Serbia Today, 97-06-13

Serbia Today Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Serbia Today

CONTENTS

[01] PRIME MINISTER OF SERBIA RECEIVES DELEGATION OF CHINESE COMPANY "CINOCHEM"

[02] COMMISSARIAT FOR REFUGEES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA DENIES THAT REFUGEES IN YUGOSLAVIA ARE DYING OF HUNGER

[03] RADMILA MILENTIJEVIC, MINISTER OF INFORMATION IN THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA, GIVES INTERVIEW FOR "BLIC"

[01] PRIME MINISTER OF SERBIA RECEIVES DELEGATION OF CHINESE COMPANY "CINOCHEM"

Serbia Today, 1997-06-13

Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Mirko Marjanovic, received yesterday the delegation of the Chinese company "Cinochem", headed by Cheng Dunksan, president of the company.

Prime Minister Marjanovic underlined that on the basis of the good overall relations between the two countries there was a significant development of mutual economic cooperation, in which the barter arrangement between NIS Jugopetrol and "Cinochem" is occupying the key position and is offering great opportunities for further promotion of the mutual exchange. In this respect, it was emphasized that there is our long-term interest for exports into the People's Republic of China of our industrial products, especially the agricultural machinery whose quality and competitive prices have already been confirmed on the world market.

While thanking for the support which the Government of the Republic of Serbia is giving to the successful realization of the five-year agreement between his corporation and NIS Jugopetrol, Cheng Dunksan underlined that the Yugoslav products are more and more finding their place on the large Chinese market. He expressed readiness of "Cinochem" to mediate in arranging direct contacts and concluding business arrangements between the Yugoslav and the Chinese businessmen.

The talks were attended by the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, H.E. Ju Ankang, Minister Coordinator Dragan Tomic and Minister of Mining and Power Engineering Srboljub Stankovic. In the delegation of the public enterprise "Oil Industry of Serbia" (NIS) were the director general Milan Djakovic and director of "Jugopetrol" Dragan Tomic, with their associates.

[02] COMMISSARIAT FOR REFUGEES OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA DENIES THAT REFUGEES IN YUGOSLAVIA ARE DYING OF HUNGER

Serbia Today, 1997-06-13

Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia is strongly denying the claims by the Association for Aid to Refugees and Exiled Persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, that in our country, allegedly, "an increasing number of refugees is dying of hunger or decides for suicide". We are stating under full responsibility that among the refugees and exiled persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia no cases of dying of starvation were recorded, according to the data available to the Commissariat for Refugees, and that the number of death cases in this group of population is not in excess to the number in other population groups.

The rights of refugees, when speaking of the health care, are completely equal with the other citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and they have the option of visiting and going to various consultative offices, having the aim to assist refugees in adapting themselves to the life in the new environment and different circumstances.

Republic of Serbia is allocating 5.6 percent of the social product for various forms of care of refugees, which is one of the biggest allocations per capita in the world for these needs. This does not mean that we claim that the position of refugees is easy, but it is to show that Serbian people and the state have done their utmost to render assistance. Therefore, the stand stated at the session of the Association that "the government and the opposition are not trying to face seriously the difficulties of 700,000 refugees", at least while speaking of the state authorities, is not true. It is strange that no one from the present members of the Association for Aid to Refugees and Exiled Persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, knowing very well how much Serbia is engaging itself in these matters, did not react to such claims - or at least that the press did not give its report. How diversified this engagement is may be best illustrated by the fact that the Commissariat for Refugees is financing also the work and offices of the said Association.

Commissariat for Refugees is distancing itself from the claims stated at the gathering, that "refugees are a great investment in the political electoral game". It is our stand ever since our establishment in the year 1992, which is valid untill now, that with the tragedy and misfortunes of the Serbian people and other refugees no manipulations must be made.

The announced decrease of humanitarian aid - which was also discussed at the meeting of the Association for Aid to Refugees and Exiled Persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - is a matter of concern for the Commissariat, because it could bring one part of refugees in an objectively very difficult position. Considering this to be yet another of the forms of pressure on our country, Commissariat did not accept the proposed international criteria for distribution of humanitarian aid and did not sign the offered document. If nothing is to be changed in the stand of the international community, Government of the Republic of Serbia will undertake additional measures to prevent the life of refugees from changing for the worse.

All these international duties and the overall work of the Commissariat for Refugees is conducted and coordinated by Bratislava Morina, who has by her professional and personal engagement in all the local and international gatherings, succeeded in increasing the humanitarian aid. Respect of her attitude is very much present during the daily working visits to the collective centers for accommodation of refugees (some 900 of them) in the entire territory of Serbia.

Association for Aid to Refugees and Exiled Persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and our public know very well that Commissariat, together with the other competent bodies, is actively engaged in creation of the national plan for lasting solution of the question of refugees, which includes all of the three modalities - return home, departure to third countries and integration in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The status of refugees is in a considerable part integrated also in the draft proposal of the social program of the Republic of Serbia, which is now under way. While speaking of the return of exiled persons and refugees, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is striving not only for their safe return but also for their safe life in the areas from which they were exiled, and which is for now being prevented by the authorities of the Republic of Croatia and of the Muslim-Croat Federation - reads the denial of the Commissariat for Refugees of the Republic of Serbia.

[03] RADMILA MILENTIJEVIC, MINISTER OF INFORMATION IN THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA, GIVES INTERVIEW FOR "BLIC"

Serbia Today, 1997-06-13

In her interview for the "Blic" daily newspaper of June 13, 1997, Minister of Information Prof.Dr. Radmila Milentijevic, stated the following: "We are determined to go on one of the five largest networks of the Internet, with the highest number of users, in which are the United States, Great Britain, Russia and China. We are planning to enter the economic Internet of Reuters. Soon we shall sign a contract with them. The third thing that we intend to do is to get closer to the Serbian people in America. We are working intensively on the satellite which we had until three and a half years ago. Now we do not have it any more and our people in North America is left at the mercy of anti-Serbian propaganda of Franjo Tudjman and Alija Izetbegovic".

Regarding the frequencies, Minister Milentijevic stated that this question "is in the competence of the federal state, however, frequencies are having two components: linking of the station with frequency and defining of its program. Republic is the one which contracts and signs the program with the owner of the media'. Regarding the criteria, Minister Milentijevic said that "we did not determine them yet. For the moment we are talking with the federal government which should identify all the frequencies and give a certain number of them to Serbia for its use. We will not be able to have a public bidding before the beginning of the next year. in the meantime, we shall grant transitional solution, a temporary registration, but not to all the existing ones. The ones that shall be so registered shall remain in operation until the bidding".

Regarding President Milosevic, Minister Milentijevic, underlined that "he is today the statesman of Serbia and has the competencies granted to him by the force of the people supporting him. When Mrs. Albright came here she did not meet either with the President of Montenegro or with the President of Yugoslavia. She met only with Milosevic, because he is today the statesman both of Serbia and of Yugoslavia and the statesman who has the support of his people."

At the question of the "Blic" reporter to comment why Mrs. Albright asked from President Milosevic the implementation of the Dayton Accords, and extradition of war criminals, Minister Milentijevic said that "the United States want to preserve peace and stability in the Balkans. Serbia and President Milosevic want the same thing. Now, after these talks, she knows much better the President and his stands, what he can do and what he can not do. Now the President also understands better the American stands. The Hague Tribunal is the act of Dayton Accords, but it is a political tribunal. The United States wanted it, the United States got it. The best proof that it is a political tribunal is the case when Tudjman struck Western Slavonia, killed the Serbs there and expelled 10 thousand Serbs out, and then Martic ordered two missiles to be fired on Zagreb, killing some five civilians. The Hague Tribunal immediately jumped at Martic because of the crime against humanity. When Tudjman ordered firing of two thousand missiles on Knin, killing some 530 civilians, the Tribunal said nothing at all. The Hague Tribunal wants extradition of Karadzic and Mladic, but they are living in another state".

"In the program by Christian Amanpour", underlined Minister Milentijevic, "the old CNN policy is being retold and of this journalist, who is one of the most influential supporters against Serbian people in this war. She took the defense of one people - the Muslim one, because she is a Muslim, and this is our misfortune. If we are to have our Christian, a Serbian woman, she would have found an Arkan with Alija and would have made the same program".

Serbia Today Directory - Previous Article - Next Article