Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-07-08

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

Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVED RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER AFANASYEVSKY

[02] REVIEW OF PRESS ARTICLES ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[03] ETHNIC-ALBANIAN TERRORISTS RELEASE THREE SERBIAN HOSTAGES

[04] SERBIAN MINISTER SAYS ETHNIC ALBANIAN WOMEN FORCED TO BEAR CHILDREN

[05] CELEBRATION OF SERBIAN PEOPLE'S UPRISING DAY

[06] YUGOSLAV NATIONALS IN SOUTH AFRICA STAGE A PROTEST RALLY

[07] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[08] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION ATTENDS A OSCE ASSEMBLY SESSION IN COPENHAGEN

[09] FOREIGN DIPLOMATS VISIT KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[10] RUSSIAN DUMA SPEAKER SAYS RUSSIA OPPOSES PRESSURE ON YUGOSLAVIA

[11] RUSSIA HAILS BELGRADE'S CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH IN KOSMET

[12] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER URGES SUPPORT TO YUGOSLAVIA

[13] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS KILL THREE SERBIAN POLICEMEN

[14] AFANASYEVSKY: BELGRADE ABIDES BY THE MOSCOW AGREEMENT

[15] AFANASYEVSKY: DISUNITY AMONG ETHNIC ALBANIAN LEADERS BLOCKS DIALOGUE

[16] CHINESE MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS YUGOSLAVIA

[01] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVED RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER AFANASYEVSKY

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Nikolai Afanasyevsky at the close of his visit to Yugoslavia. Pr esident Milosevic and Afanasyevsky expressed the readiness of Yugoslavia and Russ ia to continue their all-round cooperation in bilateral matters and their joint efforts aimed at preserving regional stability and security and affirming open an d equality-based cooperation among states and peoples. Yugoslav Foreign Mi nister Zivadin Jovanovic also attended.

[02] REVIEW OF PRESS ARTICLES ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-07-07

Washington * American media continue a more balanced approach to the situation in Kosovo and Metohija increasingly warning Kosovar Albanians t o stop terrorist actions, assessing that now they represent a greater threat to the resumption of dialogue. Mr Clinton assessed that, in addition to the "pri mary responsibility of Belgrade", Albanians also, encouraged by temporary mili tary success, are responsible for hesitating to join the negotiations. "Both s ides" are involved in the conflict, he said and emphasized that the situation i n Kosovo and Metohija may be resolved only through dialogue and negotiations. In comparison to the positions of America so far, this represents something new, in particular since it comes from the President of the United States.

Moscow * Russia is against negotiations with the Albanian terrorists in Kosovo and Metohija, and the main goal of stabilization should be negotia tions with the representatives of political parties which support Rugova, said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, M r Rahmanin. So*called "Liberation Army of Kosovo" cannot be considered a po litical organization, because it is involved in terrorist activities. He underlin ed that the conflicts in Kosovo and Metohija were brought about by the provocatio ns of Kosovo Albanians and that the presence of Serbian special forces will be reduced as the terrorist actions diminish.

Copenhagen * Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs Petersen condemned contacts of the USA with the so*called "Liberation Army of Kosovo" (LAK). He assessed that this could be "dangerous for the entire process". He consid ers that there is a disagreement in the EU in regard to these contacts. He assesse d that, if the LAK were included in the negotiations, it would significantly dimi nish the political power and the influence of moderate circles in Kosovo and Metoh ija. This statement confirms the assessments that there is no agreement within Europe, which mainly supports Rugova, as to whether the American contacts with t he LAK were justified and opportune.

Madrid * President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Ruperez critic ized the meeting of Mr Holbrooke and the so*called "Liberation Army of Kosovo" (LAK). He said he regretted "the photograph" (picturing Holbrooke and the LAK terrorists) since it is "not in accordance with what the international co mmunity is doing". "We do not believe that the LAK should become a part of the negotiating process on the future of Kosovo and Metohija", he said.

Brussels * Belgian Minister for Defence Ponsele pointed out that Eur opeans were not ready to use force in Kosovo and Metohija without a legal basis because it would open doors for the USA to decide, depending upon their interests, whether and when they would intervene. As for the position of some EU cou ntries that a mandate to that effect should be first given by the UN Security Co uncil, Mr Ponsele considers that it was not good since it gives China and Russia an opportunity to exercise the power of veto. Such a position of Mr Ponsele is contrary to the positions of a number of European countries, in particula r France and Germany.

Bonn * A representative of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs st ated that the competent German services were following the work of the organiz ations of the Albanian diaspora (reason: in order for them not to become involv ed in the financing of the so*called "Liberation Army of Kosovo").

Mr Jonathan Isle, one of the most prominent geo*strategists and the director of the London Royal Institute assessed that last week the Kosovo Albanians lost in the political field as well as the credibility with som e of European governments due to direct contacts of the so*called "Liberation Army of Kosovo" (LAK) and American representatives, and pointed out that this is why Mr Rugova "is now trying hard to establish his own credibility".

It may be concluded that the Americans are still hedging their bets but that while they, at least publicly, support Rugova, they keep the LAK on the margins, since even some American allies in Europe, Russia in particular, are opposed to their inclusion in the negotiations, which was confirmed yeste rday by Mr Afanasiyevski.

British media point to the assessment of Mr Holbrooke that the suppo rt of the United States to Mr Rugova represents an attempt at bridging differen ces in the European and American approaches to the Kosovo problem brought about by the American contacts with the so*called "Liberation Army of Kosovo" (LAK). T hey point out that Rugova's positions were undermined by "recent military suc cess of the LAK". They also point out that the elements of LAK exist in the Maced onian territory as well, and that in this country, beneath a seemingly calm sur face, the tension has been on the increase in the past three months. They empha size that Macedonians unofficially admit that they have "considerable sympathi es" for the Serbian strategy in Kosovo.

Albanians in Macedonia admit that tension within the country is incr easing and accuse the Macedonian government of conspiring with the Serbs, becaus e, as they put it, Macedonians have great misgivings about the very possibilit y of Kosovo and Metohija gaining independence.

[03] ETHNIC-ALBANIAN TERRORISTS RELEASE THREE SERBIAN HOSTAGES

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

The three Serbs who were abducted by ethnic-Albanian terrorists on J uly 4, while grazing cattle, were released on Sunday, according to Tanjug source s. No details are available about the release of Krsta and Dejan Jeftic of Movl jane and Stanko Stankovic of Recane or about how they were treated. Nothing is kn own about the six other earlier abducted Serbs in the Suva Reka municipality.

[04] SERBIAN MINISTER SAYS ETHNIC ALBANIAN WOMEN FORCED TO BEAR CHILDREN

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

Serbian Minister for family care Rada Trajkovic has said that Serbia was suffering a birthrate anomaly with an extremely low natality in the north , and a demographic explosion in the south. A birthrate of 28 per thousand amo ng ethnic Albanians in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija is the highest in Europe, said Trajkovic in an interview to Belgrade daily "Poli tika Ekspres" Monday editions. Trajkovic described the birthrate as a "demogr aphic bomb," adding it was not the result of a natural situation. Research con ducted by some of our institutes have shown that ethnic Albanians have a high bi rthrate because their women are forced to bear children, said Trajkovic. Accordi ng to polls conducted in the province, ethnic Albanian women said that they had been forced to bear more than two children. Ethnic Albanian women are denied t he right to live freely and make their own decisions, said Trajkovic.

Even among ethnic Albanians with a university degree, there are case s of bigamy, said Trajkovic. They have as many as three wives, who are not all owed to move freely without a male escort, or to speak without his permission. If they go out on their own, they may be brutally punished by the head of the fam ily, she said. Trajkovic made her observations after years of experience as a doct or in Pristina. She described Albanian women as "child-bearing machines," who d id not recognize their children individually, did not know what illnesses they h ad suffered from, sometimes not even their names. These are rights exercise d within an ethnic Albanian community, which non-governmental organizations fighti ng for human rights should look into, said Trajkovic. She said the Serbian Gove rnment was preparing specific measures in regard to the natality question.

[05] CELEBRATION OF SERBIAN PEOPLE'S UPRISING DAY

Tanjug, 1998-07-07

The central celebration of Serbian People's Uprising Day was held in Bela Crkva on Tuesday, at the site where Zikica Jovanovic Spanac fired the fir st shot in the uprising 57 years ago today. Speaking at the celebration, Serbian Deputy Premier Milovan Bojic said that the uprising had strongly contributed to the victory of the anti-fascist coalition in World War II and that history ha d put the Serbian people's immeasurable contribution to this victory in a speci al place.

He said that Serbia had always led liberation and defensive wars and that the law of the stronger had been difficult to implement in this region an d that force in the service of justice had always been closer to the Serbian peo ple than justice in the service of force. "The Serbian people knew that there cou ld be no worse injustice than when justice comes too late as well as that no gr eat injustice can last long. This people has always relied on the truth. Time is the truth's best friend and prejudice, revanchism and misinformation its wors t enemy. It has remained so up to date," Bojic said. The Deputy Premier said that the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, bloody separation of its members and permanent geopolitical instability of the region we live in had put out of order our material and spiritual existence.

The neo-Nazi revanchism is directly or indirectly retaliating to Ser bia today and the fact that we have enemies proves that we have merits too, B ojic said and added that at this moment, Serbia is disturbed the most by ignor ance and ill-will and that "nothing is more dangerous than ignorance which becomes active." "Where Serbia is concerned, the American-led centres of economi c, military and propaganda power criticise and attack a book they have not r ead, but this is not an obligatory precondition if the political interest is defin ed. If this interest is overshadowed by hypocrisy and marked by the ordered 'fab ricated truth' then crimes under official duties and murders as a form of social traffic happen, just like it is the case in Kosovo and Metohija today." Bojic sa id that like 57 years ago, Serbia today was in a position to defend its Constitut ional order and territorial integrity. "In its consistent wish for an independ ent Kosovo, from the Prizren league up to date, the ethnic Albanian separatis movement in Kosovo and Metohija has not refrained from reaching its goal even through armed rebellion," Bojic said and added that terrorism, as the wor st evil of the mankind, was in the service of the creation of a new Albanian stat e, taking its toll in human lives every day. "The owners of the Albanian peo ple in Kosovo and Metohija keep it as a hostage of some scenario agreed on outsi de - the creation of the Republic of Kosovo. The river of truth in Kosovo and Meto hija is flowing away through channels of delusion and so, some ethnic Albanians l ive in delusion and others on delusion." Stressing that Serbia has nothing to h ide in Kosovo and Metohija and that the truth is its best weapon, Bojic said tha t the truth was that the state of Serbia had invested billions of dollars in Ko sovo since 1945. He said that Serbia favoured a peaceful resolution of the Ko sovo and Metohija issue through an unconditional dialogue without hesitation and t hat it took two to start a dialogue. "Ethnic Albanians, as the citizens of Yugo slavia and Serbia, can resolve all internal issues with us, without tutelage and mediators. We will have to live together sooner or later. Any refusal and stalling leads to new tensions, victims, destruction and moving out, whic h does not benefit anyone - neither Serbia, nor the region as a whole." Bojic w ondered what the Serbian and Yugoslav Constitutions lacked and the U.N. and OSCE documents and the Paris, Helsinki and Council of Europe Charters had in t he field of national minority rights and said that the issue here was not the lack of rights but the absence of their use. "One should not carry out amputatio n there, but the sanation of rights and their implementation in the overall social life of the Republic of Serbia," Bojic said.

[06] YUGOSLAV NATIONALS IN SOUTH AFRICA STAGE A PROTEST RALLY

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

Yugoslav nationals in the South African Republic have staged a peace ful protest rally against terrorism and foreign interference in Kosovo and Me tohija and for a peaceful solution to the problem in the southern Serbian provin ce. During the protest, organised by Yugoslav nationals and held outside the U.N. office in Pretoria on Sunday, Ljiljana Mihajlovic addressed a U.N. repres entative on behalf of the participants. Mihajlovic said that the problems in Koso vo resulted only from a separatist and terrorist orientation of part of the ethnic Albanian population who are in collusion with the enemies of Serbia and Yugoslavia and who urge the creation of a greater Albania. Handing over the text of the speech to the U.N. representative in South Africa, Mihajlovic invi ted the United Nations to support the peoples and governments of Serbia and Yugos lavia in their effort to preserve peace and prosperity in the region and preven terrorism, separatism and war. The participants in the rally carried pos ters and shouted slogans against terrorism in Kosovo and Metohija and NATO's inter vention and for a peaceful and stable development of all people in Kosovo and Met ohija.

[07] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

Yugoslav Ambassador to Sweden Aleksandar Prlja has told Swedish Stat e Radio that the policy of Yugoslavia and President Slobodan Milosevic is based o n the assumption that all people in Kosovo and Metohija can safely and successf ully live side by side, while observing all human and civil rights guaranteed by the legal order in Yugoslavia.

Speaking about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija in a late Sunday broadcast, Prlja warned about the great international responsibility of a ll who stimulate the activities of terrorist groups and said that ethnic Albania n terrorists had killed hundreds of Serbs and ethnic Albanians and a large number of policemen over the past few years. Kosovo and Metohija is not just ab out the emotional Serbian bond with a large part of its history, but primarily ab out the defence of principles on which the entire international order is based, i ncluding the observation of the basic principles of the OSCE and the U.N. Charter, Prlja said. He said that everything leading to the division and seizing of ter ritory under pressure clashed with these very principles. In this context, it is really difficult to understand pressure, which is constantly being put only on S erbia and regular forces of order and which more or less directly gives rise to hopes and stimulate criminal activities of terrorists in Kosovo and Metohija, h e said. The Yugoslav Ambassador stressed the readiness of Serbia and Yugoslavia f ully to implement all obligations they have under international documents and to do all that would regulate relations between the Yugoslav Government and the OSC E in the foreseeable future, on the principles of mutual readiness for a lasting improvement of cooperation. This certainly includes Yugoslavia's reinteg ration in the membership of this organisation which is in charge of building pea ceful and equal relations in the continent, he said.

[08] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION ATTENDS A OSCE ASSEMBLY SESSION IN COPENHAGEN

Tanjug, 1998-07-07

The annual session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) began in Copenhagen on Tuesday, with a delegation of the Yugoslav Parliament taking part, headed by Chamber of Citizens Foreign Policy Relations Committee President Ljubisa Ristic, Ser bian Radio Television (RTS) said late on Tuesday. Yugoslavia is one of the fo unders of the OSCE, but it has not taken part in its work since 1992, and it was invited to this session by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Javier Ruperes. Serbian Radio Television said the invitation is interpreted as confirmation and s upport to the peaceful policy of Yugoslavia, proven also in the approach to the settling of the issue of Serbia's province of Kosovo and Metohija (Kosmet). The RT S illustrated this with the wide coverage given to a statement by Russian D uma President and OSCE Parliament Vice-President Gennady Seleznyov, who said that Moscow is most strongly against the threats to Yugoslavia. Yugoslav parl iament official Ristic is to address the assembly on Thursday. The RTS correspo ndent from Copenhagen said this would be yet another opportunity to explain Yugoslavia's policy in detail at an international meeting, and its effor ts to regulate all conflicts peacefully and with mutual understanding, with res pect for state integrity and the principle of non-interference in the internal aff airs of a sovereign country. The RTS, however, pointed out that the draft resolu tion on Kosmet prepared for this session, if conveyed faithfully by the media, "m erely stokes violence and encourages ethnic Albanian terrorist bands."

The draft resolution in fact condemns Yugoslavia's policy and its al leged military aggression against the ethnic albanian population and it demands that the Yugoslav Army immediately cease the alleged military aggression.

Such a stand is the ultimate of absurdities, since the text condemns a sovereign state and its army for alleged aggression on its own state and its own territory, said the RTS commentary. The draft further condemns violence, in particular that against peaceful and unarmed civilians, but makes no ment ion of the fact that terrorists, and terrorists alone, are responsible for the v iolence against Serbs and ethnic Albanians, said the commentary. Moreover, the d raft expresses concern over the possibility that the Kosmet crisis might spill to neighbouring countries and thus jeopardize security and stability in the entire region, but overlooks the fact that such a threat comes only from the ter rorists, who publicly advocate that their goal is the creation of a Greater Albani a which would encompass, in addition to Kosmet, also parts of Macedonia and Monte negro. The draft has left out these facts, casting a dark shadow over the OSCE's urging for dialogue and a peaceful settlement of the Kosmet crisis, said the RTS commentary. In closing, the commentary expresses hope that the draft res olution will be changed, having in mind the latest developments, but adds that it is evident that this is yet another way to exert pressure on Yugoslavia.

[09] FOREIGN DIPLOMATS VISIT KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

Diplomatic representatives of the "Contact Group" member-countries, permanently accredited to Belgrade, visited Kosovo and Metohija on Monday inorder to get first-hand information about the situation in the province.

The U.S., Russian, German, Italian, French and British diplomats wer e accompanied by their Austrian and Polish colleagues, as representatives o f the countries presiding the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as a Norwegian representative. During the visit to Kosovska Mitrovica, Gornja Klina, Srbica, Poljanac and Donji Prekaz, t he diplomats were accompanied by a large number of domestic and foreign repo rters.

At two police check-points, Interior Ministry representatives inform ed the diplomats that the situation was mostly calm during the day and that the danger started at night, when they were fired at from all sides.

There were no problems during the tour. Speaking at a news conferenc e at the U.S. Information Centre in Pristina, U.S. Ambassador Richard Miles sa id that the visit was aimed at getting as good an insight into the situation in K osovo and Metohija as possible. Russian Ambassador Yuri Kotov spoke about the importance of getting detailed information about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and said that the diplomats' visit was in keeping with what had been agreed during a meeting between Presidents Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslav ia and Boris Yeltsin of Russia.

[10] RUSSIAN DUMA SPEAKER SAYS RUSSIA OPPOSES PRESSURE ON YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

At the coming annual session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Rus sia will strongly oppose pressure on Yugoslavia, Russian Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznyov has said. Seleznyov, who is also OSCE Parliamentary Assembly V ice President, heads a Russian parliamentary delegation to the OSCE Parliamen tary Assembly session in Copenhagen on July 7-10. Seleznyov said that the Rus sian delegation would categorically oppose threats of force against Yugoslavia and other methods of pressure, such as the imposition of sanctions aimed at s tifling Yugoslavia, which had been biasedly accused that its stand was the basis of negative developments in Kosovo. The Kosovo problem can be resolved only through talks, without the violation of Yugoslavia's sovereignty, through an agre ement set out in a joint statement by the presidents of Russia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on June 16, he said. Seleznyov said that the Russian deleg ation planned to tell its European colleagues that the danger from the escalati on of the conflict in Kosovo and Metohija was not over. Russia's stand towards Kosovo remains the same - it should not be allowed that the crisis situation tur ns into an all-out bloodshed.

[11] RUSSIA HAILS BELGRADE'S CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH IN KOSMET

Tanjug, 1998-07-07

Russia on Tuesday made a recognition to the Yugoslav and Serbian lea dership for its constructive approach to the resolution of problems in Kosovo and Metohija and voiced regret because Kosovo Albanians did not show readines s for dialogue. "The main thing now is urgently to restore talks and Belgrade is ready for that, but unfortunately at the moment there is no reaction by Kosovo Albanian leaders," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vladimir Rakhmanin told a ne ws conference. He said that Yugoslav security forces in Kosovo "have not tak en any initiatives," and that "unfortunately, representatives of the Albanian et hnic community in Kosovo have not taken analogous obligations so far."

Rakhmanin spoke about a series of constructive actions, which the Yu goslav and Serbian leadership had taken in Kosovo and Metohija in keeping with t he Moscow agreement between Presidents Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia. He said that Belgrade had a constructive cooper ation with international humanitarian organisation, that humanitarian aid was delivered regularly and that the Serbian Government had adopted a program me of assisting Kosovo and Metohija citizens in the reconstruction of their hom es. According to him, a diplomatic mission comprising representatives of emba ssies in Belgrade visited Kosovo on Monday in keeping with the plan on the real isation of the Moscow agreements. Briefly informing reporters about the programm e of meetings which Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Nikolai Afanasyevsky held in Belgrade and Pristina on July 4-6, Rakhmanin said that talks with Ibrahim Rugova had been held for the first time together with U.S. representative Richar d Holbrooke.

[12] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER URGES SUPPORT TO YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-07-07

Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov said on Tuesday that Yugos lavia deserved support and stimulation at the coming "Contact Group" meeting. Speaking in a statement to Itar-TASS, he said that threats with NATO military inte rvention were counter-productive in the resolution of the Kosovo problem. Primako v pointed at the fact that Kosovo Albanian leaders did not voice readiness for an urgent restoration of dialogue and guarantee the cessation of aggressive operations of the so-called Liberation Army of Kosovo. At the same time, Yugoslav and Serbian authorities are committed to the Moscow agreement be tween Presidents Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia a nd some progress was made in its implementation, Primakov said. Due to this prog ress, Belgrade should be supported and stimulated at the "Contact Group" meetin g in Bonn, Primakov said and added that "continuing threats with NATO military intervention seem counter- productive in the resolution of the Kosovo pro blem." The Russian Foreign Minister said that he was speaking about the situatio n regarding Kosovo on the basis of a report by his deputy Nikolai Afanasyev sky, who had visited Yugoslavia on July 4-6. Describing the visit as "very import ant and useful," Primakov said that Afanasyevsky had had several meetings with Pr esident Milosevic. In addition to this, Afanasyevsky went to Kosovo together wit h U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke, where t hey could both see the real picture. In this context, Primakov urged a conti nuation of joint Russian-U.S. efforts in finding a political resolution to the Ko sovo problem. "Our joint acting is no accident, such a coordination is especi ally important now, ahead of the coming "Contact Group" meeting in Bonn," the Minister said. Primakov said that Afanasyevsky, who would also participate in the work of the "Contact Group," would submit a report on the results of his visit to Belgrade to the participants in the session.

[13] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS KILL THREE SERBIAN POLICEMEN

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

The latest reports received by Tanjug state that three Serbian polic emen were killed on Monday in an attack by ethnic Albanian terrorists on Serb houses in the village of Lodja on the outskirts of Pec. Nine policemen were wou nded in this attack in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija, and six of them are in critical condition. The killed policemen are Dejan Prelevic of Istok, and Mirko Radunovic and Milo Rajkovic of Pec. The six gravely wounded po licemen received first aid at the Pec hospital and were immediately transported t o Belgrade for further treatment. Ethnic Albanian terrorist continue their brutal assaults on this village, and the local Serb and Montenegrin families hav e fled their homes for the safety of Pec and Gorazdevac. In an attack on a polic e patrol at Prilep on the Pec-Djakovica road at around 1 p.m. Sunday, policeman Sa sa Jankelin was wounded.

[14] AFANASYEVSKY: BELGRADE ABIDES BY THE MOSCOW AGREEMENT

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Nikolai Afanasyevsky told a press conference on Monday in Belgrade that Serbian and Yugoslav governments we re fully abiding by the agreement reached on June 16 in Moscow by Yugoslav Preside nt Slobodan Milosevic and Russian President Boris Yeltsin on resolving the p roblems in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija. Afanasyevsky said that Moscow's view was shared by the US Ambassador at the UN Richard Holbrooke , with whom he visited Pristina, capital of Kosovo and Metohija, on Sunday.

Regular visits of diplomats accredited to Belgrade to the province, delivery of humanitarian aid to the population, and realization of progra ms for the return of refugees and reconstruction of damaged houses have been pro vided for, Afanasyevsky said. Serbian security forces in Kosovo and Metohija a re exercising full restraint and do not provoke any incidents, he underlined . In line with the Moscow agreement, negotiations have started on the establis hment of a mission of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the province and on restoring Yugoslavia's membership in the OSCE, Afanasyevsky noted. Ceasefire, refraining from hostilities and continuat ion of negotiations are the pre- conditions for resolving the Kosovo and Metohija problem, he said. These conditions were the theme of the talks held with ethnic Albanian leaders on Sunday in Pristina, Afanasyevsky said and noted that it was now up to the ethnic Albanian side to act. The requests made to the ethn ic Albanian leaders to guarantee a ceasefire have, however, remained without a response, Afanasyevsky said and added this was a serious problem. Referr ing to the talks he and Holbrooke held in Pristina, Afanasyevsky said they did n ot receive a positive response from ethnic Albanian leaders on pursuing the dialogue as soon as possible. Ethnic Albanian leaders in the province are obvi ously disunited, and should therefore take a clear stance on the need for resol ving the problem in Kosovo and Metohija in a peaceful manner, Afanasyevsky said. Several demands were made to the ethnic Albanian leaders to define as soon as pos sible a platform for finding a peaceful solution to the problem, to forgo the u se of force and to accept dialogue, Afanasyevsky said.

The Russian diplomat said he and his western colleagues nevertheless remained optimistic regarding the resumption of talks, and that he would pursue his endeavours to that end together with his US colleagues. Asked to com ment the statement of US diplomat Robert Gelbard to the BBC that a NATO interventi on remained a serious option, for which a Security Council resolution would not be necessary according to the US law, Afanasyevsky answered that the world d id not live according to the US law. He added that he was not sure what Gelbard had wanted to say, but that his statement was contrary to International Law. Threats and military exercises have only made the situation worse and created amo ng ethnic Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija an illusion that they could reach their goals by means other than dialogue, Afanasyevsky said. Some Contact Gro up members unfortunately still regard the situation in Kosovo and Metohija one-sidedly. Now, after the Milosevic-Yeltsin meeting in Moscow, they sho uld take note more objectively of what the Serbian side has done in the past weeks for finding a peaceful solution to the problem, Afanasyevsky said.

[15] AFANASYEVSKY: DISUNITY AMONG ETHNIC ALBANIAN LEADERS BLOCKS DIALOGUE

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

Renewal of dialogue for an outcome to the crisis in Kosovo and Metoh ija is obstructed by disunity among ethnic Albanian politicians in the province, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Nikolai Afanasyevsky has said.

Itar-TASS news agency quoted Afanasyevsky as saying on Sunday that h e had inferred as much after talks together with U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke w ith ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova and his political adversaries in Pr istina. Ethnic Albanian politicians must provide answers to complex questions per taining to the Kosovo crisis, Afanasyevsky said. It is necessary above all to ga in control over the situation in the province and to guarantee a ceasefire o f the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, he said. The international community e xpects the Albanian side to express willingness for renewal of concrete practica l negotiations with Belgrade. Asked about conditions made by the radical w ing of ethnic Albanian leaders for continuation of negotiations, Afanasyevsky ci ted two - abrogation of all laws on Kosovo enacted by Serbia after 1989, and inde pendence for the province. Afanasyevsky said he and Holbrooke considered unaccept able either demand. Speaking of a Contact Group session due in Bonn on Wednes day, Afanasyevsky said Russia would propose measures for consolidating commit ments by the Serbian and Albanian side, for a ceasefire in the province, as an important precondition for a peaceful solution to the problem. Belgrade d eserves support and encouragement for the restraint Serbian security forces have shown in Kosovo and Metohija, in keeping with an agreement between Russian Pres ident Boris Yeltsin and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, he said. Both Afanasyevsky and Holbrooke stressed, in their first joint visit to the pr ovince, the significant influence of the agreement on easing tensions in the prov ince, Itar-TASS said. Afanasyevsky said he considered the current moment optim al for renewal of negotiations. He warned Serbian and ethnic Albanian politician s that the moment could be missed by fault of the extremists. It should be taken advantage of, in order to prevent escalation of the conflict, he said.

[16] CHINESE MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-07-06

A delegation of the General Political Department of the Chinese Army, headed by Lt.Gen. Yuan Shoufang, arrived on a several-day visit to the Yu goslav Army on Monday. The Yugoslav Army General Staff said in a statement that the delegation had been welcomed by the head of the General Staff Information Department Major General Gradimir Zivanovic and his associates. The Chi nese delegation was then received by Yugoslav Army Deputy Chief of General Sta ff Gen. Dragoljub Ojdanic and his associates. Cooperation between the two armies and some aspects of its further promotion were discussed during the meeting. Duri ng the visit, the Chinese delegation will visit a large number of Yugoslav Army institutions and units and meet with Yugoslav Defence Minister Pavle Bula tovic and Chief of General Staff Gen. Momcilo Perisic, the statement said.

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