Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-10-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT URGES CLOSE COOPERATION WITH GUINEA

[02] YUGOSLAV AND GUINEAN PRESIDENTS: GREAT COOPERATION PROSPECTS

[03] YUGOSLAV AND GUINEAN DELEGATIONS HOLD TALKS

[04] LILIC: YUGOSLAVIA WILL COOPERATE WITH ALL WHO SEE IT AS EQUAL

[05] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS PAY FIRST VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA

[06] RUSSIA URGES YUGOSLAVIA'S SPEEDY REINTEGRATION INTO WORLD COMMUNITY

[07] MEETING IN ATHENS ON STABILITY IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

[08] PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA MEETS WITH AMERICAN ARCHBISHOP

[09] BOSNIAN SERB LEADER KRAJISNIK MEETS WITH U.S. ENVOY KORNBLUM

[10] U.S. ENVOY KORNBLUM MEETS WITH BOSNIA'S IZETBEGOVIC AND ZUBAK

[11] SERBS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA ASK TO BE GRANTED SPECIAL STATUS

[12] UNHCR: SLOW RETURN OF SERBS INTO CROATIA AND BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

[01] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT URGES CLOSE COOPERATION WITH GUINEA

In an interview to the Guinea daily 'Horoya' published on the eve of his arrival, Lilic said Yugoslavia regarded Guinea as a friendly country and a renowned member of the International Community with which it wanted to establish cooperation in various fields based on the principles of equality and mutual understanding.

Lilic said the two countries honoured and continued to implement all agreements that Guinea had reached with the former Yugoslavia because he said Yugoslavia maintained the state continuity of the former Yugoslavia.

He said Yugoslavia's strategic goal was to intensify and develop relations, especially in the economic sphere, with most important partners in Africa, Guinea being one of them. He also said that, despite the fact that not much attention was being paid to the position of Developing Countries at this point, the Non-aligned Movement could voice and represent interests of more than two thirds of states throughout the world. In this connection, he said it was vital that the Movement adapt to changed international relations, overcome separate interests and preserve its traditional image.

Lilic said Yugoslavia had given inestimable contribution to the restoration of peace to the former Yugoslavia through its constructive peace policy, which he said was being increasingly recognised by all major international factors engaged in the resolution of the crisis in the Region.

'The complete lifting of the unjustly imposed U.N. sanctions against Yugoslavia has especially proved this,' he said.

The Dayton Peace Accords represent an institutional basis that should secure equal treatment of all peoples living in the two Entities of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska and the Moslem-Croat Federation.

'Yugoslavia is ready to develop fruitful and good neighbourly cooperation on that basis guaranteeing full national and human rights to all citizens in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as in other newly-founded states in the former Yugoslavia,' he said.

[02] YUGOSLAV AND GUINEAN PRESIDENTS: GREAT COOPERATION PROSPECTS

During their two-hour meeting held behind closed doors, the two Presidents underlined the importance of the traditionally friendly relations as the appropriate framework for the continuation and development of all-round cooperation, especially in the economic field.

Conte recalled the aid and support provided by Yugoslavia to Guinea as it was achieving independence in 1958, and said that Guinea would never forget this support.

Lilic explained to his host the causes of the Yugoslav crisis, underlining that some countries had caused great harm to Yugoslavia over the past four years. Yugoslav President added he knew that many countries had been exposed to pressure and manipulations and that Yugoslavia intends to have friendly relations even with those countries which had showed a hostile attitude.

As Guinea chairs at present the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), President Lilic underlined that Yugoslavia had a Muslim population of 2,700,000, who enjoy full equality with all other citizens. They should represent a bridge of cooperation between Yugoslavia and all Islamic countries, not a seed of dissension, Lilic said.

President Conte agreed with Lilic that Developing Countries must step up their economic cooperation and that the Non-aligned Movement should be revitalized on the basis of its founding principles to form a framework for South-South cooperation. The Non-aligned Movement must not be subjected to manipulation by some members, the two Presidents said. By intensifying economic cooperation, Yugoslavia and Guinea will also strengthen their political ties, they noted.

President Lilic said he expected that OIC would bear in mind Yugoslavia's stance on cooperation among states and on the Yugoslav crisis and that conditions would be laid for developing cooperation.

Conte said that many Islamic countries were wrong in treating Yugoslavia as they did during the crisis. Guinea's population is 90% Muslim, but it is wrong to build states according to religious principles, Conte said, adding he had rejected suggestions to create an Islamic state bearing in mind its catholic and atheist population.

The two Presidents expressed support to the conclusion of agreements between Yugoslav and Guinean businessmen.

[03] YUGOSLAV AND GUINEAN DELEGATIONS HOLD TALKS

The Delegations were headed by Yugoslav Vice Premier Uros Klikovac and Guinean Presidency Secretary General Almami Pode Sylla, respectively.

The Guinean side gave high marks to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for its peaceful role in and contribution to settling the Yugoslav crisis and to its policy of peace in the Region and beyond, in Europe and the world. The talks reaffirmed the continued validity of all Inter-state Accords signed earlier, including the basic Trade Agreement signed in 1962 which gives either state the status of most favoured nation in trade with the other state. The legal basis for bilateral cooperation will be further strengthened by two new agreements that should be signed at the close of Lilic's visit: an Agreement on protection and stimulation of investment and an Agreement on avoiding double taxation.

The Guinean side stressed that Guinea, as an influential country in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and its current Chairman, would continue objectively to interpret the policy and position of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In this way, it will speed up the positive evolution in the OIC's treatment of and attitude to Yugoslavia, it added.

Guinea promised to encourage also the development of bilateral cooperation between Islamic countries and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It further said it would offer Yugoslav companies participation in Guinean economic restructuring projects, adding that it was open for cooperation in the production and marketing of alumina and the exploitation of ores of precious metals, iron and phosphates.

Barter deals and concessions which the Guinean side is prepared to offer to Yugoslav companies in order to facilitate and stimulate bilateral cooperation were also discussed.

[04] LILIC: YUGOSLAVIA WILL COOPERATE WITH ALL WHO SEE IT AS EQUAL

Lilic was toasting Conte at a formal dinner given by the Guinean President in his honour.

Lilic said that Guinea was a respected and influential member of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), the Non-aligned Movement and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which it currently chairs. As such, he added, it would certainly continue to contribute to an objective view of developments and relations in the Balkans and thus help promote understanding of the peaceful policy of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Lilic said that Yugoslavia remained committed to peace and a stepped-up economic development, and to the development of friendship and cooperation with all countries that would accept it as an equal partner. Speaking about bilateral cooperation, he said that all-round economic cooperation with Guinea was the focal point of long-term efforts to develop cooperation with friendly African states.

Lansana Conte, replying to the Yugoslav President's toast, welcomed the signing of the full normalisation Accord between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia in Belgrade. Conte further praised the organising of Bosnia-Herzegovina's elections on September 14. under the Dayton Accords and the Joint Statement issued by the Presidents of Serbia and of Bosnia's three-men Presidency after their talks in Paris in October 1996. Guinea encourages these decisive steps being taken on the road to peace and in the spirit of peaceful coexistence, neighbourliness and economic integration and cooperation among all states created from former Yugoslavia in the Balkan region, Conte stressed.

He added that Guinea, with its policy of opening and dialogue and as member of the Non-aligned Movement and OIC Chairman, would do everything for the consolidation of peace and support all initiatives by Balkan and world states for reconciliation and reconstruction. Welcoming Yugoslavia's great contribution to Guinea's economic development over the past 30 years, Conte said that the Yugoslav President's visit would help unite the complementary economies of the two countries and create conditions for developing cooperation. He added he expected the visit to result in the signing of a number of cooperation Accords.

[05] TURKISH PARLIAMENTARIANS PAY FIRST VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA

This is the first official visit by a Turkish Parliamentary Delegation to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and is taking part at the invitation of Yugoslav parliamentarians.

The Turkish Delegation will have talks with Speaker of the Yugoslav Parliament Lower House Radoman Bozovic, Deputy Speaker of the Upper House Radmilo Bogdanovic and Yugoslav Government officials about promoting bilateral cooperation.

[06] RUSSIA URGES YUGOSLAVIA'S SPEEDY REINTEGRATION INTO WORLD COMMUNITY

Afanasyevski underlined that Yugoslavia and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic had shown through concrete moves their commitment to a peaceful resolution of the crisis in the Balkans.

Afanasyevski told the ITAR-TASS news agency that all conditions set by the Dayton Peace Accords had been met. Consequently, the issue of Yugoslavia's reintegration into the International Community should be immediately dealt with, he said. He said it was vital that Yugoslavia return to all international organisations, there being no point in dealing with the crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina if Yugoslavia were left out of it.

He also said Russian-Yugoslav relations were improving steadily.

Afanasyevski is to attend in Sarajevo late Monday a meeting of heads of Political Departments of the 'Contact-Group' member states' Foreign Ministries. The meeting is to review the issues concerning the setting up of Bosnia's top authorities following its September 14. elections.

[07] MEETING IN ATHENS ON STABILITY IN SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE

Yugoslavia, which greatly contributes to the settling of the overall situation in the Region, should be reintegrated into international institutions as soon as possible, it was also stated at the meeting.

The meeting was attended by high Foreign Ministry officials of 27 countries, including Yugoslavia, all countries of the Region, European Union member-states, United States, Russia, and members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and of the Council of Europe.

Equal treatment of all states is an essential element in the promotion and stabilization of peace and cooperation in the Region, the participants said.

Many new initiatives for stepping up cooperation among countries in South-Eastern Europe were proposed during the meeting, with a special accent on the need for reinforcing peace and stability in the Region as a precondition for stronger economic ties on the basis of market economy principles.

The next meeting will be held in Skoplje. The holding of the meeting was proposed by the European Union at a meeting held on December 13, 1995 in Paris, on the eve of the signing of the Dayton-Paris Agreement, in order to encourage the development of new forms of relations and consolidate peace and stability in the Region.

[08] PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA MEETS WITH AMERICAN ARCHBISHOP

After the meeting, Biljana Plavsic said that the Church dignitaries were most interested in the domain of human rights and in the problems which could not be solved quickly but only through a long process.

The American Archbishop said he realized the current situation, and added that no immediate solution was possible when human rights are concerned.

[09] BOSNIAN SERB LEADER KRAJISNIK MEETS WITH U.S. ENVOY KORNBLUM

On returning to Pale, Krajisnik said he had insisted with Kornblum on an equal treatment of both Bosnian Entities (the Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation) and of all three nations in the work of the Presidency and the Common Bodies of Power. In order for problems to be overcome, we suggested that meetings be held alternately in the part of Sarajevo that is in the Federation and in Serb Sarajevo, Krajisnik said.

He said he hoped that U.S. Balkan envoy Kornblum's meetings with the other Presidency Members, Muslim Alija Izetbegovic and Croat Kresimir Zubak, would be fruitful and that the Presidency might convene its first full Session on Tuesday.

[10] U.S. ENVOY KORNBLUM MEETS WITH BOSNIA'S IZETBEGOVIC AND ZUBAK

The talks were held in the Presidency building in downtown Sarajevo and touched on the functioning of the Presidency and of other Common Bodies of Power, which should be formed in the wake of Bosnia-Herzegovina's September elections.

[11] SERBS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA ASK TO BE GRANTED SPECIAL STATUS

Zivanovic was speaking after a close-door Session of the Assembly in Beli Manastir at which deputies analyzed the political and the security situation in the Region.

The Assembly decided Monday to close the Regional Interior Secretariat after a U.N. Police Force deployed to the Region had taken over all duties it had been in charge of.

[12] UNHCR: SLOW RETURN OF SERBS INTO CROATIA AND BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

Redmond said that the figures represent only a handful of the approximately 290,000 Serb refugees from Croatia and 230,000 from Bosnia and Herzegovina currently residing in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). The UNHCR official said that the Croatian authorities were still not allowing a larger-scale repatriation of Serbs.

UN special rapporteur for human rights Elisabeth Rehn and the UN High Commissioner for human rights Hose Ayala also stated recently that the Croatian authorities in Krajina, from where 250,000 Serbs fled in the summer of 1995 when faced with the onslaught of the Croatian Army, have not secured even minimal human rights.

Serb houses are currently occupied by Croats, the few Serbs who stayed in their houses do not feel safe, Serb property is looted and destroyed, and there are still cases of Serbs murdered, Elisabeth Rehn wrote in her report on human rights violations in Croatia. In such an atmosphere it is difficult to expect that the full-scale repatriation of Serb refugees could take place, although under the UNHCR general plan on the return of refugees into the territory of the former Yugoslavia the return of Serb refugees should be completed next year.

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