Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-01-23

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] MILOSEVIC - BULATOVIC MEETING

[02] CRIMES OF SECRET ORGANIZATION IN KOSOVO

[03] ELECTORAL COMMISSION VERIFIES NINE MORE SEATS IN BELGRADE COUNCIL

[04] INTERNATIONAL AID FOR REFUGEES IN YUGOSLAVIA IS INSUFFICIENT

[05] ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER'S MESSAGE TO YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER

[06] STATEMENT ON THE TALKS BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTER MILUTINOVIC WITH THE PROSECUTOR OF THE TRIBUNAL ARBOUR

[01] MILOSEVIC - BULATOVIC MEETING

Attempts to publicly stage a conflict between Serbia and Montenegro can be seen only as part of a strategy to weaken both Republics and to weaken Yugoslavia.

Yugoslavia is the enduring and vital interest of the Serbian and of Montenegrin people but also of those citizens of Yugoslavia whose policy is based and pursued on the principles of national equality and successful realization of the joint interests of the people, and of all citizens, as well as of the accelerated economic and cultural development, it was said among other things at the meeting held today between the Serbian and Montenegrin presidents, Slobodan Milosevic and Momir Bulatovic.

The meeting was devoted to issues of the current political situation and further economic development of the country.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-23 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-22

[02] CRIMES OF SECRET ORGANIZATION IN KOSOVO

Belgrade Daily Politika said on Wednesday that the secret organization had assumed responsibility for the act, as it had done recently, when it killed Fazil Hasani and Zen Dervisi, ethnic Albanians both.

The organization has threatened with new terroristic acts on individuals and facilities, such as international centers of power, for failing, it said, to resolve the problem of Kosovo.

Politika recalled that in the early eighties, when Albanian secessionists staged protests against Serbia and Yugoslavia, pamphlets and letters were distributed, claiming that a new secret organization had been formed.

The list contained names of prominent Serbs and Albanians to be exterminated, because they opposed growing ethnic Albanian nationalism, said Politika.

Several years ago, the daily continues, few believed that a terrorist organization existed and acted in Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia's southern province.

As much as state organs in Serbia, and individuals, set out that Albanian secessionists and terrorists stood behind every attack in the province, Albanian party leaders denied the claims as Serbia's fabrication.

Ibrahim Rugova, the leader of the most popular Democratic Alliance of Kosovo has several times denied the existence of organized terrorism.

Rugova told foreign delegations and human rights organizations that Serbia was deliberately fabricating lies and untruths about the existence of Albanian terrorist organizations.

In a demonstration of his peaceful policy, Rugova ascribed the terroristic acts to irresponsible individuals, saying that Albanians would not resort to terrorism.

The newspaper Bujku, published in Pristina, and close to Rugova, is now telling the public that such an organization exists, said Politika.

Some people believe its members are Albanians who have left Kosovo, and are now abroad in training centers for terrorists, said Politika.

Former police members and officials who left the Republican Ministry in 1990 are believed to be part of the organization, said Politika.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-23 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-22

[03] ELECTORAL COMMISSION VERIFIES NINE MORE SEATS IN BELGRADE COUNCIL

Out of the nine candidates approved on Wednesday, four were from the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) and the Yugoslav Left (JUL) movement, four from the opposition Zajedno Coalition, and one from the Serbian Radical Party (SRS).

Commission Chairman Radomir Lazarevic told a news conference that 109 mandates for the 110-seat City Council had been verified so far.

The one remaining seat was still disputed, he added, pending the ruling of the competent Court on a Zajedno complaint in the case of Belgrade's Vozdovac district.

So far, 64 Zajedno deputies, 27 SPS-JUL deputies, 16 SRS deputies and 2 deputies of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) have been elected preliminarily.

Lazarevic said that the Commission was 'demanding the exemption of the President of Belgrade's First Municipal Court, his deputies and all judges.'

He explained that they 'have made themselves unfit to rule on the appeals of the SPS and the SRS by publishing their positions before passing a decision, thereby prejudicing the Court's future ruling.'

The Commission asked that another court be appointed to arbitrate in the matter, Lazarevic added.

It asked also for the exemption of the President of the Belgrade District Court and his deputies because, under the law, the District Court President is empowered to rule on exemption of the President of the First Municipal Court.

'The City Electoral Commission has decided also to demand the exemption of the acting President of the Serbian Supreme Court and his deputies,' Lazarevic said.

Lazarevic explained the Commission's ruling of January 14 declaring null and void 45 rulings of the First Municipal Court and all legal consequences resultant thereof.

He said that 'these documents, although called court rulings, are no longer court rulings in the interpretation of the law by the City Electoral Commission.'

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-23 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-22

[04] INTERNATIONAL AID FOR REFUGEES IN YUGOSLAVIA IS INSUFFICIENT

Morina told the new UNHCR envoy for the former Yugoslavia Carrol Faubert that the situation would be further aggravated by Serbia's limited budget and the fact that the population had economically been exhausted.

She set out that Yugoslavia gave precedence to the return of refugees and would lend full support to the international community in its efforts to have as many refugees as possible return to Bosnia-Herzegovina and also Croatia.

She said the 4th regional meeting of the Commissioners for Refugees of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Yugoslavia would be held in Belgrade on February 17 and would review the national plans of possible lasting solutions to the issue.

Referring to the integration of refugees in Yugoslavia, Morina said Yugoslavia hoped that the international community would show more understanding for its difficulties and secure funds for the housing of thousands of refugees who would stay.

Faubert paid recognition to Yugoslavia's humanitarian efforts in caring for a very large number of refugees, and confirmed that the UNHCR would continue supporting Yugoslavia in that as much as possible.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-23 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-22

[05] ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER'S MESSAGE TO YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER

Levi stressed in his message his Government's satisfaction over the full normalization of relations between Israel and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and said he believed cooperation between the two countries would develop in a comprehensive manner in the coming period, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The message also dealt with the current situation in the Middle East peace process and its expected development after the signing of the Agreement on Hebron, the statement said.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-23 ; Tanjug, 1997-01-22

[06] STATEMENT ON THE TALKS BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTER MILUTINOVIC WITH THE PROSECUTOR OF THE TRIBUNAL ARBOUR

This is Mrs. Arbour's first visit to Yugoslavia since she became the head of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, in October 1996.

Minister Milutinovic and Prosecutor Arbour exchanged views on the past cooperation between the FR of Yugoslavia and the Tribunal. They noted that the cooperation with the Tribunal gained a fresh impetus since the signing of the Agreement on the opening of the Liaison Office of the Prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal in Belgrade. By the opening of the Belgrade Office in August last year, regular contacts between the Office of the Prosecutor of the Tribunal on one hand and the Yugoslav authorities and the non*governmental organizations, on the other, were established. This has considerably facilitated the work of the investigators of the International Crimes Tribunal, their access to the victims of the crimes committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia as well as to potential witnesses of those crimes who escaped to the territory of the FR of Yugoslavia from the war*engulfed areas.

Minister Milutinovic expressed the hope that the acitvities of Mrs. Arbour will contribute the Tribunal's impartiality which will enhance mutual cooperation and trust.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-01-23 ; Belgrade, 1997-01-23

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