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Serbia Today, 97-04-18
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] CREATION OF NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR THE RETURN OF REFUGEES
[02] GRABEZ ACCUSED WITHOUT ANY PROOF
[03] ZAGREB ANGRY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
[04] RAILWAYS - ENVIRONMENTAL OASIS
[05] SERBS VOTED FOR SURVIVAL
[06] COOPERATION BETWEEN THE YUGOSLAV AND THE SWISS CHAMBERS
[07] MILUTINOVIC AND OGATA ON THE CARE FOR REFUGEES
[01] CREATION OF NECESSARY CONDITIONS FOR THE RETURN OF REFUGEES
President of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic received yesterday the UN High
Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs. Sadako Ogata, who is on a visit to our
country. Special attention during the talks was devoted to the actual
situation regarding the realization of the Program of aid to refugees in
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, as well as to the activities undertaken
for purpose of creating the necessary conditions for their return home. In
this respect, this year should mark a great progress. Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia has carried an enormous burden and has offered immeasurable
material and moral support to hundreds of thousands of exiled persons from
the areas where the civil war was fought, by providing conditions for their
shelter and normal life. It was stated that the UN High Commissariat for
Refugees, headed by Mrs. Sadako Ogata, has also offered considerable
contribution in the solution of this major humanitarian issue. After her
meeting with President Milosevic, Mrs. Ogata stated the following:
"President Milosevic confirmed that he is supporting the consistent
implementation of the Dayton Accords and that he shall offer full support
to the UNHCR in the attempt to find the best solutions for the refugees and
misplaced persons, either in the form of repatriation or integration".
Serbia Today, 1997-04-18 ; Politika, 1997-04-18
[02] GRABEZ ACCUSED WITHOUT ANY PROOF
Prosecutor of the Military Tribunal of the First Swiss Division, Major
Claud Nisati, requested at the yesterday's hearing in the cantonal Palace
of Justice in Lausanne, the sentence of four years of imprisonment for
Goran Grabez, a Serbs from Prijedor. Grabez is being tried under the
indictment that in his capacity of the guard in the collection center of
Omarska and Keretern in the Republic of Srpska, he committed war crimes.
The accused is denying all the charges and several witnesses, including
also Grabez's employer from Austria, have confirmed that he was "during the
incriminating time" for which it is claimed that he was in Omarska,
actually residing in Linz where he was also employed. Therefore, it comes
as an even greater surprise that the Prosecutor is demanding the sentence
of four years of jail, because he has no solid proof and evidence for any
sentence whatsoever. Grabez's defense attorney Christian Zinstag, an
appointed defense attorney by the tribunal, is requesting the acquittal and
is raising the claim for the state of Switzerland to indemnify Grabez with
200 Swiss franks per day for every day that he had spent in detention,
which amounts to a total of 140,000 Swiss franks.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-18 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-04-18
[03] ZAGREB ANGRY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
Croatia is again very angry with the international community, which is best
illustrated by today's reactions to the UN resolution on the state of human
rights, passed two nights ago. Namely, in one part of this document which
pertains to Croatia, it is pointed out that there is a violation of human
rights of Serbs who have remained in the area of former Krajina, and the
obstructions caused for the return of Serbian refugees to their homes.
Croat side is still turning a blind eye in the face of the facts, which can
mean that in this respect it does not intend to change its concrete policy,
and is proclaiming such warnings as false, malicious and ungrounded
pressures. This is also seen from the yesterday's comment entitled
"Resolution as a Pressure", printed on the front page of the pro-government
"Vjesnik" daily, in which the demand from the UN resolution for the return
of exiled and refuged Serbs in all the parts of Croatia, is qualified as
"an unacceptable instruction for the Croat Government". Croat authorities
are especially annoyed by the stand about Serbs, because according to the
official claims of Zagreb it would appear as if all the doors are open to
Serbian refugees, but that they do not wish to return because "they hate
Croatia". The authorities are also claiming that Serbs have "of their own
free will" left Croatia, and are reproaching the international community
for "practically equalizing victims and aggressors" by such a resolution.
Such thesis are, any how, being used all the time for justification of
crimes committed by the Croat side, which shall certainly not encounter any
understanding in the democratic world.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-18 ; Politika, 1997-04-18
[04] RAILWAYS - ENVIRONMENTAL OASIS
Ministry for Environment Protection of the Republic of Serbia and the
Railway Transport Company "Beograd" are organizing and financing a new
environment protection action entitled "Generation for Generation", within
which during the next two to three years, from three to 4 million walnut
trees will be planted along the railway lines and highway routes. The first
one thousand trees is already planted along the master railway line
Belgrade-Subotica, and the action will continue until all the railway lines
and highway routes are forested. The idea is for the future generations to
'inherit' a good tree but also a quality timber which can be used in
industry.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-18 ; Borba, 1997-04-18
[05] SERBS VOTED FOR SURVIVAL
Federal Government at its yesterday's session, chaired by Radoje Kontic,
gave its positive view of the mass participation of Serbs at the elections
in the Srem and Baranja Region on April 13 and 14, 1997. In this way they
have confirmed to be a mature people, oriented towards democracy and a
lasting stay in the Region. It was also stated that the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia with its politics and active actions has given a significant
contribution to the creation of necessary conditions for holding of the
elections. Federal Government concluded, however, that in spite of all the
efforts invested in holding of the elections under the conditions allowing
for free voting, in the organization of the elections and in the manner in
which they were conducted, there were serious irregularities. This was also
concluded by the UNTAES and the UN Transitional Administrator Jacques Klein,
as well as the Yugoslav and the international observers. It is the general
view that the responsibility for these irregularities rests with the Croat
authorities who were entrusted by the UNTAES with one part of work in the
organization and conducting of the elections. Federal Government on this
occasion again underlines that the policy of full cooperation with the
international community and further development of good neighborly
relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of
Croatia, on the determined principles in the Agreement on Normalization of
the Relations, is of essential importance for preservation of peace and
stability, and therefore, important for full protection of interests and
equality of all the inhabitants of the Srem and Baranja region. From the
international community it is expected to keep a permanent follow-up on the
further consistent implementation of the Erdut Agreement, resolutions of
the Security Council and obligations which Croatia has undertaken towards
the international community. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is striving
for the extension of the mandate of the UNTAES and securing of lasting and
effective presence of the international community in the Srem and Baranja
Region, so that its inhabitants may continue to live in peace, in full
mutual understanding and equality, and so that Serbs may be allowed full
legitimate exercise of their national rights, concluded the session of the
Federal Government.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-18 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-18
[06] COOPERATION BETWEEN THE YUGOSLAV AND THE SWISS CHAMBERS
President of the Yugoslav Chamber of Economy (PKJ) Mihailo Milojevic and
the Secretary General of the private Swiss-Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce
Nicholans Fegli, have signed yesterday the Agreement on cooperation between
the two Chambers. On this occasion they have stated that the Agreement will
help an easier flow of information between the members of the Chambers
about their business opportunities and intentions, which in turn will help
their business linkage. While expressing great interest of his Chamber for
cooperation with the Yugoslav Chamber of Economy, Mr. Fegli pointed out
that in Switzerland there are no sufficient information and knowledge about
the present legal framework for economic cooperation with the Yugoslav
firms. He stated that the most important and necessary information are the
ones on the investment opportunities in Yugoslavia and the conditions of
privatization. President Milojevic, together with offering complete
information on all the issues, stated that the perspectives of cooperation
between partners from the two countries are in the technological and
production links.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-18 ; Borba, 1997-04-18
[07] MILUTINOVIC AND OGATA ON THE CARE FOR REFUGEES
Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Milan Milutinovic during the talks with
the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mrs. Sadako Ogata, pointed out that
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is not in the position to carry the
burden of care for refugees in its territory without the aid from the
international community, and warned that it is necessary for this aid to be
increased or at least maintained at the present level, until the permanent
solutions are found for refugees. During the talks the earlier joint
determination was reiterated to make possible for all refugees who so wish,
to return to their previous place of residence or places of their own
choice, i.e. to create conditions for the solution of this extremely
difficult and significant problem. During her visit to the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia, Mrs. Sadako Ogata had talks also with the Federal Minister
of Interior Affairs Zoran Sokolovic and the Federal Minister for Labor,
Health Care and Social Welfare Miroslav Ivanisevic. At the press conference
Mrs. Sadako Ogata expressed her thanks to the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia for having wholeheartedly received the refugees.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-18 ; Borba, 1997-04-18
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