Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-07-01

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] DEFENCE MINISTER BULATOVIC RECEIVED ICRC REGIONAL DIRECTOR GNAEDINGER

[02] "NEW YORK TIMES": EUROPEAN PARTNERS DISTURBED BY U.S. MOVES

[03] POLICEMAN IS GRAVELY WOUNDED IN A TERRORIST ATTACK GENERAL CONSULATE IN SHANGHAI IS IMPORTANT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION

[04] YUGOSLAV JUSTICE MINISTRY BLAMES THE TRIBUNAL FOR THE DEATH OF DOKMANOVIC

[05] TERRORISTS ATTACK BORDER GUARDS NEAR DJAKOVICA

[06] POLICE TAKE CONTROL OF COAL PIT IN THE HAMLET OF ADE

[07] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS STAGE THREE ATTACKS IN KOSOVO

[08] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ATTACK A YUGOSLAV ARMY CONVOY

[09] CONSTANT TERRORIST ATTACKS ON SERB VILLAGES IN KLINA DISTRICT

[10] EASTERN CHURCH STATES: KOSOVO-METOHIJA IS A YUGOSLAV INTERNAL AFFAIR

[11] RUSSIA OPPOSES NEGOTIATIONS WITH KLA

[12] DJUKANOVIC PROPOSED VUJANOVIC AS CANDIDATE FOR PREMIER

[13] MIKELIC: WEST'S POLICY OF DOUBLE STANDARDS

[14] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ATTACK A VILLAGE NEAR KLINA

[01] DEFENCE MINISTER BULATOVIC RECEIVED ICRC REGIONAL DIRECTOR GNAEDINGER

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Federal Defence Minister Pavle Bulatovic received on Tuesday Angelo Gnae dinger, who is the regional Director in Europe of the International Commi ttee of the Red Cross (ICRC, 1998), and Thomas Merkelbach, head of the de legation of ICRC to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The open talks positively assessed the cooperation between the Federal D efence Ministry and the Yugoslav Army with ICRC, especially in the sphere of the study of international war and humanitarian law by Yugoslav Army troops and officers, the Federal Defence Ministry's Information Service h as said.

The talks focused on the importance of the ICRC activities in Kosovo and Metohija. Gnaedinger said that the Moscow statement of the Yugoslav and Russian presidents, Slobodan Milosevic and Boris Yeltsin, creates conditi ons for the successful realization of humanitarian tasks.

Bulatovic set out that current data shows that ethnic Albanian terrorist s have kidnapped 55 persons, of whom 50 were Serbs and Montenegrins. He a dded that nothing is known about their fate. Bulatovic asked the ICRC off icials to help as soon as possible in the search and rescue of the kidnap victims.

Gnaedinger and Bulatovic agreed that the only way to resolve the Kosovo and Metohija issue is through political dialogue and that it is necessary to halt the support to the terrorists and the threats of use of military force, the statement said.

[02] "NEW YORK TIMES": EUROPEAN PARTNERS DISTURBED BY U.S. MOVES

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

European partners are disturbed with the latest steps taken by the Unite d States administration, which has established direct contacts with Kosme t terrorists, evidently without consulting its allies, said the "New York Times" on Tuesday.

French and German diplomats were surprised with this step taken by Washi ngton and its diplomats Richard Holbrooke and Robert Gelbard, the daily s aid.

Other U.S. media have presented similar views. U.S. reporters who attend ed a State Department briefing late on Monday demanded an answer from off icials on whether the United States have practically made an about-turn in its policy on Kosmet with this unprecedented move.

The State Department Spokesman gave confusing, vague, and contradictory answers to that question and a series of others, obviously very unpleasan t for the Washington administration.

A series of questions pertained to the precedent made by the two U.S. di plomats with their open contacts with terrorists of the so-called Liberat ion Army of Kosovo (OVK, 1998). One reporter said it was quite clear that terrorists were trying to secure the secession of southern Serbia and cr eate an independent state, which he said could never be called pacifistic or peaceful tactics or goals.

The reporter asked if this fact did not imply that the U.S. policy was i nconsistent and that this nation was not for stability in that region of the Balkans.

The Spokesman tried, without much conviction, to explain that Washington urged stability, but that the situation in the field was allegedly much more complex than the reporter had indicated. The Spokesman then repeated some phrases on alleged fears that the conflict could spill to the entir e region, avoiding to give a precise answer to the direct question about the exact objective of Holbrooke's and Gelbard's meeting with the OVK sep aratists, and what had exactly been agreed at that time.

Why are US officials meeting with a group which Gelbard had earlier quit e clearly defined as a terrorist organization, the reporter asked.

The Spokesman said the OVK had allegedly never been proclaimed a terrori st organization but had only carried out certain terrorist actions, which he said was not the same.

The reporter insisted that the State Department had indeed called the OV K a terrorist organization, but the Spokesman said he did not have the ex act phrase used by Gelbard, and declined to comment.

Another flood of questions ensued on whether the United States had made an about-turn in their policy so far which had advocated no contacts with terrorist organizations.

A reporter concluded that there had indeed been an about-turn in the U.S 2E policy since U.S. officials had secretly met in Switzerland with the OVK, earlier qualified as a terrorist organization.

Another reporter asked if preconditions would be set to the separatists before their possible inclusion into the delegation to the negotiations. The Spokesman said he did not believe there would be any preconditions, b ut that he did not know as talks with them were still in progress.

A reporter asked if the U.S. administration had registered the change in ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova's stand. Rugova is in fact being g lorified as a pacifist, but he openly admits that the goal of Kosovo Alba nians is independence, said the reporter.

The Spokesman said he was not familiar with this, and, in an effort to e nd the unpleasant briefing as quickly as possible, reiterated the U.S. st and that it did not support the independence of Kosovo, but merely its au tonomy.

[03] POLICEMAN IS GRAVELY WOUNDED IN A TERRORIST ATTACK GENERAL CONSULATE IN SHANGHAI IS IMPORTANT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Ethnic Albanian terrorists attacked policemen securing a food convoy nea r Gornja Klina on the road Kosovska Mitrovica * Srbica at 2:30 p.m. local time on Tuesday, seriously wounding policeman Nenad Savic, said the Medi a Centre in Pristina.

Police repulsed the attack and inflicted heavy losses on the attackers, said a police statement released in this town in Serbia's southern provi nce of Kosovo and Metohija (Kosmet, 1998).

Just minutes before this incident, almost on the same spot, the terroris ts had fired from automatic rifles at a bus of the Kosmet Prevoz company. Several bullets hit the bus. Passengers Srecko Jokic and Musli Barjaktar i received minor injuries. They received treatment at the Kosovska Mitrov ica hospital. Tanjug, June 30, 1998)

The opening of the General Consulate of the Federal Republic of Yugoslav ia (FRY, 1998) in Shanghai on July 3 will have an important positive effe ct on the further strengthening of Yugoslav-Chinese relations, especially in the economic sphere.

This was the conclusion of talks Tuesday in Beijing between Deputy Chine se Foreign Minister Vu Donghe and Yugoslav Foreign Ministry Secretary Gen eral Radovan Matovic.

Vu and Matovic exchanged information about the two countries' internal a ffairs and the further development of bilateral relations.

Vu expressed, on behalf of the Chinese leadership, much satisfaction wit h the development of Yugoslav-Chinese friendly relations, especially last year's visit by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic at the invitation of President Jiang Zemin.

A deceleration on friendship and cooperation between the two countries, signed during that visit, underscored the importance of expanding bilater al cooperation, especially economic relations, Vu said.

The opening of the General Consulate in Shanghai will have a positive ef fect on the expansion of economic relations, it was said. Yugoslavia expe cts to step up economic cooperation with partners from Shanghai and with its three neighbouring provinces: Jinagsu, Zhejiang and Anhui.

Vu reiterated China's well-known position in support of efforts for the preservation of sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia and i n opposition to all forms of pressure on Yugoslavia.

Matovic expressed gratitude on Vu's assessment of the development of bil ateral relations and set out that Yugoslavia specially values China's pri ncipled stand on the protection of Yugoslavia's sovereignty and territori al integrity and non-interference into our internal affairs.

Matovic expressed gratitude to the Chinese authorities for the efficienc y demonstrated in the opening of the Yugoslav General Consulate in Shangh ai.

Vu will attend the official opening ceremony of the General Consulate on Friday.

[04] YUGOSLAV JUSTICE MINISTRY BLAMES THE TRIBUNAL FOR THE DEATH OF DOKMANOVIC

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

The Yugoslav Justice Ministry "holds the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague accountable for the death of Slavko Dokmanovic," said a sta tement issued by the Ministry on Tuesday.

Slavko Dokmanovic, former mayor of Vukovar, had been on trial for war cr imes in the former Yugoslavia. He had been arrested most perfidiously, un der dubious circumstances, the statement said.

Dokmanovic is believed to have committed suicide in his cell on Monday, at a moment when prison guards, ordered to watch over him carefully, due to his deteriorated health, had slackened their vigil.

Bearing in mind the circumstances accompanying the Dokmanovic case, incl uding his arrest, trial, medical treatment and attitude of the prison aut horities towards his health problems, the Justice Ministry considers the Tribunal responsible for the death of Dokmanovic.

The Ministry expresses its concern for the health of other war crimes in dictees, and demands that the Tribunal undertake necessary steps to guara ntee safety and treatment in keeping with international standards.

In regard with the above, the Ministry has lodged a protest by Justice M inister Zoran Knezevic to the President of the Tribunal, Louise Arbour.

[05] TERRORISTS ATTACK BORDER GUARDS NEAR DJAKOVICA

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

A group of terrorists attacked Yugoslav border guards with automatic rif les and mortars at the border belt northwest of the town of Djakovica in Serbia's southern Kosovo and Metohija province early on Tuesday, the Pris tina Media Centre said.

The border guards returned fire and liquidated at least eight terrorists while the others fled, the statement said. No Yugoslav border guards wer e injured, and a mop-up operation is in progress.

[06] POLICE TAKE CONTROL OF COAL PIT IN THE HAMLET OF ADE

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Police took control of the hamlet of Ade in Kosovo and Metohija on Tuesd ay after terrorists had been shooting, for a whole week, at the security and police watching over the Belacevac and Dobro Selo coal pits, the Medi a Centre reports.

Police eliminated the snipers and destroyed strongholds from which ethni c Albanian terrorists fired at the pit's security and police, the Media C entre said, quoting sources in the town of Obilic.

There are no casualties among the police. The inhabitants had fled to ne ighbouring hamlets several days ago. Municipal authorities in Obilic have no information about casualties among ethnic Albanians in the village.

A group of Albanians from the village of Belacevac attempted to pass int o the village of Pomazatin, but the terrorists forced them back, the Medi a Centre had been told by Albanian sources.

The coal pit is operational and able to continue production and maintain a steady supply to thermo-electric plants, sources at the Serbian Power Industry have said.

[07] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS STAGE THREE ATTACKS IN KOSOVO

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Ethnic Albanian terrorists have carried out three attacks in Kosovo and Metohija, the Pristina-based Media Centre reported on Tuesday. Terrorists fired at Serbian houses in the villages of Josnice and Jelovac, Klina mu nicipality, late on Monday. A woman was shot in the leg by a sniper, whil e running across her courtyard. Serbs returned fire, and the shootout wen t on for several hours.

Twenty armed ethnic Albanians, who said they were members of the terrori st Kosovo Liberation Army, raided the Orvin winery, in the village of Sop nic, near Orahovac. They ejected about 40 workers from the plant, and for bid them to return to work, the Media Centre learned from sources in Orah ovac.

Terrorists shelled the town of Decani from the village of Beleg on Monda y evening. The mines hit a child-care centre, where Serbs evacuated in th e past two months from villages around Decani are accommodated.

[08] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ATTACK A YUGOSLAV ARMY CONVOY

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Ethnic Albanian terrorists opened fire from automatic weapons and mortar s on a Yugoslav army convoy at the locality of Dulje near Stimlje, Serbia 's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, at around 9.30 a.m. local ti me on Tuesday.

The terrorists dispersed after Yugoslav Army troops that escorted the co nvoy carrying food supplies responded to the attack, the Pristina-based M edia Centre said.

The Yugoslav Army has reported no casualties.

[09] CONSTANT TERRORIST ATTACKS ON SERB VILLAGES IN KLINA DISTRICT

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Groups of armed ethnic Albanian terrorists attacked late Monday evening the villages of Drenovac and Gornji Petric, Klina District, which are inh abited by about hundred Serb and Montenegrin families.

The attack lasted throughout the night, until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, with t he villagers managing to defend their village.

The authorities of Klina said that no-one was injured in the attacks whi ch have been repeated over the past few days.

[10] EASTERN CHURCH STATES: KOSOVO-METOHIJA IS A YUGOSLAV INTERNAL AFFAIR

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

The problem of Kosovo and Metohija is an internal affair of Yugoslavia, whose territorial integrity must be respected, said a resolution passed b y the European Orthodox Christian states' Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Warsaw on Tuesday.

The 5th session of the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the European Orth odox Christian states was attended, among others, by the Yugoslav Parliam ent's delegation, headed by Milutin Stojkovic.

The parliamentarians appealed to international bodies for the problem of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija to be dealt with through political methods.

The final document stresses that Kosovo and Metohija is Yugoslavia's int ernal affair, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly President Vik tor Zarkoltsev who spoke with reporters after the session.

The Assembly comprises parliamentarians from Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia , the Ukraine and Yugoslavia.

[11] RUSSIA OPPOSES NEGOTIATIONS WITH KLA

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Russia opposes negotiations with the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army an d assumes that the United States are not conducting any official negotiat ions with them, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vladimir Rachmanin sai d on Tuesday.

Russia will urge stronger efforts for renewal of dialogue as quickly as possible between the state and ethnic Albanian representatives, Rachmanin said. There are possibilities for a political solution within that frame work which would settle the situation, Rachmanin said during a regular ne ws conference at the Foreign Ministry's Press Centre.

Rachmanin drew the attention of local and foreign reporters to the fact that Belgrade was showing restraint in quite provoking circumstances in K osovo and Metohija.

Rachmanin said that Yugoslavia had expressed willingness for dialogue on questions pertaining to the province's autonomy and confidence-building measures between the parties.

We believe there should be restraint from any action that would give a s ignal to Kosovo extremists for any provoking activities, he said.

Rachmanin reiterated Russia's stance for renewal of dialogue between Bel grade and ethnic Albanian political parties, as a reliable basis for an u rgent solution to the problem, preventing further violence and evading ex tremist and terrorist actions in the region.

[12] DJUKANOVIC PROPOSED VUJANOVIC AS CANDIDATE FOR PREMIER

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic has officially informed republican Parliament Speaker Svetozar Marovic that he has proposed as the candidat e for the post of Premier, the outgoing Premier Filip Vujanovic, who is a member of the Democratic Party of Socialist (DPS, 1998) of Montenegro.

"Vujanovic's political activities so far have shown him as a competent p ersonality with a strong orientation for the realization of the strategic development goals of Montenegro," Djukanovic said.

Vujanovic graduated at the Belgrade Law Faculty, was a barrister for sev eral years, then Justice Minister and Minister for Internal Affairs.

After his election as President of Montenegro, Djukanovic appointed Vuja novic to replace him as Premier. Since January 19, 1998, Vujanovic has he aded a mixed transitional government which prepared the early parliamenta ry elections in Montenegro held late last month.

[13] MIKELIC: WEST'S POLICY OF DOUBLE STANDARDS

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

President of the Committee for the protection of the rights and interest s of displaced persons and return to their homeland Borislav Mikelic said that the fate of Serbs from Croatia, or Krajina, was the opposite exampl e of what the West demands from Serbia for Kosmet Albanians.

Mikelic, in an interview to the daily "Borba", said that Serb refugees f rom Krajina, whose number outside Croatia is today over 600.000, and only in Serbia over 300.000, are especially grieved by the U.S. administratio n, the activities of Richard Holbrooke and Madeleine Albright, and the Br itish and German diplomacies.

"They should recall now, when they are so active over the issue of Kosov o Albanians, how Croatia in 1995 under the cover of protecting its state sovereignty launched a military aggression on Krajina, although internati onal peacekeeping forces where in the area at the time," Mikelic said.

Pointing out that Serbs in Krajina, although they had their own army and police, did not undertake terrorist actions against Croatian citizens, M ikelic said that Croatia launched a military intervention, fully supporte d by the West, and expelled in only several days over 220.000 Serbs from their centennial homes in Krajina.

After saying that Serbs in Croatia, unlike ethnic Albanians in Kosmet, w ere a constituent people, Mikelic pointed out that no-one then in the Wes t tried to stop the military intervention and exodus of Serbs.

Recalling that Croatia in the past war expelled from the territory of Cr oatia, together with 600.000 Serbs also around 80.000 ethnic Albanians, w ho found refuge in Germany and other West European countries, and not in their mother country Albania, Mikelic said that "Kinkel now wants to retu rn ethnic Albanians from Croatia to Kosovo and Metohija and not to Croati a, while the U.S. administration laments over several thousand ethnic Alb anian refugees, who are not even Yugoslav nationals."

"On the other hand, no-one is grieving over so many Serbs expelled from Croatia currently living in Serbia on which they impose economic sanction s, while no-one calls upon Croatia to account for making a racist program for the return of Serbs to their homeland, Mikelic said.

[14] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ATTACK A VILLAGE NEAR KLINA

Tanjug, 1998-06-30

Ethnic Albanian terrorists attacked the village of Drenovac near Klina, Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, at around 12 a.m. loca l time on Tuesday, the Pristina-based Media Centre reported saying that t he terrorists were armed with automatic weapons and mortars.

Serbs in the village, who are defending it without any outside help, hav e managed to repel all attacks, the Centre said.

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