Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-07-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES CHAIRMAN OF E.U. MINISTERIAL COUNCIL

[02] YUGOSLAVIA, E.U. REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO FULLY IMPLEMENT DAYTON ACCORD

[03] DECISION OF WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

[04] PLAVSIC-FROWICK DISCUSS ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

[05] MANY SERB CHARGES ARE JUSTIFIED

[06] IZETBEGOVIC ADMITS THERE ARE MORE MUJAHEDDIN IN BOSNIA

[07] WHY ARE ONLY BOSNIAN SERBS HELD RESPONSIBLE

[01] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES CHAIRMAN OF E.U. MINISTERIAL COUNCIL

Milosevic and Spring exchanged views and information on crucial political issues, which are important for strengthening peace and stability in the Balkans and relations between F.R. Yugoslavia and the European Union.

The meeting pointed to the importance of a continuous political dialogue between Yugoslavia and the European Union and its members. It was said that Belgrade supported a E.U. regional approach in relations with states emerging from the former Yugoslavia which would ensure their equal treatment and affirmation in joining European integration processes.

The meeting pointed out that Yugoslavia was consistently pursuing a policy of peace and fully contributing to strengthening international stability, which was a basis for its participation on equal footing in all international organizations.

Given the impartial stand adopted by Ireland, the current E.U. president is expected to support a reaffirmation of Yugoslavia's place in the international community.

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic also took part in the meeting.

[02] YUGOSLAVIA, E.U. REAFFIRM COMMITMENT TO FULLY IMPLEMENT DAYTON ACCORD

The Yugoslav Foreign Ministry said in a statement released after a meeting between Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic, Chairman of the E.U. Council of Ministers Dick Spring and European Foreign Political Affairs Commissioner Hans Van den Broek, that the implementation of the Dayton-Paris accords and the basic accord for the Srem-Baranja region would pave the way for lasting peace in the region.

The meeting again offered full support to free and democratic elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina, to be held Sept. 14, terming it to be a turning-point of great importance for the overall success of the peace process and stabilization in the region, the statement said.

The election will help new leaders and new forces of peace, tolerance and development to emerge on the political scene of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the statement said.

Participants in the meeting pointed to the importance of equal treatment and distribution of funds for the reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the confidence-building process and lasting stabilization.

The meeting said that speedy economic recovery and development of all parts of the former Yugoslav republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina were an important part of the overall peace process.

Milutinovic pointed to the importance of a speedy restoration and full normalization of economic and trade relations between F.R. Yugoslavia and the European Union. He also said it was particularly important for the E.U. to apply equal trade measures towards all states in the territories of the former Yugoslavia.

The meeting expressed the expectation that, as a first step in upgrading economic relations with Yugoslavia, the European Union would apply 'positive trade measures', that is place it once again on a list of general scheme of preferentials and allow it to use funds from the Phare programme and the European Investment Bank.

Yugoslav officials reiterated full support to the E.U. regional approach in developing cooperation with states from the former Yugoslavia and pointed out that Belgrade had already started restoring transport, railway, telecommunication and other links with the former members of the federation and realizing plans for a modernization of crucial traffic communication links with the region and Europe.

Milutinovic and Spring, who is also Irish Foreign Minister, also discussed bilateral cooperation and agreed that were good prospects for expanding it. They pointed to concrete directions and steps to be made for upgrading economic, scientific, technical, cultural and other forms of cooperation.

[03] DECISION OF WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL POLITICALLY MOTIVATED

The War Crimes Tribunal on Thursday decided after a majority vote to declare itself competent regarding Muslim Government charges that Yugoslavia had violated the 1948 Geneva Convention.

In March 1993, the Muslim Government raised charges against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for 'aggression, war destruction and inspiring ethnic cleansing' in the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Differing from the tribunals' majority position were judge Shigeru Oda from Japan, judge Shi Jiuyong from China, judge Vladlan Vereshcheting from Russia and Milenko Kreca, a professor from the Belgrade School of Law who was involved as the representative of one of the sides in the dispute.

Responding to the charges, a group of Yugoslav experts taking part in the proceedings in late April and early June provided proof that Yugoslavia had in no way taken part in the conflict in Bosnia where, even the international community admitted that the Muslims, Croats and Serbs had fought a civil war.

The Yugoslav lawyers denied the Sarajevo Government the right to invoke a convention whose member it had not been at the time of rising the charges, they denied Alija Izetbegovic the right to represent Bosnia-Herzegovina since he had not been legally elected as its president, and thus the authority of the Tribunal in this case.

[04] PLAVSIC-FROWICK DISCUSS ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA

Frowick was speaking to the press in Pale following talks behind closed doors on the Sept-14 elections with Biljana Plavsic, acting Bosnian Serb President.

Frowick had announced that SDS would not be allowed to take part in the elections if its leader Radovan Karadzic retained any party function, but the Contact Group said on Wednesday in London that the Bosnia elections should be held as planned and that all political parties, both from 'the Federation and Republika Srpska', should take part.

Frowick said that the election campaign would begin on Monday. In a message to the Serb population, he said that the joint aim is that the elections are fair and democratic.

Plavsic told journalists that the final stage of the peace agreement for Bosnia would come after the elections are carried out in a democratic and successful way.

Plavsic said she was impressed by Frowick's detailed view of the agreement's aspects and his attempts to eliminate all problems standing in the way of the September elections.

[05] MANY SERB CHARGES ARE JUSTIFIED

Izetbegovic said that 'some of the things which are happening should not be denied' because, as he said, 'to resolve something, one should admit its existence.'

[06] IZETBEGOVIC ADMITS THERE ARE MORE MUJAHEDDIN IN BOSNIA

In an interview to the Sarajevo television on Wednesday evening Izetbegovic reiterated that the largest number of islamic fighters had left, while those who remain had been demobilized.

[07] WHY ARE ONLY BOSNIAN SERBS HELD RESPONSIBLE

'No lesser culprit is Alija Izetbegovic, who viewed the war in Bosnia as the beginning of jihad for the victory of islam in the world and who remains an islamic fighter despite having signed the Dayton peace accords,' Duma said in the article headlined 'Is the Hague Tribunal Objective.'.

'Not so long ago, during a visit to the Muslim Gorazde enclave, Izetbegovic promised his followers new arms for the definitive liberation of all of Bosnia and for final victory,' Duma said.

It observed that Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman had ordered his army last summer to attack Serb Krajina and overnight drive out 200,000 Krajina Serbs.

'The world has never learned how many people were killed in the blitz operation of ethnic cleansing,' Duma noted.

The daily raised the question of why the international community was investigating only crimes in the former Yugoslavia, when there have been many other wars in the more recent history, in Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East, Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Chechnya.'

'It turns out that there were no crimes in any of those other places, while it is known for sure that Serbs are guilty and must be tried before the Hague Tribunal. Moreover, Serbs are being threatened with new sanctions unless they cooperate,' the Bulgarian daily said.

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