Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-02-07

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] STABILITY OF YUGOSLAVIA IN INTEREST OF ALL ITS CITIZENS

[02] STATEMENT OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

[03] THERE WILL BE NO CIVIL WAR

[04] DE CHARETTE HAILS MILOSEVIC'S DECISION AS AN IMPORTANT EVENT

[05] GOVERNMENT FOR MORE DYNAMIC EXCHANGE OF HIGH-LEVEL STATE VISITS

[01] STABILITY OF YUGOSLAVIA IN INTEREST OF ALL ITS CITIZENS

Talking about the importance of the country's internal stability, Lilic stressed that Yugoslavia can be a very good economic partner of all Balkan, European and other countries which are ready to cooperate with it on an equal footing.

'The country's internal stability is important since foreign capital, which we need in view of the not in the least enviable economic situation, comes only to secure and stable environments,' Lilic said.

Addressing the Third Army senior officers, Lilic said it was especially important that the Army of Yugoslavia had preserved its unity, although there had been more than a few attempts at manipulating it, both from without and within.

We can freely say that the Army of Yugoslavia is a principal of the idea of unity,' Lilic said and quoted latest public opinion polls as showing that Yugoslavs have confidence in the Army of Yugoslavia.

Lilic said his visit to the Third Army was an opportunity to sum up the joint work performed so far, since his term as both President of the Republic and Chairman of the Supreme Defense Council was drawing to a close.

'If we keep in mind the conditions in which we have been living and working, the Army of Yugoslavia has recorded good results and greatly contributed to the country's stability,' Lilic said.

He said the area covered by the Third Army was very important, and set out that what he had said about the unity of the Army of Yugoslavia and its moral stamina was especially true of the Third Army.

Third Army Commander, Gen. Dusan Samardzic acquainted Lilic with the Third Army's major accomplishments in terms of combat capability and command.

'All members of the Third Army have recorded outstanding results in terms of combat training, the capability for the performance of regular assignments, moral stamina, and the unity of officers, soldiers and civilians in the performance of special assignments,' Gen. Samardzic said.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-02-07 ; Tanjug, 1997-02-06

[02] STATEMENT OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

In this respect the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms with full responsibility that all municipalities have been fully listed in the Bill.

In point of fact, in his public statement of 14 January 1997 Mr. F. Gonzalez, in the capacity of personal representative of the Chairman*in*Office of the OSCE, supplemented, i.e. clarified para 7 (b) of his Report of 27 December 1996. In the part referring to Belgrade he explicitly stated that the Coalition "Zajedno" had won the majority in eight municipalities: Stari Grad, Vracar, Savski Venac, Zvezdara, Rakovica, Palilula, Cukarica and Vozdovac, as well as in the City Council of Belgrade.

In addition to this and other relevant documents, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a confirmation of the above list of municipalities by Denmark, as Chairman*in*Office of the OSCE, in the form of an official letter of the Royal Danish Embassy in Belgrade, as well as by the letter of the Embassy of Spain which has been authorized to fully verify, on behalf of Mr. F. Gonzalez, his above statement made on 14 January 1997.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-02-07 ; Tanjug, 1997-02-06

[03] THERE WILL BE NO CIVIL WAR

Everything will be done to prevent this, said Lilic in the capital of Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija (Kosmet).

'We do not want to pull back and we have nowhere to withdraw to. It is our obligation to preserve the integrity, stability and security of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and that is what we shall do,' Lilic said.

At the close of his visit to Yugoslav Army Pristina Corps Units at Slatina airport near Pristina, Lilic was categoric when he said that such processes would not be tolerated in Yugoslavia, and said 'Serbs will not be allowed to clash with Serbs, either.

'Our objective must be a strong civil state with a high degree of human and democratic rights and not 'the impossible wish that members of every nation in the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia have their own little state,' he said.

'There must be peace in Kosmet, because that is in the interest of all those who live in these lands - both Serbs and Montenegrins, but also Albanians. Any provocation is not in the interest of any member of any nation, but in the interest of those who want to break up the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the continuation of the destabilization process, Yugoslavia's most difficult possible return to the international community, further regression in the area of the economy, and further regression in every other area as well,' Lilic said.

A confidence-building process must begin in Kosmet between Serbs and Albanians, and the local citizens must oppose any extreme nationalisms or the result will be 'a real long-term conflict with unpredictable consequences,' Lilic said.

Lilic especially underscored that Kosmet citizens must jointly resist the growth of terrorism and terrorist actions, saying that one terrorism provoked another.

'In the struggle against such an evil, all those who live in Kosmet and the Republic of Serbia must give full support to state organs and security organs in resolving such incidents,' the Yugoslav President said.

Lilic sent an appeal to all leaders of Kosmet Albanians to accept dialogue with the state authorities so that potential controversial issues could be resolved in a way befitting the most democratic countries in the world.

Urging again the strengthening of Yugoslavia, its institutions, including the Yugoslav Army, and the creation of conditions for Yugoslavia's successful return to the international community, Lilic said all forces must be centered also on creating conditions for life worthy of man, for which there is the necessary knowledge and every other potential and condition.

Lilic underscored that a condition for the realization of all responsible tasks is the existence of stable economic conditions in Yugoslavia and that 'we must once again become a country without marked political tensions, a low-risk country.'

Lilic said that after the lifting of the international sanctions, on October 1, 1996, Yugoslavia was in the third place regarding the safety of invested capital, but that the crisis over the November elections had pushed it to the bottom.

Underscoring the need for making huge efforts in the stabilization of the political situation in Yugoslavia, Lilic said that 'this requires the political consensus of all parties and all responsible leaders of major parties in Serbia and Montenegro should accept this.'

'Yugoslavia is neither the property of a left- nor right-wing ideology, but of all its citizens, regardless of their nationality, religion, of party affiliation. However, the future of Yugoslavia rests with these very same people,' Lilic said.

He said that, apart from the state organs and the Yugoslav Army, Yugoslavia should be protected by the Serbs, Montenegrins, Hungarians, Albanians, Romanians and ruthenians, i.e. the members of all 24 nations and nationalities living here.

'We must stop all attempts for the destruction of Yugoslavia and its further destablilzation and this is why it is important that peace and understanding reign in the territory of Yugoslavia, and that those empowered by the people to administer the processes in this state, do so with the utmost responsibility and in the interest of their own people,' Lilic said.

This is why it is good that a big step has been made towards the stabilization of the situation in Serbia, and thus in Yugoslavia, Lilic said and expressed belief that there is sufficient strength and reason for returning to the most important task - the economic revival of the country.

Lilic expressed optimism following today's talks with the senior officers of the Third Army, Air Force and Anti-Aircraft Defence and the Pristina corps of the Yugoslav Army. He said that the Supreme Defense Council and the Yugoslav Government would make special efforts to create better living and working conditions in the army.

'The Yugoslav Army will have priority in the budget,' Lilic said 'with the aim of its further development which is planned to take place in two stages. The first will focus on preventing the departure of cadres, and the second will create conditions for its modernization.'

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-02-07 ; Tanjug, 1997-02-06

[04] DE CHARETTE HAILS MILOSEVIC'S DECISION AS AN IMPORTANT EVENT

De Charette told a news conference that this was agreed in talks with the leaders of the Zajedno Coalition, who are in a one-day visit to Paris.

De Charette said he hoped the process begun by Milosevic would close successfully in the Serbian Parliament, after which dialogue between the Government and opposition should open.

Zajedno leader Vuk Draskovic said after the talks that the demonstrations would stop 'in order to give dialogue a chance,' when Parliament recognizes the results in dispute.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-02-07 ; Tanjug, 1997-02-06

[05] GOVERNMENT FOR MORE DYNAMIC EXCHANGE OF HIGH-LEVEL STATE VISITS

Proceeding from Yugoslavia's readiness to intensify international relations and cooperation primarily in order to promote overall international political and economic relations, the plan envisages a more dynamic exchange of visits at top and high state levels, a Federal Government statement said.

A continuation of the dialogue for normalizing relations with new states, former Yugoslav republics, is covered by the plan as one of the country's basic foreign-policy priorities in 1997.

The Federal Government also gave approval for the opening of a Bolivian Consulate in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to be based in Belgrade.

The Government established platforms for talks and agreements with Israel on air traffic, with Cyprus on avoidance of double taxation, and with Austria on regular passenger lines in international road traffic.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-02-07 ; Tanjug, 1997-02-06

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