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Serbia Today, 97-04-21Serbia Today Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>Serbia TodayCONTENTS
[01] YUGOSLAVIA OPENED FOR ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH THE WORLDPresident of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic received yesterday participants of the large international gathering, organized by the Chamber of Economy of Yugoslavia and held in Belgrade with the title "International Economic Cooperation and the Role of Chambers of Economy". In the delegation headed by the President of the Chamber of Economy of Yugoslavia Mihailo Milojevic, also were present the outstanding representatives of the chambers, councils and institutions from Austria, Byelorus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Italy, Macedonia, Moldavia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States of America. While welcoming his guests, President Milosevic underlined great importance of international economic links and interest for maintaining and continuous growth of mutual business relations and cooperation between our and foreign partners. Underlining the openness of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for the economic cooperation with the world and its considerable advantages, President Milosevic supported the creation of favorable conditions, and especially those for overcoming of the existing restrictions and stimulation of customs and other incentives, which can promote trade and instigate strengthening of economic integration trends.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Politika, 1997-04-19[02] SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEWS BRIEFS: A NEW ATTACK ON YUGOSLAVIAIn the capital of Austria during this weekend an international gathering will take place where some 40 participants shall debate "the options for the solution" of the problem of Kosovo and Metohija. Organizer of this meeting is the Washington Carnegie Foundation for International Peace and the European Action Council for Peace in the Balkans from Amsterdam.Otherwise, as it is well known, several days ago a similar meeting was adjourned in New York, which practically turned into negotiations about the fate of Kosovo and Metohija. This meeting was organized by the Project for National Relations (PEP), an organization under the auspices of the Carnegie Foundation. At this gathering, further to the members of the American Administration and the Skypetary (Albanian) separatists from Kosmet, also took part the leaders of the Serbian opposition coalition "Zajedno" ("Together"). In spite of the unconvincing claims of the organizer and some representatives of the Serbian opposition that the meeting in New York was unimportant and some sort of colloquial exchange of opinions, the dialogue in New York practically turned into discussion on the possibility for re-tailoring of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Since full agreement was reached both by the Skypetary separatists and the representatives of the Serbian opposition about the targets and contents of the dialogue on Kosmet (Kosovo and Metohija), as well as the agreement on the need for the Kosovo question to be resolved with the international supervision, which was reported also in the joint document published at the end of the New York meeting, mentors of the Skypetary separatists very efficiently scheduled the new conference on Kosmet. In this way practically the attention is being drawn away from the situation in Albania and an artificially created temperature is maintained about the Skypetary question, with further pressures of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Vienna meeting, where the experts of various profiles are expected to attend from the United Sates, European countries, Serbia and Kosovo, is yet another attempt to internationalize the question of this autonomous province, although many international factors have until now confirmed that Kosovo is an internal affair of Serbia and of the FR of Yugoslavia. The meeting which is to be held behind closed doors, will be inaugurated by the Secretary General in the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Albert Rohan. The politicians have on purpose not been invited, and the public is excluded, stated to the Tanjug correspondent Ambassador Rohan. Neither before nor after the meeting is the press conference scheduled, or any communique or statement for the press, said Ambassador Rohan. Although the influential international factors most often have torrents of words about democracy, both the New York meeting and now this one in Vienna are obviously held without the presence of the public as if there is something there that they are trying to hide. Rohan, just like his predecessors in New York, tried to present the meeting in Vienna as an unofficial gathering of scientists, publicists, sociologists, experts on human rights and theoreticians, stressing that it is not a question of an official dialogue or discussion. Nevertheless, participants of the meeting will draft over a few days. "a paper' which does not have a binding character and in which there will be a listing of the variants "for" and "against" the possible independence of Kosmet, division, annexation to the other neighboring countries, "territorial autonomy" or the status of a republic - and all this in spite of the fact that the most influential European and world factors have confirmed the principle of unchangeability of frontiers in the Balkans, as well as the determination for the Kosovo question to be solved within the institutions of the system in Serbia and in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. When asked to specify who are the participants of the meeting, Ambassador Rohan said that the precise list is kept with the organizers in the United States and Netherlands and mentioned the commissioner of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Max van der Stul, the Austrian publicist Christine von Kohl and several other American 'experts', while about the guests from Yugoslavia he had nothing to say. Ambassador Rohan did not wish to answer specifically also the question where the meeting will be held, except that it will be in the conference rooms of one of the local ministries. It is expected that the organizers of the Vienna conference on Kosmet, after the meeting is adjourned, will send the recommendations to the interested governments and the international organizations. It remains, however, still unclear, why is Kosovo and Metohija being discussed in New York and in Vienna, without the presence of either the representatives of the Yugoslav official authorities or of the Kosovo Serbs and Montenegrins, and not in Belgrade, which is raising the question about the true intentions of the organizers of these 'semi-official and informal gatherings' about interior affairs of our country. Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Politika, 1997-04-19[03] PEACE-KEEPERS - SPIESThe largest number of the observers of the European Union, who were at the time of the civil war present in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, were in fact the professional intelligence officers, claims the London "Sunday Telegraph". Behind the white suits of the observers and the official humanitarian and peace missions, what was hiding was the dirty trick of the international community, about which we are only now starting to speak openly, states the London newspaper. The problem is so much greater because these peace mediators were placing themselves on the sides of the Croats and Muslims and were secretly supplying them with arms and money, which in fact, prolonged the war destructions and agony and caused an even larger number of human victims. In this job, underlines the newspaper, the foremost were the Germans and their intelligence officers who, under the protection of the European Union, were conducting clandestine actions of arms and money supply to Muslims and Croats. Britain during the Bosnian crisis tried to uphold its principles and remain neutral and because of this was most of all by Germany publicly accused of being pro-Serbian oriented, which is now revealed as the intention of Bonn to cover up it own involvement with the other sides.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-04-21[04] STRONG REMARKS TO CROATIAThe U.S. Ambassador in Croatia Peter Galbright suddenly and unannounced visited the areas of Sibenik and Knin county, especially spending his time in Kistanje and Knin and thereupon gave the statements which have simply shocked the Croat side. "I am very much concerned over the situation in Kistanje. I think that it is here the case of a specific symbol of war. This small city was burnt down while it was in the hands of Croat authorities, which was a completely senseless act of destruction which brought upon Croatia bad reputation. Kosovo Croats are now moving into Serbian houses, and these Serbs are Croat citizens and are having all the rights as the other Croat citizens", said Galbright. In the talks with the government representative for Knin Zvonimir Puljic, who stated the official Croat thesis that Serbs have left of their own free will their homes, although Tudjman called upon them to stay, Galbright said: "I would not say that Serbs were called upon to stay. Kistanje is one of the examples how they were treated after the Croat army had entered Serbian villages. Serbs were right to escape, because if they did stay, they would have been burnt together with their homes". On this occasion Ambassador Galbright especially criticized the law on taking over of the Serbian property and methods of its implementation, and said that if Croatia wishes to integrate itself in the western society and have the support in this of the American government, it must abolish this law.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-04-19[05] SECRET LIST OF THE CROAT GOVERNMENT IS STILL NOT FINALIn the Bar Association of Serbia the secret list of the Government of the Republic of Croatia was disclosed, with the names of 150 Serbs accused for genocide and war crimes, who have authorized the Bar Association to publicly reveal this list. All the persons from the list are ready for their cases to be submitted to The Hague Tribunal, because they do not agree to be submitted for trial before the Croat courts. "What is very indicative", said at the press conference defense attorney Toma Fila, "is that the list contains only the names and years of birth, but not the documentation with proof and evidence, so that these people do not at all know for what they are being prosecuted". Furthermore, this list is not final, but may be extended, together with 92 persons who are still detained in Croat prisons and their names are not known. In the agreement with the prime minister and the minister of justice of the Srem and Baranja Region and Jacques Klein as well as the defense attorneys Toma Fila and Milan Vujin, until the establishment of the Croat rule, the representatives of The Hague Tribunal should arrive, who will be given all the material."There is no trust at all of these people in the Croat authorities, and many of them have already passed the trials and prisons and would rather risk life sentence in The Hague than be detained in jails in Croatia", said the President of the Bar Association of Serbia, defense attorney Milan Vujin. "It is our aim to internationalize this problem because the world public must be informed about the manner of operation of the authorities of the Republic of Croatia, violation of the Law on Amnesty which it has passed itself, and in this respect of the Dayton Accords themselves", pointed out Toma Fila. Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Politika, 1997-04-21[06] THE SAME RIGHTS FOR SERBS AND CROATSThe plan for return of refugees, which is being drafted together by the Government of Croatia, the UNTAES and the UN High Commissariat for Refugees, will make it possible under equitable conditions both for Serbs and Croats to return there where they have come from, stated the chief of the Transitional Administration for the Srem and Baranja Region, General Jacques Klein. In the information program of the Zagreb Television "Motrista", Klein said that the Croats will be returning to their homes on the basis of the principle of reciprocity, supporting in this way the request by the president of the Independent Democratic Serbian Party Vojislav Stanimirovic. Klein categorically denied the claims by the president of the Community of Croat Refugees Mate Simic, that in the recent elections in the Region, voting was also allowed for the citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, qualifying such claims as incorrect and silly. According to Klein, at the elections for the local authorities of the Srem and Baranja Region, the leaders are now elected who are having full legitimacy. "They are elected in a legitimate way which gives them the rights which they did not have until now", said Klein.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-04-21[07] SERBS WIN IN TEN MUNICIPALITIES AND IN THE CITY OF BELI MANASTIRThe transitional UN administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem reported on Sunday in Vukovar the unofficial results of the elections, conducted in the Region from April 13 to 15, 1997. The Independent Democratic Serbian Party, according to the published data, won in the city of Beli Manastir and in ten municipalities, while the Croat parties won in Ilok and Vukovar and in another 15 municipalities. Results were not reported for the towns of Klis and Sarvas, from the electoral unit of the city of Osijek. It is also not stated how many voters were registered in the voting lists, and neither how many eligible voters turned out for the vote. It is only being specified that 126,533 voting ballots were counted. From this number 70,292 was counted in the Region, and 56,241 in the other parts of Croatia where the Croat refugees were voting. In the communique of the UNTAES it is stated that he elections took place in peace and without incidents.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-04-20[08] READINESS OF SERBS TO CREATE CONDITIONS FOR PERMANENT LIFE IN THE REGION BY DEMOCRATIC MEANSDeputy Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Zivadin Jovanovic stated that Serbs in the Srem and Baranja Region by mass participation at the recent elections have shown readiness to create conditions for their equality by democratic means, for their security and permanent life in this Region. Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was actively engaged in creating the prerequisites for a consistent application of the agreement on the Srem and Baranja Region, and especially for the holding of free and fair elections in the Region, said Zivadin Jovanovic in his interview for Television Belgrade. While expressing hope that in counting of the voting results and in constitution of the legitimate state authorities there will be no difficulties, Zivadin Jovanovic underlined that Yugoslavia will continue with its active support of the process of stabilization in the Srem and Baranja Region, both in cooperation with the UNTAES and representatives of the United Nations and in the bilateral relations with Croatia.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Borba, 1997-04-21[09] THE TENTH BELGRADE 'STARK' MARATHON WAS HELDIn Belgrade, on Saturday last, the Tenth Belgrade 'Stark' Marathon was held, certainly the most important sports event organized by our capital city. In all the three races (Race of Pleasure, Semi-Marathon and Marathon), along the Belgrade streets more than 30,000 citizens and athletes were running. All the three first places were won by the Kenyans Joefat Ndeti, Ruben Chibutich and Onemus Mutisja. In the competition for women, the best was Irina Bogacheva from Kirghizia. In the semi-marathon the triumphant was the Hungarian Shandor Serfeso, while in the race for women our junior Olivera Jevtic won, reaching at the same time the new record time of the run. Organization was traditionally very good and at the highest level and Belgrade has shown once again that it is capable of hosting the highest athletic competitions. The promoter of the marathon, one of the greatest athletes of all times, the Ukraine Sergey Bupka, expressed his enthusiasm with the mass participation both of runners and the public which was wholeheartedly supporting the competitors, and also with the organization and the city of Belgrade itself.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Politika, 1997-04-10[10] DECISION OF EUROPEAN UNION FAVORABLE FOR YUGOSLAVIA IS EXPECTED"I am expecting that the Council of Ministers of the European Union shall pass soon a political decision favorable for your country", stated the representative of the Foreign Trade Committee of the Belgian Government, Mr. Herman Tis, who attended the international gathering in Belgrade, organized on the occasion of the 140 years anniversary of the economic association in Yugoslavia. Tis also said that he expects that such a decision will serve as basis for other positive decisions of the European Union in the field of economics. "The favorable decision of the European Union for Yugoslavia will also be supported by Belgium because it will make possible the promotion of the economic cooperation between the two countries", said Tis and specified that there are no obstacles at all for Belgrade and Brussels to establish an economic bridge and for the businessmen to preceed the politicians.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-20[11] THE FIRST PRESENTATION OF THE YUGOSLAV ART AFTER LIFTING OF SANCTIONSRepresentative exhibition of the contemporary Yugoslav art including painting, sculpture, graphic arts, drawing and video arts of some forty Yugoslav artists of younger and middle generation, was opened in Thessaloniki, within the event "European Capital of Arts - Thessaloniki '97". This presentation of our artists is the first presentation of the Yugoslav culture after the lifting of sanctions. While opening the exhibition, director of the Institute for Scientific, Educational, Technical and Cultural Cooperation Boris Iljenko underlined that participation of Yugoslavia is a great challenge and responsibility, because Thessaloniki was the cultural center of Europe even before this event. He recalled that during the international isolation, Yugoslavia succeeded in preserving its culture and in maintaining vital links with the international artistic trends.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Politika, 1997-04-19[12] MILES: YUGOSLAVIA SERIOUSLY DETERMINED TO ENTER THE PROCESS OF ECONOMIC REFORMSDeputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government, Danko Djunic, received yesterday the chief of the Mission of the United States in Belgrade, Mr. Richard Miles, at his request, and informed him of the comprehensive concept of economic reforms, based on the open market economy. Djunic underlined that the Government is very much interested and ready for an open cooperation with all the international entities, in view of the fact that for the successful implementation of the reforms, it is necessary for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to return most of all into the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Mr. Miles stated that Yugoslavia is seriously determined to enter the process of economic reforms and that he is with sympathy and understanding observing the encouraging activities in this direction, although the so-called exterior wall of sanctions is still present as a problem whose solution includes a broader context from the economic reforms.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Borba, 1997-04-19[13] YUGOSLAVIA IN FAVOR OF GOOD NEIGHBORLY RELATIONS WITHOUT VISASWhile addressing the members of the diplomatic corps and participants of the round table "Contemporary Processes and Relations in the Balkans", which was held in Belgrade, deputy Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Zivadin Jovanovic stated that the relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with all of the new and old neighbors are based on the principles of non-interference and equality, respect for the internationally recognized frontiers and mutual interests, and understanding of minorities as bridges of cooperation and improvement of the relations. Among the most important priorities of our diplomacy are the stabilization of peace in former Yugoslavia, full implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and of the Basic Agreement on Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem, said Zivadin Jovanovic. "Our next priority is the full normalization of the relations with the former Yugoslav republics and in this respect the federal government has initiated many bilateral agreements and arrangements, most of all with Croatia and Macedonia, and recently also with Bosnia-Herzegovina. We wish for these our relations with all the neighbors to be based on transparent, soft frontiers, without customs and visas", specified Zivadin Jovanovic.Serbia Today, 1997-04-21 ; Borba, 1997-04-19Serbia Today Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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