Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-06-02

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] PATRIARCH PAVLE RECEIVES SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT

[02] ALBRIGHT MEETS SERB VICTIMS, GETS TOUGH ON CROATIA

[03] ALBRIGHT * VISIT TO CROATIA

[04] BURNS SAYS U.S. RESPECTS REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PRESIDENT BILJANA PLAVSIC

[05] YUGOSLAVIA HOPES FOR SIX-MONTH EXTENSION OF IMF DEADLINE

[06] ROMANIAN-LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARIES

[07] YUGOSLAVIA'S MILUTINOVIC MAKES STATEMENT ON SINTRA MEETING ON BOSNIA

[08] DELEGATION OF YUGOSLAV STATE OFFICIALS AND BUSINESSMEN ARRIVES IN BONN

[09] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER KONTIC ANNOUNCES DEFLATION FOR MAY

[10] ALBRIGHT SAYS U.S. WILL PROTECT GAINS OF PEACE

[11] ALBRIGHT MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF SERBIAN OPPOSITION

[12] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC: OPEN AND VERY USEFUL TALKS

[13] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES MADELEINE ALBRIGHT

[01] PATRIARCH PAVLE RECEIVES SECRETARY OF STATE ALBRIGHT

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church received late Saturday U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who arrived on a visit to Yugoslavia earlier in the day.

The half-hour meeting, held behind closed doors, was attended also by representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church and head of the U.S. Mission in Belgrade Richard Miles.

After the talk, Albright visited the Orthodox Cathedral in Belgrade.

[02] ALBRIGHT MEETS SERB VICTIMS, GETS TOUGH ON CROATIA

Reuter, 1997-05-31

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright saw at first hand on Saturday the result of attacks on ethnic Serbs who recently tried to return to the homes they had in Croatia before the 1991 Croatia-Serbia war. Standing in front of a burned-out house in Prevrsac, a village about 75 km (45miles) southeast of Zagreb, Albright used the occasion to underline a strong message she had given earlier to President Franjo Tudjman - that America expects Croatia to do more to honour pledges it has made over the rights of refugees.

"I'm shocked by what I've seen here. I've spoken about the subject in a general way for a long time but when you see what's happened and talk to a family - people who wanted to come here and live in their own houses and now live like prisoners or with relatives - I find it disgusting," Albright told reporters.

After talking at length with a family that was attacked two weeks ago, Albright spoke to Foreign Minister Mate Granic and Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic. "I think it is the responsibility of your government to live up to what you say you're doing, which is to make sure there is freedom of movement. I hope you will send out a message loud and clear that this is not acceptable."

Earlier, at a meeting which U.S. officials described as the toughest she has had with any leader since becoming Secretary of State in January, Albright told Tudjman it was morally unacceptable to have an ethnically pure state in modern Europe.

"Croatia will not travel the road to Europe unless all its peoples, Croats or Serbs, make the journey," she said. She warned Croatia that, if it failed to meet pledges on refugees and war crimes and did not exercise "moral" leadership in the region, the United States would continue to oppose aid and other benefits. Tudjman insisted Zagreb supported the right of Serbs to return to their homes. "For all practical purposes, Croatia is not embarking on any policy of ethnic purity but rather recognises fully all human and ethnic rights of all communities living in this country, including Serbs," he said.

The outbreak of violence earlier this month focused attention on government plans to resettle tens of thousands of displaced people, many of whom are still bitter and do not want to live in ethnically mixed communities.

Albright told reporters she thought it would be "useful" if some arrests were made in the area, adding that there had to be action rather than just talk.

[03] ALBRIGHT * VISIT TO CROATIA

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

M. Albright stated in Zagreb yesterday that Washington would block international loans to Croatia and its accession to Western integrations if Zagreb filed to undertake concrete steps for the return of Serbian refugees and to turn the war criminals over, agencies report.

M. Albright told Tudjman * according to the information she gave at the Press Conference * that Croatia must prevent violence against the Serbian refugees who wish to return to their homes in Croatia, cooperate with the Hague Tribunal for the war crimes committed in the territories of the former Yugoslavia and guarantee freedom of press.

American officials described the talks with Tudjman to UPI and Reuteurs correspondents in Zagreb as "sincere and confronting, the most difficult Mrs. Albright has had with any leader since she came to the post of the first diplomat of the United States in January this year."

Albright informed Tudjman that the United States would think over to block the IMF loans to Zagreb and the accession of Croatia to Western integrations.

Mrs. Albright's spokesman said that Tudjman had promised only the opening of the bridge on the Sava River near Brcko, for traffic.

[04] BURNS SAYS U.S. RESPECTS REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PRESIDENT BILJANA PLAVSIC

Tanjug, 1997-06-01

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic spent an hour and a half in talks on Sunday, of which an hour alone, without aides, as U.S. State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns told the Press. Albright and Plavsic did not make any statements afterwards, but Spokesman Burns addressed the large group of journalists, saying he was communicating the views of Secretary Albright. Burns said Albright had strongly assured Plavsic that the Dayton Agreement would succeed and asked the Serbian people and its leaders to help implement that Agreement, as it was in their interest to do so. Burns said the U.S. wanted the indicted war criminals to be handed over to the Hague war-crimes tribunal, and that some of them were Serbs. He told the Press that the U.S. also insisted on the return home of Serb, Croat and Muslim refugees.

Burns said Albright had censured discrimination against Serbs on Saturday when she visited two Serb homes in Croatia.

The State Department Spokesman said that Albright had said that she respected Serbs and wanted them to participate in the implementation of the Dayton Agreement.

Burns singled out as one of the major topics discussed in Banja Luka the freedom of movement, which he said must exist for Serbs, Croats and Muslims throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Burns told journalists that Secretary Albright had set out that a financial system beneficial to Serbs, too, was implied if the obligations assumed under the Dayton Agreement were fulfilled.

He said regrettably, Serbs in Bosnia had failed to respect what they had agreed to in terms of war criminals, the return of refugees and the freedom of movement.

Burns stressed that if Serbs in Bosnia were to show headway in respect for the Dayton Agreement, they would have better relations with the U.S. and greater possibilities to help the people.

Answering a question put to him, Burns said the U.S. respected President Plavsic as a responsible leader and wanted to cooperate with her and those whom she represented, but had to see that Serb leaders in Bosnia were working to improve the situation.

[05] YUGOSLAVIA HOPES FOR SIX-MONTH EXTENSION OF IMF DEADLINE

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

Yugoslav Vice-Premier Danko Djunic said on Friday on his return from Washington that Yugoslavia expected the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to extend the deadline for the regulation of its status within that body for another six months.

Djunic and Yugoslav Minister for coordination of cooperation with international financial institutions, Nebojsa Maljkovic, held unofficial talks with IMF and World Bank officials in Washington.

Djunic said Yugoslavia would request that the IMF extend the deadline in mid-June, saying the country expected its request to be fulfilled as it had always been the case.

Describing the visit to the United States as successful, Djunic stressed the importance of a meeting with representatives of the London Club comprising about 400 merchant banks throughout the world that are Yugoslavia's creditors.

Djunic said it had been agreed that the next meeting be held in late June and that the Yugoslav delegation submit concrete proposals which he said were to be prepared by the Yugoslav Government.

He said that Maljkovic, Yugoslav Central Bank Vice-Governor Zarko Trbojevic and himself had discussed with officials of the U.S. Central Bank the deblocking of Yugoslav funds in that country and ways of normalising relations among the two countries' banks.

Maljkovic said all officials they had met with agreed that an economically strong and stable Yugoslavia was vital for stability in the entire Balkans.

Djunic and Maljkovic were members of the country's business delegation that attended a recent meeting of the Yugoslav-U.S. Business Council in New York. The delegation was headed by Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce President Mihailo Milojevic.

[06] ROMANIAN-LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARIES

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

Serbian Information Minister Radmila Milentijevic said at a celebration of a Triple Anniversary of the Romanian National minority's news-publishing house 'Libertatea' that Serbia would continue to back national minorities in their efforts to express their identity.

Milentijevic said the observance of the 50th Anniversary of 'Libertatea', the 50th Anniversary of its 'Lumina literature', arts and culture magazine, and the 25th Anniversary of the 'Tineratea' magazine for the young was an example of work and cultural development which 'enrich both Serbs and Romanians and help relations between the two neighbouring countries.'

The ceremony, held under the aegis of the Vojvodina Secretariat for Culture, Education and Science, was attended by numerous guests, including Serbian Minister of Faiths Dragan Dragojlovic, Romanian Ambassador in Yugoslavia Lefter Panait, Vojvodina Secretaries * Pavel Domonji for rights of national minorities, Jan Simak for information and Goran Latinovic for culture.

[07] YUGOSLAVIA'S MILUTINOVIC MAKES STATEMENT ON SINTRA MEETING ON BOSNIA

Tanjug, 1997-05-30

Yugoslavia's Foreign Minister said in Sintra, Portugal, on Friday that a consistent application of the Dayton Accord, economic reconstruction of Bosnia, local elections and refugee repatriation were priorities in the coming period.

Minister Milan Milutinovic was attending a Ministerial meeting of the Bosnia Peace Implementation Council Supervisory Committee, which addressed the matter of the implementation of the Peace Accord for Bosnia- Herzegovina.

The meeting was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, foreign ministers Robin Cook of Great Britain and Klaus Kinkel of Germany, Russia's First Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and other ranking officials from the Council states.

Also represented were the countries - signatories to the Dayton/Paris Accord and all international organisations and institutions involved in the implementation of the Accord.

Spanish U.N. Ambassador Carlos Westendorp was elected to replace the international community's outgoing high representative to Bosnia- Herzegovina Carl Bildt.

The meeting ended with the adoption of a declaration.

Milutinovic had a number of important bilateral contacts with his colleagues, and a discussion with his host, Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama.

Milutinovic made a statement at the close of the Sintra meeting:

'First, I wish to stress that the Ministerial meeting of the Supervisory Committee of the Peace Implementation Council that has just ended was one of a series of international gatherings analyzing results achieved to date in the implementation of the Dayton/Paris Peace Accord and defining future steps in this direction.

'It was a continuation of the common efforts aimed at a full stabilisation and normalisation of the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is one of the most important preconditions for a further successful development and progress of the region as a whole.

'Regardless of some differences in views that could be heard at today's meeting on the subject of the peace at which the civilian component of the Peace Accord is being implemented, I must stress that this process, on the whole, is moving in the right direction.

'The job ahead of us now is to continue setting up those bodies of power and institutions at all levels, both in the union and in its Entities, which are envisaged under the Peace Accord and which have not yet been formed.

'Parallel with this, I must stress the need for the speediest possible securing of conditions for the existing bodies of power to begin functioning, because they have the primary responsibility for a consistent and full implementation of the Peace Accord. Urging this, I stressed at the meeting, of course, that the most important thing in this process is to respect the principle of full equality of the two Entities and the three constitutive nations.

'As the priorities in the coming period I wish to single out the holding of local elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the matter of refugees. The holding of the elections for local bodies of power in Bosnia-Herzegovina is of particular importance, as it will round off the overall process of setting up bodies of power at all levels'.

'Meanwhile, the problem of refugees and displaced persons is still topical, and their return to their earlier places of residence or places of choice must not be restricted.

'I also wish to point out again that this was the last meeting of the Supervisory Committee to be attended by Carl Bildt in his capacity as the international community's high representative. All the participants in the meeting paid tribute to Mr Bildt for the way in which he has performed this extremely important and sensitive duty. We also wished Mr Carlos Westendorp success in his future work'.

'I am sure that the election of Mr Westendorp to the post of the International Community's High Representative is the right choice and we, for our part, said we were ready to continue the fruitful and useful cooperation that we have had with his predecessor'.

'As for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, we urged, as always before, for a consistent and comprehensive implementation of the Dayton/Paris Peace Accord and all its provisions, as the best way to consolidate lasting peace and full stability in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the entire region'.

'Here I must stress that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, while constantly giving its complete, clear and unwavering support to the Peace Accord, firmly opposes any change, revision, amendment or arbitrary interpretation of the Accord.

'I would like to stress particularly that, at this moment, it is extremely important to implement the programmes for the economic reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which will doubtless have a positive effect on other aspects of the civilian component of the Peace Accord. In this context I wish especially to stress that it is the position of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that there must be a non-selective and politically unconditional approach to the distribution of financial assistance to Bosnia-Herzegovina and its Entities. This position was shared and supported in full by the other participants in the meeting.

'On the whole, today's meeting reaffirmed the importance that the entire international community attaches to the comprehensive implementation of the Peace Accord. Its main priorities were strongly affirmed, as was the need of intensifying efforts in the coming period in order that all aspects of the civilian component of the Dayton/Paris Accord should be successfully applied.

'This was also an opportunity for me to meet with a large number of my colleagues and discuss with them both bilateral relations and various aspects of multilateral cooperation. I would like to single out especially my meeting and talks with our host, Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama, with whom I had a very useful exchange of views on bilateral relations and prospects for their promotion,' Milutinovic said.

[08] DELEGATION OF YUGOSLAV STATE OFFICIALS AND BUSINESSMEN ARRIVES IN BONN

Tanjug, 1997-06-01

A delegation of Yugoslav State officials and businessmen, headed by Foreign Trade Minister Borislav Vukovic, arrived in Bonn on Sunday on a several-day visit to Germany.

The delegation is scheduled to meet with Secretary of the German Ministry of Economy Lorenz Schumerus, top officials of the Hamburg and Baden- Wuerttemberg provinces and representatives of Germany's Industry and Trade Chamber.

During seven-day Yugoslav economy event, organised by the German side, the delegation will meet with leading businessmen in Bonn, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Hagen.

The delegation includes also Yugoslav Assistant Minister of Economy Branko Savic, Serbian Assistant Minister for the Transformation of Economy Miroljub Hadzic, Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce Secretary- General Bosko Markovic, Senior Advisor with the Montenegrin Government's Agency for Transformation of Economy and Foreign Investment Darko Uskokovic and Assistant Director General of the Yugoslav Central Bank in charge of relations with foreign countries Boza Novoselac.

[09] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER KONTIC ANNOUNCES DEFLATION FOR MAY

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic told Radio Montenegro ON Saturday that deflation for the month of May was to be expected. 'It will be an excellent result, which will bring inflation in our country in line with that in countries with developed market economies,' Prime Minister Kontic set out.

He said the inflation for the past four months had stood at about 0.8%, and the continued trend, which was to be expected in view of many prices being still too high, would guarantee a one-digit inflation for 1997.

Kontic told Radio Montenegro that his Government's economic policy, whose main goals were a stable dinar and stable prices, was proving successful.

He repeated his position that a consistent implementation of the Federal Government's program required a broader political consensus than that of the partners in the governing coalition.

He noted, however, that the first few months of the program's implementation were characterized by 'numerous political options and an even larger number of their protagonists, who are mostly concerned with their own personalities.'

'This need not necessarily be a negative sign, but, regrettably, what has been taking place on the political stage is turned far less to indispensable and fundamental reforms and the democratization of society, and far more to securing a position for oneself in our political environment and to a sheer struggle for power, with the immediate interests of citizens being pushed into the background,' Kontic stressed.

He said that the normalization of Yugoslavia's relations with international financial organizations and institutions, especially with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, was given absolute priority by his Cabinet.

Kontic said he hoped Yugoslavia 'might regain its rights in the IMF and the World Bank by the end of the year.'

The Yugoslav Prime Minister set out that Yugoslavia was in the final stage of the full normalization of its bilateral diplomatic, political and economic relations with many countries, which he said would have a strong impact on the improvement of the national economy's position.

Kontic said the Agreement on special parallel relations with Republika Srpska reflected Yugoslavia's 'concern for, solidarity and cooperation with and assistance to Republika Srpska in the attainment of the full equality and equal treatment of the three constituent peoples and the two Entities in Bosnia-Herzegovina.'

The Agreement is not aimed against anyone's interests and it will help stabilize peace and spur cooperation and integration in the region, the Yugoslav Head of Government told Radio Montenegro.

Kontic set the end of the year as the deadline for the adjustment of the two Republics' regulations relating to issues which come under the authority of the Federation.

He said that was a matter of top priority and his Government would 'take practical steps for the Republics to annul all regulations' which encroach on the prerogatives of the Federal State.

Commenting criticisms of his Cabinet for reportedly failing to do its work and leaving domestic and foreign policy matters to others, Prime Minister Kontic said, 'actually, the country's international position, brought about by the crisis in the former Yugoslavia and attempts at its unprincipled resolution on the part of international factors, have objectively limited the possibilities of the Federal Government's communication with that part of the international community.'

Stressing that the referred part of the international community gave priority to communication with the republics, Yugoslav Prime Minister Kontic said that in the post-sanction period, representatives of Contact Group countries, especially the United States, continued to communicate solely with the Federal units.

'That, coupled with the fact that the Federal Constitution, just as the constitutions of the member-republics, gives powers to the republics in the domain of international relations, accounts for the foreign policy activities of the republics, especially in terms of the resolution of the crisis in the former Yugoslavia,' Yugoslav Prime Minister Kontic told Radio Montenegro.

[10] ALBRIGHT SAYS U.S. WILL PROTECT GAINS OF PEACE

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright welcomed late Saturday Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic's readiness to help implement the Dayton Peace Agreement.

Albright told a News Conference that she expected a full normalization of diplomatic relations between Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and also cooperation with the Hague war-crimes tribunal.

She said the U.S. would nearly double its aid for democratization and independent media in Yugoslavia to 5 million dollars in 1996.

Albright told journalists that the U.S. would fully support the struggle for full democratization and open society in Serbia, and noted that she was not in Belgrade as an accidental passer-by.

The U.S. Secretary of State said her country intended to protect the gains of peace in the region, and would urge more aggressive support for the Hague war-crimes tribunal by all signatories of the Dayton Accords.

Albright said the improving of the situation in Serbia's southern Province of Kosovo and Metohija and end to support for the Bosnian Serb military were conditions for the lifting of the 'outer wall' of sanctions against Yugoslavia.

The U.S. Secretary of State noted that she had a number of cordial meetings in Belgrade, including in the street.

She said the meetings had rekindled the love of the Serbian people she had felt while growing up as a little girl in Belgrade.

[11] ALBRIGHT MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF SERBIAN OPPOSITION

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met late Saturday at the U.S. residence in Belgrade with representatives of some Serbian opposition parties, opposition media and a part of the University of Belgrade students.

Ms. Albright met with Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO) leader Vuk Draskovic, Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) leader Vojislav Kostunica, Democratic Party (DS) Vice-President Miodrag Perisic, and Aleksandra Posarac of the Civil Alliance of Serbia (GSS), Nenad Canak of the Vojvodina coalition, and Rasim Ljajic of the Coalition for Sandzak.

After the meeting which lasted an hour, Draskovic said that the talk had covered conditions for the upcoming elections in Serbia, Kosovo and Metohija, the implementation of the Dayton Agreement and cooperation with the Hague war-crimes tribunal and that agreement had been reached on all those issues.

[12] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC: OPEN AND VERY USEFUL TALKS

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic described his talks with U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on Saturday as very open, and said he was pleased that relations between the two countries were being discussed at a high level.

'I wish to say that I am very pleased that we have had the opportunity to welcome the Secretary of State, Ms. Albright, that we greatly appreciate the possibility to discuss our mutual relations at a high level, President Milosevic said.

'We have had a very open talk. I hope that we will in future, too, communicate very openly and in the spirit of the tradition our countries have had throughout their long history, and that is a tradition of good and friendly relations,' Milosevic told the Press.

'I am certain that we will make increasingly better headway in connection with the issues we have discussed and normalize our relations step by step, ' the Serbian President set out.

U.S. Secretary of State Albright said after the talk with Milosevic, which lasted an hour and a half, that the exchange of views had been very open and that she believed the talks were very useful.

She said the goal was to specify what needed to be done to develop better relations between the two countries.

During the meeting between Milosevic and Albright, the large number of Yugoslav and foreign journalists were addressed by U.S. State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns, who said Milosevic and Albright had conferred for a while alone, without aides.

Burns told the Press that the talk had covered the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, the right of refugees to return home, democratization processes in Yugoslavia, and the need for full cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal.

The meeting between Milosevic and Albright was attended also by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic and special U.S. Presidential envoy Robert Gelbard.

[13] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES MADELEINE ALBRIGHT

Tanjug, 1997-05-31

President Slobodan Milosevic received on Saturday U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who, together with aides, arrived on a visit to Yugoslavia in the afternoon.

In a talk held in an atmosphere of openness and mutual efforts to carry out a substantive exchange of views, satisfaction was voiced that the visit of the U.S. Secretary of State provided an opportunity for the resumption of intensive Yugoslav - U.S. dialogue on major issues of joint interest, above all issues of the promotion of the bilateral relations and the consolidation of peace and stability in the region.

It was assessed that the process of the normalization of the mutual relations lagged behind the mutual needs and expectations. The upgrading of the relations to their former level, in view of the traditional Yugoslav - U.S. friendship and historical alliance, is a joint interest, coupled with the conviction that the diplomatic relations, too, would be raised to the highest level in the foreseeable future.

Bearing in mind the peace policy pursued by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its openness to equality-based cooperation with other countries, as well as its contribution to and role in the conclusion and consistent implementation of the Dayton Agreement, the Yugoslav side voiced expectations that the U.S.A. would back the renewal of Yugoslavia's equality-based participation in the United Nations and other international organizations and institutions.

It was set out that the positive results jointly achieved in the Peace Process on Bosnia-Herzegovina territory provided a basis for the stepping up of the activities aimed at a full normalization of life and development of equality-based relations and confidence. The international community should especially help to that end a rapid economic reconstruction in the region, bearing in mind the equal treatment of the Entities, in keeping with the Dayton Agreement.

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is firmly committed to further helping the overall consolidation of political conditions on the territory of the former Yugoslavia and steadily taking positive steps to that end.

The talk was attended also by Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic, Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade, Ambassador Richard Miles, and other U.S. and Yugoslav personages.

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