Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-11-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES ITALIAN UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

[02] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

[03] FRY AND ITALY SIGN A MEMORANDUM ON TECHNICAL COOPERATION

[04] ITALY SUPPORTS YUGOSLAVIA'S REINTEGRATION INTO INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

[05] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT REVIEWS 1997 ECONOMIC POLICY CONCEPT

[06] RUSSIA INTENDS TO EXPAND ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH YUGOSLAVIA

[07] TURKISH AMBASSADOR IN BELGRADE VISITS YUGOSLAV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

[08] NEWLY ELECTED MONTENEGRO ASSEMBLY HOLDS FIRST SESSION

[09] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS CUBA

[10] MONTENEGRIN FOREIGN MINISTER IN BRUSSELS AND LONDON

[11] NORMALISATION OF YUGOSLAV-CROATIAN RELATIONS IN THE SPHERE OF RELIGION

[12] BOSNIAN SERBS APPEAL TO INTERNATIONAL FORCES TO TRACE MISSING PERSONS

[01] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES ITALIAN UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

Mutual interest in further successful cooperation between Yugoslavia and Italy, based on traditionally close good neighbourly relations and equality between the two countries and their peoples, was stressed in the talks.

The consolidation of economic ties and partnership between Yugoslav and Italian firms, which are working on numerous successful deals, has a special place in bilateral cooperation.

The meeting was also attended by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic.

[02] DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES ITALIAN UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE

They also discussed the cooperation between Yugoslavia and the European Union, to which Italy provides its active support, Yugoslav Information Secretariat said in a statement.

Sainovic and Fassino pointed to the good prospects and joint interest in promoting all-round cooperation on the basis of mutual interest and rich past experience.

The drawing up of several bilateral agreements will consequently be accelerated and a timetable for their signing will be set shortly, the statement says.

[03] FRY AND ITALY SIGN A MEMORANDUM ON TECHNICAL COOPERATION

Jovanovic told Tanjug after the signing of the Memorandum that Italy has always been and will remain one of the most significant economic and political partners of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), all the more so as Italy is an influential European country and member of the European Union (EU) towards which Yugoslavia has special interests.

The Yugoslav Assistant Foreign Minister said that the signed document was significant and that it will considerably facilitate cooperation between the two countries, especially economic. Jovanovic specified that the Memorandum will regulate the issue of Italy's participation in financing studies for the development of Yugoslavia's economy, as well as the economic reconstruction and development of Yugoslavia.

Relations with the FRY have special significance for Italy, Fassino said. The visit of the Italian delegation was intended to show the importance attached by Rome to the strengthening of relations with Belgrade, he said.

Pointing out that Central and Southeastern Europe are one of the strategic priorities of the Italian foreign policy, Fassino said that his country considers that the intensification of relations with the FRY will help consolidate the Peace Process started in Dayton.

Italy, Fassino said, is in favour of the reintegration of the Yugoslav Federation into all international institutions and for closer relations and cooperation between the FRY and EU and other international institutions. The longer we cooperate with countries in the Region better conditions will be created to consolidate and stabilize peace, Fassino assessed.

Fassino said that an Memorandum on technical cooperation was signed within the Italian program of cooperation with Central and Eastern European countries, the first in a series to be signed with Yugoslavia in the coming months.

Fassino said negotiations were under way about economic cooperation, owing to the interest for a strong presence of Italian firms in the Yugoslav economy and the process of privatization, Fassino said.

The Italian official said that discussions were currently conducted about a new Agreement on cultural, scientific and technical cooperation and he expressed hope that speedy solutions would be found concerning visas, movement of people and goods issue, as well as to the problem of migration.

[04] ITALY SUPPORTS YUGOSLAVIA'S REINTEGRATION INTO INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Fassino, who is on an official visit to Yugoslavia said that Italy had a particular interest in cooperation with the Yugoslav Federation.

Yugoslavia is close to Italy and anything that happens there also affects Italy, Fassino said, adding that there were other reasons besides political ones - economic, cultural and historical - for Italy's wish for close relations with Yugoslavia in all fields.

This wish fits in completely with the EU strategy of strengthening the relations among the states created in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, together with promoting their bilateral relations with EU, Fassino said. Italy insists that this strategy be applied on the basis of equal standards for all countries in the Region, he underlined.

[05] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT REVIEWS 1997 ECONOMIC POLICY CONCEPT

Kontic, Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic, Montenegrin Premier Milo Djukanovic and the other officials discussed the concept of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's economic policy for 1997, a Government statement said.

The ambitious plan, which envisages for raising the domestic product by 13 percent, presupposes stable prices and a stable exchange rate of the dinar and greater production and export, the statement said. Also, it presupposes further structural changes in the economy and its privatisation, as well as raising the living standards of the population, it added.

The attainment of these targets, the statement said, is certain to be hampered by a shortage of working capital for financing greater production and export and a discrepancy between personal and public spending on the one hand, and the available funds, on the other.

A normalisation of relations with international financial and commercial bodies is a key problem and its lack is the biggest obstacle to the attainment of the economic policy objectives, it added.

Without returning the FRY to world financial and commercial institutions and organisations, the Yugoslav economy will have no access to the world capital, the statement said. A normalisation, therefore, with financial and commercial bodies, i.e., with the European Union states, and Yugoslavia's inclusion into her regional and world associations is both a priority and a basic precondition for attaining the economic policy targets.

[06] RUSSIA INTENDS TO EXPAND ECONOMIC COOPERATION WITH YUGOSLAVIA

Before the UN imposed sanctions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on May 30, 1992, Yugoslavia's trade with Russia used to amount to between two and 2.5 billion dollars. Only during the first year that the sanctions were in force, Russia sustained about two billion dollar losses, the Ministry said quoted by 'Interfax'.

The sanctions had caused a great reduction in bilateral trade, which last year amounted to only 300 million dollars.

The lifting of the anti-Yugoslav sanctions provides a great opportunity to Moscow and Belgrade to restore their trade to the pre-sanctions level and to subsequently exceed it by realizing several important agreements they had reached in 1994 and 1995 in the expectation of the removal of sanctions.

In the first stage, Russia will trade its oil, gas, power generation equipment, machines and some chemical products for Yugoslav-made clothes, footwear and other light industry products, food and technological equipment.

In the second stage, Moscow and Belgrade should realize large-scale joint projects worth hundreds of millions of dollars, such as the construction of a gas pipeline in Yugoslavia and an oil pipeline between Budapest and Novi Sad, Serbia's northern Province of Vojvodina, the Ministry said.

Referring to cooperation plans with Republika Srpska, the Ministry said RS expected Russia's help in the reconstruction of its practically destroyed communications system and industrial and power facilities. Republika Srpska would repay this aid by exporting to Russia products made by reconstructed facilities in an initial period, the Ministry said.

The statement was issued following President Yeltsin's decree issued last Saturday urging all state organizations, companies and banks to comply with the UN Security Council resolution on lifting the anti-Yugoslav sanctions, 'Interfax' said.

[07] TURKISH AMBASSADOR IN BELGRADE VISITS YUGOSLAV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Milojevic said it was necessary to reactivate the existing inter-state agreements and conclude new ones, with a view to increasing the visible trade. He noted that Yugoslav businessmen and associations were interested in the setting up of mixed teams and business councils with Turkish partners.

Milojevic suggested that a Turkish business delegation visit Yugoslavia early next year, and a Yugoslav delegation to return the visit in the first half of 1997.

Kilic backed Milojevic's proposal and said Ankara was drawing up Agreements on the avoidance of dual taxation and the stimulation of investments. The Turkish Ambassador said it was necessary to renew the work of the inter-state Commissions for economic cooperation and set up business Councils to make the Commissions more efficacious.

After the meeting with Chamber President Milojevic, Ambassador Alev Kilic told 'Tanjug' that they had discussed, at his initiative, the need for a quicker renewal of bilateral economic cooperation. Yugoslav and Turkish businessmen could cooperate in many fields, such as the construction industry, telecommunications, transport, the chemical industry and the industry of consumer goods and appear jointly on third markets.

Asked about concrete steps that Turkey proposed should be taken in order to resume bilateral cooperation, Kilic said it was first necessary to lay down the legal framework and then to renew the Joint Economic Commission. He also proposed setting up a Council of the two countries' businessmen.

[08] NEWLY ELECTED MONTENEGRO ASSEMBLY HOLDS FIRST SESSION

At the session held in Cetinje, Marovic was re-elected Assembly President. Marovic, formerly Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) Secretary-General and currently party Vice-president, was the sole candidate for the post.

The newly elected Assembly comprises 45 representatives of the DPS, 19 of the Coalition Union of Popular Concord, 3 of the Muslim Democratic Action Party (SDA), and 2 of, each, the Democratic Union of Albanians and the Democratic Alliance of Albanians in Montenegro.

Thanking the deputies, Marovic said he expected to continue cooperating with them on the enhancement of democracy, in the interest of Montenegro's sustained development.

[09] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION VISITS CUBA

The delegation is headed by the Deputy Speaker of the Yugoslav Parliament's Chamber of Republics (Upper House), Radmilo Bogdanovic, on the official visit to Cuba.

Both sides expressed pleasure at the meeting which they said would certainly contribute to the revival of bilateral relations.

The Cuban side stressed that Cuba and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had a history of close ties, and expected that bilateral and political ties would be resumed after being dormant for some time.

The delegation met also with the Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade. During the ensuing talk, it was noted that the two sides' offers would shortly be given concrete form in direct contacts between their competent ministries and businessmen.

Cuba is interested in buying Yugoslav agricultural, textile, leather and metal industry products.

[10] MONTENEGRIN FOREIGN MINISTER IN BRUSSELS AND LONDON

During the visit to Brussels, Jeknic will meet with E.U. senior representatives to exchange views on the renewal of institutional cooperation between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the European Union, and on possibilities for the E.U. backing Montenegro's developmental projects within the program of cooperation of this regional organization.

After Brussels, Jeknic will go to London to attend the first World Off-Shore Exhibition where he will chair a Conference devoted to the promotion of Montenegro as a new international Off-Shore Center.

[11] NORMALISATION OF YUGOSLAV-CROATIAN RELATIONS IN THE SPHERE OF RELIGION

This means that the resolution of issues concerning the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia as well as the Catholic Church in Serbia will soon start, Dragojlovic said in a talk with Bishop of the Greek Catholic Church Slavomir Miklovsa.

Religious communities can significantly contribute to the normalisation process, a statement released by the Serbian Ministry of Faiths quoted Dragojlovic as saying.

Dragojlovic and Miklovsa, Bishop of Krizevci whose eparchy is situated in the border area between Croatia and Serbia, discussed also current issues concerning relations between the state and the part of eparchy that is in Yugoslavia.

Dragojlovic said there were no constraints in exercising religion in Yugoslavia, saying state bodies did not interfere in the church's affairs. He said the state wanted no conflicts in the sphere of religion but wanted churches to create the spirit of tolerance and cooperation among the people. This is vital for ethnically mixed areas and churches whose believers belong to different ethnic groups, he said.

[12] BOSNIAN SERBS APPEAL TO INTERNATIONAL FORCES TO TRACE MISSING PERSONS

The Association appealed to IFOR and other international representatives to put additional pressure on the Muslim and Croat authorities in Bosnia-Hezegovina to release Serbs still being held in their prisons.

Association President Branko Panic reported at the body's Congress on Monday about a meeting that the Association's delegation had in Sarajevo recently with the International Community's Assistant High Representative Michael Steiner. Panic said that the meeting had been held in order to sign a document under which IFOR and International Police should tour all places where Muslims and Croats are suspected of running prisons. He said that the document itself had never been questioned, but that it had been offered in a package with three other documents that he said went against the best interests of the Republika Srpska. The Association's delegation refused to sign the package.

The Congress appealed to the Republika Srpska's state bodies to appoint as soon as possible a new State Committee for the exchange of prisoners of war, to replace the one that had recently been dissolved.

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