Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-02-11

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVED DANISH OFFICIAL

[02] DODIK URGES THAT BRCKO REMAIN WITHIN REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

[03] PRESIDENT PLAVSIC: RS CAN NOT EXIST WITHOUT BRCKO

[04] BOSNIAN SERBS BUILD WALL IN SARAJEVO AGAINST MUSLIM ATTACK

[05] ASSOCIATION OF YUGOSLAVS WHO OWN PROPERTY IN CROATIA IS FOUNDED

[06] PROSECUTOR ARBOUR VISITS THE COMMITTEE FOR COMPILING DATA

[07] YUGOSLAV JUSTICE MINISTER RECEIVED LOUISE ARBOUR

[08] PRISTINA UNIVERSITY RECTOR MEETS WITH THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR

[09] PROBLEMS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA CAN BE RESOLVED ONLY THROUGH DIALOGUE

[10] SERBIAN INFORMATION MINISTER HOSTED A LUNCH FOR FOREIGN AMBASSADORS

[11] FEDERAL PARLIAMENT DELEGATION WILL VISIT MACEDONIA

[12] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVED THE GOVERNOR OF BRAZIL'S STATE OF GOIAS

[13] COOPERATION OF MINING, IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES FROM YUGOSLAVIA AND RS

[14] PREMIER DODIK EXPECTS FAVOURABLE RULING FOR DISPUTED BRCKO

[15] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT RECEIVED RS PREMIER AND GOVERNMENT MEMBERS

[16] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVED PRIME MINISTERS KONTIC, MARJANOVIC AND DODIK

[01] YUGOSLAV DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVED DANISH OFFICIAL

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Yugoslav Deputy Foreign Minister Radoslav Bulajic received on Tuesday the Under-Secretary at the Danish Foreign Ministry Hans Kofoed Hansen. The meeting focused on bilateral relations and the prospects of developing all- round bilateral cooperation.

[02] DODIK URGES THAT BRCKO REMAIN WITHIN REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Leading Austrian papers on Tuesday published interviews with Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik, in which he urged the stands of the new government of the Serb entity - cooperation with the international community and the due implementation of the Dayton Accords.

In lengthy interviews to Neue Kronen Zeitung and Die Presse, Dodik reiterated the stand that unless Brcko formally-legally remained within RS, then the region would permanently present a crisis spot.

The war has been successfully ended with the Dayton Accords, which created two entities, leaving, however, the issue of Brcko open, which might become a trigger for future conflicts. There were similar problems in Dayton, such as Doboj and Gorazde, which were resolved at the time and no longer present any crisis spots, Dodik said.

Solutions such as the setting up of a separate district would only strengthen nationalist forces and harm our government, which is democratic. Our new government should be given a chance to prove it will implement all the articles of the Dayton Accords, including the one on the return of refugees, and that would not be done in Brcko alone, Dodik said.

If the world wants a Dayton Bosnia, an undivided Bosnia, then Brcko must remain ours. If we lose Brcko, there might be an exodus of about 600,000 people from Banja Luka, and there are only 10,000 people living in Brcko. The population of Banja Luka would leave their town out of fear that they would be cut off from the rest of the Serb territory, Dodik said.

Dodik pointed out that the people of RS want stability and peace, and on a long-term basis, within Bosnia-Herzegovina, and that the people do not want Republika Srpska to be divided in Brcko. Dodik also maintained that the presence of the stabilization force SFOR in Bosnia-Herzegovina is the only way to preserve peace.

[03] PRESIDENT PLAVSIC: RS CAN NOT EXIST WITHOUT BRCKO

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic reiterated on Tuesday evening in Vienna that the survival of the entire Republika Srpska depended on Brcko being included it its territory. Plavsic told a press conference following her meeting with Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel that Brcko was located in a strip of land only six kilometres wide which constitutes a vital link between the eastern and western parts of Republika Srpska. If such a lifeline is cut, the consequences for Republika Srpska will be disastrous, and the Dayton Agreement will be endangered too, Plavsic said.

Representatives of Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation are giving their final testimonies before the International Arbitration Commission on Brcko in Vienna, in the expectation of a definite decision on the status of the vital town for RS. RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik testified to the Commission on Tuesday.

Plavsic compared the status of Brcko with that of Gorazde, which is linked with the Federation by a corridor wider than six kilometres.

The talks between Plavsic and Schuessel focused on the political and economic situation in Bosnia and on economic cooperation between RS and Austria.

Schuessel said that the European Union supported the new RS government and welcomed the endeavours and activities of the new government and Parliament in the Serb entity in Bosnia.

[04] BOSNIAN SERBS BUILD WALL IN SARAJEVO AGAINST MUSLIM ATTACK

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Bosnian Serbs began building a wall in their sector of Sarajevo on Tuesday to symbolise their wish to be protected against Muslim police attacks. The wall is being built in Sarajevo's Dobrinja district, on the Muslim-Serb boundary line where Muslim-Croat Federation Police arrested two Serbs last week.

Thousands of Serbs have built a wall 10 m long and 1.5 metres high, and will continue the work on Wednesday, to demonstrate their determination to be protected against Muslim police raids on Serb territory.

The people of Serb Sarajevo are demanding that the Federation police release Goran Vasic, one of the two captured last week, into the custody of competent bodies in the Republika Srpska for investigation and trial. The other, Slavisa Lale, was released immediately.

Vasic, who Muslims claim assassinated Muslim Deputy Prime Minister Hakija Turajlic in 1993, was visited in jail on Tuesday by his family and by Elisabeth Rehn, special envoy of the U.N. Secretary-General.

[05] ASSOCIATION OF YUGOSLAVS WHO OWN PROPERTY IN CROATIA IS FOUNDED

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Yugoslavs who own property in Croatia founded on Tuesday an association which will try to help almost 30,000 Yugoslav citizens to exercise the right to their movables and real estate usurped by Croatian authorities. Participants in the association's founding assembly said they were ready to employ all legitimate legal means to exercise the right to their property in Croatia, but would also turn to international institutions and leading Western countries.

The Yugoslav Justice Ministry possesses data about the property of 28,000 Yugoslav citizens in Croatia, whose total value is estimated at a billion 890 million German marks. Of the total sum, intentionally caused damages and destruction of property have been estimated at 630 million German marks.

It was set out at the founding assembly that, although Croatia recently passed a law formally entitling Yugoslav owners to use their property or sell it at market prices, their property, including houses, shops, offices and boats, continued to be usurped.

The founding assembly decided that the association would register as a non- political organization.

The assembly said the association would lodge a complaint with the Croatian Constitutional Court and would also address the U.N. Human Rights Committee and the U.S. and German embassies in Belgrade, since these two countries were the first to support Croatia's secession from the former Yugoslav federation and to recognize it as a state. Should those steps fail to produce results, Yugoslav citizens who own property in Croatia would turn to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and possibly organize a protest outside the U.S. Embassy in Belgrade.

[06] PROSECUTOR ARBOUR VISITS THE COMMITTEE FOR COMPILING DATA

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Prosecutor Louise Arbour of the Hague International Tribunal for former Yugoslavia on Tuesday visited the Committee for compiling data on crimes against humanity and international law in Belgrade, a federal government statement said.

During the talks, a series of questions were raised in connection with the usability of documents presented to the United Nations and the Hague Tribunal so far, through the mediation of the federal government.

Arbour gave a high assessment of the value of the presented documents, underlining that the priorities set out by the Committee in contacts so far with Tribunal representatives deserved full attention. She explained the fact that no indictments had been raised on their grounds so far as being due to difficulties encountered by the Tribunal in its work.

Committee representatives especially insisted on the raising of indictments in cases for which they believed there was sufficient proof, and said it was necessary the Tribunal secure the protection of locations of mass graves of Serb victims by the international stabilization force SFOR.

At the close of the talks, both sides agreed it was necessary that such contacts take place as often as possible, the statement said.

[07] YUGOSLAV JUSTICE MINISTER RECEIVED LOUISE ARBOUR

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Yugoslav Justice Minister Zoran Knezevic conferred on Tuesday with Prosecutor Louise Arbour of the Hague International Tribunal on so far achieved cooperation between Yugoslavia and this international institution. It was agreed that this cooperation was correct and that there were possibilities for its expansion with new forms. The talk also covered the creation of conditions for violators of Humanitarian Law in former Yugoslavia to answer before the Tribunal, the Federal Secretariat of Information said.

Minister Knezevic informed Arbour that there were no legal preconditions for complying with a demand for extradition of Yugoslav citizens to the International Tribunal, but indicated that Yugoslavia's internal legislature enabled the persecution of perpetrators of crimes which are a subject of indictments raised by the Tribunal. That is why Yugoslav organs are ready to launch proceedings for the establishment of their criminal- legal responsibility, in which they need the necessary support of the Hague International Tribunal.

Knezevic said it was in the interests of both Yugoslavia and the Tribunal for every perpetrator of a crime to be brought to justice.

Arbour asked for understanding of the current legal limitations, but also voiced expectations that Yugoslavia would build onto its legislature or in other ways enable indicted persons to appear before the Hague Tribunal.

Knezevic reiterated the readiness of the Ministry to contribute to the development of cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, in keeping with the obligations undertaken by Yugoslavia in international relations. He also pointed out that it was necessary that this international institution take a more balanced approach to all perpetrators of criminal acts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, which will contribute to unbiased investigations and the realization of the main goal of the Tribunal - the punishment of all perpetrators of crimes, but also the strengthening of mutual confidence and cooperation between Yugoslavia and the Hague Tribunal, said the statement.

[08] PRISTINA UNIVERSITY RECTOR MEETS WITH THE GERMAN AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Pristina University Rector Prof. Dr. Radivoje Papovic met on Tuesday with Germany's Ambassador to Yugoslavia, Wilfred Gruber, to discuss possibilities for implementing the Agreement on Education signed by President Slobodan Milosevic and Ibrahim Rugova, with a special focus on the University.

Papovic said that parallel schools, reflected in the implementation of different languages, plans and programs, "imply political partnership." He added that "such university education in Kosmet had existed and we are all aware of its consequences." It was underlined that a similar educational model does not exist anywhere in the world and the possibility of a private university in the language of the Albanian national minority was considered, a statement said.

[09] PROBLEMS IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA CAN BE RESOLVED ONLY THROUGH DIALOGUE

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

German Ambassador to Yugoslavia Wilfried Gruber discussed on Tuesday with Kosovo Deputy Chief Veljko Odalovic and the Kosovo and Metohija Information Secretary Bosko Drobnjak possibilities for economic cooperation. Special attention was devoted to the interest of the German Racke company in renewing business ties with wine producers in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija.

Ambassador Gruber repeated his country's outright condemnation of terrorism and all forms of violence, as unacceptable means and methods for the attainment of political objectives.

"Kosovo and Metohija are an internal affair of Serbia and Yugoslavia," the German Ambassador stressed and said it was the international community's position that the current "status quo" was untenable.

Both sides underlined that solutions to problems in Kosovo and Metohija could be found only through direct dialogue.

Odalovic stressed that dialogue was possible only between the state and its citizens, i.e., between legitimate representatives of the state of Serbia and representatives of the Albanian national minority.

He said that the announced elections for authorities of the so-called "Republic of Kosovo" greatly undermined the hitherto efforts for the renewal of dialogue, as the only way for a peaceful resolution of the Kosovo and Metohija issue, the statement said.

[10] SERBIAN INFORMATION MINISTER HOSTED A LUNCH FOR FOREIGN AMBASSADORS

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Serbian Minister of Information Radmila Milentijevic on Tuesday hosted a lunch for ambassadors of members-states of the European Union, which was attended also by the heads of missions to Yugoslavia of the United States, the Russian Federation, and Canada, said the Serbian Ministry of Information.

During the lunch, which was organized through the mediation of British Ambassador to Yugoslavia Brian Donnelly, as E.U. Chairman, the general situation concerning media in Serbia was discussed, as well as the draft Law on Public Media, which the Serbian government approved on July 31, 1997 and passed to the Parliament for discussion and adoption.

Milentijevic informed the diplomats about the efforts by the Serbian government, in particular the Ministry of Information, to achieve a higher degree of democratization of media in the country.

She pointed out the difference between the current situation in media and the one of a year ago, during the local elections in Serbia, and underlined that it was difficult today to find a place in the republic where data was not available from a number of different sources, which she said proved that Serbian citizens were extremely well informed about diverse information.

Milentijevic indicated that the European and world community should have this in mind in reviewing the degree of media reforms in Serbia and passing judgement on Yugoslavia's possible return to international forums.

Foreign diplomats asked many questions, demonstrating extreme interest in the complete media picture in Serbia and the future efforts of the republican government toward the realization of a high degree of democracy in what they said was a very important area.

At the end of the lunch, it was generally agreed that such direct contacts and exchanges of opinion were conducive to the development of Yugoslavia's foreign relations in general, and that they should therefore be continued and intensified, the statement said.

[11] FEDERAL PARLIAMENT DELEGATION WILL VISIT MACEDONIA

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

A delegation of the Federal Parliament's Foreign Policy Board of the Chamber of Citizens, headed by Board President Ljubisa Ristic, leaves on Wednesday for the Republic of Macedonia, the Federal Parliament's Information Service has said. This is the first visit by a delegation of the Federal Parliament to Macedonia since the two countries established diplomatic relations.

The delegation is made of Board members Ivica Dacic, Cedomir Mirkovic and Dragisa Pesic, and Board Secretary Dusan Maksic. The delegation will participate in talks in the Macedonian Parliament (Sobranje) and also meet the Macedonian Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Culture Minister and other senior state officials, the statement said.

[12] SERBIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVED THE GOVERNOR OF BRAZIL'S STATE OF GOIAS

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Serbian President Milan Milutinovic received on Tuesday Luiz Alberto de Maguito Vilela, governor of Brazil's state of Goias, and Branislav Milanovic, President of the Gosa holding company that cooperates with partners in Goias. The talks, held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere, focused on ways of how to promote and diversify economic cooperation between Yugoslavia and Brazil, a statement released by the Presidential Office said.

Also were present Brazil's Ambassador to Yugoslavia Adolfo Westphalen and Yugoslav Ambassador to Brazil David Dasic, the statement said.

[13] COOPERATION OF MINING, IRON AND STEEL INDUSTRIES FROM YUGOSLAVIA AND RS

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

General Manager of the Yugoslav iron and steel industry Sartid Dusko Matkovic, Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and managers of the Zenica iron industry (Muslim-Croat Federation) and the mining and iron complex from Prijedor (Republika Srpska) discussed on Tuesday evening in Belgrade the future cooperation development.

Announcing the intensification of cooperation among Sartid, Zenica industry and the Ljubija Mine of the Prijedor complex, Matkovic said that foreign funding to the value of 20 million dollars was expected to provide an incentive to the deal.

Dodik pointed to the growing cooperation among Yugoslav, RS and Federation companies, noting that economic logic must prevail in overall relations. The recently signed agreement on restoring railway traffic in Bosnia- Herzegovina is one of the pre-conditions for economic cooperation, Dodik said.

Manager of the Zenica industry Hamdija Kulovic said that cooperation with Sartid was already under way and that the current talks in Belgrade would contribute to intensifying business ties.

Manager of the Prijedor complex Slobodan Skoric spoke of the plans for transporting ore from the Ljubija mine to the Zenica industry and the Sartid plants.

[14] PREMIER DODIK EXPECTS FAVOURABLE RULING FOR DISPUTED BRCKO

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Premier of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik said late on Tuesday that the International Arbitration Commission's final ruling on March 15 should keep the disputed town of Brcko in the Republika Srpska.

Dodik told Tanjug that the favourable ruling was to be expected on the basis of "the changed political situation in the Republika Srpska created with the emplacement of the new government which implements the Dayton Accord." He added that, in his testimony before the Commission in Vienna earlier on Tuesday, he had reaffirmed the Republika Srpska's position "that the way to bring lasting stability is to make Brcko legally part of the Republika Srpska's territory."

He said he had made it clear in Vienna that the Republika Srpska would do everything to implement the Dayton Accord not only in Brcko, but on all of its territory and, through the common bodies of power, in all of Bosnia- Herzegovina as well.

Dodik referred also to the talks between executives of Yugoslav Sartid and Bosnia's Iron Mills of Zenica and Ljubija iron mine as a long-term business arrangement of strategic importance.

[15] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT RECEIVED RS PREMIER AND GOVERNMENT MEMBERS

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic received on Tuesday the Republika Srpska Prime Minister Milorad Dodik accompanied by RS ministers of trade and tourism, finance and energy and mining, and directors of the customs authority and of state commodity reserves, and Yugoslav ministers of internal affairs and domestic and foreign trade and director of the Yugoslav customs administration.

The meeting focused on the strengthening of economic cooperation and on joint activities in fighting grey economy. Fighting crime, grey economy, corruption and other negative consequences of civil war is the highest national and state priority of Republika Srpska and its people, President Milosevic said.

This task needs the cooperation of state institutions of both Republika Srpska and Yugoslavia, which must work efficiently to curb illegal activities that have become common here during and after the civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, President Milosevic said.

Conditions must be laid for ensuring that income is fully paid into the state budget in line with the law, as black marketeering can not provide jobs to the people but can only enable individuals to get rich at the expense of the state and the people, the President said.

The government and the competent state institutions must ensure abidance by the law and regulations, including measures to be taken against all who violate the law. Consequently, an agreement has been drawn up on direct cooperation of the relevant ministries, customs services and the police in fighting smuggling and other forms of crime and corruption.

The meeting also focused on the cooperation among business partners from Yugoslavia and Republika Srpska.

Dodik informed President Milosevic of the current international activities of the RS government in its endeavours to fully implement the Dayton Agreement.

President Milosevic and Dodik expressed their conviction that endeavours would continue for the realization of the principal goals of Republika Srpska in the interest of its unity, accelerated economic recovery, peace, freedom and prosperity of its people.

[16] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVED PRIME MINISTERS KONTIC, MARJANOVIC AND DODIK

Tanjug, 1998-02-10

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on Tuesday received prime ministers Radoje Kontic of Yugoslavia, Mirko Marjanovic of Serbia, and Milorad Dodik of Republika Srpska, together with the directors of major iron works of Smederevo and Zenica, and the director of the Ljubija mines, who met in Belgrade to renew or establish close business cooperation.

President Milosevic expressed satisfaction with the renewed contacts between business partners in Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, and presented his suggestion to directors of companies taking part in the joint mining-metallurgy undertaking, to include also the Niksic Iron Mill.

President Milosevic underlined the vast importance of strengthening these economic ties, industrial cooperation and trade, as the best way to cement peace and stability and economic development in these lands.

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