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RFE/RL Newsline, 02-02-13
CONTENTS
[01] RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SEES U.S. PRESENCE IN CENTRAL ASIA IN
[02] ...SAYS RUSSIA WILL NOT REACT IN KIND TO U.S. MILITARY BUDGET
[03] ...AND EXCLUDES DIRECT RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT IN DEVELOPING AFGHAN
[04] MILITARY SUPREME COURT ANNULS LIST OF STATE SECRETS, BUT PASKO AND
[05] POLITKOVSKAYA CONTRADICTS REPORTS FROM MILITARY
[06] BORIS JORDAN WANTS TO OWN EKHO MOSKVY...
[07] ...AS LUKOIL CHOOSES A BID TO BACK FOR TV-6
[08] TOP ISLAMIC CLERIC JOINS PROTESTS AGAINST CATHOLIC CHURCH
[09] PREMIER ANNOUNCES ADVENT OF 'REFORMS OF SECOND GENERATION'...
[10] ...AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE MINISTRY TO REFORM COMMUNAL
[11] LIBERALS INTRODUCE PROPOSED AMENDMENT AGAINST MONOPOLIZATION OF
[12] YUKOS HEAD TELLS PREMIER TO LIBERALIZE GAS AND OIL MARKET
[13] OLIGARCH/GOVERNOR CONTINUES TO ENJOY POPULARITY
[14] LEBED FAILS TO WIN OVER NORILSK LEADER
[15] REPO MEN COME FOR CITY HALL IN RUSSIAN FAR EAST
[16] EDUCATION MINISTRY TO CONDUCT MORE EXPERIMENTS IN SELECTED REGIONS
[17] CENTER TO COUGH UP MORE MONEY TO PAY WAGES IN REGIONS
[18] RUSSIAN TROOPS LAUNCH NEW SEARCH OPERATION IN CHECHNYA
[19] FORMER ARMENIAN MINISTER CRITICIZES CAFE DEATH INVESTIGATION
[20] ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GEORGIAN PRESIDENT DISCUSS REGIONAL
[21] GEORGIA AFFIRMS READINESS TO COOPERATE WITH 'FRIENDLY STATES' TO
[22] TRIAL OF KYRGYZ PARLIAMENT DEPUTY OPENS, ADJOURNS
[23] UN, OSCE COMMENT ON UPCOMING TAJIK BY-ELECTIONS
[24] TAJIKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN IN COMPETITION TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY TO
[25] FORMER TURKMEN FOREIGN MINISTER SOUNDS ALARM OVER CRACKDOWN ON
[26] TURKMEN PRESIDENT OUTLINES DEFENSE PLANS
[27] WINTER OLYMPICS MEDAL COUNT--PART 1 COUNTRIES
[28] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT SLAMS CABINET FOR FAILING TO MEET 2001
[29] ...WARNS RUSSIAN BUSINESSMEN AGAINST BLACKMAILING HIM...
[30] ...INTENDS TO ARTICULATE HIS 'NEW ECONOMIC SYSTEM'...
[31] ...VOWS TO STICK TO PARITY IN UNION WITH RUSSIA...
[32] ...HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT FOREIGN TROOPS IN CIS...
[33] ...AND TELLS OSCE WHERE TO GO
[34] UNCERTAINTY REMAINS OVER WHO RUNS KYIV
[35] UKRAINIAN ELECTION WATCHDOG REPORTS CAMPAIGN IRREGULARITIES
[36] UKRAINIAN SUPREME COURT WANTS COMMISSION TO REVIEW REJECTION OF
[37] KYIV, BELGRADE PLEDGE TO EXPAND TIES
[38] TYMOSHENKO WANTS TO COOPERATE WITH YUSHCHENKO, BUT HE DOES NOT
[39] ESTONIAN GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWS 20 DRAFT LAWS FROM PARLIAMENT
[40] LATVIAN PRESIDENT SAYS LANGUAGE QUALIFICATION HAS TO BE DUMPED FOR
[41] LITHUANIA CONSIDERING WHERE TO STORE NUCLEAR WASTE
[42] POLAND TO INTRODUCE VISAS FOR EASTERN NEIGHBORS IN JULY 2003
[43] MORE CZECH OFFICIALS SENTENCED OVER 'ASANACE'
[44] AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR SAYS TEMELIN DISPUTE MUST BE SOLVED BEFORE
[45] CZECH WEEKLY'S COMPLAINT AGAINST GOVERNMENT 'DEFINITELY SHELVED'
[46] CZECH DISPUTE OVER ROMANY COUNCIL LINEUP CONTINUES
[47] SLOVAK DEPUTY PREMIER LEARNS FROM CZECH COUNTERPART
[48] SLOVAK PRESIDENT TRIES TO SOOTHE NATO WORRIES...
[49] ...BUT THOSE WORRIES MOUNT
[50] SLOVAK PREMIER'S BROTHER DENIES WRONGDOING
[51] HUNGARIAN, SLOVAK FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS STATUS LAW IN ISTANBUL
[52] MIEP PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE ASSAULTED IN BUDAPEST
[53] HUNGARY, RUSSIA TO JOINTLY EXPLOIT SIBERIAN OILFIELD
[54] TRIAL OF SERBIA'S EX-DICTATOR ENTERS SECOND DAY
[55] SERBIAN EX-LEADER'S BACKERS DENY CHARGES
[56] MIXED REACTIONS TO TRIAL IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
[57] COMMENTS ON THE TRIAL FROM SERBS...
[58] ...AND FROM OTHERS
[59] MONTENEGRIN MINISTER: MORE THAN ONE MAN IS ON TRIAL
[60] U.S. BALKAN DIPLOMAT: I AM WILLING TO TESTIFY
[61] CONCERN WITH OTHER WAR CRIMINALS IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
[62] BOSNIAN LEGISLATORS INFORMED ABOUT TERROR SUSPECTS
[63] BOSNIAN CROATS TO INSIST ON BICAMERAL LEGISLATURES
[64] MONTENEGRIN AND YUGOSLAV PRESIDENTS MEET
[65] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT IN JAPAN
[66] ROMANIAN RULING PARTY, OPPOSITION LIBERALS DISCUSS CONSTITUTIONAL
[67] MOLDOVAN EDUCATION MINISTER OUSTS 'HISTORY OF ROMANIANS'
[68] COUNCIL OF EUROPE WELCOMES ANNULMENT OF PPCD SUSPENSION
[69] VENICE COMMISSION ASSESSING MOLDOVAN CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
[70] BULGARIAN CABINET SURVIVES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE
[71] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER IN SOFIA
[72] BULGARIA'S FOREIGN DEBT NEARS $10 BILLION
[73] WINTER OLYMPICS MEDAL COUNT--PART 2 COUNTRIES
[74] There is no End Note today.
13 February 2002
RUSSIA
[01] RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SEES U.S. PRESENCE IN CENTRAL ASIA IN
POSITIVE LIGHT...
Sergei Ivanov told a press conference in Moscow on 12 February that the
"presence of the U.S. and the other members" of the antiterrorist
coalition on military bases in Central Asia is a positive factor for
Russia," RIA-Novosti reported. "Without coordinated efforts by the
participants in the international coalition, the Taliban threat could
spill over Russia's borders," he added. "Afghanistan was a link in a
hotbed of instability that stretched from the Philippines to Kosovo;
now this link is out and terrorists throughout the whole world
including Russia are no longer training in Afghanistan," Ivanov said.
However, Ivanov noted that it is important that the United States and
the Central Asian states abide by their promises to Russia that the
presence of the antiterrorist coalition in the region is only a
temporary measure, and that they will leave once the operation is
finished. "Izvestiya" commented on 12 February that "if Ivanov is wrong
and the bases stay, the Kremlin cannot blame anyone but itself, as it
would be the price [it would have to pay] for the longstanding lack of
a Russian strategy and resources adequate to the problems of the
region." VY
[02] ...SAYS RUSSIA WILL NOT REACT IN KIND TO U.S. MILITARY BUDGET
INCREASE...
Ivanov said at the same press conference that while Russia shares most
serious concerns about the terrorist threat and nuclear proliferation,
Russia does not want to assign the "terrorist" label to particular
states even if it dislikes their policies. He also said that he
understands the United States' need to increase its military budget,
and that Russia is "simply unable to do the same even if it wanted to."
In addition, he said Russia already increased its military spending
dramatically in 1999-2000 and now there are no new threats that would
dictate a new increase. VY
[03] ...AND EXCLUDES DIRECT RUSSIAN INVOLVEMENT IN DEVELOPING AFGHAN
ARMY
Speaking to journalists after his talks with his visiting Afghanistan
counterpart Mohammad Fahim in Moscow on 12 February, Ivanov ruled out
the direct participation of Russian military advisers in rebuilding
Afghanistan's armed forces, RIA-Novosti reported. "They have been at
war for 20 years -- how we can teach them to fight?" he asked. However,
he said Moscow will extend its full assistance as far as weaponry and
spare parts are concerned, as well as for the training of military
officers in Russian academies. "Izvestiya" commented the same day that,
by providing the new Afghan government with weapons, Russia is
attempting to allow Kabul into Moscow's "strong political embraces...
In final judgment, the winner of the internal competition among the
present Afghanistan leadership will be [the group] that has more money
and weapons. The first was promised to the provisional government by
Washington, and the latter is now being given by Moscow," concluded the
newspaper. VY
[04] MILITARY SUPREME COURT ANNULS LIST OF STATE SECRETS, BUT PASKO AND
OTHERS REMAIN IN CUSTODY
The Collegium of the Military Supreme Court favored the appeal filed by
Grigorii Pasko's lawyers on 12 February, ruling out as "null and void"
the Defense Ministry's list of state secrets used as the basis for
sentencing the military journalist and environmentalist to four years
in prison for providing such information to Japan (see "RFE/RL
Newsline" 29 December 2001), Russian news agencies reported. However,
the decision will not affect Pasko's fate, or others who have been
imprisoned for espionage for providing information found on the list.
They include: Moscow businessman Viktor Kalyagin, who was sentenced
last October to 14 years' imprisonment for providing information to the
United States; and scientists Igor Sutyagin (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 28
December 2001) and Vladimir Danilov (see "RFE/RL Newsline" 19 June 2001
and 7 February 2002), who are accused of divulging military secrets and
espionage. Meanwhile, Naum Nim, the spokesman for a public committee in
defense of Pasko, told "Izvestiya" on 12 February he cannot exclude the
possibility that a new trial will be set in Pasko's case -- which in
practical terms would mean an extension of his time in prison. VY
[05] POLITKOVSKAYA CONTRADICTS REPORTS FROM MILITARY
In an interview with Ekho Moskvy radio on 13 February, Russian
journalist Anna Politkovskaya denied earlier news reports about her
detention by military officers in Chechnya, ntvru.com reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 11 and 12 February 2002). According to
Politkovskaya, the main reason that rumors about her detention were
spread was because during her trip to Chechnya she had gathered
information "from both sides -- from the residents of the village and
from the soldiers." Politkovskaya said that in one village in Shatoi
Raion she heard an account of "six civilians in the village in Shatoi
Raion [who] were killed by members of a Spetsnaz detachment of the GRU,
as a result of which 28 children were orphaned. They were killed and
then set on fire -- among them was the pregnant director of a local
school." Politkovskaya added that her journalist accreditation
documents were in full order and were checked by everyone including a
military prosecutor, whom she interviewed. JAC
[06] BORIS JORDAN WANTS TO OWN EKHO MOSKVY...
In an interview with "Moskovskii komsomolets" on 13 February,
Gazprom-Media General Director Boris Jordan expressed his personal
interest in obtaining shares in Ekho Moskvy. He added that while he
still does not know who will purchase Gazprom-Media's shares in the
radio station, he has been trying to attract Western investors. In an
interview with RFE/RL's Moscow bureau on 8 February, Ekho Moskvy Editor
in Chief Aleksei Venediktov suggested that Jordan is trying to pursue
an "inside deal" with regard to the radio station (see "RFE/RL Russian
Political Weekly," 11 February 2002). JAC
[07] ...AS LUKOIL CHOOSES A BID TO BACK FOR TV-6
Viktor Merezhko, a popular film director and TV personality, announced
on 12 February, that LUKoil-Garant will be the main sponsor of his
TV-VI corporation's bid to win the tender for TV-6's broadcasting
rights, Interfax reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 8 February 2002).
LUKoil-Garant, which is a minority shareholder in TV-6, originally
sought the station's liquidation. JAC
[08] TOP ISLAMIC CLERIC JOINS PROTESTS AGAINST CATHOLIC CHURCH
The chairman of the Central Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia,
Talgat Tadjuddin, said he agrees with objections expressed by the
Russian Orthodox Church against the Vatican's decision to upgrade its
institutions in Russia (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 February 2002), NTV
reported on 12 February. "Catholicism is not a traditional Russian
confession like the Orthodox Church and Islam," Tadjuddin said.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusevich, the head of Russia's
Catholics, told NTV on 12 February that the Russian Orthodox Church has
never asked for the Holy See's consent when it seeks to expand its own
religious activities, thus the Roman Catholic Church is not obligated
to seek permission either. VY
[09] PREMIER ANNOUNCES ADVENT OF 'REFORMS OF SECOND GENERATION'...
Speaking to senior officials of the Property Relations Ministry on 12
February, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said that his government is
about to launch a "second generation of reforms" through the
restructuring of economy, Prime-TASS reported. One of the tools of this
reform will be to transfer inefficient state property assets into the
hands of the small and medium-sized businesses. In contrast to the
past, he said the next phase of privatization must avoid simply
redistributing state property, and strictly follow the provisions of
privatization legislation and be controlled through Russia's registry
for state assets. The Property Relations Ministry must also be a
driving force in removing state control from the banking sector,
Kasyanov continued. And while withdrawing its control over bank
capital, the state must ensure that the privatization of bank and
credit institutions is maximally transparent, he warned. Finally, the
ministry must play the key role in land reform, and in doing so the
ministry should unite into a single system the different legislation
and legal norms that have been adopted at federal and regional levels
for that purpose, Kasyanov said. VY
[10] ...AS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TRADE MINISTRY TO REFORM COMMUNAL
SERVICES
"Kommersant-Daily" reported on 12 February that Economic Development
and Trade Minister German Gref said that in the next six months his
ministry will introduce a comprehensive market-oriented reform of
communal services based on social differentiation and incomes.
Initially the government planned to introduce an across-the-board
measure that would require citizens to pay 100 percent of their
communal utilities costs; however, following President Vladimir Putin's
intervention the government decided that only families with higher
incomes should pay the costs in entirety. As for poor families, the
utilities costs will be subsidized by the state through municipal
budgets, according to Gref. He added that the infrastructure of
communal services in Russian cities today is in a miserable state, as
60 percent of it is obsolete and inadequate, and that the reforms are
aimed at making the sector self-sufficient and able to provide funding
for their upkeep. VY
[11] LIBERALS INTRODUCE PROPOSED AMENDMENT AGAINST MONOPOLIZATION OF
MASS MEDIA
Boris Nemtsov, the leader of the Union of Rightist Forces, introduced
to the State Duma on 12 February an amendment to the Law on Mass Media
that would prohibit any single entity -- including the state -- from
establishing more than one mass media outlet of the same type and
profile, nns.ru reported. Nemtsov suggested that such a law should go
into force beginning next year so that all mass media outlets not
currently in compliance could be by 1 January 2004. VY
[12] YUKOS HEAD TELLS PREMIER TO LIBERALIZE GAS AND OIL MARKET
Mikhail Khodorkovskii, the head of the Russian oil giant Yukos, told
journalists on 12 February that his company seeks to end Gazprom's
monopoly of the Russian gas market and become the country's largest
exporter of natural gas by 2005, RBK news agency reported.
Khodorkovskii said such ambitions are realistic because today it is not
Gazprom but the state that is the true monopolist, as the government
controls the export pipelines. Khodorkovskii added that such a
situation cannot last for long, and that eventually the government must
either liberalize and deregulate the gas and oil market -- including
access to the export pipelines -- or some big petrochemical companies
will begin to die. And he added that "[Premier] Kasyanov knows that if
oil companies experience an economic catastrophe, his government will
not survive it." VY
[13] OLIGARCH/GOVERNOR CONTINUES TO ENJOY POPULARITY
In an opinion poll of 1,446 residents of Chukotka Autonomous Okrug in
late January, the Russian Institute of Sociology found that more than
96 percent of respondents had a positive assessment of Chukotka
Governor Roman Abramovich's first year in office, ITAR-TASS reported on
13 February. Respondents said their most acute problems are old and
uncomfortable housing, the rise of drug addiction and alcoholism, and
lack of educational and recreational opportunities for children and
teenagers. Last June, RFE/RL's special correspondent Mumin Shakirov
also found that the overwhelming majority of residents in the village
of Tavaivaan thought highly of the governor they elected in January
2001 and continued to display campaign posters of him in local shops
(see "RFE/RL Russian Federation Report," 4 July 2001). Meanwhile,
"Vedomosti" reported on 7 February that Chukotka's share of tax
revenues in the consolidated budget rose by five times last year, while
the tax collections in the okrug rose by more than 10 times. Abramovich
is a major shareholder in Sibneft. JAC
[14] LEBED FAILS TO WIN OVER NORILSK LEADER
The conflict between the city of Norilsk and Krasnoyarsk Krai flared
anew on 13 February, when a meeting between Norilsk Mayor Oleg Budargin
and Krasnoyarsk Krai Governor Aleksandr Lebed ended without results.
Budargin told RIA-Novosti that Lebed has proposed cutting Norilsk's
social spending threefold. Budargin explained that "we in Norilsk
understand that the krai has economic problems, [but] we have already
cut the city budget and reduced financing for kindergartens and
schools, and we cannot do more." The city of Norilsk is the home of the
headquarters of Norilsk Nickel, which provides about 70 percent of the
krai's tax revenue. However, it is located in the Taimyr Autonomous
Okrug, whose officials, particularly those in the okrug's Duma, have
recently begun seeking to free the city from its economic subordination
to Krasnoyarsk (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 4 February 2002). Taimyr
Autonomous Okrug Governor Aleksandr Khloponin is a former head of
Norilsk Nickel. JAC
[15] REPO MEN COME FOR CITY HALL IN RUSSIAN FAR EAST
Court bailiffs in Primorskii Krai have seized part of the real estate
belonging to the administration of the city of Nakhodka,
Interfax-Eurasia reported on 12 February. Three buildings -- including
one belonging to the city's mayor -- and an automobile were taken.
According to "Kommersant-Daily" the same day, the property was seized
because the city lost a lawsuit to the firm Alfa-Eko-M, to which it
owed 175 million rubles ($5.7 million) for fuel deliveries. The daily
reported that it is not being excluded that property seized will be
auctioned off in order to pay the debt. The office of the Nakhodka
mayor claims that it had a pledge from then-Primorskii Krai Governor
Yevgenii Nazdratenko to guarantee the debt; however, current Governor
Sergei Darkin has refused to honor all of the commitments made by his
predecessor. JAC
[16] EDUCATION MINISTRY TO CONDUCT MORE EXPERIMENTS IN SELECTED REGIONS
Education Minister Vladimir Filippov announced on 12 February that 17
regions will pioneer a new system of state exams in their schools
beginning on 1 September this year, RIA-Novosti reported. By 2005, the
exam will be offered in all schools across the country. Five exams in
total will eventually be offered, three of which -- mathematics,
Russian language, and literature -- will be required for all students.
Tests in two other subjects of the students' choosing will also be
offered. The regions chosen were Moscow, Samara, Bryansk, Penza,
Ivanovo, Orenburg, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk, Voronezh, Perm, Saratov, and
Yaroslavl Oblasts, the Jewish Autonomous Okrug, and the Republics of
Sakha (Yakutia), Mordovia, and Chavash. JAC
[17] CENTER TO COUGH UP MORE MONEY TO PAY WAGES IN REGIONS
The Finance Ministry will earmark more than 3.5 billion rubles ($114
million) for financial assistance for those regions experiencing
financial difficulties in paying higher wages to state workers,
Interfax-AFI reported on 12 February. First Deputy Finance Minister
Aleksei Ulyukaev told the agency that the ministry conducted financial
analyses of regional budgets for January that showed that some 15
regions are experiencing special difficulties. Of the 3.5 billion
rubles, 1.5 billion will be transferred to Volgograd Oblast and 500
million rubles to Nizhnii Novgorod. Earlier, Finance Minister Aleksei
Kudrin and President Putin accused certain unidentified regions of
trying to blackmail the federal government in order to meet state
workers' salaries (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 7 February 2002). JAC
[18] RUSSIAN TROOPS LAUNCH NEW SEARCH OPERATION IN CHECHNYA
Russian forces surrounded and sealed the villages of Gikalo,
Prigorodnoe and Chechen-Aul on the southern outskirts of Grozny during
the night of 10-11 February, deploying armored vehicles and engaging in
indiscriminate artillery fire that has killed or injured civilian
residents, Glasnost-North Caucasus reported on 11 February. ITAR-TASS
on 13 February reported that search operations were continuing and that
"dozens" of residents have been detained for passport violations or on
suspicion of links with Chechen resistance fighters. LF
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[19] FORMER ARMENIAN MINISTER CRITICIZES CAFE DEATH INVESTIGATION
Speaking at a press conference in Yerevan on 12 February, former
Education Minister Ashot Bleyan, who now heads the Public Committee for
the Protection of Human Rights, argued that the investigation into the
death in a Yerevan cafe last September of an Armenian from Georgia
demonstrates that Armenian citizens have no defense against arbitrary
actions by the country's authorities, according to Noyan Tapan and
Arminfo, as cited by Groong. The official postmortem established that
Poghos Poghosian died of serious head injuries. The most recent issue
of "Armeniaweek" quoted a British witness as saying that Poghosian had
been severely beaten and suffered multiple injuries. That witness also
said that he did not recognize Aghamal Harutiunian, the member of
President Robert Kocharian's bodyguard who is currently on trial
charged with Poghosian's manslaughter, among the six to nine members of
Kocharian's bodyguard whom he saw beating Poghosian. LF
[20] ARMENIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, GEORGIAN PRESIDENT DISCUSS REGIONAL
COOPERATION
On the second day of his visit to Tbilisi, Vartan Oskanian met with
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze to discuss regional cooperation
and transport projects and the prospect for resolving conflicts in the
South Caucasus, according to Arminfo, as cited by Groong. Arminfo
quoted Oskanian as saying that agreement was reached during his talks
in Tbilisi that Azerbaijan should not be permitted to hinder Armenia's
participation in such projects. Oskanian and Shevardnadze also
discussed the possibility of merging the two countries' energy systems,
Caucasus Press reported. Oskanian and Georgian Finance Minister Zurab
Nogaideli signed a recently concluded agreement on rescheduling
Tbilisi's $16 million debt to Armenia, which will be repaid over a
20-year period beginning in 2004, RFE/RL's Armenian Service reported
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 February 2002). LF
[21] GEORGIA AFFIRMS READINESS TO COOPERATE WITH 'FRIENDLY STATES' TO
COMBAT 'TERRORISM'
Georgia is ready "to actively cooperate with friendly states...in
accordance with our international obligations" if such joint measures
prove necessary to eliminate terrorists on Georgian territory, Interfax
and AP quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Kakha Sikharulidze as saying
on 12 February. Sikharulidze did not explain whether Russia is
considered a "friendly state" for those purposes. Sikharulidze was
commenting on the statement by acting U.S. Ambassador Philip Remler
that "mujahedin" from Afghanistan have taken refuge in Georgia's
Pankisi Gorge, and that the U.S. is prepared to help Tbilisi apprehend
them (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 February 2002). LF
[22] TRIAL OF KYRGYZ PARLIAMENT DEPUTY OPENS, ADJOURNS
The trial of Azimbek Beknazarov began on 12 February in the southern
town of Toktogul as earlier announced, RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau reported
(see "RFE/RL Newsline," 5 February 2002). But proceedings were
adjourned after Beknazarov formally expressed his lack of confidence
that any court in Djalalabad Oblast would guarantee him a fair trial,
whereupon presiding Judge Busurmankul Baktygulov complied with his
request that the trial be adjourned and reconvened elsewhere in
Kyrgyzstan. Police detained four of some 45 supporters of Beknazarov
who had gathered outside the courtroom. Also on 12 February, 19
supporters of Beknazarov who were on hunger strike at the offices
leased in the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources building by
two Kyrgyz human rights organizations yielded to a 9 February ultimatum
by Minister Aleksandr Kostyuk and moved to the editorial office of the
newspaper "Res Publica," RFE/RL's Bishkek bureau reported. LF
[23] UN, OSCE COMMENT ON UPCOMING TAJIK BY-ELECTIONS
The heads of the OSCE and UN missions in Dushanbe, Marc Gilbert and Ivo
Petrov, together with Central Commission for Elections and Referenda
(CCER) Chairman Mirzoali Boltuev, held a joint press conference in
Dushanbe on 12 February to assess preparations for by-elections in
three constituencies, Asia Plus-Blitz reported. Petrov stressed that
elections must be held on an alternative basis. Gilbert said that the
OSCE will soon establish a working group together with parliament
deputies to draft a new "Law on Elections and Political Parties." Asked
by Asia Plus-Blitz to comment on the CCER's refusal to register two
candidates from the opposition Democratic Party of Tajikistan (DPT) for
those by-elections, Boltuev said the candidates in question had
violated the election law. DPT Deputy Chairman Asliddin Sohibnazarov,
one of the rejected candidates, denied that charge and criticized the
activities of the CCER and its regional subcommittees. In two of the
three constituencies, candidates from the ruling People's Democratic
Party (the former Communist Party) and the Islamic Renaissance Party
(representing the opposition that now holds one-third of all government
and local administrative posts) have been registered. LF
[24] TAJIKISTAN, TURKMENISTAN IN COMPETITION TO PROVIDE ELECTRICITY TO
AFGHANISTAN
At a meeting in Dushanbe on 13 February with government ministers and
heads of UN agencies, Deputy Prime Minister Faridun Muhiddinov said
that expanded deliveries to Tajikistan of gas and fuel oil would enable
power stations in Dushanbe and Yavan to operate at full capacity, which
in turn would allow Tajikistan to export 1.8 billion kilowatt hours of
electricity annually to Afghanistan, ITAR-TASS reported. On 12
February, Afghanistan's Water and Electricity Minister Shaker Kargar
said after talks with Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov that
"electricity from Turkmenistan practically fully satisfies the needs of
the northern and northwestern provinces" of Afghanistan, according to
AP. LF
[25] FORMER TURKMEN FOREIGN MINISTER SOUNDS ALARM OVER CRACKDOWN ON
OPPOSITION
In an interview published in "Izvestiya" on 13 February, former Foreign
Minister Boris Shikhmuradov said that over the previous week more than
100 persons suspected of sympathizing or maintaining contact with his
People's Democratic Movement of Turkmenistan have been arrested.
Shikhmuradov also said the movement's members have adopted an appeal to
the OSCE to suspend Turkmenistan's membership in that organization. LF
[26] TURKMEN PRESIDENT OUTLINES DEFENSE PLANS
Following a cabinet meeting attended by senior Defense Ministry
personnel, President Niyazov on 11 February endorsed a program of
measures to enhance the combat ability of the Turkmen armed forces,
ITAR-TASS reported. In an indication that the country's leadership has
finally woken up to the fact that Ashgabat is vulnerable to a possible
air attack from Uzbekistan, Niyazov stressed the need for "pilots,
supersonic planes, helicopters, and technical services to maintain the
entire air fleet." "A neutral state must be able to defend itself and
rebuff absolutely any possible aggressor," Niyazov noted. He was
apparently less concerned at the prospect of an attack by ground
forces, ordering that conscripts should spend only half their time
perfecting their combat skills and the remainder on breeding cattle,
growing cotton, or acquiring industrial skills, while devoting their
evenings to watching television and reading his spiritual guide
"Rukhname," Reuters reported. LF
[27] WINTER OLYMPICS MEDAL COUNT--PART 1 COUNTRIES
Through 12 FEBRUARY
CountryGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Russia1225
Armenia0000
Azerbaijan0000
Georgia0000
Kazakhstan0000
Kyrgyzstan0000
Tajikistan0000
Uzbekistan0000
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[28] BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT SLAMS CABINET FOR FAILING TO MEET 2001
TARGETS...
Premier Henadz Navitski on 12 February reported to President Alyaksandr
Lukashenka on the government's economic performance in 2001, Belarusian
media reported. Navitski said the government failed to meet five out of
the 15 key economic targets decreed by the president for 2001,
including 5 percent GDP growth as well as projected increases in
capital investments, agricultural produce, and exports. Lukashenka
harshly criticized the government for these failures as well as for its
inability to keep monthly inflation below 2.5 percent. "[My demand] to
keep the monthly rate of increase in consumer prices below 2.5 percent
was not met... If you think that in this way you will ensure normal
lives for yourselves and will continue to pull the wool over people's
eyes, you're wrong," Belarusian Television quoted Lukashenka as saying.
JM
[29] ...WARNS RUSSIAN BUSINESSMEN AGAINST BLACKMAILING HIM...
Lukashenka also touched upon a recent move by Baltika, Russia's leading
beer producer, to get back some $10 million it invested in the
modernization of the Krynitsa brewery in Minsk. Baltika was reportedly
promised a controlling stake in Krynitsa by Lukashenka. Russia's NTV
has recently broadcast a feature criticizing Lukashenka for breaking
the promise given to Baltika. "Tell [Baltika President] Balloev that if
I see any more commissioned material on NTV or any other crooked media,
there will be no Baltika or any other Russian firm here [in Belarus].
If Russian businessmen want to participate in the liberalization and
privatization of [Belarusian] enterprises, they will have to do that in
the Belarusian way. Blackmail in Belarus will not stand," Belapan
quoted Lukashenka as saying. JM
[30] ...INTENDS TO ARTICULATE HIS 'NEW ECONOMIC SYSTEM'...
Speaking to journalists after the government meeting, Lukashenka said
he intends to formulate on paper "a concept of the new economic system"
he has initiated in Belarus, Belapan reported. "We have already spoken
so much about that. If I could [only] find five sensible scientists who
would simply systematize that, my intention would materialize to a
certain degree," Lukashenka said. And he added: "I want any journalist
to be able to open a book and see that, proceeding from our conditions
and experience in improving and reforming the economy, we have found
that we must do such and such. I'm now thinking about this and trying
to focus on this. I think I'll find time and, possibly, scientists who
will help me to do this." JM
[31] ...VOWS TO STICK TO PARITY IN UNION WITH RUSSIA...
Lukashenka told journalists that he will never agree to make
Belarusians "secondary people" in a union with Russia. "As regards
compromises, we are ready for everything the Russian Federation is
ready for today, but on the principles of equality and fraternity.
There will be no unequal union. If they propose to me to accept the
Russian ruble [as a common currency], I'll say 'yes'... But if they
propose to print [this currency only] in the Kremlin, I'll never accept
this. Why in Moscow and not in Minsk, I ask?" Lukashenka said. JM
[32] ...HAS RESERVATIONS ABOUT FOREIGN TROOPS IN CIS...
Lukashenka divulged to journalists that during an informal CIS summit
in Astana on 1 March he will raise the issue of the deployment of
foreign troops in some CIS countries, Belapan reported. "How could it
happen that foreign troops appeared and military bases were created in
some states that are signatories to the CIS collective security treaty,
without coordination with other [signatories]? This is a breach of the
treaty," Lukashenka said. JM
[33] ...AND TELLS OSCE WHERE TO GO
Answering a question about prospects for Belarus's cooperation with the
OSCE, Lukashenka suggested he is not concerned about whether the OSCE
will continue contacts with Minsk or not. "If they [OSCE] do not want
to cooperate with us, so be it. We are not particularly palpitating
over this. We know what we are worth, we know where we are and what we
are worth for Europe," Belarusian Television quoted Lukashenka as
saying. He said the OSCE's demand that Belarus expand the powers of its
legislature is unacceptable to him. He noted that he does not see any
problems with freedom of expression in Belarus. He also said that
"there are no conditions" in Belarus for releasing the persons whom the
opposition and the OSCE regard as political prisoners. JM
[34] UNCERTAINTY REMAINS OVER WHO RUNS KYIV
Kyiv Mayor Oleksandr Omelchenko, who was suspended by President Kuchma
for the duration of the election campaign (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12
February 2002), told UNIAN on 12 February that he is staying in office
in accordance with the Kyiv City Council's decision. At an emergency
session the previous day, the council refused to obey the president's
decree and passed a no-confidence vote in Ihor Shovkun, whom Kuchma
appointed as acting Kyiv mayor. Shovkun reportedly has taken control
over the finance and transport directorates of the city administration.
Speaking to RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service on 12 February, Omelchenko said
he was suspended following an initiative by Premier Anatoliy Kinakh.
Omelchenko added that Kuchma's decree suspending him means
administrative support for the Democratic Union election bloc, since
Shovkun is running in the election on the Democratic Union's list. JM
[35] UKRAINIAN ELECTION WATCHDOG REPORTS CAMPAIGN IRREGULARITIES
The Committee of Voters of Ukraine is concerned about mass
irregularities in the election campaign, such as ignoring the ban on
campaigning before 9 February, candidates abusing their official
positions, breach of procedure in the formation of election
commissions, and violence against candidates, STB Television reported
on 12 February. According to the outcome of the committee's January
monitoring, none of the culprits were punished. Observers noted mass
distribution of fake campaign materials in Donetsk, Ivano-Frankivsk,
Kirovohrad, and Luhansk Oblasts; particularly in the name of opposition
leader Yuliya Tymoshenko. According to the committee, 70 percent of
irregularities in January amounted to officials campaigning for the
pro-presidential For a United Ukraine bloc. JM
[36] UKRAINIAN SUPREME COURT WANTS COMMISSION TO REVIEW REJECTION OF
BLOC
The Supreme Court has obliged the Central Electoral Commission to
reconsider its decision not to register the For Yushchenko election
bloc led by Oleksandr Rzhavskyy (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 6 February
2002), UNIAN reported on 12 February. Many Ukrainian observers see
Rzhavskyy's election initiative -- using the name of popular politician
Viktor Yushchenko without his approval -- as a dirty election technique
intended to confuse the electorate and take away some votes from
Yushchenko's Our Ukraine bloc. JM
[37] KYIV, BELGRADE PLEDGE TO EXPAND TIES
Ukrainian Premier Kinakh said after his meeting with Yugoslav Foreign
Minister Goran Svilanovic in Kyiv on 12 February that the two countries
intend to continue developing and strengthening bilateral political,
economic, and cultural relations, Interfax reported. According to
Ukrainian official sources, the trade turnover between the two
countries in January-November 2001 amounted to $75 million. JM
[38] TYMOSHENKO WANTS TO COOPERATE WITH YUSHCHENKO, BUT HE DOES NOT
The Yuliya Tymoshenko election bloc on 11 February aired its
state-sponsored election spot on Ukrainian Television, in which
Tymoshenko accused the authorities of plotting to discredit her. "I
will not defend myself against every allegation the authorities make.
As soon as some allegations are cleared, they will come up with others
to set society against me and all those around me," she said in a video
recorded before her recent car crash. Tymoshenko appealed to viewers to
vote for her bloc as well as for Viktor Yuschenko's Our Ukraine and
Oleksandr Moroz's Socialist Party. She added that the three will
cooperate in the new parliament. Meanwhile, Yushchenko said on 13
February that he does not cooperate with Tymoshenko in the election
campaign because hers is an "opposition" bloc while his is a
"constructive" one. He added that his aim is to unite forces around a
"nonmilitant, nonopposition, nonradical program." JM
[39] ESTONIAN GOVERNMENT WITHDRAWS 20 DRAFT LAWS FROM PARLIAMENT
The cabinet decided on 12 February to withdraw 20 bills that were
presented to the parliament by the previous government, ETA reported.
Among them were a bill simplifying the return of property to
expatriated Germans, amendments to the Criminal Code and related laws,
a number of bills related to financing and administering local
municipalities, a draft lottery law, and a foreign service bill.
Justice Minister Mart Rask noted that the government demonstrated a
statesmanlike approach and a strong sense of responsibility in
selecting the bills to be withdrawn, as the parliament was considering
185 bills, 94 of which were sponsored by the government. The cabinet
also decided to reintroduce daylight-saving time this spring, as they
determined that it is more convenient to be in the same time zone as
neighboring countries. SG
[40] LATVIAN PRESIDENT SAYS LANGUAGE QUALIFICATION HAS TO BE DUMPED FOR
NATO MEMBERSHIP
Upon returning from an extended visit to the U.S., Vaira Vike-Freiberga
told a press conference at Riga's airport on 12 February that the
U.S.'s favorable attitude toward Latvia's future membership in NATO
could change if the country does not lift its language requirement for
candidates to the parliament and local councils, LETA reported. She
emphasized that on countless occasions during her visit she was told
that Latvia has not been given a "free ticket" to join NATO, but must
carefully fulfill the action plan for membership, which includes
bolstering democracy in the country. Vike-Freiberga expressed
satisfaction with her meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush at a
reception in Salt Lake City on 8 February prior to the opening of the
Winter Olympics, mentioning that Bush said that he hopes to meet with
her at the NATO summit in Prague in November. SG
[41] LITHUANIA CONSIDERING WHERE TO STORE NUCLEAR WASTE
Dainius Janenas, the director of the recently formed Radioactive Waste
Regulation Agency, told a press conference in Vilnius on 12 February
that the agency's most important task is to find a permanent storage
site for the fuel used by the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) once
it is closed, "Lietuvos rytas" reported the next day. He noted that the
plant produces about 1,100 cubic meters of solid waste and 1,000 cubic
meters of liquid nuclear waste each year, and that there are now about
60 intermediate containers at the INPP suitable for holding nuclear
waste for 50 years. The number of containers would increase to 700
after the plant's closure and cost about 70-90 million euros ($62-$79
million). Some geologists have suggested a more secure underground
burial site near Kaunas, but costs for using that site are estimated at
between 100 and 250 million euros. The other suggested alternative of
sending the nuclear waste to Russia has the drawback that Russia will
agree only to temporary storage. SG
[42] POLAND TO INTRODUCE VISAS FOR EASTERN NEIGHBORS IN JULY 2003
The government decided on 12 February to introduce visas for the
citizens of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus as of 1 July 2003, PAP
reported. A timetable for the introduction of these visas is to be
given by Warsaw to Brussels this week. Its acceptance will make it
possible for Poland to close the EU membership negotiations in the
chapter relating to justice and internal affairs. JM
[43] MORE CZECH OFFICIALS SENTENCED OVER 'ASANACE'
Three more former Czech communist secret police officials were
convicted on 12 February for their role in the so-called "Asanace"
operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s, AP and CTK reported (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 12 February 2002). Vladimir Starek, Zdenek
Wiederlechner, and Zdenek Nemec received three-year suspended
sentences. A fourth official was acquitted because of insufficient
evidence. The trial of former Interior Minister Jaromir Obzina was
interrupted last week, pending clarification by the Supreme Court on
whether he has parliamentary immunity. Obzina served as a deputy in the
Czechoslovak parliament from 1973 to 1989. Also on 12 February,
Obzina's son, also called Jaromir, was detained and faces 12 years in
prison if found guilty. He is charged with fraud worth 11.2 million
crowns (some $310,000) and the embezzlement of 10.6 million crowns
during his tenure as chairman of a company in Jablonec, northern
Bohemia. MS
[44] AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR SAYS TEMELIN DISPUTE MUST BE SOLVED BEFORE
CZECH ACCESSION TO EU
Visiting Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schuessel told journalists on 12
February in Madrid that the dispute with the Czech Republic over the
Temelin nuclear power plant must be solved before that country's
admission to the EU, CTK reported. Schuessel spoke at a press
conference following talks with Spanish Premier Jose Maria Aznar.
Schuessel said he believes Prague will honor its pledge to improve the
plant's safety, and that some "60 percent of the problems" surrounding
Temelin have so far been solved. MS
[45] CZECH WEEKLY'S COMPLAINT AGAINST GOVERNMENT 'DEFINITELY SHELVED'
Prosecutor Zdenka Galkova told CTK on 12 February that the appeal by
"Respekt" Editor in Chief Petr Holub against an earlier decision to
shelve his complaint against the government has been rejected and that
the case is now "definitely closed." Holub said in response that he
cannot understand the reasoning of the decision and that he intends to
pursue other means to "seek satisfaction." Following the government's
decision to sue "Respekt" for libel, Holub lodged a complaint against
the cabinet for "incitement of hatred" and limiting the freedom of
expression. The government's complaint against "Respekt" has also been
shelved (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 28 January, 2 and 6 February 2002). MS
[46] CZECH DISPUTE OVER ROMANY COUNCIL LINEUP CONTINUES
On 12 February, Deputy Premier Pavel Rychetsky appointed nine new
Romany members to the governmental Council for Romany Community Affairs
and the lineup of the council has thus been completed, CTK reported,
citing a spokeswoman for Rychetsky's office. The council has 28
members, half of whom are representatives of the Romany community from
each region in the Czech Republic, and the remainder are deputy
ministers of various key ministries. Romany Civic Initiative (ROI)
Chairman Stefan Licartovsky said the government's appointees are "young
people who do not...represent anyone." Roman Kristof, deputy chairman
of the council, said in response that the appointments were made after
consultations with representatives of many Romany civic associations.
He also said that ROI is registered as a political party and therefore
cannot be represented on a governmental advisory body (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 12 February 2002). MS
[47] SLOVAK DEPUTY PREMIER LEARNS FROM CZECH COUNTERPART
Rychetsky and his Slovak counterpart Pal Csaky said after a meeting in
Prague on 12 February that relations between their countries are
"unparalleled" anywhere in the world and continue to be "above
standard," CTK and TASR reported. Csaky said he has consulted Rychetsky
on issues on which Prague is ahead of Bratislava because it tackled
them earlier. Csaky said the current Slovak government is unlikely to
produce legislation on compensating Holocaust victims during its
remaining mandate, but that his preliminary report will propose using
the Czech model for using privatization revenues to that purpose. He
said Prague has made "visible progress" and that racially motivated
attacks on Roma are in decline, but added that the problem cannot be
solved quickly, and "will remain with us after our entry to the EU." MS
[48] SLOVAK PRESIDENT TRIES TO SOOTHE NATO WORRIES...
President Rudolf Schuster told Dieter Stoeckmann, assistant commander
of NATO forces in Europe, on 12 February that despite the current
"turbulent political situation" there is no threat of a political
crisis in Slovakia, CTK reported. In a reference to the likely
no-confidence vote in Deputy Premier Ivan Miklos, Schuster said there
is no threat of an early election and that Slovakia's orientation to
the EU and NATO will not change. Citing Schuster, presidential
spokesman Jan Fuele said that "even possible changes in the government
will not mean a change [in Slovakia's orientation]." Stoeckmann said
that while NATO "is not afraid," there are "some minor worries about
developments in Slovakia in the days to come and after the autumn
elections." MS
[49] ...BUT THOSE WORRIES MOUNT
After talks among representatives of the coalition on 12 February,
Civic Understanding Party (SOP) Chairman Pavol Hamzik said that neither
his formation nor the Party of the Democratic Left have given any
guarantees on how they would vote on Miklos's ouster, CTK reported.
Hamzik said that Miklos "does not enjoy our confidence, but we shall
take into consideration all circumstances and approach the vote
responsibly." He added that the SOP is "not interested in the
government's fall." MS
[50] SLOVAK PREMIER'S BROTHER DENIES WRONGDOING
Miroslav Dzurinda, the brother of Premier Mikulas Dzurinda, said on 12
February that the media campaign launched against him is in fact aimed
at discrediting the premier, CTK reported. Miroslav Dzurinda denied
that any illegalities were committed in connection with his purchase of
a luxury flat from the Slovak railway company ZSR, where he is employed
in a managerial post. He said he intends to sue newspapers who allege
otherwise, and to donate the compensation damages to a children's
oncological clinic. Premier Dzurinda has asked the Supreme Audit Office
to investigate the case. MS
[51] HUNGARIAN, SLOVAK FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS STATUS LAW IN ISTANBUL
Janos Martonyi and his Slovak counterpart Eduard Kukan, meeting in
Istanbul on 12 February, agreed on the need to continue talks on a
declaration dealing with the implementation in Slovakia of Hungary's
Status Law, and on finding a mutually acceptable solution. Martonyi
said Hungary continues to press for an agreement, adding that the
Status Law has no extraterritorial effect, nor does Hungary intend to
apply the law on the territory of foreign countries. According to
"Magyar Nemzet," in an official letter to Hungarian Foreign Ministry
State Secretary Zsolt Nemeth, Slovakia has rejected a Hungarian
proposal that the right of kin-states to support ethnic minorities
abroad be included in the envisaged bilateral declaration. MSZ
[52] MIEP PARLIAMENTARY CANDIDATE ASSAULTED IN BUDAPEST
Two men with baseball bats on 11 February beat and seriously injured
Janos Olah, a Hungarian Justice and Life Party (MIEP) candidate for
parliament. Olah was lured to a side street in Budapest's 13th district
by a man who offered him "recommendation slips" that parliamentary
members have to gather in their own constituency to qualify for April's
national elections. MIEP spokesman Bela Gyori said that "while the
police are trying to sweep this case under the carpet, there is no
doubt Olah was attacked because of his political views," Hungarian and
international media reported. According to Gyori, the attackers
referred to Olah's party affiliation, used abusive language, and urged
him to get out of the neighborhood. MSZ
[53] HUNGARY, RUSSIA TO JOINTLY EXPLOIT SIBERIAN OILFIELD
Hungary's MOL and Russia's Yukos oil and gas companies have agreed to
set up a joint venture to exploit the Zapadno-Malobalyk oilfield in
Siberia, the two companies announced on 12 February in Budapest. The
managers of the two companies said the cost of the project is $350
million, and the joint venture is to be controlled in equal shares. The
capacity of the field is 10,000 barrels per day, which could be
increased to 55,000 per day over the next three years, allowing
Hungary's MOL to double its oil production. MOL Executive Director
Gyorgy Mosonyi said the Hungarian company will invest $15-20 million at
the end of this year or the beginning of next year, while the remaining
amount will be covered with profits from the operation. According to
the development plan, the two companies will drill some 300 wells,
build 100 kilometers of pipelines, and 60 kilometers of roads for the
field, Hungarian media reported. MSZ
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[54] TRIAL OF SERBIA'S EX-DICTATOR ENTERS SECOND DAY
In The Hague on 13 February, Prosecutor Geoffrey Nice told the
International Criminal Tribunal that former President Slobodan
Milosevic oversaw a command structure that carried out war crimes in
Croatia and Bosnia, RFE/RL reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 12 February
2002). Nice noted that in 1991 and 1992, "there was a heavy
preponderance of military crime being committed coming from the East,
coming from Serbia, in the name of the [Yugoslav army]." The prosecutor
added that local Serbs "declaring their autonomy or independence
weren't just doing it for themselves. They were doing it in order to be
joined to something else. Was it purely fortuitous that they wanted to
be joined to something that was going to be headed by this accused? Or
was he, as we say, for all the reasons already advanced, a party to
precisely that plan?" Nice noted that in regard to Bosnia "we accept
that our proof against this accused, at this stage, for complicity in
these awful events [during the siege of Sarajevo], is via his support
for the Republika Srpska and via support for its army. We do not, of
course, exclude the possibility of being able to go further in due
course." PM
[55] SERBIAN EX-LEADER'S BACKERS DENY CHARGES
Speaking to RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service in The
Hague on 13 February, Vladimir Krsljanin, who is an official of
Milosevic's Socialist Party of Serbia, said that the prosecutors have
no proof to back their charges. He stressed that the trial is political
in nature and that the evidence regarding the Trnopolje concentration
camp was "staged." Krsljanin called for an investigation of war crimes
by Kosovars, Muslims, and Croats. He denied that there was any
"criminal plan" by Milosevic, since "there were crimes on all sides."
PM
[56] MIXED REACTIONS TO TRIAL IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
The media and many politicians throughout former Yugoslavia followed
the developments in The Hague on 12 February carefully, as did many
ordinary people, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported. But with the exception of some people who were directly
affected by Milosevic's war crimes, most people seemed more interested
in getting on with their daily affairs. The issue of war crimes is
generally not one that hurts or helps politicians throughout a region
in which most people are concerned primarily with their standard of
living and their future. In Belgrade, the Yugoslav federal parliament
adjourned so that deputies could follow the proceedings on television.
More than 1,000 journalists covered the trial from The Hague. PM
[57] COMMENTS ON THE TRIAL FROM SERBS...
Speaking in Belgrade on 12 February, Serbian Prime Minister Zoran
Djindjic said that his country, "as a member of the United Nations,
cannot comment as to whether the accusations [against Milosevic] are
well founded or not," RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages
Service reported. Reuters reported from Fushe Kosova that local Serbs
still remember Milosevic fondly as the man who "gave us strength...for
survival" against the 90 percent ethnic Albanian majority. One man
added that Milosevic "fought against terrorism... He was not a killer,
he did not burn down houses." Another argued that "Serbs did not have a
better life than during his rule." Yet another man said that "the
people were very satisfied with what they heard from him and what he
promised. Whatever he promised he fulfilled." Other Serbs blamed the
current leadership, but not Milosevic, for their problems, adding that
"he meant well but he went about it the wrong way." "Die Welt" wrote on
13 February that most ordinary Serbs regard the trial as a farce or a
frame-up and blame Milosevic mainly for ruining the Serbian economy, if
for anything. PM
[58] ...AND FROM OTHERS
In Zagreb on 12 February, the Croatian government expressed
satisfaction with the trial, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Service
reported. Officials said Croatia has supplied over 1,000 documents and
100 audio and video tapes as evidence. It has also sent to The Hague
some 806 documents requested by the tribunal in conjunction with the
case against General Rahim Ademi and other Croatian military men. In
Sarajevo, the office of High Representative Wolfgang Petritsch said in
a statement that the Milosevic trial is a "historic opportunity" to
identify those responsible for war crimes. "Dnevni avaz" wrote on 13
February that if Milosevic is found guilty, the international community
should withdraw recognition from the Republika Srpska, which was "his
project" (see "RFE/RL South Slavic Report," 10 and 17 January 2002). PM
[59] MONTENEGRIN MINISTER: MORE THAN ONE MAN IS ON TRIAL
Montenegrin Foreign Minister Branko Lukovac wrote in Podgorica's
"Vijesti" of 13 February that the trial gives many an opportunity to
look back on their own deeds during the years of Milosevic's rule.
Lukovac called especially on those Montenegrins who have not abandoned
Serbian nationalist attitudes to re-examine their ideas once again. The
minister stressed that "this trial is not the trial of one individual,
regardless of what is said. This is the trial of a government and its
policies -- and directly or indirectly, of all those who took part in
that government and in implementing those policies. One way or another.
Both then and now." PM
[60] U.S. BALKAN DIPLOMAT: I AM WILLING TO TESTIFY
Richard Holbrooke told BBC Television in London on 12 February that he
is willing to testify against Milosevic in The Hague. Holbrooke denied
Milosevic's assertion that the American offered him a deal in return
for his support of the Dayton peace agreement. PM
[61] CONCERN WITH OTHER WAR CRIMINALS IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
"Vesti" reported on 13 February that former General Dragoljub Ojdanic,
who commanded the Serbian General Staff during the Kosova campaign, is
preparing his defense with over 2,000 pages of documents. He has been
indicted by The Hague but is living in Serbia, reportedly in army
housing. In Banja Luka, an official of The Hague-based tribunal said
SFOR and the authorities of the Republika Srpska are both obliged to
help arrest and extradite war criminals, Deutsche Welle's Bosnian
Service reported. He added that no one should expect to gain anything
by stalling. PM
[62] BOSNIAN LEGISLATORS INFORMED ABOUT TERROR SUSPECTS
The Sarajevo daily "Oslobodjenje" wrote on 13 February that the Bosnian
authorities have given members of the House of Deputies information on
the hunt for suspected terrorists in Bosnia. Acting on a tip-off from
the government in Cairo, the authorities are currently looking for
seven naturalized citizens of Egyptian origin. PM
[63] BOSNIAN CROATS TO INSIST ON BICAMERAL LEGISLATURES
Members of seven ethnic Croat political parties agreed in Sarajevo that
they will insist that any proposed constitutional changes in the two
entities include the establishment of an upper House of Nations in
addition to a lower House of Deputies, Deutsche Welle's Bosnian Service
reported on 13 February. The creation of an upper house would guarantee
representation for the Croats, who are the smallest of the three main
ethnic communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Before the 1992-1995
conflict, they accounted for about 18 percent of the total. Many are
believed to have since emigrated to Croatia or further afield. PM
[64] MONTENEGRIN AND YUGOSLAV PRESIDENTS MEET
Zoran Sami, who is a top official of Yugoslav President Vojislav
Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), said in Belgrade on 13
February that Kostunica met in the Serbian capital the previous night
with Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported. Unnamed sources in Podgorica added
that the meeting came at Kostunica's suggestion and lasted for half an
hour in the Yugoslav president's office. PM
[65] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT IN JAPAN
Ion Iliescu on 13 February was the guest of Japanese Emperor Akihito
for lunch at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, where he took the
opportunity to invite Princess Nori to visit Romania, AFP reported.
Iliescu said that this year Romania will commemorate the 100th
anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, and would
like the princess to visit on the occasion. Earlier, Iliescu met with
Japanese businessmen. He was to meet Premier Junichiro Koizumi later on
13 February. MS
[66] ROMANIAN RULING PARTY, OPPOSITION LIBERALS DISCUSS CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENTS
Prime Minister Adrian Nastase and National Liberal Party (PNL) Chairman
Valeriu Stoica discussed on 12 February envisaged constitutional
amendments, RFE/RL's Bucharest bureau reported. Nastase said after the
meeting that his own Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the PNL have
"different positions" on several issues on the agenda. While the PNL
has submitted to the parliament a draft bill on the financing of
political parties, the PSD believes a single bill dealing with both
that issue and the functioning of political parties in general should
be part of the envisaged amendments. The premier emphasized that the
main achievement of the meeting rested on a "return to normalcy" in the
relations between the governing party and the opposition. But he added
that in view of the "callous" and "unfair" attacks on the PSD by the
Democratic Party and the Greater Romania Party, no similar
consultations are envisaged with those formations. MS
[67] MOLDOVAN EDUCATION MINISTER OUSTS 'HISTORY OF ROMANIANS'
Ilie Vancea signed a document on 12 February endorsing a government
draft proposal on teaching history in schools, RFE/RL's Chisinau bureau
reported. The draft stipulates that "History of Romanians" courses will
be replaced by courses in which the "History of Moldovans" will be
taught. The regulation applies to schools as well as to universities.
The government was to discuss the draft on 13 February. MS
[68] COUNCIL OF EUROPE WELCOMES ANNULMENT OF PPCD SUSPENSION
Council of Europe Secretary-General Walter Schwimmer on 12 February
welcomed the decision of the Chisinau government to abolish its
decision to suspend the Popular Party Christian Democratic for one
month, Flux reported. Schwimmer called the nullification of the
suspension "a first step in the direction of making the early local
elections respect democratic values, norms, and practice." MS
[69] VENICE COMMISSION ASSESSING MOLDOVAN CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
A delegation of the European Commission for Democracy Through Law --
better known as the Venice Commission -- arrived in Moldova on 12
February at the invitation of the parliament to assess draft amendments
to the Moldovan Constitution, ITAR-TASS reported. Last week, the
parliament approved legislation aimed at bringing Moldova's basic
document into line with the legislation granting autonomous status to
the Gagauz-Yeri region. The law granting that status was approved in
1994. Gagauz-Yeri National Assembly Chairman Mihail Kendegelian says
the proposed amendments are not satisfactory and that the constitution
should grant his region's representatives a quota in the Chisinau
parliament and in central Moldovan institutions. Chisinau is currently
supporting a referendum to oust Gagauz-Yeri Governor Dumitru Croitor,
whose supporters include Kendegelian. MS
[70] BULGARIAN CABINET SURVIVES NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE
The cabinet headed by Simeon Saxecoburggotski easily survived on 13
February a no-confidence vote submitted by the opposition United
Democratic Forces (ODS), international agencies reported. Only 50
deputies supported the motion, while 134 voted against it and 45
deputies -- mostly from the Socialist Party -- abstained. The motion
was initiated in response to the government's decision to introduce a
value-added tax on Bulgarian-produced medicine (see "End Note," "RFE/RL
Newsline," 11 February 2002). The government said the tax complies with
EU standards. The motion's defeat notwithstanding, a survey carried by
the National Center on Public Opinion shows that 61 percent of
Bulgarians disapprove of the government's performance. If elections
were held now, Saxecoburggotski's National Movement Simeon II would
garner only 15 percent of the vote, compared with 18 percent for the
Socialist-dominated Coalition for Bulgaria, and 14 percent for the ODS.
MS
[71] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER IN SOFIA
Visiting Greek Defense Minister Yannos Papantoniou said in Sofia on 12
February that his country wants all East European candidates to be
admitted to NATO, AP reported. Papantoniou added that Greece also
supports the "gradual admission" into the organization of Russia and
Ukraine, saying that Athens "wants no more division lines in Europe."
He spoke after meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Nikolai Svinarov.
MS
[72] BULGARIA'S FOREIGN DEBT NEARS $10 BILLION
Bulgaria's foreign debt totaled $9.894 billion at the end of 2001,
representing 73.3 percent of its GDP, dpa reported on 12 February,
citing the Bulgarian National Bank. The bank said the debt dropped by
$470 million compared to the previous year. MS
[73] WINTER OLYMPICS MEDAL COUNT--PART 2 COUNTRIES
Through 12 FEBRUARY
CountryGoldSilverBronzeTotal
Estonia1012
Czech Rep.0011
Poland0011
Belarus0000
Bosnia-Herzeg.0000
Bulgaria0000
Croatia0000
Hungary0000
Latvia0000
Lithuania0000
Macedonia0000
Moldova0000
Romania0000
Slovakia0000
Slovenia0000
Ukraine0000
Yugoslavia0000
END NOTE
[74] There is no End Note today.
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