|
|
|
Serbia Today 96-05-20
Serbia Today
20 May 1996
CONTENTS
[01] FRIENDSHIP, GOOD NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS AND CLOSENESS OF TWO PEOPLES
[02] ROMANIA REMAINED WITH THE FR OF YUGOSLAVIA
[03] WITHOUT MILOSEVIC NO PEACE IN THE BALKANS
[04] KONTIC: THERE WILL BE NO DEVALUATION
[05] DAMAGE FROM SANCTIONS - 55 BILLION DOLLARS
[06] SEPARATE ON SUCCESSION AND CONTINUITY
[07] DEPARTURE OF KARADZIC
[08] DEEPENING POLARIZATION IN MOSTAR
[09] GENERAL DJORDJE DJUKIC DIES
[10] FALSE LETTER OF SERBIAN SUPPORT TO TUDJMAN
[11] YUGOSLAV PEOPLE'S ARMY DID NOT MAKE AGGRESSION ON SLOVENIA
[01] FRIENDSHIP, GOOD NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS AND CLOSENESS OF TWO PEOPLES
President of Romania Jon Iliesku, during his visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, was
received by the President of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic. In a cordial and friendly talk views were
exchanged on the most important issues of bilateral relations and cooperation and on the actual international
situation. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Romania are linked with firm ties of friendship, good
neighborly relations and closeness of their peoples, was the conclusion of the talks. The politics of the two
countries are oriented towards agreement, cooperation and constructive tendencies aimed at integration at
the regional, European and broader international levels. Presidents Milosevic and Iliesku have focused
special attention on the further development and strengthening of mutual economic relations and economic
cooperation between the Yugoslav and Rumanian partners, expressing interest of all the business partners
for liberalization of the trade exchange. In the statement for the press after the talks, President Milosevic
said: "We have a high degree of agreement, and even identical views in the evaluation of our mutual
relations. Both sides are having a lot of reasons for using good comparative advantages which are offered
by the cooperation established so far". (Borba, May 18, 1996)
[02] ROMANIA REMAINED WITH THE FR OF YUGOSLAVIA
President of Romania Jon Iliesku underlined in his statement in Belgrade for the Rumanian media
that the new inter-governmental agreement on friendship, good neighborly relations and cooperation
between Yugoslavia and Romania "represents a political and legal basis for the future cooperation which
will be in accordance with the general principles of international relations valid in the democratic world".
Newspaper of the Rumanian government "Voice of Romania" underlines in the forefront the statement by
Iliesku, after his talks with the Prime Minister Kontic, that "Romania all the time remained with the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia and is striving for its return to all the international bodies". The newspaper
"Kurioral nacional" which is mostly publishing economic topics, is quoting the words of President
Slobodan Milosevic that the economic cooperation must as soon as possible reach the high degree of
political cooperation, and even surpass the good political relations existing between Yugoslavia and
Romania. (Politika, May 19, 1996)
[03] WITHOUT MILOSEVIC NO PEACE IN THE BALKANS
German media on the front pages are commenting on the visit of Minister Kinkel to Yugoslavia.
The distinguished conservative Berlin daily "Die Welt" states that this time again the knowledge was
confirmed that "without Milosevic nothing is working in the peace process in the Balkans". "Frankfurter
Algemeine Zeitung" is placing in the forefront that the guest conveyed to the leadership of Serbia and
Yugoslavia that his country will support and assist integration of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the
international community and financial institutions. All the German media are underlining that finally a
political dialogue has been opened between Belgrade and Bonn, after five "frosty years". (Borba, May 18,
1996)
[04] KONTIC: THERE WILL BE NO DEVALUATION
"Thanks mostly to the agriculture, our country has successfully overcome merciless blockade of
the international community. Agriculture has shown itself to be the most vital economic branch, and our
agro-ecological potentials are superior in respeect to the vicinity. Therefore, our security in providing food
stuffs has been preserved and our overall security of the country", said the Federal Prime Minister Radoje
Kontic at the inauguration of the 63rd International Agricultural Fair in Novi Sad, where 1,800 exhibitors
are participating from our country and 20 foreign countries. Under the new conditions of the present-day
surroundings, said Prime Minister, it is necessary to re-define the concept of agrarian development, where
the priority will be given to the export strategy. Kontic especially underlined that the federal and the
republican governments are firmly upholding the policy of stabilization and that with an additional energy
they will safeguard monetary stability, especially stability of the foreign exchange rate. "We will disappoint
all those who are secretly expecting devaluation, because there will be none", underlined Federal Prime
Minister in Novi Sad. (Politika, May 19, 1996)
[05] DAMAGE FROM SANCTIONS - 55 BILLION DOLLARS
Yugoslav economy has met the suspension of sanctions exhausted, because the damages have
exceeded 55 billion dollars, and the accumulation of funds is completely scarce. Therefore, for its recovery
it is important to obtain fresh money, and to be integrated in the world economic and financial trends and
normalize its relations with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and other financial
institutions. This was stated for the Tanjug magazine "Economic Signals" by the Minister for Development,
Science and Environment Janko Radulovic. "Visits of foreign delegations and already concluded deals are
assuring us that we are on the good way of attracting our former partners and of starting new deals", said
Radulovic. (Tanjug, May 20, 1996)
[06] SEPARATE ON SUCCESSION AND CONTINUITY
Delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia headed by the academician Kosta Mihailovic,
met with the representative of Carl Bildt for succession, Sir Arthur Wats. This was the first preliminary talk
of the Yugoslav delegation on this topic after the termination which lasted until the end of the year 1994.
There was a discussion as to how in the new and changed conditions to continue work on succession, said
Mihailovic and announced that the talks will be continued by the end of May in Belgrade. "Our delegation
was asking for the political and legal continuity to be discussed outside of the framework of the group for
succession, and for it to concentrates on finding the solution for economic consequences of the effected
secession. It was also insisted on approaching the problem without prejudice, and with equitable treatment
of all the participants in the negotiations and with full respect of the Yugoslav stands", says academician
Mihailovic. (Politika ekspres, May 18, 1996)
[07] DEPARTURE OF KARADZIC
President of the Republic of Srpska Radovan Karadzic announced in his Saturday communique for
the public that he has decided to withdraw and that his present function will be taken over by the Vice
President of the Republic of Srpska Biljana Plavsic. Acting President of the Republic of Srpska Biljana
Plavsic stated that at the moment the primary task is the implementation of the Dayton Agreement. She
specified that for the Republic of Srpska this means three primary targets: peace, further affirmation of the
Republic of Srpska and the consistent implementation of the policy adopted by the National Assembly of
the Republic of Srpska. (Tanjug, May 19, 1996)
[08] DEEPENING POLARIZATION IN MOSTAR
Vice president of the Municipal Council of the Western Croat part of Mostar, Mile Puljic stated for
the Croat Radio that the world will have to respect the election results in Mostar, even if the Muslims are to
boycott them. According to his estimates, Muslim Party of Democratic Action has no chance whatsoever in
the political competition with the Croat Democratic Community and therefore neither this party nor any
other Muslim party has submitted applications for participating at the elections. Puljic is claiming that the
provisions of the Dayton Agreement, according to which all the exiled Muslims from Mostar can not vote
outside of Mostar, are not the reason for the Muslims to stay away from the elections. And while the Croat
Democratic Community and the Croat Radio are daily calling on Croats from Mostar to vote at the
elections, SDA (Party of Democratic Action) and the Muslim Radio are calling on the Muslims to boycott
the elections. Before the war in Bosnia, in Mostar some 120,000 inhabitants lived, with an almost even
number of Croats, Muslims and Serbs, but Serbs, after the ethnic cleansing, are not being mentioned any
more, although for centuries they were living in this town. (Vecernje novosti, May 18, 1996)
[09] GENERAL DJORDJE DJUKIC DIES
At the Military Medical Academy hospital in Belgrade, after a grave illness and exhaustion,
General of the Republic of Srpska Army Djordje Djukic died. Assistant Commander for Logistics, who
gave an immeasurable contribution to the defense fight of the Serbian people in Bosnia, was brought by the
beginning of this year by the Prosecutor before the International Tribunal with the indictment for having
committed war crimes, but the Prosecutor until this day did not submit even one legally valid evidence of
Djukic's responsibility and guilt. The process against General Djukic was suspended with the explanation
that this is being done because of his poor health, while the defendant himself and his family were insisting
on the shame to be erased from this innocently accused, and during further trial proceedings for Djukic to
be freed of all charges. Today, the first victim of The Hague justice has fallen, stated at the news of the
demise of General Djordje Djukic his defense counsel Toma Fila. "General Djukic was taken to The Hague
although everyone knew that throughout the war he was working in the rear and logistics, and such persons,
even at the Nurnberg Trial were not accused of war crimes", says Fila. The Hague Tribunal started making
justice by kidnapping, by possession and ended it as they wished and could - by killing of an ill man.
(Vecernje novosti, May 20, 1996)
[10] FALSE LETTER OF SERBIAN SUPPORT TO TUDJMAN
Zagreb "Vecernji list" published this Saturday a letter by six distinguished Zagreb Serbs in which
they are giving their support to the Tudjman's initiative for rearrangement of the Memorial Complex to the
victims of Ustashi terror in Jasenovac and distancing themselves from the protest which was recently on the
occasion of such an announcement, published by the Alliance of Serbian Organizations in Croatia. Among
the remaining Serbs in Zagreb and Croatia this has caused a real shock, but an even greater one will be
caused by the fact that "Vecernji list" has published the false letter. None of the alleged signatories of the
letter knows nothing about it and immediately a strong protest and reprieve was sent. The shame is now
public, because the letter is completely invented, and what was the aim of this clumsy forgery is yet to be
clarified. The alleged signatories in their denial are saying that "it is an outstanding example of false
informing and an intentional misleading of the public, as well as of an abuse of names of public
personalities and a criminal act of forgery". (Politika, May 19, 1996)
[11] YUGOSLAV PEOPLE'S ARMY DID NOT MAKE AGGRESSION ON SLOVENIA
Council of the Higher Court in Celje passed a verdict rejecting as ungrounded criminal charges by
the Slovenian Defense Ministry of 1993, when the Minister was Jansa, against the General of the former
Yugoslav People's Army Konrad Kolsek. Kolsek who at the time of destruction of former Yugoslavia was
the Commander of the Fifth Zagreb Army District, was accused that as a Sloven, has committed the crime
"by serving in the enemy army and acting against Sloven constitutional decision on independence". The
court has, nevertheless, places the case Kolsek within the former Yugoslav legal framework, because the
SFRY at the time of brief armed conflict in Slovenia had still existed as a legal and internationally
recognized state. The court has determined that "The Yugoslav People's Army at the time when Kolsek was
its member, was not an enemy army" and that one can speak of an enemy army only after October 18, 1991,
when a three-month moratorium period expired for the achievement of the Sloven declaration on
independence. The ruling of the Court in Celje was silently passed over by many influential Sloven media,
and there are no reactions either from any influential Sloven politicians. The silence was interrupted only by
the Sloven war veterans from the year 1991 while asking a question in consternation of their own status and
role "in the liberation war". According to their interpretation of the court ruling, it derives that they
themselves one day could be qualified as "rebels, mutineers and traitors of the state against which they have
raised arms". (Politika, May 19, 1996)
|
