Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-11-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] LILIC: YUGOSLAVIA'S STATUS IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WILL SOON BE REGULATED

[02] YUGOSLAVIA MUST BE GIVEN PRIORITY IN AID DISTRIBUTION

[03] UNESCO MISSION VISITS BELGRADE

[04] WORLD BANK TECHNICAL MISSION HOLDS TALKS IN BELGRADE

[05] YUGOSLAV AND ITALIAN DELEGATIONS HOLD TALKS IN BELGRADE

[06] MONTENEGRIN PREMIER MEETS WITH ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY UNDER-SECRETARY

[07] SPAIN ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO COOPERATION WITH YUGOSLAVIA

[08] PLAVSIC MEETS STEINER

[09] U.S. DIPLOMATS URGE SERB REFUGEES' REPATRIATION TO CROATIA

[01] LILIC: YUGOSLAVIA'S STATUS IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS WILL SOON BE REGULATED

Lilic said in an interview published in the Moscow daily on Tuesday that the Yugoslav Government had taken a series of initiatives to that end, especially in the United Nations, OSCE, E.U., and other European regional and sub-regional organizations.

The geo-political situation in Europe has significantly changed, not only in Yugoslavia's immediate neighbourhood, as a result of the emergence of new states in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, but also as a result of wider changes in Europe and Euro-Asia, effected above all by the fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany's unification, the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact, the division of Czechoslovakia, etc., Lilic said.

Yugoslavia found itself in a new environment. It lost some old neighbours and got new ones, Lilic told Pravda-5. In such a constellation, Yugoslavia has retained the basic geo-political features of the former Yugoslavia. It is in the Central part of the Balkans and the South-Eastern part of Europe. It is a Danubian and Mediterranean country. Yugoslavia remains a centre of important land, river and air routes at a crossroads of Continents, so that it is not at all strange that the four-year international embargo against it had inflicted immense damages on many countries in this part of the Continent and beyond, Lilic said.

I expect that the geo-political restructuring of Europe will be coupled with new links and integration processes, which, I hope, will mean also the strengthening of the European identity and fraternity. I hope that Yugoslavia, with its comprehensive peace policy, will be a significant protagonist of those processes, the Yugoslav President told the Moscow daily.

The international sanctions have inflicted great damages on the Yugoslav economy and society as a whole. One could say that they have halted the progress and modernization of the entire region of South-Eastern Europe. It is well known that the national income in Yugoslavia has dropped to less than a half of that recorded before the embargo, Lilic said.

Despite such a difficult situation, the Federal and Republican Governments (of Serbia and Montenegro) took economic measures which enabled economic stabilization and the stabilization and consolidation of the national currency (the dinar) in conditions in which the country had no external backing, Lilic told Pravda-5.

Since 1994, Yugoslavia has been recording an upturn in production and the national income. The trend has been intensified since the lifting of the sanctions. Yugoslavia's trade relations with the rest of the world are being renewed at a stepped up pace. I expect that Yugoslavia will normalize relations with international financial organizations - IMF and the World Bank - in the coming period, which, coupled with the regulating of the debt issues, will give it access to the international capital market, Lilic said.

Yugoslavia recently adopted the Law on enterprises, which is in keeping with world standards. It amended the Law on foreign investments to facilitate investments by foreign partners interested in doing business in Yugoslavia, a country which will doubtlessly record dynamic economic growth in the coming decade, the Yugoslav President said.

Yugoslavia is strengthening relations with neighbouring and all other countries, in which it has recorded significant results. It is especially important that Yugoslavia has been striving to renew and promote relations with the European Union, and also EFTA countries and regional integrated organizations, Lilic told Pravda-5.

Commenting on Yugoslav-Russian relations, Lilic told the Moscow daily Pravda-5 that he could say at this point that they were characterised by traditional friendship as well as the stable, dynamic and overall development of cooperation in nearly all fields. We have regular political contacts and hold similar views on what should be given priority in the future development of our relations. We hold similar views also on how major international issues and problems should be solved as well as on key aspects of the Peace Process for the former Yugoslavia, Lilic said.

I want to stress Russia's support for Yugoslavia's peace policy and its contribution to the recognition of our key role in restoring peace to these lands, he said. I expect Russia, which is an influential international factor and a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, to continue supporting Yugoslavia's efforts for the full reintegration into the International Community, its bodies and institutions, that will be based on an equal footing, he said.

As regards directions of our future cooperation, I take the view that our common priority should primarily be the development of economic relations that would be directed towards the liberalisation of the two countries' trade, the setting up of joint-stock companies, the realisation of large-scale infra-structural projects and joint appearance on third markets, he said. Our economies are complementary. It is therefore up to us to use all these advantages to promote Yugoslav-Russian relations still further and I am optimistic about it, Lilic said.

Asked about the resumption and development of political and economic relations with the states emerging from the former Yugoslavia, Lilic said that in line with the commitment to the full respect of rights and interests of newly-founded states, made under the Constitutional Declaration of April 27. 1992, Yugoslavia had made a significant effort to normalise relations with Macedonia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The results achieved are quite good and it is good that it is so, he said.

Greater efforts should be made in the coming period to achieve all that had not been achieved. Naturally, this does not depend on Yugoslavia alone, and it is vital that these relations be based on the respect of sovereignty, territorial integrity, non-interference and the respect of mutual interests, he said. Macedonia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina have recognised the state continuity of Yugoslavia, practically creating preconditions for the development of our relations, he said.

Lilic said relations between Yugoslavia and the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska were close and were based on the common ethnic and spiritual background as well as personal, family, cultural, economic, transport and other ties between these lands throughout history. He said he expected these relations to become even more diversified and dynamic in the future.

He also said he expected the World Community to meet its obligations concerning the economic recovery and reconstruction of the Republika Srpska in a responsible and objective manner, granting the Republika Srpska the same treatment as to Bosnia's other Entity, the Moslem-Croat Federation. This is a precondition of a lasting stabilisation, the strengthening of peace and a speedy development of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Yugoslavia has already actively joined the process of economic recovery and reconstruction, because it is aware that this is the only guarantor of stability in the entire Region, Lilic said.

Commenting on efforts by a large number of countries, including some of the states emerging from the former Yugoslavia, to join NATO or to set up other forms of cooperation with the Alliance, Lilic said that decisions of the kind were a sovereign affair of each country.

Yugoslavia has proved that it is an unavoidable factor of peace and stability in the Balkans and Europe. I therefore believe that actions by states in the Region should be in the service of strengthening peace and stability in these lands as well as of creating conditions for open and all-round cooperation among all states emerging from the former Yugoslavia and among Balkan states in general. Only this approach can have a positive bearing on strengthening security in the world and confidence in Europe, especially in South-Eastern Europe, he said.

Asked to comment on the resolution of the issue of Serbia's southern Province of Kosovo and Metohija, Lilic said the country was witnessing excessive engagement by some international factors in the issue, saying the issue was used sometimes as a way of exerting pressure on Yugoslavia.

I want to underline that this is exclusively Serbia's and Yugoslavia's internal affair. We are firmly committed to resolving the issue through negotiations with the Albanian minority, he said.

Yugoslavia is a civil state and ethnic Albanians enjoy all human and civil rights as well as autonomy, which enables them to preserve their national and cultural being, he said, regretting however that part of them refused to exercise rights granted them under Law and Constitution, trying to convince the world that they were oppressed and to justify their separatist goals.

Members of more than 20 different nationalities enjoy in Yugoslavia human rights of the highest level, higher than in any other country in the world and higher than the rights guaranteed under relevant international conventions, but it is up to them to decide whether they are going to exercise these rights, he said. It is not possible however that minorities should enjoy higher rights than the Serbian and Montenegrin people, and this is the case I believe in every other country in the world. Yugoslavia is a state of all its citizens and it will remain so, he said.

Relations between Serbs and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija must be normalised, this being primarily in their interest, but also in the interest of Yugoslavia. It is vital therefore for the normalisation of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija that ethnic Albanians end their boycott of the legal and constitutional system of a state they are living in and whose citizens they are, he said.

There have been some positive changes in their attitude lately. I primarily refer to an agreement signed recently between Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and (ethnic Albanian leader) Ibrahim Rugova on the return of ethnic Albanian pupils to schools in Kosovo and Metohija, he said.

I am confident that ethnic Albanians themselves are becoming aware of the fact that the only way for them to resolve existential issues is to fully take part in the country's social, economic, political and cultural life, he said. In this context, I welcome the International Community's unequivocal position that Kosovo and Metohija is integral part of Serbia and that solutions must be found under these terms. Any other position would be wrong and would probably have unforeseeable consequences in the long run, and not only for Kosovo and Metohija, he said.

Asked to comment on the Left Bloc's victory in elections for the Yugoslav Parliament Lower House held on November 3, Lilic said it was only logical and natural that the coalition of progressive forces in the country should win the voters' confidence and take the nation on the road of economic recovery which, he said, was very important for all.

I am confident that the new Yugoslav Parliament will be strong enough to achieve this goal, that the people who have won the citizens' confidence are highly responsible and aware of the tasks ahead of them and that they will spend much more time and knowledge on making laws which will enable Yugoslavia to return to the European and the world market more easily, to communicate more easily in economic terms as well as in the terms of interest and partnership with all that are ready to cooperate with the country, he said. The road to be taken at this point is the road of market economy, of ownership transformation and completion of the transition process, but this must be done wisely and in the interest of the citizens, he said.

That is how we view the outcome of the elections - as a manifestation of confidence that all that I have been speaking of will be done, Lilic said.

[02] YUGOSLAVIA MUST BE GIVEN PRIORITY IN AID DISTRIBUTION

The talk was the first of a series Morina will have in Geneva in the next three days with representatives of humanitarian organizations and specialized U.N. agencies. The talks will cover the humanitarian situation in Yugoslavia, repatriation plans and problems standing in the way of the implementation of those plans.

Morina informed Ogata that of the 160 million dollars needed for the refugees in Yugoslavia this year, 100 million had been provided by the Yugoslav Government, 45 by the International Community, and 15 million were still be lacking. Morina said Yugoslavia could not alone bear the burden of refugees, especially not when international humanitarian aid was irregular in coming. She urged an equal amount of international humanitarian aid to be given to Yugoslavia in 1997 as this year, since the number of refugees has not significantly changed.

[03] UNESCO MISSION VISITS BELGRADE

The UNESCO mission included head of Department for cooperation with financial institutions Baudouin Duvieusart and head of Department for educational cooperation Alexander Sanikov.

The mission was received also by director of the Serbian Institute for international scientific, educational, cultural and technical cooperation Boris Iljenko.

The ensuing talk focused on reviving cooperation programmes and on concrete humanitarian projects being developed in the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia under UNESCO's auspices, a Yugoslav Government statement said.

Serbian Science and Technology Minister Dusan Kanazir briefed the UNESCO mission about scientific research in Serbia, and said that, despite difficult conditions, a number of projects had been put into effect, the statement said. Kanazir said that this had made possible a linkage between domestic scientific institutions and major scientific research systems in the world, as well as inclusion into UNESCO's programmes, the statement added.

[04] WORLD BANK TECHNICAL MISSION HOLDS TALKS IN BELGRADE

The two sides devoted special attention to the questions of privatisation of social property, promotion of the banking system and the fiscal policy, a statement released by the Government of the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia said.

They agreed that the Serbian Finance Ministry, together with other Republican Ministries, should prepare the necessary documents that would have a bearing on the taking of decisions on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's reintegration in world financial bodies.

[05] YUGOSLAV AND ITALIAN DELEGATIONS HOLD TALKS IN BELGRADE

Fassino, who is heading an Italian delegation on a several-day visit to Yugoslavia, was meeting with Serbian Parliament Speaker Dragan Tomic in Belgrade.

A statement released from the Serbian Parliament said that, during their lengthy and frank talk, the two sides had discussed important bilateral questions. They had put special stress on the further development of cooperation between the Parliaments of Italy and the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia, the statement added.

Relations between the two countries were described as good and stable, and it was noted that there was mutual interest in further promoting cooperation at all levels.

[06] MONTENEGRIN PREMIER MEETS WITH ITALIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY UNDER-SECRETARY

Fassino, who is in the Yugoslav Republic of Montenegro within his visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, stressed the importance of a complete success of the Peace Process in the former Yugoslavia, which would help the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia reintegrate into international institutions and consolidate its ties with Italy.

Special interest was expressed in economic cooperation, increased joint activity on crime prevention and intensification of cooperation in the field of culture, it was said after the talks.

Direct contacts with Montenegro through the Italian Consulate in the Montenegrin port city of Bar will have special importance.

Djukanovic said that Italy's support to Yugoslavia's speedy reintegration into all international institutions would represent the most important help at this moment.

Djukanovic said that economic reforms, especially privatisation, were in progress in Montenegro and that he expected that foreign businessmen would show an increased interest in investing in Yugoslavia.

[07] SPAIN ATTACHES GREAT IMPORTANCE TO COOPERATION WITH YUGOSLAVIA

In an interview for the latest issue of the Belgrade 'Review of International Affairs', published in english, Matutes said that possibilities for the promotion and strengthening of relations between Spain and Yugoslavia after the lifting of international sanctions were especially favourable, varied, and included many areas. Our objective is rich and diverse bilateral relations within the process of Yugoslavia's approaching European institutions, said Matutes, and attached special significance to Belgrade's resolute urging of peace, regional stability, democracy and a market economy. Spain will always offer assistance to Yugoslavia in such efforts, Matutes stressed.

Matutes said that the implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and the situation in Bosnia were at a crucial stage. Normal return of refugees, restoration of the economy, establishment of joint institutions, and constitutional organization set by the Dayton Accords are a good illustration of the task which we are facing, Matutes said. Much remains to be done before we reach the main goal - a Bosnia-Herzegovina which will maintain its stability alone, he said.

[08] PLAVSIC MEETS STEINER

Plavsic said that in all future cases of settlement in the separation zone between the two Entities, the Muslim-Croat Federation and RS, 'the procedure in place will have to be observed one hundred percent.'

Plavsic also said that the current State Commission for exchange will be dismissed in order to achieve a more efficient release of prisoners of war and civilians.

Steiner stressed that in the future separation zone the right to settle will have only people who can prove their ownership over property in the that zone and who accept the laws of the Entity to which they are returning. An additional condition, Steiner said, is that they do not bring with them arms or are soldiers. This will be controlled by the local police of that Entity, in cooperation with International Police.

It will also be necessary, he said, to put an end to the earlier practice of burning down other people's homes or property destruction, with a view to normalizing the situation in the zone of separation and returning mutual confidence.

Steiner also insisted on the dismissal of current Commissions for the exchange of prisoners of war and civilians by all three sides - Serb, Muslim and Croat - and their turning into Commissions for the unconditional release of all living and the return of bodies of all dead.

[09] U.S. DIPLOMATS URGE SERB REFUGEES' REPATRIATION TO CROATIA

They discussed ways and means of the refugees' return to their homes.

Association officials said that this was the first time that the United States had shown concrete interest in solving the problem of hundreds of thousands of Serb refugees from Croatia, about 100,000 of whom have found shelter in the Bosnian Serb Republika Srpska.

The two sides agreed that it was necessary to solve the problem of refugees from Croatia if Bosnia-Herzegovina's displaced persons and refugees were to be repatriated, too.

The U.S. diplomats said they saw no concrete way to solve the refugee problem at present, but hoped that the International Community would devote much greater attention to the problem in the future.

The Association's representatives said that the refugees insisted on the Serbs' collective return to their ethnic territories in Croatia where they had lived for centuries, and on the return of their property.

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