to register goods of EU
origin on which no subsidy is paid. During the talks it was agreed that
various trade limits on a number of agricultural products, such as
berries, fruits, mushrooms, vegetables, certain meat products, and
honey, would be scrapped. The same day, an agreement between Estonia
and the EU which will eventually end quotas on Estonian fish and fish
products exported to the EU went into effect. SG
[48] NEW LATVIAN PARTY HOLDS FOUNDING CONGRESS
The founding congress of a new right-wing political party Jaunais laiks
(New Era) was held in Riga on 2 February and as expected elected former
Bank of Latvia President Einars Repse as its chairman, LETA and BNS
reported. He told the congress that as soon as the party gains power it
will begin restoring the welfare of the people in Latvia; honest
businessmen will be guaranteed support of the state, and residents --
security. Repse also pledged that the party will fight corruption and
drug dealing. The congress also elected Valdis Dombrovskis, Edgars
Jaunups, Ausma Ziedone-Kantabne, Grigorijs Krupnikovs, and Karlis
Sadurskis to the party's board. SG
[49] LATVIAN PRESIDENT ATTENDS WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM
Vaira Vike-Freiberga began an extended visit to the U.S. on 29 January
in New York, ELTA reported. On 1 February at the World Economic Forum
she spoke in a panel discussion led by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-New
York) about Latvia's role in trans-Atlantic security, and led a
discussion on European identity. That day she also visited UN
headquarters and signed two additional protocols to the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child directed against child prostitution and
trafficking as well as against involvement of children in armed
conflicts. During the forum she also met with OSCE High Commissioner on
National Minorities Rolf Ekeus, Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres,
and Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Qasymzhomart
Toqaev. On 4 February she flew to Washington for scheduled meetings
with U.S. Vice President Richard Cheney and Secretary of State Colin
Powell. SG
[50] LITHUANIA SHIFTS PEG FROM U.S. DOLLAR TO EURO
Bank of Lithuania President Reinoldijus Sarkinas announced on 1
February that the Lithuanian litas will be pegged to the euro at a rate
of 3.4528 litas to one euro as of the following day, ELTA reported. The
rate was determined by taking the U.S. dollar/euro exchange rate
($0.8632 per euro) announced by the European Central Bank earlier that
afternoon and dividing it by four, as the litas had been pegged to the
dollar at a rate of four to one since April 1994, when Lithuania
adopted a currency board arrangement that will be retained. The
decision to shift the peg was made so that there would not be any more
exchange rate fluctuations in trading with the EU, which Lithuania
hopes to join in 2004. SG
[51] POLISH GOVERNMENT READY TO RELIEVE THE POOREST OF TAXES
Prime Minister Leszek Miller said during a meeting with the
Confederation of Polish Employers in Warsaw on 1 February that his
cabinet is ready to introduce a 0 percent tax rate for the worst-off in
2003, PAP reported. Miller also said that the government is working on
changes to the tax system that would introduce a single corporate and
personal income tax. Miller declared that the "entire tax system will
undergo fundamental simplification." JM
[52] POLAND WANTS SECONDHAND NORWEGIAN SUBMARINES
Polish Radio reported on 2 February that Warsaw is currently
negotiating with Oslo for a free-of-charge takeover of four secondhand
Norwegian submarines. "These warships underwent general overhaul and
modernization in the '90s, so they have state-of-the-art equipment from
the period when they were modernized. And that would be very
satisfactory for us, since the warships that we have now are of similar
age but have not undergone any modernization. And the costs of
modernization would be enormous " Polish navy commander Janusz Walczak
commented. JM
[53] CZECH PREMIER WANTS OMBUDSMAN AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
Milos Zeman said in an interview with the daily "Pravo" on 2 February
that he would like the Social Democratic Party to field Ombudsman
Otakar Motejl as its presidential candidate in 2003, CTK reported.
Zeman ruled out seeking the post himself, but as in the past he added
that he would accept to be the CSSD candidate only "in the very
unlikely emergency situation in which no other candidate has a chance
to succeed." Motejl, who is 69, is not a member of any political party.
He told CTK last month that he does not know whether he would run for
the position and that this depends on the situation ahead of the
presidential election and on who would propose his candidacy. MS
[54] CZECH SENATOR LEAVES PARTY IN PROTEST...
Former Civic Democratic Alliance (ODA) leader Daniel Kroupa, who is now
a senator, announced on 1 February he is resigning from the ODA in
protest against the breaking up of the Four Party Coalition and the
conduct of the ODA leadership in the crisis, CTK reported. ODA Chairman
Michael Zantovsky said in response that he regrets Kroupa's decision
and believes that Kroupa was not well-informed about the positions the
leadership has taken during the crisis. Kroupa said he intends to stay
on as leader of the Freedom Union-ODA parliamentary group in the Senate
if his colleagues in the parliamentary faction do not object. MS
[55] ...AND ODA LEADER SAYS SPLIT IS NOT END OF COOPERATION
Zantovsky told journalists on 1 February that the ODA's decision to
leave the Four Party Coalition does not necessarily signify ending all
cooperation with ODA's former allies, CTK reported. He said cooperation
could continue at regional and local government levels, as well as in
the Senate, where the joint Freedom Union-ODA group should not be
disbanded. Freedom Union officials said they share Zantovsky's views.
Similar opinions were registered from regional leaders of the different
parties that belonged to the Four Party Coalition. Also on 1 February,
Christian Democratic Party (KDU-CSL) Chairman Cyril Svoboda told
journalists that the KDU-CSL still intends to run in the June elections
in alliance with the Freedom Union-Democratic Union. Svoboda called
Karel Kuehnl's decision to resign as head of the Four Party Coalition a
"responsible step." MS
[56] SUDETEN GERMANS MULL LAWSUITS IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC...
Gerhard Zeisel, the chairman of the organizations representing the
Sudeten Germans expelled under the 1945 Benes decrees, said on 3
February that the Sudeten Germans in Austria intend to launch in the
Czech Republic a lawsuit demanding the abolition of the decrees, dpa
reported. In reaction, Deputy Premier Pavel Rychetsky and Defense
Minister Jaroslav Tvrdik reiterated that the decrees cannot be
abolished. MS
[57] ...WHILE KLAUS, SCHUESSEL DIFFER ON THE ISSUE
Speaking on Austrian television on 3 February, Austrian Chancellor
Wolfgang Schuessel called for the dispute on the decrees to be settled
by a joint Czech-Austrian governmental declaration that would "say once
and for all that the Benes decrees are no longer valid and that they
represent a dead wrong." Civic Democratic Party (ODS) Chairman Vaclav
Klaus, in an interview with the Austrian weekly "Profil" the same day,
said the demand to abolish the decrees is "unrealistic," CTK reported.
Klaus said "symbolic moves" may have become "fashionable," but that
they cannot achieve anything. He also rejected any claims for
compensating those who were expelled. MS
[58] SLOVAK PREMIER WANTS TO FORGE NEW 'RIGHT BLOC'
Mikulas Dzurinda said on 2 February that his Democratic and Christian
Union (SDKU) is conducting "so far unofficial" talks aimed at forging a
new alliance ahead of the September 2002 parliamentary elections, CTK
reported. Dzurinda said the new alliance might be called "The Right
Bloc" and include the Hungarian Coalition Party, the Democratic Party,
and the now extraparliamentary ANO, which is headed by former Markiza
television Director Pavol Rusko. CTK said the Christian Democratic
Movement, of which Dzurinda is a former member, is skeptical about
participating in the new alliance, in view of the disintegration of the
Dzurinda-led Slovak Democratic Coalition, which won the 1998 elections.
The SDKU the same day approved a timetable for choosing in primaries
the party's candidates in the next elections. MS
[59] SLOVAKIA WANTS 'BASIC BILATERAL PRINCIPLES' DEFINED IN STATUS LAW
AGREEMENT
Foreign Ministry State Secretary Jaroslav Chlebo said on 3 February
that Bratislava wants the planned joint declaration with Budapest to
address not only the controversial Status Law, but also to define the
"basic principles of bilateral relations," CTK reported. Chlebo said
Hungary might have some reservations about the Slovak proposals, but
that a consensus could be reached "through diplomatic channels." He
said the principles should include a general provision saying that
foreign laws are invalid in Slovakia without Bratislava's consent, and
that no legislation can grant preference to one nationality over
another. "It is impossible to make compromises on principles," Chlebo
said. MS
[60] HUNGARIAN OFFICIALS CONTINUE CRITICISM OF EU PROPOSALS...
Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on 3 February that Hungary has not
been "caught unaware" by the European Commission's recent proposal on
EU agricultural subsidies and that he is confident that "in the next
six to seven months we can negotiate essentially more favorable terms
and conditions than those offered by the EU," Hungarian media reported.
Orban reiterated that "Hungary wants equal treatment." Foreign Minister
Janos Martonyi likewise said on 2 February that "We do not ask for more
[than current EU members get], but cannot accept less than that."
Martonyi said Budapest could agree to a short "transition period," but
that this "cannot go beyond 2006." Meeting in Budapest on 1 February,
representatives of the Visegrad Four criticized the EU proposal as
infringing on "the principle of equality." They decided that the four
countries' premiers will meet in Hungary on 19 February to agree on a
common stand in the negotiations. MS
[61] ...AND OPPOSITION GRABS CHANCE TO ATTACK GOVERNMENT AGAIN
On 3 February, the main opposition Socialist Party criticized the EU
proposals as unfair, but also accused the government of being weak in
the negotiations with Brussels, Hungarian media reported. The
Socialists' leadership said the government has made poor compromises on
issues such as allowing foreigners to buy land in Hungary and the free
movement of labor. It also said the government has largely ignored the
European Commission's criticism of the state budget, corruption, and
its media policy. Peter Medgyessy, the Socialists' candidate for
premier, criticized Orban's statement last week that "there is life
outside the EU," saying this is "the road to isolation and poverty,"
Reuters reported. MS
[62] CONTROVERSIAL BOOK DISAPPEARS FROM HUNGARIAN BOOKSTORES
A recently released critical biography of Premier Orban, authored by
journalist Peter Kende, has been disappearing from bookstores, dpa
reported. The agency, citing a Kende interview with the daily
"Nepszabadsag," said that Kende claims that offers have been made to
purchase the book to prevent it from being distributed to book sellers
and that an anonymous buyer has offered to purchase all the copies
distributed to the Auchan and Tesco supermarket chains. Recently, a
popular television show hosted by Kende was taken off the air by the
public service broadcaster Magyar Televizio (MTV). MS
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[63] CROATIAN PRESIDENT: NEW ELECTIONS UNLIKELY
Stipe Mesic said in Brijuni on 3 February that it is unlikely that the
parliament will call for early elections, because current deputies know
that they are not assured of re-election, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported. He was responding to a reporter's
question regarding the possibility of a new vote following the election
of Drazen Budisa as chairman of the Croatian Social-Liberal Party
(HSLS) the day before. Budisa defeated incumbent Jozo Rados, who is
also defense minister, by a 759-333 vote. Budisa headed the HSLS for
many years until he resigned in 2001 to protest the government's
decision to cooperate with The Hague-based war crimes tribunal. He
recently criticized the government for not doing enough against
corruption and poverty. He has also demanded additional posts in the
cabinet for the HSLS, which holds six out of 21 positions. If Budisa
forces new elections by making demands that Social Democratic Prime
Minister Ivica Racan cannot accept, polls suggest that the HSLS and
other conservative parties are likely to gain seats in a new election.
PM
[64] HAS THE HAGUE SINGLED OUT TWO SERBIAN AIDES?
Zoran Djindjic said in Belgrade that he recently spoke by telephone
with Carla Del Ponte, the chief prosecutor at The Hague, RFE/RL's South
Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported on 3 February, citing
B92 radio (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 January 2002). Djindjic added that
the tribunal is particularly interested in the extradition of former
Serbian Interior Minister Vlajko Stojiljkovic and former Yugoslav
Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Sainovic. The two men were indicted in
1999 together with former President Slobodan Milosevic, as were Serbian
President Milan Milutinovic -- who is still in office -- and General
Dragoljub Ojdanic, who was chief of the General Staff during the 1999
war in Kosova. PM
[65] FORMER TOP SERBIAN GENERAL DEFENDS HIS RECORD
Ojdanic told "Vesti" on 5 February that he and his army always acted
according to international conventions and rules of warfare. He
specifically denied charges that the army was responsible for the
deaths of hundreds of ethnic Albanians whose bodies have been found
dumped in the Danube and elsewhere. Ojdanic added that no one from the
government has asked him to voluntarily go to The Hague. He nonetheless
fears that he may be "abducted" because "people are up to all sorts of
things." He denied any knowledge of a possible coup by his predecessor,
General Momcilo Perisic, against the opposition in 1997, as Ojdanic's
successor, General Nebojsa Pavkovic, has charged (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 15 and 16 January 2002). Ojdanic said that he is willing to
defend his record -- before a domestic court. PM
[66] MILOSEVIC TO FACE ONLY ONE TRIAL
Officials at The Hague-based tribunal announced on 1 February that
Milosevic will face one single trial for charges stemming from his wars
in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosova, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian
Languages Service reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 February 2002).
The trial will begin on 12 February. In related news, the Croatian
weekly "Globus" published extensive transcripts of telephone calls by
Milosevic in its 1 February issue. The calls were intercepted by
Croatian intelligence between 1996 and 1998 and involve top Belgrade
officials as well as members of the Milosevic family, among others. The
language can be described as lively Serbian. PM
[67] EU TRIES ONCE AGAIN TO HOLD SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO TOGETHER
Top-level delegations of experts from Belgrade and Podgorica are
scheduled to begin talks with EU officials in Brussels on 4 February,
AP reported (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 14 December 2001, and "RFE/RL
Newsline," 28 January 2002). The EU wants to convince the Montenegrins
that their own economic and social interests are best served by
maintaining a joint state with Serbia. Montenegro argues that the
process of the dissolution of former Yugoslavia that began more than a
decade ago is continuing, and that the Montenegrins will decide their
own fate in a referendum. PM
[68] MONTENEGRO POSTPONES CENSUS
On 1 February, the Montenegrin government announced that it is
postponing the national census from April 2002 to April 2003 because it
expects to hold the referendum in the spring of 2002, RFE/RL's South
Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. The opposition has
protested the decision to put off the headcount. PM
[69] MONTENEGRO SLAMS SERBIAN PROPOSAL FOR SECURITY COUNCIL
Miodrag Vukovic, who is a leading official of the governing Democratic
Party of Socialists (DPS), said in Podgorica on 2 February that a
recent proposal by Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica to set up a
security council at the federal level is a "ruse" by the president
aimed at strengthening central power at the expense of Montenegro,
RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. PM
[70] PRESEVO ALBANIANS PROTEST 'DISAPPEARANCE'
Some 3,000 ethnic Albanians demonstrated in Bujanovac on 2 February to
mark the second anniversary of the kidnapping of a local man, RFE/RL's
South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. Serbian Deputy
Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic praised the missing man and stressed that
an official inquiry into the case is continuing. PM
[71] BOSNIA AND YUGOSLAVIA CONCLUDE TRADE PACT
Officials from the two states signed a free-trade agreement in Belgrade
on 1 February, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported. Yugoslavia expects to sign a free-trade agreement with
Hungary on 8 March. PM
[72] FUEL TRUCKS CROSS INTO BOSNIA
More that 40 Slovenian and Hungarian fuel trucks crossed into Bosnia
from Croatia at Orasje and Bosanska Gradiska on 2 February, RFE/RL's
South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. The trucks had
been waiting for clearance for days as part of the ongoing dispute
between Bosnia and Croatia regarding overland transportation of fuel
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 February 2002). PM
[73] SFOR CALLS ON WAR CRIMES SUSPECT TO SURRENDER
On 1 February, SFOR troops arrived near Sokolac to arrest former
Bosnian Serb General Vinko Pandurevic, whom The Hague has indicted for
war crimes associated with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, dpa reported.
Pandurevic was not at home, so the troops left a copy of the indictment
with Pandurevic's father as a summons for the general to turn himself
in. The news agency quoted unnamed sources in Sarajevo as saying that
this was the second unsuccessful attempt to capture him in 30 days. PM
[74] BOSNIANS CLAIM WORLD WAR II COMPENSATION
More than 10,000 citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina have filed formal
requests for compensation from the German Forced Labor Compensation
Program, dpa reported from Sarajevo on 4 February, quoting officials of
the International Organization for Migration. Some 6,432 of the
claimants appear eligible for consideration from the fund set up by the
German government in 2000. PM
[75] MACEDONIAN POLICE ENTER ADDITIONAL VILLAGES
On 1 February, ethnically mixed police entered Lipkovo and Otlja near
Matejce, northeast of Skopje, and Orizari to the east of the capital,
Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 January 2002). PM
[76] ROMANIAN PREMIER DENIES EARLY ELECTIONS INTENTION
Adrian Nastase denied on 3 February that the Social Democratic Party
(PSD) is contemplating the possibility of calling early parliamentary
elections, Mediafax reported. Nastase was responding to a declaration
by Interior Minister Ioan Rus, who said in Cluj on 1 February that the
PSD is ready to "assume all the consequences" deriving from its
determination to pursue reform and combat corruption, including "loss
of popularity." Rus said the possibility of early elections "has been
taken into consideration." Nastase said he does not know whether Rus
"has more information than I have," but that the latest opinion polls
show that the government enjoys "considerable backing." MS
[77] HUNGARIAN PARTY APPROVES AGREEMENT WITH RULING ROMANIAN FORMATION
The Council of Representatives of the Hungarian Democratic Federation
of Romania (UDMR) met in Targu Mures on 2 February and voted 78 to 11
in favor of approving the recent extension of the agreement between the
UDMR and the PSD, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. On the eve of the
meeting, UDMR Honorary Chairman Bishop Laszlo Toekes harshly criticized
the agreement, saying it contains no "concrete obligations" on the side
of the PSD. Toekes said he is considering proposing to his own Reformed
Church and to the other "historic Hungarian churches" in Transylvania
that they cut off relations with the UDMR, Mediafax reported. Romanian
media reports said the PSD-UDMR agreement stipulates, among other
things, that in localities with a large Hungarian-speaking population,
20 percent of the police force will also be made up of Hungarian
speakers. MS
[78] NEW PARLIAMENTARY GROUP IN ROMANIAN PARLIAMENT?
The leadership of the Humanist Party of Romania (PUR) decided on 2
February to set up an independent parliamentary group in the Chamber of
Deputies, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. PUR Chairman Dan
Voiculescu, who made the announcement, said that according to house
regulations, a separate parliamentary group can be established by 10
deputies and the PUR meets that requirement. The PUR ran in the 2000
elections on joint lists with the Party of Social Democracy in Romania
(PDSR) and the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSDR), which later
merged to form the PSD. MS
[79] RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DENIES SAYING TROOPS WILL STAY IN TRANSDNIESTER
Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov denied on 1
February that he said in Tiraspol the previous day that the contingent
stationed in the Transdniester will not be withdrawn from the
separatist region, RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau reported (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 1 February 2002). Trubnikov, who met with Moldovan President
Vladimir Voronin, said that Moscow will fully implement the OSCE
resolutions. He said that following his talks in Tiraspol he believes
that the withdrawal of the Russian arms "will be resumed soon" and that
the leadership there "will not obstruct" the process. Trubnikov also
met with Premier Vasile Tarlev and, according to a Flux report, told
him that the ratification by the State Duma of the basic treaty signed
last year could be speeded up if Russia gets Chisinau's accord to open
a consulate in Tiraspol. MS
[80] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT READY TO MEET SMIRNOV AS 'HEAD OF LOCAL
ADMINISTRATION'...
After his talks with Trubnikov, who urged a resumption of the parleys
with Tiraspol, President Voronin told journalists that the negotiations
can only be resumed at "expert level," RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau
reported. Voronin said he is ready to meet separatist leader Igor
Smirnov only in Smirnov's capacity as head of "the local public
administration" in Transdniester in order to discuss with him "problems
of the local population." Voronin also said that he has proposed to
Trubnikov that the custom checkpoints that Moldova wants set up on
Ukrainian territory be manned -- in addition to those of Moldova, the
Transdniester, and Ukraine -- by custom officials from neutral states
"such as Germany, Austria, and Portugal." Voronin said Ukraine and the
Transdniester are opposed to the checkpoints, "and we well-know why."
MS
[81] ...ASKS GOVERNMENT TO DISMISS DEPUTY PREMIER, AMBASSADOR TO U.S.
President Voronin asked the government on 1 February that Deputy
Premier in charge of the economy Andrei Cucu along with his deputy
Marian Lupu be dismissed, and that Moldovan Ambassador to the U.S.
Ceslav Ciobanu be recalled, RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau reported. The
Presidential Office said Voronin has concluded as a result of controls
carried out at the Economy Ministry that the three officials had acted
"contrary to Moldovan interests" by attempting to "promote on the U.S.
market the interests of the Rybnitsa metallurgical factory." The
factory is in the separatist region and the three are suspected of
having worked for reducing the antidumping 233 percent levy imposed on
its products to a 10 percent import tax. MS
[82] GAGAUZ-YERI CONFLICT ERUPTS
Deputies in the Popular Assembly of the Gagauz Yeri autonomous region
called on the population on 2 February to participate in the envisaged
early local elections and in a referendum they intend to call for
dismissing the autonomous region's governor, ("Bashkan") Dumitru
Croitor, RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau reported. The appeal comes after a
draft resolution to dismiss Croitor as governor failed on 1 February,
falling three votes short of the 24 votes needed for it to pass. The
deputies claim Croitor has mismanaged the region's budget to his
personal benefit. Croitor and his supporters accuse their rivals of
being in the service of the "Communists in Chisinau," and of former
region Governor George Tabunshik. MS
[83] BULGARIANS MARCH AGAINST TAX INCREASES
Some 2,000 small business owners demonstrated on 1 February outside the
parliament in Sofia, protesting tax hikes that, they claimed, will
force hundreds of industries to shut down, AP reported. The 40 percent
tax increases were introduced in a bid to meet the budget guidelines
drawn by the International Monetary Fund. The demonstrators complained
that the hike "collides with promises about encouraging small
businesses" that Prime Minister Simeon Saxecoburggotski made before the
June 2001 elections. MS
END NOTE
[84] There is no End Note today.
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