Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-02-19

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory

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

19 February 1996

CONTENTS

[A] ROME SUMMIT ON BOSNIA

[01] MILOSEVIC: ACCORD STRUCK TO SUSPEND SANCTIONS AGAINST BOSNIAN SERBS

[02] SANCTIONS AGAINST BOSNIAN SERBS TO BE SUSPENDED NEXT WEEK

[B] THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

[03] SUCCESFUL TALKS BETWEEN SCALFARO, MILOSEVIC

[04] HUNGARY'S GYARMATI SEES MILOSEVIC AS KEY FIGURE IN BOSNIA PEACE

[05] MUFTI JUSUFSPAHIC OF BELGRADE: MUSLIMS ARE NOT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST

[C] AFTER SPANISH FOREGN MINISTER'S VISIT TO BELGRADE

[06] YUGOSLAV CONTRIBUTION TO RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT IN BOSNIA

[D] BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA

[07] BOSNIA HIGH REPRESENTATIVE MEETS WITH RANKING BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIALS

[08] BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL MEETS WITH STEINER

[09] SERBS MOVE OUT OF SARAJEVO'S HADZICI SUBURB

[10] RUSSIA'S STATE DUMA DENOUNCES ARREST OF BOSNIAN SERB OFFICERS

[11] MUSLIM TERRORIST GROUP CAPTURED IN BOSNIA

[E] ELISABETH REHN ON BOSNIA SITUATION

[12] U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS ENVOY SEEKS TRUTH ABOUT ALL BOSNIA'S 'SREBRENICAS'

[F] THE SREM - BARANJA REGION

[13] U.N. ADMINISTRATOR: MAIN GOAL IS TO PROTECT SREM-BARANJA POPULATION

[G] HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE SERBS IN CROATIA

[14] BOUTROS GHALI WARNS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

[A] ROME SUMMIT ON BOSNIA

[01] MILOSEVIC: ACCORD STRUCK TO SUSPEND SANCTIONS AGAINST BOSNIAN SERBS

He said that the procedure for suspending the sanctions against the Republika Srpska would begin in the course of the week. Milosevic said that the Yugoslav delegation received assurances that nothing from the outside could prevent the suspension of the sanctions against the Republika Srpska, and that the only obstacle could be the Bosnian Serbs defying the peace plan.

Judging from the practice to date, this should not be expected, he added.

Expressing his pleasure with the outcome of the Rome summit, Milosevic said that the danger of misunderstanding among the erstwhile enemies had been removed.

The Muslim Sarajevo Government and High Representative for Bosnia Carl Bildt and his team made some very important and good decisions that should put at rest all fear of discrimination against the Serbs in the Serb parts of Sarajevo once they are turned over to the Muslim-Croat Federation, he said.

There is no reason for the Serbs to be afraid and move out of those parts of Sarajevo, Milosevic averred.

He said that the Serbs would be represented in the bodies of power in the municipalities in which they live, and will have proportionate representation in the local police.

The police force, without exception, will for a lengthy period, at least until the elections, be controlled by the international police force, Milosevic added.

In addition to power-sharing, the Serbs will have guaranteed rights to organise their own schools and use their own cyrillic script, he said.

Milosevic said that he and Republika Srpska Premier Rajko Kasagic had had a long meeting on these measures with Bosnian Muslim leader Alija Izetbegovic and Premier Hasan Muratovic.

The Serbian President also said that all those who fought in the war would be amnestied, save for those guilty of war crimes and those indicted for war crimes by the Hague-based war crimes tribunal.

Referring to the recent arrest of two high-ranking Bosnian Serb officers, Milosevic said it was out of the question that such arbitrary arrests should be repeated without proper charges being brought first.

He said the Rome summit had also touched on the issues of economic cooperation, reopening of roads and railways and restoration of telecommunication ties which was of great importance to both the Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation.

Noting that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would continue firmly to support the implementation of the peace plan, Milosevic summed up the results of its implementation so far by saying that the killing had stopped, the restoration of peace had begun and first steps were being made towards economic recovery.

Conditions will gradually be created for the refugees to return home or go to places where they want to live, he said and added that there was every indication that life was returning to normal.

[02] SANCTIONS AGAINST BOSNIAN SERBS TO BE SUSPENDED NEXT WEEK

Kasagic also said that the Rome summit had reached a satisfactory solution for the problem of Sarajevo which, for the Serbs, had been the most critical point of the Dayton peace accord. The Serb parts of Sarajevo will remain under full Serb control until March 19, with Serb authorities and police. Meanwhile, agreement should be reached on the power handover in accordance with the Dayton accord. When the Sarajevo city council is headed by a Serb, then the chief of police will be a Muslim, and vice versa, said Kasagic.

Agreement was reached that the Serbs be represented in the bodies of power proportionatelly to the size of their community as existed at the time of the 1991 Census, which Kasagic said was much more favourable to them than if their present numbers were considered. There were 160,000 Serbs in Sarajevo in 1991, he said.

International police will begin deploying to Sarajevo on March 20, to be followed by Bosnia-Herzegovina federal police in which the Serbs will again be represented in proportion to their number according to the 1991 Census, explained Kasagic.

[B] THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

[03] SUCCESFUL TALKS BETWEEN SCALFARO, MILOSEVIC

The talks focused on the upgrading of bilateral relations and possibilities for promoting economic cooperation. Yugoslavia's peaceful position and positive role in settling the crisis in the former Yugoslavia were fully supported in the talks. The Yugoslav side thanked Italy for its constructive stand and efforts to help solve the crisis in the former Yugoslavia.

Italian President Scalfaro accepted an invitation to visit Yugoslavia soon.

[04] HUNGARY'S GYARMATI SEES MILOSEVIC AS KEY FIGURE IN BOSNIA PEACE

The Hungarian diplomat, who chaired a Conference on Confidence restoring measures between Bosnia's former warring parties that ended in Vienna on Jan. 26, said the OSCE planned to send 50 arms control inspector teams to Bosnia in the near future. The inspectors are to verify at first hand information given by the Bosnian sides about their military potentials and inspect their military factories.

[05] MUFTI JUSUFSPAHIC OF BELGRADE: MUSLIMS ARE NOT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST

The Mufti of Belgrade said he had informed about the position of Muslims in Yugoslavia the meetings of Islamic countries recently held in Mecca and Kuala Lumpur, where he had represented the Muslims of Yugoslavia.

[C] AFTER SPANISH FOREGN MINISTER'S VISIT TO BELGRADE

[06] YUGOSLAV CONTRIBUTION TO RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT IN BOSNIA

Westendorp was speaking to Spanish news agency EFE on Thursday following his first official visit to Belgrade.

EFE quoted Westendorp as saying that conditions are ripe for resuming diplomatic relations at the level of ambassadors and that this could take place over the next few days. Westendorp said that in Belgrade he had convinced himself in the firm resolution of the Yugoslav authorities to persist in establishing a just and lasting peace in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. He expressed belief that the current difficulties in Bosnia can be overcome.

[D] BOSNIA - HERZEGOVINA

[07] BOSNIA HIGH REPRESENTATIVE MEETS WITH RANKING BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIALS

However, extraterritorial sites will have to be used for talks in future because of the safety of Serb representatives, Krajisnik said, hinting at the recent arrest of a group of Bosnian Serb officers who were sent to talks in the zone of separation.

Krajisnik and Bildt discussed the normalization of relations with the IFOR and representatives of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which was disturbed by the incident.

In a separate meeting with Republika Srpska Prime Minister Rajko Kasagic, Bildt stressed the necessity of overcoming obstacles to the implementation of the Dayton agreement. If someone remains neutral, this hampers the possibility of implementing the agreements and leads to the political and economic isolation, Bildt said after the meeting.

[08] BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL MEETS WITH STEINER

Speaking at a meeting with Speaker of the Bosnian Serb Parliament Momcilo Krajisnik, Steiner said that police would be deployed in such a way that Serbs would have no reason for fear.

[09] SERBS MOVE OUT OF SARAJEVO'S HADZICI SUBURB

Ratko Radic, who heads the Hadzici District Council, said that the Serbs were heading for Bratunac in eastern Bosnia, where they have been promised the chance to settle.

The Serbs are moving out of Hadzici pursuant to a decision of the Serb Sarajevo City Council, upheld by the Government of the Republika Srpska, that leaves it to them to decide if they want to stay or go after the city is handed over to the Muslims.

[10] RUSSIA'S STATE DUMA DENOUNCES ARREST OF BOSNIAN SERB OFFICERS

'The arrest of Gen. Djukic and Col. Krsmanovic and their sending to the Hague is a provocative action which could undermine the peaceful settlement process in former Yugoslavia,' the statement said.

The State Duma pointed out that NATO had encouraged Bosnian Muslims to illegal actions and warned that it was a demonstration of double standards in the approach of the west to the settlement of the crisis in the former Yugoslavia.

[11] MUSLIM TERRORIST GROUP CAPTURED IN BOSNIA

NATO Spokesman Major Peter Bulloc said that the terrorists, who were carrying large quantities of ammunition and explosives, were detained for further questioning.

The group was preparing attacks on NATO installations in Bosnia, said a senior State Department official who asked to remain anonymous.

[E] ELISABETH REHN ON BOSNIA SITUATION

[12] U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS ENVOY SEEKS TRUTH ABOUT ALL BOSNIA'S 'SREBRENICAS'

After her third mission to former Yugoslavia, Rehn was highly restrained and moderate in her replies to reporters who were enquiring mostly about the eastern Bosnian town of Srebrenica which is still in the focus of world media attention. She said that she had seen a dozen bodies on a mountain overlooking Srebrenica, and some personal papers scattered in a field.

Rehn mentioned that she had had full cooperation in Srebrenica from authorities of the (Bosnian Serb State) Republika Srpska, who had made it possible for her to see all she had asked to see.

Rehn said on friday it was extremely important to establish the whole truth about all events in Bosnia during the war, which she said was not at all easy, because the three rival sides each had their separate truths.

Rehn felt compelled to warn repoters about the necessity of objective reporting and remarked on their completely different interpretations of her statements during and after her visit to Srebrenica. Furthermore, she said, it was not her mandate to dig up dead bodies, but primarily to care for the living, which was why she was insisting on the whole truth. It is best to tell a man the whole truth about what happened to a member of his familiy during the war, than to give him false hope, Rehn said.

[F] THE SREM - BARANJA REGION

[13] U.N. ADMINISTRATOR: MAIN GOAL IS TO PROTECT SREM-BARANJA POPULATION

He said sizable amounts of money were waiting to be invested in the city of Vukovar and elsewhere in the region, which comprises parts of eastern Slavonija, Baranja and west Srem.

Klein said during his visit to Vukovar, where his Headquarters will be based, that the Region's reconstruction would start the minute the process of demilitarization was over. The transitional Adminitsrator of the Srem-Baranja Region was, however, unable to say precisely when the demilitarization would begin.

He said he had met with international bankers in Brussels recently and the money was practically on the table, as he put it.

Klein said he did not see any reason why Serbia's, Croatia's and Hungary's borders towards the region should not be opened in a year's time, with trade flourishing and a free circulation of people and ideas.

The U.S. diplomat said the International Force (UNTAES) would comprise about 5,000 troops, which would monitor the implementation of the peace accord signed in November last year by representatives of Croatia's Government and the Srem-Baranja Serbs.

He said it was extremely important in his opinion that he had received support for his mission from Presidents Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Franjo Tudjman of Croatia, who he said wanted very much to see the operation succeed.

Head of the Srem-Baranja delegation to the talks with Croatia Milan Milanovic, who met with Klein, said afterwards that he had received assurances that the U.N. Administration would be absolutely unbiased.

[G] HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE SERBS IN CROATIA

[14] BOUTROS GHALI WARNS OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

A Security Council resolution from November last year demanded from the Croatian Government to respect fully the rights of local Serbs in the areas which were retured under Croatian control following military operations in May and August last year.

However, Ghali said that the incidence of human rights violations in the past two months in the former sectors in Croatia had been greatly reduced from the levels recorded in the month immediately following last summer's operations.