Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-11-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] SESSION OF THE YUGOSLAV SUPREME DEFENCE COUNCIL

[02] YUGOSLAV PREMIER: MARKET AND EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES

[03] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT BRUSSELS BY THE END OF NOVEMBER

[04] ISRAELI AMBASSADOR: FASTER DEVELOPMENT OF YUGOSLAV-ISRAELI RELATIONS

[05] FEDERAL RESERVE OFFICES SIGN PROTOCOL ON COOPERATION

[06] FRY EXPECTS GREATER AID FOR REFUGEES FROM INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

[07] RESULTS OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT

[08] KRAJISNIK: SERBS WANT FULL ADHERENCE TO THE DAYTON AGREEMENT

[09] BILDT: ONLY A STRONG THREE-MEN BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY CAN BRING PEACE

[10] AID FOR REBUILDING ROADS IN RS

[11] DECISION ON NEW BOSNIA FORCE TO BE TAKEN BEFORE LONDON CONFERENCE

[12] OSCE TO STAY ON IN BOSNIA FOR ANOTHER YEAR

[13] UNLOADING OF U.S. ARMS FOR BOSNIAN MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION

[14] AGREEMENT ON OPENING OF A RAIL LINE THROUGH THE UNTAES REGION

[15] ELECTIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA LIKELY TO BE HELD NEXT SPRING

[01] SESSION OF THE YUGOSLAV SUPREME DEFENCE COUNCIL

The session, chaired by Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic, concluded that Yugoslavia was fulfilling all commitments undertaken in Dayton, the Presidential office said.

The Council said Yugoslavia would continue in the future to do its utmost to strengthen peace, security, mutual trust among peoples of the former Yugoslavia and in the Balkans. The Council also reviewed other issues from its constitutional competence, important for security and defence.

Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic, Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, Yugoslav Defence Minister Pavle Bulatovic and Yugoslav Army Chief of Staff, Col.-Gen. Momcilo Perisic participated in the session.

[02] YUGOSLAV PREMIER: MARKET AND EXPORT-ORIENTED ECONOMY GOVERNMENT PRIORITIES

Talking with a delegation of prominent Yugoslav economists, Kontic stressed the importance of ownership transformation, stability of prices and of the dinar exchange rate for boosting production and improving the standard of living, a Government statement said.

The delegation informed Kontic about the program of this year's Symposium of economists, to be held at the Belgrade University School of Economics on December 2-3. The Symposium will be devoted to the Yugoslav economic policy in 1997.

Kontic said it was extremely important that Yugoslavia be reintegrated into the International Community, financial, trade and other organizations in order to realize economic policy goals set for 1997.

[03] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT BRUSSELS BY THE END OF NOVEMBER

The platform for the talks was determined on Thursday by the Yugoslav Government, the Yugoslav Secretariat for Information said.

The Government determined, at the same session, the platform for talks to be conducted by the Yugoslav Minister for Labour, Health and Social Policy, Miroslav Ivanisevic, in the Russian Federation and the Yugoslav Minister for Trade, Djordje Siradovic, in India and Vietnam.

The government accepted a proposed basis for the conclusion of a Program of cooperation with Italy in the field of education, culture and sports till 1999, the statement said.

[04] ISRAELI AMBASSADOR: FASTER DEVELOPMENT OF YUGOSLAV-ISRAELI RELATIONS

The opening of the Israeli Embassy in Belgrade, the first since 1967 when the leadership of the SFR Yugoslavia broke off diplomatic relations with the Jewish state, will significantly contribute to renewing ties and cooperation, Sason said.

He said that Yugoslavia has 'a strong economic potential in the Balkans,' where it will play an important role in the next two-three years. Sason expressed belief that the results of this cooperation would first be evident in the sphere of agriculture and industry.

'Jews and Israel are linked to Yugoslavia, especially the Serbs, with memories from World War II. We are aware what the Serbs have done for us and what their sacrifices have been in that war,' Sason said.

He described as positive the recently signed inter-state agreements in the health sphere and said that he, who is an economist, would contribute mostly in the development of economic relations.

[05] FEDERAL RESERVE OFFICES SIGN PROTOCOL ON COOPERATION

Dimitrov and Stanojevic said after the signing ceremony that the agreement would contribute to the further improvement of economic cooperation between the two countries.

At a working meeting, experts established a list of priority goods to be exchanged in the next year.

[06] FRY EXPECTS GREATER AID FOR REFUGEES FROM INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

The most important humanitarian organizations will continue to send humanitarian aid to the FRY next year, at the same level as this year, and a number of humanitarian programs will be realized for providing food and shelter for over 600,000 refugees in the FRY, Morina said.

This is the most important result of three-day talks conducted in Geneva by Bratislava Morina with representatives of the most important international humanitarian organizations.

Assessing the results of the talks, Morina pointed out that she received assurances that the FRY can expect the same or greater aid from the International Community, compared to this year. 'At a time when at the Geneva Palais des Nations, or in key international humanitarian organizations there is talk of cutbacks in humanitarian aid, the assurances that we have received in the past three days are really encouraging,' said Bratislava Morina.

'Appreciation was expressed at the talks for Yugoslavia's activities in providing food and shelter for a huge number of refugees, we were given credit for everything that we have done for the return of refugees to their homes, but we have also made it clear that repatriation can go on only if necessary conditions were fulfilled,' she said.

Morina held talks today with the Director General of the International Organization for Migration James Purcell who also made assurances about the continuation of humanitarian aid to the FRY. He underscored that the international organization for migration will make huge efforts next year to speed up the return of refugees on a larger scale, especially of those who have found refuge and shelter in FR Yugoslavia.

Purcell said that all aspects of repatriation will be discussed at the upcoming International Conference on Bosnia, scheduled to be held in London at the beginning of December. The Conference will be an opportunity for the International Community to review the results achieved in the process of stabilization in Bosnia and Herzegovina and to reach an agreement about what should be done in the future to make those results better and more efficient, he said.

[07] RESULTS OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT

Constant efforts of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia aimed at finding a negotiated settlement to the crisis were in this way confirmed.

After the Peace Agreement was announced, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who headed the Yugoslav delegation to Dayton and was also authorised to negotiate on behalf of the Bosnian Serbs, said that the war was over and that time had come for everybody to turn to peace, development and economic recovery. On the return from Dayton, Milosevic added that a just peace for all peoples in the Region had been achieved and that it was a basis for stability, cooperation, equality among people and nations, observation of human rights and regional development.

At Dayton, the Yugoslav delegation succeeded in agreeing with all other sides on the key elements for the restoration of final and complete peace. The agreement and the ensuing peace resulted in the lifting of the sanctions against Yugoslavia, its return to the world markets and possibility to restore its place in the international politics and economy, sports and arts.

Continuing its constant efforts aimed at securing the economic progress of the entire Region and joining the world processes on an equal footing through cooperation, peaceful settlements of disputes and good neighbourly relations, the FRY succeeded in achieving that the people in the territory of the former Yugoslavia face the future with hope again.

The FRY regulated its relations with the Republic of Macedonia, which recognised Yugoslavia's state continuity and international legal personality. Croatia also recognised Yugoslavia's continuity and Sarajevo reached a similar decision. The normalisation of relations should mark the beginning of a period in which confrontation would be replaced by cooperation.

After Dayton, Yugoslavia fully returned to the international scene. It normalised its relations with the E.U. members and other European states. Many ambassadors returned to Belgrade and many countries in the world expressed a wish to restore ties with Yugoslavia, which were severed because of lack of understanding and information about the situation.

Belgrade became unavoidable for those who have development and promotion of this part of Europe in mind. Appreciating peace efforts of the Yugoslav and Serbian leadership and Slobodan Milosevic, the Presidents, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of European and non-European countries visited Belgrade. According to their statements, the role of President Milosevic cannot be avoided in any talks about the future of the Balkans.

Peace, which has prevailed in this part of Europe since Dayton, enabled the people to face a better future, which the war had made uncertain.

The U.S.-mediated solutions required concessions from all sides, without which peace could not be possible.

The achievements of peace in Bosnia are numerous. The Republika Srpska was internationally recognised, the two Bosnian Entities - the Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation - delineated their territories, soldiers returned to barracks, the people elected new leadership. The Union has a three-member Presidency and a joint Government is being prepared. Economic and traffic links are starting to function.

Peace does not solve all problems which exist among the people and nations who were at war, President Milosevic said at the signing of the Peace Agreement in Paris in December 1995. But peace creates conditions for resolving the existing problems in a different way, with civilised and humane means which people have on their disposal and which are worthy of the people at the end of the 20th century, Milosevic said and added that these means were the only ones which a man could allow himself to use communicating with other people, even if he did not agree with them.

The Dayton Peace Agreement and its implementation have shown that Yugoslavia adheres to these rules.

[08] KRAJISNIK: SERBS WANT FULL ADHERENCE TO THE DAYTON AGREEMENT

'The Serb people in the Republika Srpska have a positive balance' regarding everything Dayton has brought, Krajisnik said in an exclusive interview, which the Frankfurt newspaper 'Vesti', published for the diaspora, will publish on Friday on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Dayton Agreement.

Speaking about relations between the Republika Srpska and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Krajisnik said that 'Belgrade and the Republika Srpska have a big advantage of having good cooperation, of being stronger together,' and stressed their excellent cooperation in assisting refugees, reconstructing the Serb part of Sarajevo and other fields.

'We wish to build good relations, to be two bodies with one soul,' Krajisnik said.

[09] BILDT: ONLY A STRONG THREE-MEN BOSNIAN PRESIDENCY CAN BRING PEACE

Reuters quotes Bildt as urging for a speedy accord on the composition and size of a Council of Ministers (future Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina). He said that, after 43 months of civil war, peace could not be established all at once, and that it took time for it to take hold in order to endure.

[10] AID FOR REBUILDING ROADS IN RS

Noting that these were his first talks with RS President, Chiarini said that the European Commission was the principal donator in the reconstruction of BIH and that it was mediating in the dialogue between the parties in BIH about the establishment of links between BIH and the European Union, as in other Central European countries.

President Plavsic said that about a million and a half Serbs in RS were part of the 350 million inhabitants of Europe, that they were always part of Europe, and accepted it as its environment.

Minister Lajic described this day as 'historic for traffic and communications' and pointed out that significant aid had been approved by the European Commission for road building machinery, without any conditions made. He added that RS had committed itself to improving the quality of roads.

According to him talks also dealt with the opening of the Banja Luka airport for civilian traffic, but that issue remains to been solved.

[11] DECISION ON NEW BOSNIA FORCE TO BE TAKEN BEFORE LONDON CONFERENCE

Speaking after meeting with NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana, De Charette said the issue was being discussed and that agreement had been reached on a large number of points. De Charette said only a number of technicalities remained that would be dealt with before the London Conference.

Solana said NATO was working out details of the future military operation, saying a decision on the issue could be taken next week.

The mandate of IFOR, that is some 50,000 troops strong, expires on December 20. The new, Stabilisation Force (SFOR) will be some 31,000 troops strong. The troops will be contributed by 32 countries, including all NATO member countries except Iceland.

[12] OSCE TO STAY ON IN BOSNIA FOR ANOTHER YEAR

The OSCE Standing Council in Bosnia-Herzegovina took the decision on Thursday, news agencies report.

The OSCE Bosnia mission was originally deployed for a period of one year, under a decision taken at the body's Ministerial meeting in Budapest, Hungary, on December 8, 1995.

[13] UNLOADING OF U.S. ARMS FOR BOSNIAN MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION

Speaking on board the ship 'American Condor' as it began unloading, U.S. envoy James Pardew said the shipment would give the Federation's Army 'the heavy weapons needed for adequate defence,' according to news agencies.

Pardew said that the shipment consisted of 45 tanks, 80 armoured personnel carriers, more than 5,000 pieces of communications equipment, 15 helicopters, 45,000 rifles, ammunition and other related equipment.

Another ship is unloading in Ploce arms from the United Arab Emirates, while a shipment of Egyptian artillery and anti-aircraft weapons is expected shortly.

The United States' European allies have refused to take part in the U.S. programme, insisting it is unreasonable to pour more arms into Bosnia-Herzegovina barely a year after the war.

[14] AGREEMENT ON OPENING OF A RAIL LINE THROUGH THE UNTAES REGION

Under the agreement, the local Serbs will remain on their jobs on the Vinkovci-Sid line.

Stanimirovic said that the opening of the rail line, out of operation for more than five years, will not have any major commercial significance if trains run only to the Croat-Yugoslav border' rather than through Yugoslav territory.

Stanimirovic said that during his visit to Zagreb and talks with the Croat delegation it had been agreed to facilitate the issuing of Croat documents to local Serbs, which will be a condition for realizing their voting rights at the forthcoming elections in the region.

The talks in Zagreb failed to overcome all the disputes between the two sides regarding the education program in Serb schools.

The Serb and Croat delegations, which met in the presence of U.N. administrator for the region Jacques Klein who described the talks as very useful, also discussed the return of Croat refugees to three villages in the north of the region, abandoned at the start of the conflict in 1991.

[15] ELECTIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA LIKELY TO BE HELD NEXT SPRING

Arnold told a news conference in Belgrade that a Commission had been set up of representatives of local Serbs, the Croatian Government and UNTAES that was already negotiating basic electoral principles.

People who lived in the region before the outbreak of hostilities as well as those who came there after that are expected to be granted the right to vote.

Arnold said UNTAES had exerted considerable pressure on the Croatian Government to simplify the procedure of issuing citizenship certificates and identity cards which he said Serbs needed in order to exercise their rights in Croatia, including the right to vote.

He said representatives of Serbs in the region and the Croatian Government had agreed in a meeting in Zagreb on Wednesday that the number of Croatian offices in Eastern Slavonia in charge of issuing documents be increased from 7 to 45.

He said 35,000 requests for Croatian documents had been made, saying that out of this number, 45% had been approved. Serbs account for about 75% of the people who have made requests to this end, he said.

Arnold said the U.N. Security Council had passed a resolution extending UNTAES mandate until July 15, 1997, commenting that U.N. presence in the region would be needed even after the expiry of that mandate. He said the resolution had encouraged the local Serbs' leadership to continue to cooperate with Croatian authorities.

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