Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-04-02

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS TWO SERBIAN TOWNS

[02] SERBS ASK KLEIN TO POSTPONE ELECTIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA

[03] PARTICIPANTS OF PANEL DISCUSSION AGREE ON PRINCIPLES IN MEDIA

[04] MINISTER VUKOVIC RECEIVES POLISH AMBASSADOR

[05] YUGOSLAVIA APPEALS TO THE WORLD TO INCREASE AID

[06] ASSISTANT MINISTER JOVANOVIC FOR EQUAL TREATMENT OF REFUGEE SERBS

[07] SERBIA, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA TO INTENSIFY COOPERATION IN EDUCATION

[08] DRAFT LAW ON PRIVATIZATION MUST NOT BE POLITICIZED, SAYS MINISTER

[01] YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS TWO SERBIAN TOWNS

Milutinovic said he would broach the question in talks with UNTAES officails, said a staement released after the meeting.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-02 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-01

[02] SERBS ASK KLEIN TO POSTPONE ELECTIONS IN EASTERN SLAVONIA

The people in Eastern Slavonia are frightened and troubled, and take the guarantees of international officials such as Klein, and U.S. Ambassador in Zagreb Peter Galbraith, as mere words, said the letter.

It says further that the Serbs have lost faith in the U.N. transitional administration and other international bodies, especially in view of their unpleasant experience with the U.N. peacekeepers, who had failed to protect them against the Croatian Army on slaught last year.

The letter asks why not postpone the April 14 elections, as not even the minimum conditions exist for a fair vote, and cites Bosnia, where the local elections have been postponed several times.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-02 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-01

[03] PARTICIPANTS OF PANEL DISCUSSION AGREE ON PRINCIPLES IN MEDIA

A deputy of the ruling Socialist Party of Serbia said the working group had forumlated the 'basic principles' on the basis of resolutions agreed at a previous session.

The principles set out that regulations for the role of media are of prime importance to be established as a starting point for the elaboration of specific solutions.

The principles said media must offer objective and complete information about facts and opinions important for decision-making. Information cannot be subject to personal and partial interests, or the ambitions of individual candidates and parties.

Media must clearly separate its reports from the advertisements of parties or candidates.

Media must guarantee autonomy, impartiality and professional responsibility to journalists and editors.

Political convictions or party affiliation cannot affect the performance of professional journalistic tasks, and reporters- and editors-candidates in the elections cannot take part in editing and making programs and reports on election activities.

All participants must in the presentation of their candidates and election programs respect the constitutionality, legislation and ethics of the spoken word.

There can be no insults and depreciations of anyone, injuries to the dignity of man and abuse of children for political purposes.

Campaigns in media cannot contain anything that will spark racial, religious, national, political, sexual or other intolerance, or calls for violence and war.

Media will not publish comments, interviews etc. That could affect the opinion of voters. Statements by candidates cannot be abused in media. All participants in the election campaign must have the constitutional right to reply.

The norms of behavior of media during the election campaign must be valid for all media, regardless of their form, founder, ownership, circulation, or range.

The principles envisage for the forming of a supervisory board, comprising experts and prominent public figures, whose competences and membership will be determined in the above-mentioned regulations on the behavior of media in the election campaign.

State-owned media must ensure equal position in the presentation of presidential candidates, candidates for parliamentary parties and coalitions, and a corresponding, mutually equal, position to non- parliamentary parties.

Special care must be taken in the number of proposed candidates.

In commercial programs, where candidates may advertise their programs, payment must be the same for all and remain unchanged throughout the campaign.

State media must offer services to presidential candidates for the preparation of advertisements, on the basis of previously defined criteria.

State media must guarantee national minorities the right to conduct their campaigns in their own languages.

Serbian Information Minister Radmila Milentijevic said the principles were concise, clear and precise. Milentijevic said she was pleased with the discussion and the principles, and added that the regulations should serve as aguideline for the forthcoming election campaign.

Ethnic Hungarian leader Pal Sandor proposed that the supervisory board include representatives of parliamentary parties.

Svetozar Krstic of New Democracy hailed the principles as the 'first result of the panel.'

Deputy Miroslav Dereta of the 'December 1' party said the new information law would ensure a 'fair election campaign,' and urged 'all big Serbian parliamentary parties to dialogue and compromise.'

Ljubomir Ilkic, a deputy of the Socialist Party of Serbia, said the norms of behavior during the election campaign should be valid for all media, which had not been so before. Ilkic expressed regret that other parliamentary parties did not take part in the panel, and stressed that the Socialists called for dialogue and talks. 'We are still open to our fellow deputies,' said Ilkic and added that they must 'decide whether to join the panel, not for our sake, but for the sake of their voters.'

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-02 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-01

[04] MINISTER VUKOVIC RECEIVES POLISH AMBASSADOR

The Federal Information Secretariat said that both sides concluded that the forthcoming signing of the interstate ageement on trade and economic cooperation would be the basis of longterm economic relations between FRY and Poland.

Underscored was the need to speed up preparations for the signing of other interstate agreements in order to complete the legal framework for a more dynamic cooperation between the two states.

The two sides expressed satisfaction that last year's trade betwee Yugoslavia and Poland was six-fold on 1995. However, they said that this is far from what the two countries had before the international sanctions against Yugoslavia and what their complementary economies could realize.

Estimated was that the holding of an exhibition of the Yugoslav economy in Poland would contribute to a more intense economic cooperation and trade, as happenned following last year's presentation of the Polish economy in Yugoslavia.

Vukovic and Dabrowa informed each other about the economic policies of their two countries and concluded that Yugoslavia and Poland have mutual interest in the promotion of regional cooperation and inclusion in European integration processes.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-02 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-01

[05] YUGOSLAVIA APPEALS TO THE WORLD TO INCREASE AID

Humanitarian aid is desperately needed for the care and education of children orphaned by the war, it was heard at the meeting, and activities should be stepped up in taking care of war invalids, by finding adequate employment.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-02 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-01

[06] ASSISTANT MINISTER JOVANOVIC FOR EQUAL TREATMENT OF REFUGEE SERBS

'The international community is showing exceptional interest that all voting conditions are secured for refugees at the upcoming elections in Bosnia, while it is not demonstrating such a stand in the case of Serbs who are to vote in Eastern Slavonija,' Jovanovic said addressing the 4th Assembly of Yugoslav citizens and emigrants - humanitarian aid donours in Belgrade. All instruments and organizations of the international community are mobilized for the Bosnian elections to secure the voting of refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina, wherever they may be, he said.

In the case of elections in Croatia, the international community has taken the stand in principle that refugee Serbs have the right to return and vote wherever they wish. However, Jovanovic said, psychological, administrative and other obstacles are still being placed before refugee Serbs. He pointed out that Yugoslavia had sent Croatia an initiative for regulating dual citizenship and that the Croatian side was still considering it.

'We still have not received an official answer. Talks will be held with the Croatian side on this issue in three days' time, and onother 17 agreements which should be settled by further coordination of stands,' Jovanovic specified.

Regarding Eastern Slavonija, he said Yugoslavia urged the due implementation of the Erdut and all other accords reached so far, which primarily implies the equality of Serbs. In this respect, Yugoslavia urges that, upon the expiry of the mandate of the UNTAES, on August 15, 1998, a network of international organizations remain in this region to monitor respect of Serb rights, he said.

Jovanovic said U.N. Administrator Jacques Klein urged dual citizenship, demilitarization, and the release of Serbs from serving in the Croatian military.

Yugoslavia supports also the founding of a Serb Council, autonomy, and the realization of the right to language and curriculums so that as many local Serbs will remain as possible, he said.

Speaking about the current political situation in Yugoslavia, Jovanovic said the general position of the country had improved, but that the burden of the care of refugees was heavier since international humanitarian organizations were sending less and less aid and the people's needs were ever greater.

Jovanovic expressed hope that the international community's stand toward Yugoslavia would become consistent and that it would open doors to Yugoslavia and enable Yugoslavia's speedier inclusion in economic, traffic, and other areas and activities of the international community.

He said this year, 1997, was a year of great undertakings in Yugoslavia, which is all included in the new Federal Government Programme. 'The main point in the Federal Government Programme in the foreign policy area is Yugoslavia's full integration, and reforms in the area of the internal policy,' Jovanovic said.

Yugoslavia is none the less important also in the aspects of politics and strategy, he said, which it has proven with its due urging of the realization of the Dayton Accords, so that our country is today viewed as a positive and stabilizational factor in the Balkans.

A priority in Yugoslavia's policy is to develop relations with neighbouring countries in all areas, primarily the economy, he said. However, in the conditions of a globalization of economic relations, this is not possible without economic linking of neighbouring states, Jovanovic said.

'Yugoslavia's losses because of the effects of sanctions are estimated at 150 billion dollars, which means that efforts must be even greater so that we can move ahead economically,' he said.

The economic linking of the region is the way to overcome the consequences of the economic sanctions, but also to overcome the gap between countries in transition and developed countries, said Jovanovic. 'However, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia insists that transition is not reduced merely to form, but also to essential economy, because support to countries in transition is also support to the development of democracy and the way to get closer to Europe.'.

Speaking about Yugoslavia's status in international organizations, Jovanovic said it had remained a member of all organizations but that its rights were suspended in some of them. He said it was Yugoslavia's stand that such difficulties should be overcome and that Yugoslavia should be given full membership rights in international institutions. He pointed out that many international factors realized this, and that no-one in Europe claimed any more that any issues could be resolved without Yugoslavia.

Regarding the OSCE, it is clear that no issues in Europe can be resolved without the full participation of Yugoslavia in this organization. In particular, there can be no justification for taxing Yugoslav products in the E.U. market, so that such anachronous and contradictory issues must be resolved as soon as possible, Jovanovic said.

Yugoslavia is for the establishment of relations with all countries in the world, but only on an equal basis. We are for a new world order, but based on equality, not hierarchy, Jovanovic was adamant.

He said this overall orientation of Yugoslavia's policy had led to positive trends, so that it is to be expected that Yugoslavia will this year be included in all international institutions.

Ending his speech to participants in the two-day assembly which closes yesterday, Jovanovic appealed for unity among Serbs living abroad. He pointed out that Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic had proposed that a council be formed at the Federal Government level. The council will coordinate ties between the mother country and Yugoslav citizens abroad as an institutionalized organ, and its forming will take place very soon, he said.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-02 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-01

[07] SERBIA, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA TO INTENSIFY COOPERATION IN EDUCATION

Todorovic said the Protocol would enable joint activities, in line with the February 28 Agreement on special relations between Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska. Todorovic said Republika Srpska's educational plan was based on Serbia's educational plan, and added that the Protocol further coordinated the plans, from primary school to university. He said the two Education Ministries would decide together to approve or change textbooks.

The Protocol will be implemented in stages, he said and added that financial aid from Serbia would help develop Republika Srpska's educational system and establish a unique educational system for the Serbs, based on their tradition and culture.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-02 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-01

[08] DRAFT LAW ON PRIVATIZATION MUST NOT BE POLITICIZED, SAYS MINISTER

The Alliance was represented by Vice President Aleksandra Posarac and Executive Board President Dragor Hiber.

Beko thanked the Alliance delegation and expressed regret that the first part of the talks had had 'political connotations.' He said there had been a certain lack of understanding and a politicization of certain issues in the working version of the Law on Ownership Transformation. This legal project was made within the framework of the reform processes, the Minister said. It covers the widest circle of users, taking care that the system of fairness is represented in the greatest possible degree, he said.

Beko specified that all those who had taken part in creating national wealth were involved - three to three and a half million people.

Posarac said the Alliance was supporting the good will of the Republican Government 'finally to make a law on privatization.' The Alliance, however, has 'serious objections' to the proposed draft law, she said. The Alliance believes this project 'does not enable the realization of the basic objectives of privatization and formation ofa financial capital matrket,' Posarac said. She said the legal project did not secure 'a sufficiently general privatization, does not enable it to proceed quickly, and is not just.'

Posarac expressed hope that the Serbian Government would accept the proposals and objections and include them in the draft of the law which will secure the implementation of the main objective - the construction of a market economy.

Yugoslav Daily Survey, 1997-04-02 ; Tanjug, 1997-04-01

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