|
|
|
RFE/RL Newsline, 02-08-02
CONTENTS
[01] MARGELOV: RUSSIA MAY CONDUCT MILITARY ACTION IN PANKISI GORGE
[02] RUSSIA BEGINS CASPIAN MILITARY EXERCISES
[03] FACTORY DISPUTES AMBASSADOR'S CHARGES
[04] PROPERTY MINISTRY OFFICIAL ARRESTED FOR FRAUD
[05] RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATERS VOW TO SUE OVER U.S. TELEVISION
[06] ...AS ALLEGED MOBSTER, RUSSIAN SKATING OFFICIALS DENY ROLE IN
[07] PUTIN'S HIGH APPROVAL RATING HOLDS STEADY
[08] PRESIDENT PULLS OUT HIS WALLET
[09] RUSSIA'S WOODEN HERITAGE IN DANGER
[10] U.S. MULLS CAVIAR EMBARGO
[11] ESPIONAGE CONVICTION, SENTENCE UPHELD
[12] MAYOR, CITY DUMA SQUARE OFF IN AZOV
[13] DEPUTY: LEGAL REFORMS OFF TO GOOD START
[14] KOZAK LINES UP OLIGARCHS' SUPPORT...
[15] ...AS GOVERNMENT HOPES TO WIN BATTLE AGAINST PRESIDENTIAL
[16] ...AND FEES FOR MINERAL RESOURCES WILL BE DOUBLED
[17] MOSCOW-BASED ENTITIES DOMINATE REGISTRATION OF RUSSIAN DOMAIN
[18] TATAR GROUPS FORM COMMON FRONT AGAINST MOSCOW
[19] RUTSKOI TO STAGE ANOTHER COMEBACK?
[20] CENSUS TAKERS START SMALL
[21] ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SIGNS LAW REVERSING EARLIER ELECTORAL REFORMS
[22] ARMENIAN WTO MEMBERSHIP APPEARS MORE LIKELY
[23] ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH NEW WORLD BANK OFFICIAL
[24] AZERBAIJAN JOINS RUSSIAN MILITARY EXERCISE ON CASPIAN SEA
[25] GEORGIAN FINANCE MINISTER CALLS FOR CREATION OF NEW FINANCIAL
[26] ABKHAZ OFFICIAL ACCUSES GEORGIAN TROOPS OF PREPARING NEW OFFENSIVE
[27] KAZAKH PRESIDENT PREPARES GROUND FOR LAND-OWNERSHIP LAW
[28] KYRGYZ SECURITY CHIEF BACKTRACKS ON IMU WARNINGS
[29] BISHKEK DEFENDS RECORD ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH
[30] KYRGYZ IN UZBEKISTAN APPEAL TO BISHKEK FOR AID AND SUPPORT
[31] MORE MEDICAL AID DELIVERED TO TAJIKISTAN
[32] TAJIK ISLAMIC PARTY DENIES LINKS TO PRO-TALIBAN DETAINEES
[33] UZBEK DRUG ADDICTION RISING
[34] BELARUS FAILS TO END 'BATTLE FOR THE HARVEST' ON SCHEDULE...
[35] ...AS RUSSIA SLAMS BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT'S DEMAND FOR FUEL
[36] MINSK BRANDS U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S 2001 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT AS
[37] U.S. SAYS NO EVIDENCE OF UKRAINE'S ARMS SALES TO IRAQ
[38] UKRAINE SUSPENDS WORK AT 63 MINES OVER SAFETY CONCERNS
[39] U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VISITS ESTONIA
[40] RIGA, MOSCOW DISCUSS GREATER COOPERATION
[41] LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH KALININGRAD GOVERNOR
[42] POLAND'S SOLIDARITY FORMS TASK FORCE TO RESCUE AILING PLANTS
[43] POLAND NEEDS $245 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN CONTROL OF EASTERN BORDER
[44] POLISH GOVERNMENT WORKS ON PROGRAM FOR ROMA
[45] POLAND COMMEMORATES WARSAW UPRISING ANNIVERSARY
[46] COURT ANNULS APPOINTMENT OF CZECH TELEVISION DIRECTOR
[47] CZECH PRIME MINISTER INVITES ROMA TO STAY, HELP ADDRESS
[48] ...AS COMMISSION RECOMMENDS WITHDRAWING RETROACTIVE BENEFITS
[49] CZECH POLICE GO SHOPPING, NET 50 KILOGRAMS OF SEMTEX...
[50] ...WHILE CZECH DAILY TRACES SEMTEX IN SRBA AFFAIR TO A WELL-DIGGER
[51] CZECH DAILY, CITING ANNAN AND RICE, QUESTIONS KAVAN'S CLAIM TO
[52] SUSPECTED SLOVAK CRIME BOSS REPORTEDLY UNOPPOSED TO EXTRADITION
[53] HUNGARIAN PREMIER DENIES ANY WRONGDOING AS COMMUNIST
[54] FORMER HUNGARIAN MINISTERS WITH SECRET-SERVICE PAST COULD BE NAMED
[55] FORMER HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER'S ASSET DECLARATION CLEARED
[56] HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION DAILY SAYS GOVERNMENT WANTS IT SHUT DOWN
[57] CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER CALLS ON YUGOSLAVIA TO PULL BACK TROOPS
[58] ...BUT BELGRADE SAYS 'NOT YET'
[59] CROATIAN GOVERNMENT LOOKS FOR MISSING MILLIONS
[60] CROATIA AND BOSNIA SEEK FRONTIER AGREEMENT
[61] TERROR-RELATED CHARGES FILED AGAINST FORMER BOSNIAN INTELLIGENCE
[62] BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES MEDIA LAW
[63] MOVES TO HALT DYSFUNCTIONAL POLITICS IN SERBIA?
[64] OSCE CHALLENGES MONTENEGRIN LAWS
[65] PARTIAL RE-VOTE IN BUJANOVAC
[66] SERBIA TREATS BORDER WITH KOSOVA AS A STATE FRONTIER
[67] KOSOVARS WANT REPRESENTATION AT UN MEETINGS
[68] KOSOVAR CABINET CONDEMNS KLOKOT INCIDENT
[69] HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS A BRANCH OF THE ALBANIAN ECONOMY
[70] FORMER ETHNIC ALBANIAN GUERRILLA LEADERS MEET WITH FAMILIES OF
[71] ANOTHER DRIVE-BY SHOOTING OF AN ETHNIC ALBANIAN IN MACEDONIA
[72] ROMANIA, U.S. SIGN AGREEMENT ON EXEMPTING U.S. PEACEKEEPERS FROM
[73] U.S. SUPPORTS OSCE PLANS FOR A FEDERATIVE MOLDOVA
[74] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE FIRED UPON
[75] RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO MOLDOVA SATISFIED WITH BILATERAL RELATIONS
[76] MOLDOVAN COMMUNISTS CHOOSE CANDIDATE FOR GAGAUZ GOVERNOR
[77] BULGARIA MAY START 'EXPERIMENTAL' MISSILE-DESTRUCTION NEXT WEEK
[78] BULGARIAN DUTIES ON IMPORTED VEGETABLES SHARPLY INCREASED
[79] There is no End Note today.
2 August 2002
RUSSIA
[01] MARGELOV: RUSSIA MAY CONDUCT MILITARY ACTION IN PANKISI GORGE
Speaking to journalists in Pskov on 1 August, Mikhail Margelov, head of
the Federation Council's Foreign Relations Committee, said that
President Vladimir Putin might ask the council for approval to conduct
a military operation against "terrorists" in Georgia's Pankisi Gorge,
ORT reported. Margelov added that such an operation could be carried
out only after consultation with "Russia's partners in the
international antiterrorism coalition and the United Nations Security
Council." The commander of the Russian Airborne Troops, Colonel General
Georgii Shpak, told ORT the same day that his units are ready for such
operation "if they get the order." Kakha Imnadze, press secretary of
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, told RIA-Novosti on 2 August
that Margelov's statement "is, in fact, a call for war." Imnadze said
he hopes Putin will not make such a request of the Federation Council
and added that Georgia has proposed creating a joint commission for
investigating the alleged violations of Georgia's airspace by Russian
aircraft. VY
[02] RUSSIA BEGINS CASPIAN MILITARY EXERCISES
Russian armed forces on 1 August began their biggest military exercises
on the Caspian Sea since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian news
agencies reported. The exercises involve more than 60 combat ships and
10,000 marines, as well as border-guard and railroad units and
detachments of the Emergency Situations Ministry, the Interior
Ministry, and the Federal Security Service (FSB). According to Foreign
Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko, the purpose of the exercises is
to enhance regional stability and security in the face of possible
terrorist attacks. However, some independent observers believe that the
exercises are intended to demonstrate Russia's presence and ambitions
in the oil-rich region, the BBC's Russian Service commented on 2
August. President Putin authorized the drills in April following a
summit at which the leaders of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran,
and Azerbaijan failed to resolve problems related to dividing up the
Caspian Sea resources. RTR reported on 2 August that Russian military
strength in the region far exceeds that of the other four littoral
states. VY
[03] FACTORY DISPUTES AMBASSADOR'S CHARGES
Managers of the Urals Electronics Factory are considering filing a
defamation suit against U.S. Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow
for his claims that the plant produces pirate CDs (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 1 August 2002), strana.ru reported on 2 August. According to
local media in Yekaterinburg, the plant held a press conference on 1
August at which managers said Vershbow's charges are "completely
unfounded" and that controls exist at the plant to prevent unauthorized
CD production. A spokesman admitted that the plant does not have a
current license to produce CDs, but said that its application has been
submitted and it expects to receive the license this month. The plant
produces about 10 percent of Russia's audio CDs and 80 percent of its
multimedia discs. The U.S. Embassy issued a press release saying that
Russia's inability to protect intellectual property threatens foreign
investment and the development of the domestic entertainment industry.
VY
[04] PROPERTY MINISTRY OFFICIAL ARRESTED FOR FRAUD
The FSB on 1 August announced the arrest of Linar Zinatullin, a former
senior official of the Property Relations Ministry, on charges of
fraud, ntvru.com reported. Zinatullin allegedly caused the state
damages in the amount of $3 million. According to the investigators,
Zinatullin intentionally lowered the value of the state's shares in a
luxury hotel in the fashionable resort of Sochi, and, as a result, the
hotel allegedly came under the control of an organized-crime group. VY
[05] RUSSIAN FIGURE SKATERS VOW TO SUE OVER U.S. TELEVISION
COVERAGE...
Russian Olympic champions Anton Sikharulidze and Yelena Berezhnaya said
on 2 August that they plan to sue some unspecified U.S. television
networks for news reports they broadcast alleging that figure-skating
competitions were fixed at the Salt Lake City Winter Games, Russian and
international media reported. "I saw our pictures appearing on the
screen while they were talking about some kind of Russian mafia," AP
quoted Sikharulidze as saying on Russian television. The two pairs
skaters were mentioned in media reports pertaining to the arrest in
Italy on 31 July of Alimzhan Tokhtakhunov, a Russian citizen who is
accused of scheming with Russian and French skating officials to rig
the pairs and ice-dance competitions in February (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 1 August 2002). Sikharulidze and Berezhnaya narrowly won the
pairs competition in a hotly disputed decision that led to a second
gold medal to be awarded to Canada's Jamie Sale and David Pelletier.
"It's time for the Canadian and U.S. people to calm down and be happy
with the [duplicate] gold medals they were given as a gift,"
Sikharulidze said. MES
[06] ...AS ALLEGED MOBSTER, RUSSIAN SKATING OFFICIALS DENY ROLE IN
OLYMPICS SCANDAL
According to AP, after meeting with his client at an Italian prison on
2 August, Tokhtakhunov's lawyer Luca Saldarelli said: "He's absolutely
surprised. He doesn't know anything about the Salt Lake City Olympic
Games. He's not even a fan of figure skating." On 1 August, Italian
police released transcripts of wiretapped telephone conversations "in
which the suspect indicates that six judges might have been involved,"
according to police Colonel Giovanni Mainolfi. ITAR-TASS reported on 2
August that the Italian police had been tracking Tokhtakhunov for
allegedly transferring $50 million from the Bank of New York to
offshore accounts from 1996-2001. Russian Olympic Committee (ROC)
spokesman Gennadii Shvets told AP on 2 August that the charges against
Tokhtakhunov are "absolutely stupid" and as "funny as a cartoon." On 2
August, French Skating Federation President Didier Gailhaguet denied
having any "contact direct or indirect, either before, during, or after
the Olympic Games with Mr. Tokhtakhunov, concerning the events in
question," but did say he met with Tokhtakhunov in the spring of 2000
to discuss the Russian's proposal to sponsor a Paris hockey club. MES
[07] PUTIN'S HIGH APPROVAL RATING HOLDS STEADY
According to the latest poll by the All-Russian Center for the Study of
Public Opinion (VTsIOM), 73 percent of Russians approve of President
Putin's performance, a figure that has held remarkably steady over the
two years of his presidency, RosBalt reported on 2 August. Twenty
percent said that they disapprove. Meanwhile, 43 percent approve of
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, while 38 percent disapprove. Asked
whom they trust most, 50 percent of respondents named Putin, while 18
percent named Emergency Situations Minister and Unity party head Sergei
Shoigu. Communist Party leader Gennadii Zyuganov came in third with 14
percent support. Twenty-one percent of respondents said they trust no
one. VTsIOM surveyed 1,600 people in 33 Russian regions. RC
[08] PRESIDENT PULLS OUT HIS WALLET
President Putin signed an order releasing 100 million rubles ($3.2
million) from the Presidential Reserve Fund to provide assistance to
disadvantaged children and to help restore historical landmarks,
RosBalt reported on 2 August. According to the report, a home for
orphans will be built under the auspices of the Education Ministry in
the Krasnoyarsk Krai village of Divnogorsk, and a rehabilitation center
for children will be opened in Novgorod Oblast. About 3 million rubles
were set aside for reconstruction work at the Kirillo-Belozerskii
Monastery in Central Russia, and funds were also earmarked for
landmarks in Novgorod, Pskov, and Vladimir oblasts. RC
[09] RUSSIA'S WOODEN HERITAGE IN DANGER
With an enormous number of wild fires burning out of control throughout
Russia (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 August 2002), "Vek," No. 25, published
a long report on the important monuments of wooden architecture that
are lost to fires each year. The paper reported that such buildings,
often located in remote areas, burn extremely quickly and firefighters
are rarely able to save anything once a blaze starts. Last month, an
18th-century wooden church in Nizhnii Novgorod was destroyed and
officials suspect arson. Earlier this year, another 18th-century
landmark on the national historical register burned to the ground in
the Perm Oblast village of Kurashii. The paper claimed that up to 250
such monuments are destroyed by fire each year. RC
[10] U.S. MULLS CAVIAR EMBARGO
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opened on 1 August a 90-day comment
period on a proposal to ban imports of beluga caviar, dpa reported. The
proposal is a response to evidence that this species of sturgeon is
endangered that was presented to the service by environmental groups
including the Natural Resources Defense Council, SeaWeb, and the
Wildlife Conservation Society. The groups launched a campaign in
December 2000 called Caviar Emptor seeking a halt in the international
trade in beluga sturgeon products (http://www.caviaremptor.org).
According to the agency, Russia is expected vigorously to oppose the
proposed ban, despite the fact that the amount of caviar available for
export to the United States from Russia is relatively small. JAC
[11] ESPIONAGE CONVICTION, SENTENCE UPHELD
The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and 14-year sentence handed
down to businessman Viktor Kalyadin in October 2001 (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 30 May and 10 July 2002), RIA-Novosti reported on 1 August.
Kalyadin was arrested in 1999 on charges of handing over classified
information to U.S. agents and has already served more than 3 1/2 years
in jail. During this time, he has suffered three heart attacks and
undergone heart surgery. His lawyers said they will appeal the latest
ruling to the presidium of the Supreme Court. VY
[12] MAYOR, CITY DUMA SQUARE OFF IN AZOV
A court in the Rostov Oblast city of Azov will soon issue its verdict
in an unprecedented lawsuit filed by Azov Mayor Yevgenii Lesnyak
against the Azov City Duma, "Izvestiya" reported on 1 August. According
to the report, the duma in March adopted a resolution expressing its
dissatisfaction with the work of the city administration during 2001.
Lesnyak vetoed the resolution, but the duma overrode his veto and
Lesnyak filed suit, claiming that the poor report "harmed his honor and
his business reputation," the daily quoted the head of Lesnyak's press
service, Nikolai Novikov, as saying. "The mayor is challenging not only
the content of the duma's resolution, but the right of the duma to
evaluate the work of the executive branch as well." Deputies criticized
the administration for energy shortages in the winter of 2000-01, for
not cleaning city streets properly, and for not resolving
public-transportation problems. "We have told the mayor many times not
to appoint people to high posts just because they helped him get
elected," said Deputy Nadezhda Negodaeva, according to the daily. The
court is expected to issue its decision on 14 August. RC
[13] DEPUTY: LEGAL REFORMS OFF TO GOOD START
Recent amendments to the Criminal Procedural Code have begun to show
positive results, Duma Deputy and member of the Duma's Legislation
Committee Yelena Mizulina (Union of Rightist Forces) said on 31 July,
RosBalt reported. Mizulina said that although the changes come into
effect gradually over the entire course of 2002, already "the number of
people arrested in Moscow each day has decreased considerably and the
number of requests for arrest warrants has fallen by 20 percent."
Mizulina said, however, that the "most fearsome and biggest opposition
to the president comes from law enforcement agencies." She added that
her committee is also closely monitoring the impact of recent judicial
reforms. RC
[14] KOZAK LINES UP OLIGARCHS' SUPPORT...
Following Yukos head Mikhail Khodorkovskii's expression of support for
amendments to the law on mineral resources proposed by the commission
headed by deputy presidential administration head Dmitrii Kozak (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 1 August 2002), another influential Russian
businessman spoke out in favor of the legislation, ITAR-TASS reported
on 1 August. Alfa Group Chairman Mikhail Fridman said on 1 August that
the design of the bill is "absolutely healthy and effective." He added
that the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, of which he
is a member, will "undoubtedly support it." According to Fridman, the
chief idea of the amendments is to transfer the basis of relations
between the developers of deposits and the government from the current
practice of the government giving out a license to one in which the two
parties conclude a legal agreement. "It doesn't matter whether it's
called a concession or a licensing agreement. What is important is that
the government cannot tear it up unilaterally," he said. JAC
[15] ...AS GOVERNMENT HOPES TO WIN BATTLE AGAINST PRESIDENTIAL
ADMINISTRATION...
Meanwhile, in an interview with "Gazeta" on 31 July, Dmitrii Badovskii,
an expert with the Institute on Social Systems, said that Prime
Minister Kasyanov decided to challenge the Kozak commission's concept
for administrative reform because he decided that if the reform process
is impossible to stop, then "it is necessary to lead it." Badovskii
confirmed that some members of the government oppose Kozak's proposed
reforms. However, the government is unable to block the commission's
suggestions, since it works within the framework the president's orders
and instructions. JAC
[16] ...AND FEES FOR MINERAL RESOURCES WILL BE DOUBLED
Although the Kozak version of the law on natural resources envisages
that mineral deposits belong not to state but to the company exploiting
them, it will also double the current fees for the use of mineral
resources, "Vedomosti" and other Russian news agencies reported on 2
August. The draft law also stipulates that the Natural Resources
Ministry must convert all existing licenses to the new system, keeping
intact their initial conditions. VY
[17] MOSCOW-BASED ENTITIES DOMINATE REGISTRATION OF RUSSIAN DOMAIN
NAMES
The total number of domain names registered within the "ru" zone jumped
to around 135,000 as of 1 August -- more than double the number
registered at the same time last year, Interfax reported on 1 August,
citing the press service of the Russian Scientific and Research
Institute for the Development of Public Communications. The total
jumped by 60,000 in 2001, while another 112,000 were added in the first
half of this year, the agency reported. According to the agency, more
than 66 percent of "ru" domain names are registered in Moscow, while
St. Petersburg has 5.8 percent of the total. Some 60 percent of the
registered domain names belong to legal entities, while less than 1
percent are being used by individual entrepreneurs. JAC
[18] TATAR GROUPS FORM COMMON FRONT AGAINST MOSCOW
A number of Tatarstan government officials, including President
Mintimer Shaimiev, held a closed-door meeting in Kazan on 30 July with
leaders of Tatar civic and political organizations to discuss the
current political situation in the republic, as well as recent trends
in relations with Moscow, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported on 31 July.
The leader of the Tatar Public Center, Rashit Yagafarov, told reporters
following the meeting that those present had discussed possible
cooperation between the Tatar government and Tatar political groups to
preserve the republic's statehood. According to "Kommersant-Daily" on 2
August, Shaimiev invited the representatives of the nationalist groups
to "more actively defend the republic's sovereignty." Farit
Khabibullin, head of the People's Front for the Defense of Human Rights
and the Sovereignty of Tatarstan, said the president was told that all
the national public organizations had already decided to form a
people's front and currently there are already nine organizations in
this movement. According to the daily, the nationalist groups also
expressed their support for Shaimiev's statement that the republic does
not intend to introduce any more changes into its constitution. JAC
[19] RUTSKOI TO STAGE ANOTHER COMEBACK?
Aleksandr Rutskoi, a former Kursk Oblast governor and vice president
under Boris Yeltsin, is planning to run for mayor of Kursk in elections
scheduled for June 2003, regions.ru reported on 1 August, citing
Sovtest Online. According to the site, an unofficial headquarters for
Rutskoi has already unofficially started work. Local political analysts
reckon that while 50 percent of the electorate might support him, the
other half would vote for anyone but him. Meanwhile, the current mayor
of Kursk, Sergei Maltsev, said that the current criminal investigation
pending against him for having spent city budget funds to purchase an
Audi-A8 is the result of a political "order," and that he is guilty of
nothing (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 26 July 2002). JAC
[20] CENSUS TAKERS START SMALL
Early census taking continued on 1 August among one of the numerically
smallest ethnic groups in Russia, the Tofa, who live in three remote
villages in the Eastern Sayan Mountains in Krasnoyarsk Krai,
Interfax-Eurasia reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 June 2002). The
villages can only be accessed from the outside during the summer.
Traditionally, the Tofa were hunters and reindeer herders. According to
the last national census in 1989, there were only 600 ethnic Tofas
left, and that number is expected to have dwindled further due to a
high death rate and marriages with members of other ethnic groups.
Official census taking will begin in October. JAC
TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[21] ARMENIAN PRESIDENT SIGNS LAW REVERSING EARLIER ELECTORAL REFORMS
Armenian President Robert Kocharian on 1 August formally signed into
law a recently adopted bill overturning the electoral reforms enacted
in December 2000, according to RFE/RL's Yerevan Bureau. The new law
increases the number of parliamentary seats based on single-mandate
constituencies from 37 to 56, and decreases from 94 to 75 the number of
seats elected on a proportional party-list basis (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 5 and 8 July 2002). The law was harshly criticized by the
opposition and even the usually pro-government Armenian Revolutionary
Federation (ARF) condemned it as a violation of a standing multiparty
agreement establishing a ratio of seats in the parliament. The law also
altered the composition of the Central Election Commission, reducing
its members from 13 to nine, with three members to be appointed by the
president and the remainder by the six political parties represented in
parliament. RG
[22] ARMENIAN WTO MEMBERSHIP APPEARS MORE LIKELY
Armenian Industry and Economic Development Deputy Minister Tigran
Davtian said on 1 August that Armenia's bid to join the World Trade
Organization (WTO) "has overcome the remaining major hurdles" and
"expects to formally conclude its six-year accession talks by the end
of September, RFE/RL's Yerevan bureau reported. Talks held last week in
Geneva reportedly reached important new compromise agreements on the
outstanding issues of agricultural subsidies, customs procedures, and
the protection of intellectual property. Although still subject to
parliamentary ratification and review by the Armenian Constitutional
Court, the agreements are seen as a significant move closer to
accession to the 144-country trade body. RG
[23] ARMENIAN PRIME MINISTER MEETS WITH NEW WORLD BANK OFFICIAL
The new head of the World Bank's Yerevan office, Roger Robinson, met
with Armenian Prime Minister Andranik Markarian on 1 August, the
Caspian News Agency reported. Robinson said that the long-delayed
privatization of the country's power-distribution network will remain a
top priority and welcomed the prime minister's pledge of continued
support and cooperation. RG
[24] AZERBAIJAN JOINS RUSSIAN MILITARY EXERCISE ON CASPIAN SEA
An Azerbaijani contingent participated on 1 August in the opening
maneuvers of Russian military exercises on the Caspian Sea, ANS and
Interfax reported (see "Russia"). A small naval force from Kazakhstan
is also taking part in the exercise. RG
[25] GEORGIAN FINANCE MINISTER CALLS FOR CREATION OF NEW FINANCIAL
POLICE
During the second day of a meeting of the Georgian National Security
Council, Finance Minister Mirian Gogiashvili on 1 August proposed the
formation of a new financial-police unit empowered to assist with tax
enforcement and collection, "The Georgian Times" reported. The
minister's proposal would also expand President Eduard Shevardnadze's
relatively ineffective campaign against corruption and tax evasion.
Recent figures showing a budget shortfall of more than 60 million laris
($27.2 million) for the first six months of the year reveal the scope
of the challenge. RG
[26] ABKHAZ OFFICIAL ACCUSES GEORGIAN TROOPS OF PREPARING NEW OFFENSIVE
Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Raul Khazhimba of the
self-proclaimed Republic of Abkhazia claimed on 1 August that Georgian
troops are preparing for a new offensive against Abkhaz positions in
the Kodori Gorge, according to Interfax. The Abkhaz official made the
accusations in a meeting with the chief military observer of the United
Nations Observer Mission to Georgia. Abkhazia has repeatedly accused
Georgia of violating the April agreement calling for the withdrawal of
all Georgian troops from the Kodori Gorge (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 3
April 2002). RG
[27] KAZAKH PRESIDENT PREPARES GROUND FOR LAND-OWNERSHIP LAW
Fresh from a two-week holiday, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev
spent his first working day on 1 August touring grain fields outside
Almaty and explaining government plans to transfer agricultural lands
to private ownership, Interfax-Kazakhstan reported. According to new
legislation that the president said he will ask the parliament to adopt
this year, it will be possible to purchase farm land directly, or on a
10-year installment plan. Long-term leases will also be available.
Nazarbaev suggested that 10 million of the country's 90 million
hectares of farm land might be put up for sale initially, but public
areas such as pastures, irrigation installations and roads will not be
privatized. AA
[28] KYRGYZ SECURITY CHIEF BACKTRACKS ON IMU WARNINGS
Complaining that he was misquoted and misinterpreted, a statement
released by the Foreign Ministry in Bishkek on 31 July denied that
Security Council Secretary Misir Ashyrkulov said last week that Djuma
Namangani, military commander of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan
(IMU), may be alive and is planning fresh attacks on Central Asian
countries (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 25 July 2002). Statements by
Ashyrkulov that Namangani's gunmen were moving from Afghanistan into
Tajikistan were also given "an incorrect interpretation," the press
release said. It added that "all the terrorists' military bases"
together with their infrastructure in Afghanistan have been destroyed,
but that in case of incursions by militants Kyrgyzstan and its Central
Asian neighbors would act in concert to repulse them. AA
[29] BISHKEK DEFENDS RECORD ON FREEDOM OF SPEECH
There are no media restrictions in Kyrgyzstan, and President Askar
Akaev, "as guarantor of the constitution, has always supported freedom
and speech and intends to do so in the future," the presidential press
service said on 1 August, as quoted by Interfax. During a roundtable
discussion in Bishkek on 26 July, Akaev attacked RFE/RL's activities as
"information terror directed against the Kyrgyz Republic" (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 29 July 2002). AA
[30] KYRGYZ IN UZBEKISTAN APPEAL TO BISHKEK FOR AID AND SUPPORT
In an open letter to the speakers of Kyrgyzstan's Legislative and
People's Assemblies (the upper and lower chambers of parliament),
representatives of Kyrgyz communities in Uzbekistan have requested
political and economic assistance, alleging that they are scorned and
discriminated against, Kyrgyz Infocenter website reported on 1 August.
The letter charges that Kyrgyz schools are dilapidated and ignored by
the Uzbek authorities, and that members of the Kyrgyz minority cannot
find jobs and are pressured by Uzbek officials not to publicize their
problems. AA
[31] MORE MEDICAL AID DELIVERED TO TAJIKISTAN
Medicines and hospital materials worth some $9 million arrived in
Dushanbe by U.S. cargo plane, Tajik television reported on 1 August.
The no-strings-attached humanitarian assistance was donated by the U.S.
government and is being distributed jointly by the Tajik Health
Ministry and the U.S. nongovernmental organization Hope, Interfax
reported. AA
[32] TAJIK ISLAMIC PARTY DENIES LINKS TO PRO-TALIBAN DETAINEES
Speaking to journalists on 1 August the leader of the Islamic Revival
Party (IRP), Said Abdullo Nuri, repudiated any connection between his
party and Tajik citizens who were captured fighting on the side of the
Taliban and are currently being held at the U.S. military base in
Guantanamo Bay, Interfax reported. Distancing the IRP from extremists
in Afghanistan, Nuri stressed that "Islam has never encouraged violence
and terrorism" and added that Osama bin Laden "humiliated Islam by his
actions." There has been speculation that President Imomali Rakhmonov
might be considering a ban on the IRP after he strongly criticized the
activities of Islamic groups in the country's northern Sughd Oblast and
specifically noted that three residents of Sughd are now interned at
Guantanamo (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 11 July 2002). The IRP has about
2,000 members and is represented in the Tajik parliament. AA
[33] UZBEK DRUG ADDICTION RISING
According to figures released by the Health Ministry in Tashkent, there
are more than 18,000 drug addicts in the country, half of whom take
heroin, the newspaper "Halq so'zi" reported on 1 August. The number of
addicts has grown by 4,000, or 30 percent, over last year's reported
figures, the newspaper commented. But of the 18,000, a mere 79 are
teenagers and about 15 percent are women, the ministry claimed.
International organizations regularly suggest that Central Asian
governments underreport the number of known addicts in their countries.
AA
CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
[34] BELARUS FAILS TO END 'BATTLE FOR THE HARVEST' ON SCHEDULE...
Citing the Agriculture Ministry, Belarusian television reported on 1
August that Belarusian collective farms failed to conclude grain
harvesting by 1 April, as ordered by President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.
Grain still needs to be gathered from 23 percent of Belarus's
grain-producing regions. Belarusian collective farms have reportedly
harvested 4.6 million tons of grain so far this year. JM
[35] ...AS RUSSIA SLAMS BELARUSIAN PRESIDENT'S DEMAND FOR FUEL
DONATIONS
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Khristenko on 1 August criticized
Belarusian President Lukashenka's call on 25 July for companies
supplying Belarus with Russian oil to donate 20,000 tons of diesel fuel
for the needs of Belarus's harvesting campaign (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
26 July 2002), Belapan reported. On 26 July, the Belarusian State
Petrochemical Concern (Belneftekhim), a government agency that runs the
country's oil refineries and manages oil imports from Russia, issued a
directive entitling Belarusian collective farms to 23 liters of free
diesel fuel from each ton of imported Russian oil. "[Current relations
between Russian oil companies and Belarusian refineries] not only come
outside the framework of Belarusian laws and not only contradict the
program of economic integration, but sometimes overstep the bounds of
common sense," Khristenko said. "We cannot force Russian oil producers
to maintain oil supplies at their own expense in the context of such
exclusive decisions by the Belarusian leadership," he added. JM
[36] MINSK BRANDS U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT'S 2001 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT AS
BIASED
Foreign Deputy Minister Alyaksandr Sychou on 1 August presented
Belarus's official comments regarding the U.S. State Department's 2001
report on the human rights situation in Belarus, Belarusian television
reported. Sychou said the U.S. report is "tendentious" and criticized
the State Department for taking into account only contributions from
human rights organizations in preparing its report, without consulting
with Belarusian executive authorities. "The United States continues to
practice double standards in the sphere of human rights toward
Belarus," AP quoted Sychou as saying. During the official presentation
of the report in Minsk in March, U.S. Ambassador to Belarus Michael
Kozak said Belarus made no progress regarding human rights in 2001. JM
[37] U.S. SAYS NO EVIDENCE OF UKRAINE'S ARMS SALES TO IRAQ
There is no evidence that Ukraine has transferred military equipment to
Iraq, but the United States remains "extraordinarily sensitive" to that
issue, Reuters reported on 1 August, quoting a U.S. State Department
senior official. "The Ukrainians have incredible technology, especially
missile technology, and we know that there are countries with
less-than-good reputations who would love to have that technology," the
official told a small group of reporters on condition of anonymity. He
urged Ukraine to put more safeguards around its missile technology or
risk having security concerns hurt its bid to join NATO, AP reported.
"There's no evidence that there have been military transfers from
Ukraine to Iraq," the official added. Media reports in April alleged
that Ukraine may have sold four radar systems to Iraq in violation of
UN sanctions (see "RFE/RL Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine Report," 23
April 2002). JM
[38] UKRAINE SUSPENDS WORK AT 63 MINES OVER SAFETY CONCERNS
The government has suspended work at 62 coal mines in Ukraine, saying
they do not observe work-safety regulations to the necessary extent,
UNIAN reported on 1 April. Meanwhile, the Prosecutor-General's Office
has taken over the criminal investigation into the tragic 31 March
blast at the Zasyadko coal mine from Donetsk Oblast prosecutors (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 1 April 2002). The Prosecutor-General's Office also
pledged to check into why investigations into two previous disasters at
the Zasyadko mine in 1999 and 2002 (which clamed 105 lives) were
concluded without finding anyone responsible for them. The Yuliya
Tymoshenko Bloc on 1 April called for holding an emergency
parliamentary session to discuss the Zasyadko mine and Lviv air-show
tragedies to "work out a program of urgent actions." The bloc said in a
statement that the authorities have only one "scenario" to react to
such tragedies. This scenario, the statement claims, boils down to
"conducting never-ending investigations, issuing unconvincing comments,
making staff reshuffles, and covering the responsibility of the real
culprits." JM
[39] U.S. CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VISITS ESTONIA
A delegation of U.S. congressmen headed by Representative David Dreier
(Republican, California), paid a brief visit to Tallinn on 1 August,
ETA reported. In talks with Prime Minister Siim Kallas the delegation
stressed the countries' need to improve bilateral economic cooperation.
The two sides agreed that they could learn a lot from each other's
experience and that future cooperation should involve small businesses.
State Secretary Aino Lepik von Wiren discussed with the U.S.
representatives Estonia's e-government system, and the delegation took
a sightseeing tour of Tallinn's Old Town and visited the port of Muuga.
The delegation departed for Riga the next morning and is scheduled to
visit Russia, Georgia, and Cyprus before returning home. SG
[40] RIGA, MOSCOW DISCUSS GREATER COOPERATION
A delegation from Moscow, including Moscow Municipal Government Trade
Minister Vladimir Malishkov and International Relations Department
Deputy Chairman Vladimir Lebedev, held talks in Riga on 1 August with
Riga Deputy Mayor Sergei Dolgopolov, BNS reported. They discussed plans
for holding Moscow Days in Riga next June, which are to include an
extensive culture program as well as the exhibition of scientific and
industrial achievements. Malishkov also noted that his city has
approved financing for the construction of a Moscow Culture and
Business Center in Riga, which could later become the foundation for
future Moscow representation in Estonia and Lithuania. The meeting also
discussed Moscow Mayor Yurii Luzhkov's planned visit to Riga. SG
[41] LITHUANIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS TALKS WITH KALININGRAD GOVERNOR
Prior to meeting Kaliningrad Oblast Governor Vladimir Yegorov in
Palanga on 1 August, President Valdas Adamkus told reporters that the
question of visas would be an important topic of discussion, BNS
reported the next day. He said that Lithuania will meet its EU
commitments to introduce Schengen agreement visa requirements next
year, but suggested that five-year visas or magnetic identification
cards could ease border crossing for Kaliningrad residents. Yegorov
told the president he has received a full guarantee from Russia's
LUKoil that the planned exploitation of the D-6 oil field -- 22
kilometers off the Curonian Spit and five kilometers from the
Lithuanian sea border -- will not threaten the environment and that oil
extraction will not begin until next year. Yegorov also told Adamkus
that water-treatment facilities are being constructed at the cellulose
factory in Neman to treat polluted effluent to the Nemunas River. SG
[42] POLAND'S SOLIDARITY FORMS TASK FORCE TO RESCUE AILING PLANTS
Some 130 representatives of the Solidarity trade union set up a team in
Gdansk on 1 August with the aim of coordinating efforts in defending
plants threatened by bankruptcy, Polish media reported. Solidarity
leader Marian Krzaklewski said the union may resort to a national
protest action if talks with the government and within the Trilateral
Commission (the government, employers, trade unions) will not bring any
positive solution for the plants that have found themselves in a
difficult situation. JM
[43] POLAND NEEDS $245 MILLION TO STRENGTHEN CONTROL OF EASTERN BORDER
Interior Minister Krzysztof Janik said Poland needs to spend $250
million euros ($245,000) to beef up control of its 1,200-kilometer
eastern border -- which will become the EU's external border upon
Polish accession to the union -- in order to qualify to join the
Schengen agreements, the daily "Trybuna" reported on 1 August. Janik
said some 75 percent of the costs related to the tightening of the
border will be covered by various EU programs. JM
[44] POLISH GOVERNMENT WORKS ON PROGRAM FOR ROMA
The Interior Ministry is preparing a national program for Polish Roma
in cooperation with provincial governors, Romany activists, and NGOs,
PAP reported on 1 August, quoting Deputy Interior Minister Zenon
Kosinak-Kamysz. The national program, which is to focus mainly on
education, will be based on the pilot program now being implemented in
Malopolska province (southern Poland). The program is also to cover
health, unemployment, social welfare, and Romany culture. It is
estimated that from 25,000-50,000 Roma may live in Poland. Meanwhile,
the U.S. Helsinki Commission on 1 August commemorated the anniversary
of the Romany Holocaust, which is observed on 2 and 3 August. During
the night of 2-3 August 1944, the Nazis liquidated the Romany section
of the death camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau, killing some 3,000 Roma in gas
chambers. JM
[45] POLAND COMMEMORATES WARSAW UPRISING ANNIVERSARY
Warsaw on 1 August paid tribute to the heroes of the Warsaw Uprising
against the Germans in ceremonies held at the sites of street battles,
graves of those fallen, and monuments commemorating the sacrifice of
insurgents, PAP reported. Wreaths were laid at the Tomb of the Unknown
Soldier from veterans' unions, representatives of the president, the
parliament, and the Warsaw city authorities. A similar ceremony was
also held at the Monument to the Polish Clandestine State and the Home
Army. The Warsaw Uprising, which started on 1 August 1944, was the
largest armed action of the Polish underground Home Army and the
biggest action of this kind in Nazi-occupied Europe. The uprising
lasted for 63 days and took the lives of 18,000 insurgents and 180,000
civilians. JM
[46] COURT ANNULS APPOINTMENT OF CZECH TELEVISION DIRECTOR
A Prague 4 district court has deemed invalid a resolution that
appointed the current director of public broadcaster Czech Television,
Jiri Balvin, CTK reported on 1 August. The agency cited a lawyer for
one of the unsuccessful candidates for Balvin's post in a 2001
competition organized by the highly politicized Czech Television
Council. The court ruled that the council favored some candidates while
unfairly discriminating against others, the lawyer for failed applicant
Evzen Hlinovsky is quoted as saying. Spokesmen for Czech Television and
for the Television Council said they have not officially been informed
of the verdict, but the broadcaster's spokesman said it will likely
appeal to a Prague city court if that is the case, CTK added. The
lawyer for Czech Television unions noted that such a decision could
overturn all of Balvin's activities at the station since 15 November,
when he was promoted from acting director after the council fielded
applications for the post. Balvin was first appointed by the lower
house of parliament in the midst of a strike by employees to protest
seemingly political appointments there (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 9
February 2001). AH
[47] CZECH PRIME MINISTER INVITES ROMA TO STAY, HELP ADDRESS
'DISCRIMINATION AND RACISM'...
Vladimir Spidla on 1 August responded to reports of a new exodus of
Romany asylum seekers by urging Roma to remain in the Czech Republic
and help tackle racial and social tensions, CTK reported. "The
government realizes that your position...is sometimes difficult, that
in everyday life you encounter problems of a social and economic
character, sometimes even discrimination and racism," Spidla stressed
in a statement that appeared to hint at a departure from the
confrontational approach to minority relations of the previous
government. "I understand that it is not easy for you, but you will
resolve nothing fundamental by leaving the country." The 51-year-old
historian-cum-premier added that the ancestors of the Romany community
arrived in the Czech lands in the early 14th century: "Whether you
believe it or not, your roots are now here." AH
[48] ...AS COMMISSION RECOMMENDS WITHDRAWING RETROACTIVE BENEFITS
The Government Council for Romany Community Affairs meanwhile convened
on 1 August to discuss the current rise in Czech Romany requests for
asylum abroad (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 July 2002), CTK reported. The
council made several recommendations, including the creation of a
police unit to combat usury among Roma -- blamed for encouraging many
families to escape out of desperation -- and the abolition of
retroactive payments of social benefits to Roma who go abroad to
request asylum, the agency added. Spidla noted in his statement the
same day that such requests are unlikely to be accepted and pledged
that his Social Democratic-led government will support continuing
projects aimed at Romany integration. AH
[49] CZECH POLICE GO SHOPPING, NET 50 KILOGRAMS OF SEMTEX...
Authorities on 1 August seized 50 kilograms of the plastic explosive
Semtex in a bust near one of Prague's biggest shopping complexes, in
Cerny Most, the daily "Mlada fronta Dnes" reported the next day. An
undisclosed number of suspects were arrested in connection with their
attempt to sell the material, CTK added. Police President Jiri Kolar
said law enforcement has been following the gang as suspected
gunrunners for some time. AH
[50] ...WHILE CZECH DAILY TRACES SEMTEX IN SRBA AFFAIR TO A WELL-DIGGER
The daily "Pravo" reported on 2 August that a "well-informed" female
witness in the Srba case (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 and 24 July 2002)
said the Semtex explosive in that alleged plot was supplied by a
Central Bohemian well-digger on 6 July. The daily offered no further
details of that transaction but added that police sources did not
confirm the report. AH
[51] CZECH DAILY, CITING ANNAN AND RICE, QUESTIONS KAVAN'S CLAIM TO
CREDIBILITY
A "Hospodarske noviny" commentator claimed in the daily on 2 August
that a spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan deferred to UN
member states for their views on General Assembly Chairman Jan Kavan's
credibility, while the same commentator reported that a "well-informed
source from Washington" insists U.S. national security adviser
Condoleezza Rice has used the term "liar" to refer to Kavan. The
commentary by Tomas Klvana, titled "Kavan Coated With Teflon," is a
response to the former Czech foreign minister's contention on BBC radio
on 30 July that, "I have the full confidence of the senior
representatives of the UN, including chief Kofi Annan." A journalist
from the paper inquired with Annan spokesman Frederik Eckhard, asking
whether the secretary-general or other senior UN representatives have
voiced confidence in Kavan "in the Srba affair," which has brought
pressure from some circles for Kavan to reconsider some of his public
functions (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 23 and 24 July 2002). "The chairman
[Kavan] was elected by the member states. You would have to seek their
opinions on this internal matter," the spokesman said, according to the
paper. The commentary does not disclose the circumstances of Rice's
alleged remark concerning Kavan. AH
[52] SUSPECTED SLOVAK CRIME BOSS REPORTEDLY UNOPPOSED TO EXTRADITION
The reputed kingpin of Poprad in eastern Slovakia, "Milan R.," does not
oppose his possible extradition to that country following his capture
on 27 July by Czech police in Hradec Kralove, East Bohemia, CTK
reported on 1 August. The suspect is wanted in connection with fraud
and blackmail charges in eastern Slovakia, including credit fraud worth
tens of millions of crowns, according to the agency. Slovak police
"lost track" of him five years ago on the eve of a huge dragnet, CTK
reported. Slovak authorities have 40 days to request his extradition.
CTK added that Slovak police hope the apprehension will provide clues
to a number of unsolved cases during a 1997-99 battle for supremacy in
the Slovak underworld, including the disappearance of a Poprad district
office director and the murder of a former police officer. AH
[53] HUNGARIAN PREMIER DENIES ANY WRONGDOING AS COMMUNIST
COUNTERINTELLIGENCE OFFICER
Peter Medgyessy told a parliamentary commission on 1 August probing his
counterintelligence past that during his time as a secret-service
officer at the Finance Ministry between 1978-82 his only duties were to
protect state secrets from foreign secret-service agencies during
Hungary's negotiations to join the International Monetary Fund,
Hungarian media reported. He denied ever working for the KGB, and said
he never wrote reports on his associates, as it was not his task.
Medgyessy told commission Chairman Laszlo Balogh that he did not
receive any regular payment for his activity. During the hearing, which
lasted more than three hours, Medgyessy said his main assignment was
analyzing and assessing information on the state of Hungary's economy
with a focus on the country's foreign-currency position. He wrote
annual summaries and regularly provided reports to a superior officer.
Medgyessy told the hearing that he took a job in the secret services
for the sake of his country and will not be blackmailed. MSZ
[54] FORMER HUNGARIAN MINISTERS WITH SECRET-SERVICE PAST COULD BE NAMED
Socialist deputy Karoly Toth, a member of the parliamentary commission
investigating the secret-services past of one-time cabinet members,
wants the names and positions of those found to be involved made
public, "Nepszabadsag" reported on 2 August (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1
August 2002). Toth said he also wants publicized how long such members
served for the secret services, and at which division. Information has
already been leaked on 12 one-time cabinet members who allegedly
pursued secret-services activity prior to the change of regime, but
their names are unknown. MSZ
[55] FORMER HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER'S ASSET DECLARATION CLEARED
Jozsef Alajos Geczi, the chairman of parliament's Immunity Committee,
on 1 August said he will not launch proceedings against former Prime
Minister Viktor Orban over discrepancies in his declaration of assets,
Hungarian dailies reported. Geczi said Orban provided a sufficient
answer to the rise of his assets. Two Socialist deputies had initiated
proceedings against Orban, claiming there were inconsistencies between
statements he provided in January and in June (see "RFE/RL Newsline,"
12, 23 and 31 July 2002). MSZ
[56] HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION DAILY SAYS GOVERNMENT WANTS IT SHUT DOWN
"Magyar Nemzet" Editor in Chief Gabor Liszkay on 2 August wrote in a
front-page appeal to the daily's readers that "the powers that be" want
to eliminate the newspaper. As a result of government pressure, the
newspaper's contracts are being canceled, a new printing press must be
sought, and ads have nearly disappeared from the daily. Liszkay wrote
that private advertisers are intimidated during a time when the
newspaper's daily circulation has reached an all-time high of more than
100,000 copies. Liszkay said that "Magyar Nemzet" management is aware
of the daily's responsibility as the sole opposition paper, adding, "We
shall not conduct any unprincipled compromise affecting the content of
the daily just to keep the ads." He said that for the paper to survive
a price hike will go into effect from 1 September. He urged readers to
continue buying the paper and stressed that the future of free press in
Hungary is "in your hands." MSZ
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[57] CROATIAN PRIME MINISTER CALLS ON YUGOSLAVIA TO PULL BACK TROOPS
FROM THE BORDER...
Alluding to the recent armed incident along Croatia's border with
Serbia along the Danube River, Ivica Racan told his cabinet on 1
August: "Having troops on the borders and saber-rattling is not a
solution for a country that seeks good relations with its neighbors,"
Reuters reported (see "RFE/RL Balkan Report," 2 August 2002). He
stressed that "what matters more than verbal apologies is to prevent
such incidents from being repeated in the future. Yugoslavia could
contribute by withdrawing troops and demilitarizing this area." PM
[58] ...BUT BELGRADE SAYS 'NOT YET'
Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic said in Belgrade on 1 August
that Yugoslav Army troops will remain on the border in keeping with
their current rules and regulation until the proposed Constitutional
Charter between Serbia and Montenegro is completed and takes effect,
RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. At that
time, police will replace troops on the border. PM
[59] CROATIAN GOVERNMENT LOOKS FOR MISSING MILLIONS
The authorities are investigating what happened to large sums of money
donated to Croatia by the diaspora during the 1991-95 conflict, AP
reported from Zagreb on 1 August. Questions have been raised from many
quarters over the years regarding the fate of the millions or even
billions of dollars given to help Croatia defend itself against the
Yugoslav Army and local Serb rebels. Suspicions are rife that much of
the money found its way into the pockets of former President Franjo
Tudjman's entourage or into political slush funds that Tudjman
maintained. Government investigators maintain that the money belongs to
the state and not to any political party or individual. PM
[60] CROATIA AND BOSNIA SEEK FRONTIER AGREEMENT
The Croatian government called on the Foreign Ministry to reach
agreement with the Bosnian authorities within 15 days to enable border
police from both countries to work together in controlling frontier
crossings, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported on 1 August (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 30 July 2002). In
Sarajevo, the government set up a special working group to hammer out
an agreement with Croatian authorities on the location of border
crossings. PM
[61] TERROR-RELATED CHARGES FILED AGAINST FORMER BOSNIAN INTELLIGENCE
OPERATIVE
Bosnian state prosecutor Munib Bisic has filed espionage charges
against Munib Zahiragic, who is suspected of having links to
international terrorist groups through an Islamic charity whose Bosnian
branch he headed, AP reported from Sarajevo on 1 August (see "RFE/RL
Newsline," 16 April 2002). Ivica Misic, who heads Bosnia's
antiterrorism team, said that "there is a mountain of evidence in this
case that will be revealed in a trial. These people are very dangerous
criminals, and we hope that this trial will help in building the case
against" the director of Benevolence International, an Islamic charity
based in Chicago. PM
[62] BOSNIAN PARLIAMENT PASSES MEDIA LAW
The lower house of the joint parliament passed a law on public
broadcasting on 1 August, Deutsche Welle's Bosnian Service reported.
The measure has already cleared the upper house and been proclaimed by
the office of the high representative. Its passage is one of the points
listed by the European Union on Bosnia's "road map" to closer links to
Brussels. PM
[63] MOVES TO HALT DYSFUNCTIONAL POLITICS IN SERBIA?
Dragoljub Micunovic, who is speaker of the lower house of the Yugoslav
parliament, said in Belgrade on 2 August that he is willing to work to
restore communication between Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica and
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 August
2002). Micunovic hailed Djindjic's recent offer to readmit Kostunica's
Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) to the governing coalition and to the
parliament. On 1 August, the DSS said in a statement that it cannot
accept Djindjic's offer unless "important reforms" are made to the
political system. The party also said that it will return to the
parliament by a court ruling and through early elections, "which
Djindjic cannot escape." PM
[64] OSCE CHALLENGES MONTENEGRIN LAWS
Representatives of the OSCE said in Podgorica on 1 August that the 6
October general elections must take place under the legislation in
force when the elections were announced and not under more recent media
and electoral laws passed by the new parliamentary majority of
pro-Belgrade and pro-independence parties, RFE/RL's South Slavic and
Albanian Languages Service reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 August
2002). But spokesmen of the Socialist People's Party (SNP) and Liberal
Alliance (LS) insisted in separate declarations that the new
legislation will be binding. Elsewhere, the SNP accused independent
media broadcasters who protested the new media law with a break in
transmission on 1 August of playing politics on behalf of President
Milo Djukanovic. PM
[65] PARTIAL RE-VOTE IN BUJANOVAC
The local election commission has ruled that the recent ballot must be
repeated in eight polling places, Deutsche Welle's "Monitor" reported
on 1 August (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 July 2002). The move comes in
response to protests by local Serbs angry at the victory of an ethnic
Albanian candidate in the mayoral race. Ethnic Albanian representatives
walked out of the commission's meeting before the decision was
announced. Local Serbian political leader Goran Taskovic said that a
new vote may be ordered in additional precincts as well. Serbian Deputy
Prime Minister Nebojsa Covic, who is Belgrade's point man for southern
Serbia, said after the election that the Albanian candidate won because
there are clearly more Albanians than Serbs in Bujanovac. Covic blamed
the unrest among the local Serbs on Kostunica's DSS, which has since
dissolved its local branch organization. PM
[66] SERBIA TREATS BORDER WITH KOSOVA AS A STATE FRONTIER
The Serbian commission responsible for Kosova announced in Belgrade on
1 August that the authorities have begun enforcing a new regimen on the
border between Serbia and Kosova, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian
Languages Service reported. The border may be crossed legally only in
11 places, including Prishtina airport. A special permit is required to
cross the frontier elsewhere. Fines range from $250 for illegally
crossing the border to $2,500 for resisting the border-control efforts
of Serbian police and armed forces. It is forbidden to bring arms and
ammunition across the frontier, or to build any structure in the border
zone or to loiter there. PM
[67] KOSOVARS WANT REPRESENTATION AT UN MEETINGS
Kosova's Prime Minister Bajram Rexhepi said in Prishtina on 31 July
that his government should be represented at UN Security Council
meetings that discuss Kosova, Deutsche Welle's "Monitor" reported.
Rexhepi argued that it is not right that Serbia be represented at such
sessions but not Kosova's democratically elected officials. PM
[68] KOSOVAR CABINET CONDEMNS KLOKOT INCIDENT
The Kosovar cabinet agreed on 1 August that the recent mining of five
Serbian-owned homes in Klokot, which led to the injury of two U.S.
soldiers and one civilian, was an "inhuman act" carried out by
"extremists who are interested in keeping Kosova permanently tense and
unstable," RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service
reported (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 1 August 2002). PM
[69] HUMAN TRAFFICKING AS A BRANCH OF THE ALBANIAN ECONOMY
Deutsche Welle's Albanian Service reported on 1 August that the
smuggling of human beings across the Adriatic Sea has become a form of
employment for many people in southern Albania. Human traffickers in
Vlora and elsewhere are very resentful of the government's campaign
against their "business," but have become increasingly cautious as they
go about their tasks. This form of smuggling has for many become a way
back to the large incomes that were wiped out by the collapse of the
pyramid-scheme network in 1997. PM
[70] FORMER ETHNIC ALBANIAN GUERRILLA LEADERS MEET WITH FAMILIES OF
MISSING MACEDONIANS
Ali Ahmeti and Gezim Osdreni met in Mala Recica under the mediation of
the OSCE with representatives of the families of 12 ethnic Macedonians
missing since the 2001 ethnic conflict, Deutsche Welle's Albanian
Service reported on 1 August. Ahmeti denied any responsibility for the
disappearances but promised to help determine the fate of the 12
persons. He added that he knows the pain of the families, because his
own uncle is one of six ethnic Albanians who similarly disappeared
without a trace. Members of families of missing persons of both
nationalities have formed a commission to investigate what happened to
their loved ones. Representatives of the Macedonian families called on
the OSCE to help them meet with other former guerrilla commanders in
the area. PM
[71] ANOTHER DRIVE-BY SHOOTING OF AN ETHNIC ALBANIAN IN MACEDONIA
For the second time in as many days, an ethnic Albanian was killed in a
drive-by shooting in the Tetovo area, AP reported on 1 August (see
"RFE/RL Newsline," 1 August 2002). Taip Beluti died in hospital of his
wounds from the attack in Neraste. The motives for the killings are not
clear, nor is it known whether there is a link between the two
incidents. PM
[72] ROMANIA, U.S. SIGN AGREEMENT ON EXEMPTING U.S. PEACEKEEPERS FROM
ICC PROSECUTION
In Bucharest on 1 August, Romanian Foreign Ministry Secretary of State
Cristian Diaconescu and U.S. Undersecretary of State for strategic
issues John Bolton signed an agreement that would exempt U.S.
peacekeepers from prosecution under the provisions of the International
Criminal Court (ICC), Romanian media reported. The agreement was signed
in accordance with the ICC Statute's Article 98 that prevents the
international court from asking a country to hand over suspects if it
would clash with another international agreement. Romania is the first
country to sign such an agreement with the United States. Speaking in
Washington the same day, U.S. State Department spokesman Philip Reeker
said the U.S. government expects "to conclude similar agreements with a
large number of countries," an RFE/RL correspondent reported. ZsM
[73] U.S. SUPPORTS OSCE PLANS FOR A FEDERATIVE MOLDOVA
In a 1 August press release, U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Pamela Hyde
Smith said the United States supports the OSCE-designed plan for the
federalization of Moldova, Flux reported. She added that the plan is
"an important contribution to the process of resolving the
Transdniestrian conflict in the framework of an integral and
indivisible Moldova." Smith also said the plan "offers a solid
foundation for a fair resolution of the conflict." She also added the
United States hopes that negotiations between the parties will continue
and will end in a final agreement "as soon as possible." ZsM
[74] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE FIRED UPON
An unidentified gunman fired on Vladimir Voronin's apartment in the
early hours of 2 August, dpa and ITAR-TASS reported. No one was injured
in the attack on the nine-story building that houses the president's
personal apartment, dpa cited Moldova's Chief Prosecutor Vasilie Rusu
as saying. Police discovered three spent shell casings from a Makarov
pistol in the vicinity of the building. Voronin refused to take
residence in the presidential palace in Chisinau upon winning the
presidential elections in 2000, arguing that it was a luxury the
Moldovan government could not afford. Street access to the apartment
building located in one of Chisinau's most exclusive areas is closed to
automobiles for security reasons. MES
[75] RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO MOLDOVA SATISFIED WITH BILATERAL RELATIONS
In an interview with Russia's RIA-Novosti news agency on 1 August,
Russian Ambassador to Moldova Pavel Petrovskii said bilateral relations
have entered a qualitatively new phase, Flux reported. He said that
following President Voronin's election Russian businessmen were assured
that Chisinau had turned toward Moscow, and the influx of Russian
capital to Moldova increased as a result. Petrovskii added that the
signing of their recent bilateral treaty "does not mean at all
Moldova's distancing itself from Europe." On the contrary, he argued,
as Russia is improving relations with Europe "faster than other CIS
countries," Moldova's improved cooperation with Russia can only improve
Moldova's European image. The same day Petrovskii handed over to the
Moldovan Foreign Ministry a set of 200 archive documents relating to
Moldovan-Russian relations over several centuries. ZsM
[76] MOLDOVAN COMMUNISTS CHOOSE CANDIDATE FOR GAGAUZ GOVERNOR
On 1 August, the Party of Moldovan Communists' (PCM) Executive
Committee chose Gagauz Deputy Gheorghi Tabunshik as its candidate for
governor of the autonomous Gagauz region, Flux reported. PCM
parliamentary group leader Victor Stepaniuc said Tabunshik is "the most
suitable" candidate for the post, as he was the region's first governor
and largely contributed "to the setting up and the development of the
Gagauz autonomy." Elections for the governor's post are set for 6
October. Flux also reported that new interim Governor Gheorghi Mollo
was presented to the regional government on 1 August. ZsM
[77] BULGARIA MAY START 'EXPERIMENTAL' MISSILE-DESTRUCTION NEXT WEEK
Defense Minister Nikola Svinarov said on 1 August that the
"experimental destruction" of 10 components of SS-23, Scud and Frog
missiles is likely to take place next week, BTA and dpa reported.
Svinarov said the method that will be used to destroy SS-23 missile
engines will be determined only after an assessment of the
environmental impact of the destruction is completed. He said he has no
doubt that "the safest method will be chosen." Environment Minister
Dolores Arsenova said that "if the method chosen raises even the
slightest doubt about possible environmental damage, the Environment
Ministry will not approve it." MS
[78] BULGARIAN DUTIES ON IMPORTED VEGETABLES SHARPLY INCREASED
Bulgaria on 1 August sharply raised duties on vegetable imports, caving
in to pressure from farmers who have protested increased imports from
the Middle East and neighboring Balkan countries, BTA and AP reported.
Earlier this week, farmers blocked a key road in eastern Bulgaria to
protest foreign vegetable imports. Agriculture and Forestry Minister
Mehmed Dikme announced that duties are to rise from 25 percent of
declared value for potatoes to 60 percent, and from 64 percent to 75
percent for peppers. Duties were also increased for imports of
tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and cabbage. MS
END NOTE
[79] There is no End Note today.
|
