Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-01-10

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory

From: ddc@nyquist.bellcore.com (D.D. Chukurov)

10 January 1996

CONTENTS

[A] FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

[01] SERBIAN PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC MEETS WITH U.S. ENVOY GALLLUCCI

[02] GALLUCCI: VERY GOOD MEETING WITH MILOSEVIC

[03] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES U.S. OFFICIALS

[04] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT WILL FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION

[05] YUGOSLAV-FRENCH CONSULTATIONS BEGIN IN PARIS

[06] YUGOSLAV MINISTER: TALKS WITH ETHNIC ALBANIANS IN KOSMET NOT TANTAMOUNT TO NEGOTIATIONS

[B] YUGOSLAVIA - FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLICS RELATIONS

[07] YUGOSLAV OFFICIAL: NORMALISATION WITH CROATIA PLAGUED WITH PROBLEMS

[C] BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA

[08] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA OFFICIAL REQUESTS EXTENSION OF SARAJEVO DEADLINE

[09] EIGHTY PER CENT SERBS MAY LEAVE SERB PARTS OF SARAJEVO

[10] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA MARKS REPUBLIC DAY IN PEACE FOR THE FIRST TIME

[11] BOSNIAN SERBS DENY DROPPING SHELL ON SARAJEVO TRAM CAR

[12] MUSLIMS BAULK AT PRISONER RELEASE PLAN

[13] RED CROSS: MUSLIMS BLOCK PRISONER RELEASE

[14] E.U. COUNCIL PRESIDENT CONCERNED ABOUT DIFFICULT MOSTAR SITUATION

[D] FROM FOREIGN PRESS

[15] ON SITUATION IN DIVIDED MOSTAR

[A] FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

[01] SERBIAN PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC MEETS WITH U.S. ENVOY GALLLUCCI

Gallucci, who is the U.S. President's Special Envoy for the implementation of the peace agreement signed on Dec.14 in Paris, arrived in Belgrade at the head of a State Department delegation.

In the talks it was said that the realization of the obligations from the peace agreement is being carried out as planned and that the former warring parties in Bosnia are demonstrating a positive stand in cooperation with the IFOR, a statement said.

The talks underscored the importance of the successful resolution of the issues pertaining to the freedom, safety and the right to make free choices of the citizens of Sarajevo and added that the impartiality of the peace forces is of primary importance in this.

It was said that it is expected that the international community's efforts to meet its obligations stemming form the Bosnia peace agreement will enable peace to be reached as soon as possible and a speedy normalization of life.

The talks were attended by William Montgomery, Ambassador in the State Department, Rudolf Perina, the Charges d'affieres at the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade and Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic.

[02] GALLUCCI: VERY GOOD MEETING WITH MILOSEVIC

[03] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES U.S. OFFICIALS

The announcement stressed that the stabilization of peace in these areas presupposes reductions in military effectives of all sides in Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus ruling out additional arming of any of the sides.

Accord was expressed in regard to the need that the sides should be encouraged to cooperate in this direction, while international factors should extend their contribution to peace, in the first place through material assistance to the quickest possible economic revival and reconstruction of these areas.

Taking part in the talk, were Ambassador in the State Department Deril Johnson and Charge d'affaires in Belgrade Rudolf Perina on the American side, and Federal Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic on the Yugoslav side.

[04] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT WILL FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING PEACE AND STABILITY IN THE REGION

The Yugoslav Information Secretariat announced that on the domestic scene priority will be given to the realization of the established economic policy for 1996. The Yugoslav Government will this year also adopt a series of laws aimed at the final coordination of Federal laws with the Yugoslav Constitution and creating better conditions for the functioning of an open market economy and a democratic legal state.

The Yugoslav Government said that the country has a basic techincal infrastructure and the necessary knowhow to include the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia into the Internet world computer network. The Federal Government instructed federal bodies to prepare a strategy for the development of computer sciences in Yugoslavia.

The Yugoslav Government determined that international maritime traffic should be conducted via the Adriatic ports in Montenegro: Bar, Budva, Kotor and Herceg Novi, while international river traffic will be carried out via the Danube river ports in Apatin, Belgrade, Backa Topola, Novi Sad, Pancevo, Prahovo and Smederevo (in the Republic of Serbia) and Senta on the Tisa river (in Serbia's Vojvodina province).

[05] YUGOSLAV-FRENCH CONSULTATIONS BEGIN IN PARIS

The two delegations stressed that they considered the questions under advisement as immensely important to the improvement of relations between the two historically friendly states.

The Yugoslav Embassy in Paris said that this was the first time in the history of Yugoslav-French relations that the situation and problems in the consular sphere were being discussed comprehensively.

The two delegations stressed a need for continuity in the implementation of all agreements and conventions signed between former Yugoslavia and France. This, they said, will enable unhindered bilateral cooperation and revive relations where they have been interrupted by years of comprehensive and mandatory U.N. sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

[06] YUGOSLAV MINISTER: TALKS WITH ETHNIC ALBANIANS IN KOSMET NOT TANTAMOUNT TO NEGOTIATIONS

'We shall not and cannot hold any negotiations, but even now I receive great many people every day with their requests and we talk about solutions to their existential problems,' said he in an interview published in the Belgrade Borba daily on Tuesday.

In reply to the question about the possible replacement of personal identity documents carried by Yugoslav citizens, Jokanovic assessed that travel documents would certainly be substituted before long. 'All passports will be changed in a term of two years after the enactment of the federal law, and what has already been worked out is a new form of contemporary, European passport with a high degree of protection from abuses,' stressed Jokanovic.

[B] YUGOSLAVIA - FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLICS RELATIONS

[07] YUGOSLAV OFFICIAL: NORMALISATION WITH CROATIA PLAGUED WITH PROBLEMS

Deputy Yugoslav Foreign Minister Radoslav Bulajic was speaking for Radio Yugoslavia ahead of Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic's visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Bulajic said that it was in Yugoslavia's economic interest to establish normal economic relations with the former Yugoslav republics, as a prelude to diplomatic relations and mutual recognition.

He said that the Bosnian peace accord, struck at Dayton, Ohio, in late November 1995, and signed in Paris on Dec.14, clearly demanded from all states created in the territory of former Yugoslavia to normalize mutual political and, especially, economic relations.

The process of mutual recognition between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia has begun and Yugoslavia expects it to be completed soon, said Bulajic.

He said that, as regards Croatia, there were, regretably, some points at issue that had surfaced since the Dayton accord, concerning the administration of the Srem-Baranja region in the transitional period.

Bulajic said that there was also the problem of the strategic Prevlaka peninsula, situated on the Montenegrin-Croatian border and claimed by both Croatia and Yugoslavia. Under the Dayton accord, the status of Prevlaka should be settled in a tripartite territorial exchange in the Dubrovnik hinterland, he explained. Now, however, Bulajic said, there are interpratations from the Croatian side that are not in line with the agreement reached at Dayton. He said he hoped that the meeting between Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic and his Croatian counterpart Mate Granic on Wednesday would bring progress on the issue.

Yugoslavia will urge for normalizing road, railway and air traffic and PTT links with Croatia and reopening the Adriatic oil pipeline, Bulajic said and hoped that the normalization process would begin in the economic sphere.

He said that the implementation of the Dayton peace accord had yielded positive initial results and that its gradual implementation would give Yugoslavia the right to raise the question of reintegration in the international community.

[C] BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA

[08] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA OFFICIAL REQUESTS EXTENSION OF SARAJEVO DEADLINE

Describing the situation in that part of Sarajevo as critical, Krajisnik said Republika Srpska leaders had managed so far to persuade their people to refrain from a massive exodus, setting fire to their houses and resorting to any form of retaliation. He said, however, since the future of the Serbs in Sarajevo was uncertain, exodus might happen any time now, saying it would be probably accompanied by bloodshed.

[09] EIGHTY PER CENT SERBS MAY LEAVE SERB PARTS OF SARAJEVO

R.S. Minister for refugees and displaced persons Ljubisa Vladusic also warned that a humanitarian disaster was threatening if the Office of the UNHCR discontinued it said to the residents of the serb parts of Sarajevo - Grbavica, Ilidza, Vogosca and Ilijas. This was pointed out by Vladisic in his talk with UNHCR Bosnia Envoy Sore Yasen Peterson held at Pale, the administrative centre of the R.S., the Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA reported.

SRNA quoted Peterson as saying that the UNHCR would not encourage exodus of Serbs from Sarajevo, but, if it did happen, it would extend maximum assistance.

SRNA also quoted Peterson as asserting that it was quite clear that the international community's guarantees for the security of population in the Muslim-controlled parts of the city were missing, but the UNHCR would keep performing its job in the best possible way.

[10] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA MARKS REPUBLIC DAY IN PEACE FOR THE FIRST TIME

Speaking on local Radio Jagodina, central Serbia, Krajisnik said that 'the Serbs (in Bosnia) have aquired a state.' He expressed hope that Republika Srpska would realize its basic aim and become an integral part of a joint Serbain state when conditions are ripe and when the international community changes its policy.

Krajisnik expressed concern over the possible exodus of more than 100,000 Serbs from the parts of Sarajevo which have been given to the Muslim-Croat Federation under the Dayton agreement. He added that a big political struggle is yet to come for the just resolution of this issue.

[11] BOSNIAN SERBS DENY DROPPING SHELL ON SARAJEVO TRAM CAR

The (Bosnian Serb State) Republika Srpska news agency SRNA quoted sources close to the presidential cabinet as saying that the nato-ledpeace implementation force (ifor) had been requested to institute an immediate investigation into the incident. This is the most serious incident since the warring parties emplaced a ceasefire in Sarajevo on Oct. 12, 1995.

The Republika Srpska authorities deny with indignation the charge that the Serbs fired the shell on the Muslim part of Sarajevo, SRNA said. The source added that IFOR had been requested to include with outfail Bosnian Serb representatives in the investigation, in order to avoid a repetition of the situation when Serbs had been blamed for Muslim atrocities.

[12] MUSLIMS BAULK AT PRISONER RELEASE PLAN

'The Bosnian (Muslim) Army delegation, having taken instructions from their Government, announced that they could not agree to sign the plan today,' a NATO statement said.

[13] RED CROSS: MUSLIMS BLOCK PRISONER RELEASE

According to the plan, the ICRC is to have free access to all prisons and prisoners, said the statement, in order to talk with all the prisoners and establish where they want to go after their release. In keeping with the Dayton peace accord, all three sides in the Bosnian conflict exchanged lists of prisoners at their first meeting at Sarajevo airport on Jan.4.

The ICRC will urge that the prisoners be released by the set date, Jan. 15 and 16, said the statement. The ICRC's Office in Belgrade also issued a statement setting forth the problems involved in the release of prisoners.

[14] E.U. COUNCIL PRESIDENT CONCERNED ABOUT DIFFICULT MOSTAR SITUATION

Agnelli was speaking at a news conference in Paris, where she had attended a conference on aid to Palestine and met with French Foreign Minister Herve De Charette.

[D] FROM FOREIGN PRESS

[15] ON SITUATION IN DIVIDED MOSTAR

The Austrian media see a normalisation in Mostar as the toughest test that will show if the Bosnian Muslim-Croat Federation will survive. The Austrian media are careful, however, not to attribute responsibility for incidents and tension in Mostar to either of the city's nominal allies, who formed their federation in March 1994, putting a stop to a year of Muslim-Croat war for territories.

The Vienna Kurier raises the question of the future of Mostar and of Austria's proteges - Bosnian Croats and Muslims.

A Muslim-Croat civil war could destroy the Federation and jeopardise the Bosnian peace accord (reached at Dayton, Ohio, USA, in November and signed in Paris on Dec. 14) that is based on cooperation between the Federation and the Republika Srpska, Kurier said. Writing about the climate in Mostar, the daily quotes Croats in the Bosnian Croat State of Herceg-Bosna as saying that they would never want to live 'with the Turks' (Muslims) again.

The Croats want Mostar to be the capital of Herceg-Bosna and are stalling for time, waiting for the E.U.'s administration of the city to end on July 23.

Brussels' daily Le Soir as saying that Mostar is a bastion of Croatian nationalism in Bosnia and that the situation in the city is extremely tense and its future uncertain. Le Soir's special correspondent speculates that Mostar will determine the future of the Muslim-Croat Federation that is so dear to Washington.

The Pax Americana that the U.S. has devised primarily in order to put pressure on the Serbs is facing its biggest test in Mostar, in the territory of the Muslim-Croat Federation itself, Le Soir said.