Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-09-21

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] RS PRESIDENT PLAVSIC CONFERS WITH U.S. ENVOY GELBARD

[02] U.S. WILL SUPPORT PARTIES THAT IMPLEMENT DAYTON, SAYS GELBARD

[03] ANOTHER THREE VICTIMS OF ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS IDENTIFIED

[04] HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN KOSOVO-METOHIJA IMPROVES CONSIDERABLY

[05] STATE GUARANTEES RETURN TO DISPLACED PERSONS, SAYS SERBIAN OFFICIAL

[06] GRADUAL NORMALIZATION OF LIFE IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[07] TOMIC: THERE IS ALL-PARTY CONSENSUS ON STATE SOVEREIGNTY

[08] ALBANIA POSES THREAT TO STABILITY, PEACE IN BALKANS

[09] BELGRADERS PROTEST BELLIGERENT STATEMENTS BY GERMAN MINISTERS

[10] DINSTBIR: SOLUTION FOR KOSOVO MUST BE FOUND SOON

[11] GERMANY VOICES MORE THREATS AGAINST SERBIA

[12] RUSSIA WILL DECISIVELY SUPPORT DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION FOR KOSMET

[13] MARKOVIC RECEIVES AFANASYEVSKY

[14] ZEBIC AND TOMIC ON CORFU

[15] JOVAN ZEBIC ADDRESSES CEREMONY IN POLYCASTRON

[16] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION ATTENDS CELEBRATION IN SALONIKA

[01] RS PRESIDENT PLAVSIC CONFERS WITH U.S. ENVOY GELBARD

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

U.S. Envoy for the Balkans Robert Gelbard on Friday met with Republika S rpska President Biljana Plavsic. The meeting was held behind closed doors and lasted an hour. No statements were given afterwards.

It is presumed that the unexpected visit of U.S. Envoy Gelbard is linked with the general elections held in Bosnia-Hherzegovina on September 12-1 3. The official election results are to be published in the middle of nex t week.

[02] U.S. WILL SUPPORT PARTIES THAT IMPLEMENT DAYTON, SAYS GELBARD

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

U.S. Special Envoy for the Balkans Robert Gelbard said on Friday that Bo snia-Herzegovina and Republika Srpska had gone through an important perio d with the holding of general elections.

Gelbard said after a meeting with Bosnian Serb Prime Minister Milorad Do dik that the two examined implementation of the Dayton Accord following t he elections. He said the United States would support those forces that c alled for consistent implementation of the Accord.

All parties said they supported the Accord, and that makes me happy, sai d Gelbard, adding that he was pleased in particular with a change in some larger parties in the Republika Srpska, which expressed readiness to imp lement the Accord consistently.

Dodik said it was necessary to wait for the final results and avoid crea ting an atmosphere that would violate peace in Republika Srpska.

[03] ANOTHER THREE VICTIMS OF ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS IDENTIFIED

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

Bodies of another three men abducted and killed by ethnic Albanian terro rists near the village of Glodjane in Kosovo-Metohija Province were ident ified on Friday, Investigating Magistrate Rade Gojkovic of the District C ourt in the Province's town of Pec said. Gojkovic said that investigating and forensic teams had so far recovered from the canal bodies and body p arts of 34 persons abducted and killed by ethnic Albanian terrorists.

A lot of human bones have also been found at the site, but the identific ation has so far been impossible. The teams made up of investigators, exp erts of the Belgrade-based Institute of Forensic Medicine and divers will continue the search of the lake over the next few days.

Gojkovic said that the families of the victims had taken part in the ind entification. He added that domestic and foreign reporters and TV crews w ere also allowed into the site.

[04] HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN KOSOVO-METOHIJA IMPROVES CONSIDERABLY

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

Serbian Minister without portfolio Zoran Andjelkovic on Friday reported major improvement of the situation in Serbia's southern Province of Kosov o- Metohija, especially in the area of solving humanitarian problems that were caused by operations of ethnic Albanian terrorist gangs.

Andjelkovic was speaking at a meeting in Pristina with officials of the humanitarian relief center.

The improvement of the security situation in the Province has created al l necessary conditions for a more successful settlement of humanitarian i ssues. Ethnic Albanians have returned to their villages en masse and ther e are no more civilians left out in the open, said Andjelkovic.

It is not true that was termed by "humanitarian disaster" is underway in the Province. The term is used just as a an excuse to keep up pressures against this country, he said.

Andjelkovic said that none of the representatives claiming that more peo ple were still out in the open could not say exactly where. Therefore, he urged those representatives to show these places on the map, because the state wanted to bring them all back and also to create necessary conditi ons for their peaceful and safe living.

Andjelkovic informed the humanitarian center officials that the Governme nt had secured an additional aid in basic foodstuffs worth three million dinars that would be dispatched for further distribution to 14 humanitari an centers. He said that an agreement was reached on Friday to set up ano ther two centers in the town of Pec and in the village of Skivjan in the Djakovica municipality.

Administrator of humanitarian centers Miso Jankovic said, for his part, that relief aid worth more than 30 million dinars had so far been provide d through the humanitarian centers. He added that 100,000 persons had ben efited from this aid.

[05] STATE GUARANTEES RETURN TO DISPLACED PERSONS, SAYS SERBIAN OFFICIAL

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

State coordinator for Kosovo and Metohija Andreja Milosavljevic met on F riday with British Ambassador Brian Donnelly for talks on the situation i n the Province. Talks focused on humanitarian aid to displaced persons, s aid a statement issued by the Provincial Secretariat.

Milosavljevic said the Government had invested efforts toward normalizin g life in Kosovo and Metohija, centering on the return of displaced perso ns. He said that now there were practically no civilians without shelter.

Milosavljevic said the state guaranteed their safe return and offered ne cessary material and humanitarian aid. Civilians are given food, medicine , personal care items and building material through 12 humanitarian cente rs that have been opened in cooperation with all interested international relief agencies, he said.

Milosavljevic expressed concern over civilians kidnapped by terrorists a nd appealed for additional efforts of those who could provide any informa tion, the statement said.

[06] GRADUAL NORMALIZATION OF LIFE IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-09-20

The political-security situation in Kosovo and Metohija is gradually ret urning to normal, thanks to the decisive action of state bodies to disper se terrorist bands which endangered not only Serbs and Montyenebgrins, b ut also members of the Albanian and other national minorities, loyal to t he state, Serbian Minister Djura Lazic said.

Realizing they had been defeated, the terrorists, separated in groups, t ook with them into the woods old people, women and children to use them a s a shield, because they knew, Lazic said, that the security forces will not take action against the civilian population. Terrorists used the peop le, fellow Albanians, in order to obtain from international humanitarian organizations food and in some cases, from those who abused their role, also ammunition and weapons.

Now the situation has changed and most international humanitarian organ izations are voicing a readiness to cooperate with similar organizations in our country, which are ready to cooperate with all those who want to h elp the population in this region, Lazic said.

To that end the Serbian government has opened 14 humanitarian centers th rough which all those who need aid in Kosovo and Metohija are supplied. P ractically all of Serbia is taking part in the action, Lazic said.

The ethnic Albanian people has realized that nothing will come out of th e idea of separatist party leaders, terrorist bands and the extreme emigr ation about the creation of a "Republic of Kosovo" and "Greater Albania." That has become clear in the past days when displaced persons started re turning to their homes, Lazic said. At the same time, they are returning the weapons they were forced to take up by the terrorists, he added.

Minister Lazic launched an appeal to all members of the Albanian nationa l minority to renounce evil, the policy of war and conflict with Serbia a nd Yugoslavia and called on them to return to normal social and political life, in conformity, as he said, with the first provision of the Constit uion of Serbia, under which all citizens are equal.

[07] TOMIC: THERE IS ALL-PARTY CONSENSUS ON STATE SOVEREIGNTY

Tanjug, 1998-09-20

The biggest political parties in the Serbian Parliament, as ever in diff icult times through history, are agreed on the most important issue * sta te sovereignty, according to the Parliament Speaker. Speaker Dragan Tomic was making a statement to Serban state Radio and Television while on a v isit to Corfu, Greece, for a commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Serbian army's Salonika campaign.

Tomic said that history was repeating itself and that for the Serbs, it was again a matter of "to be or not to be." "All big political parties ar e united in the mighty battle for the sovereignty of our state, which spe aks of but one mind and of a unity achieved, although these parties hold different views on other matters in parliament," he said.

The most important thing, he added, and the message from Corfu "is that we, as a nation, have vitality, and that misfortunes have never stopped u s in the past when we have had to defend our country".

"We believe that this holds true also today, and that the national aware ness and patriotism of our people are very strong... and I for one am con vinced that our country has the strength to defend itself against every e vil," he said.

[08] ALBANIA POSES THREAT TO STABILITY, PEACE IN BALKANS

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

The latest unrest in Albania poses a threat to the stability of all of A lbania's neighbours, the Balkans and possibly even Europe as a whole, Ser bia Deputy Premier Dragomir Tomic has told the Austrian news agency APA. "There are many examples of a single spark having started a big war," sai d Tomic, who is participating, together with Serbia Minister without port folio Slobodan Tomovic, in the 9th Conference of heads of Government of t he Working Community of Danubian countries in Pamhagen, said in the inter view.

The Serbia official voiced concern over the developments in Albania, and underscored the wish of the Serbia Government for a dialogue with repres entatives of the Albanian national minority in its southern province of K osovo and Metohija to open as soon as possible.

He said that "Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will absolut ely not permit their territory to be violated," and pointed out that terr orists were trained at several centres in Albania to illegally cross into Yugoslavia and fight there on the side of the terrorist organization "Ko sovo Liberation Army."

Minister Tomovic, for his part, stressed that Yugoslav President Sloboda n Milosevic's proposal for an "interim period of three to five years with a degree of autonomy" was a basis for talks with representatives of ethn ic Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija. Tomovic told APA that the interim pe riod was to be used to reach a long-term agreement on autonomy for Kosovo and Metohija and that the major condition was that Kosovo and Metohija r emain part of Serbia.

Serbia Deputy Premier Tomic refuted Western reports and statements about an alleged "humanitarian disaster" in Kosovo and Metohija. "There is no humanitarian disaster in Kosovo and Metohija. Except for small groups, th ere are no more refugees who have no roof over the head," Tomic stressed.

He pointed out that the "Kosovo Liberation Army" currently numbered only several hundred men, who he said posed no greater threat.

Tomic set out that ethnic Albanians had in the recent weeks returned ove r 60 percent of weapons, which he said showed that they had realized wher e the road advocated by the terrorist organization led to.

Asked about the possibility of a NATO military intervention in Kosovo an d Metohija, Tomic said, "We do not expect such a move, as there is no rea son for it."

The Serbia officials said that the E.U. flight ban on Yugoslav Airlines (JAT, 1998) was unjustified and a gross demonstration of force. They cond emned the measure and said it was designed to influence the resolution of the conflict in Kosovo and Metohija.

Tomic and Tomovic in conclusion pointed up positive results recorded by the Yugoslav economy last yeear, including an industrial production growt h rate of 9.7 percent, and ambitious plans for this and next year.

The Serbia officials said Yugoslav businessmen were greatly interested in the stepping-up of the process of privatization and restructuring of t he economy.

[09] BELGRADERS PROTEST BELLIGERENT STATEMENTS BY GERMAN MINISTERS

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

Thousands of Belgraders protested in front of the German Embassy on Frid ay against belligerent statements by German Ministers Volker Ruehe and Kl aus Kinkel supporting secessionism and terrorism in Kosovo and Metohija a nd threatening Yugoslavia with sanctions and military force.

"Threats of military intervention, bombing of parts of a sovereign state , their political campaign, imbued with hatred against the Serbs, and the ir demands for sanctions against Yugoslavia and support for terrorists in Kosovo and Metohija show that German fascism is on the scene again," sa id Milorad Radevic, the President of the Patriotic Alliance of Belgrade, which organized the rally.

Rallied under the motto "Hands away from Serbia," the protesters carried Serbian and Yugoslav flags, portraits of Yugoslav President Slobodan Mil osevic and banners with messages of support to the state leadership and c ondemnations of all kinds of pressures from abroad.

Radevic said Kinkel and Ruehe justified their war cries with supposed ca re for human rights of Kosovo Albanians and added that ethnic Albanians i n Serbia and Yugoslavia had "greater rights that those envisaged under wo rld standards."

He said that patriots in Belgrade and Serbia offered unreserved support to Milosevic and his policy for a solution to all problems through dialog ue between the state and representatives of ethnic Albanian political par ties and other ethnic communities living in Kosovo and Metohija, on princ iples of equality and with preservation of Serbian and Yugoslav state sov ereignty and territorial integrity.

[10] DINSTBIR: SOLUTION FOR KOSOVO MUST BE FOUND SOON

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, Czech diplomat Jirzy Dinstbir, said a solution must quickly be found to the problem in Serbia 's Kosovo and Metohija Province, even though that seems impossible at thi s time, because the entire Balkans could otherwise ignite. In an intervie w to the Czech political daily Pravo, Dinstbir spoke about his mission in the territory of former Yugoslavia.

Asked how he saw the possible effects of the latest sanctions against Yu goslavia, or, more precisely, against Yugoslav Airlines JAT, Dinstbir sai d sanctions of that kind were counter-productive, as a rule.

As a U.N. official engaged in the area of the protection of human rights , Dinstbir pointed out that sanctions primarily affect the common people.

Within his mission in former Yugoslavia, Dinstbir said he had had the op portunity to meet with Ambassadors of the so-called Contact Group countri es, in addition to representatives of official Government and opposition structures and non-governmental organizations. He said these meetings had given him valuable information.

Dinstbir also met with Yugoslav Ambassador Djoko Stojicic at the Yugosla v Embassy in Prague. Disntbir told Ambassador Stojicic that he would try to be as objective as possible in his report. Everything must be done fo r the talks on resolving the Kosovo problem to begin, Dinstbir said.

[11] GERMANY VOICES MORE THREATS AGAINST SERBIA

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

Germany on Friday voiced more threats against Serbia, despite the fact t hat statements about German plans of military attacks against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia were denied in Bonn earlier in the day.

German Interior Minister Manfred Kanther said in Chemnitz that the Serbi an leadership would learn its lession only if faced with threats of attac k. In his allegations against Serbia, Kanther went to qualify its state b odies' fighting against ethnic Albanian terrorists in the Province of Kos ovo-Metohija as a plundering war.

We cannot allow the Serbian Government to wage a plundering war, he said in an effort to conceal from the German public the fact that Serbian sec urity forces are taking legitimate actions against ethnic Albanian terror ists, who are trying to break the Province away from Serbia and Yugoslavi a and are committing the most horrendous crimes against civilians, their own compatriots included.

Kanther's speech followed German Defense Minister Volker Ruehe's violent statements about and public threats of German military attacks against Y ugoslavia.

German Foreign Ministry Spokesman Martin Erdmann on Friday denied that G ermany planned to take independent action, adding that his country would act only in concert with other NATO allies. A NATO official was quoted in Bonn as saying that "Germany, in dealing with the crisis in Kosovo, is n ot in any way following an independent policy. It is following a policy which is decided on and carried out collectively by NATO."

[12] RUSSIA WILL DECISIVELY SUPPORT DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION FOR KOSMET

Tanjug, 1998-09-19

At the 53rd session of the U.N. General Assembly the Russian delegation will focus on the resolution of regional crises and will decisively come out against the implementation of force in Kosmet, Moscow said on Saturd ay.

Russia believes that in the regulation of regional conflicts "it is nece ssary to apply both the traditional instruments of peace actions and othe r factors, such as the socio-economic and humanitarian ones, which will c onstantly gain in importance," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vladim ir Rahmanin has said.

Russia will advocate the implementation of solely political methods to t he conflicting sides, Rahmanin said in a statement on the departure of Fo reign Minister Igor Ivanov to New York where he will head a Russian deleg ation participating in the General Assembly session. He said that the Rus sian delegation had urged in the United Nations a balanced approach to th e resolution of the Kosovo problem, especially the application of strict measures for Serbia.

Britain also proposed discussions about a draft resolution, which would not have an official character but would be discussed by the Contact Grou p.

"Without refusing to participate in the work on this document, Russia be lieves it necessary for it to be given a more balanced character," the IT AR-TASS news agency quoted the first deputy of Russia's Permanent U.N. re presentative, Yuri Fedotov. According to Fedotov, it is necessary to coor dinate the draft resolution with the positions stated in the statement on Kosovo, which was accepted in Bonn by the Contact Group Foreign Minister s.

Fedotov set out that this statement became the platform for the internat ional community's position on the Kosovo problem so that, if it is incorp orated into the draft resolution, only then will it be possible to coordi ate the final text of that document.

"We are opposed to drastic measures and hope that our view will be ta ken into account and that we will manage to reach a coordinated draft res olution," Fedotov said. He added that work on this document has only begu n.

[13] MARKOVIC RECEIVES AFANASYEVSKY

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

Serbian Deputy Premier Ratko Markovic received Russian Deputy Foreign Mi nister Nikolai Afanasyevsky in Belgrade on Friday. In a lengthy and open talk, views were exchanged on the contents and ways to settle problems in Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija Province and agreement was reached that pol itical dialogue is the only right way to resolve the crisis, a Serbian G overnment statement said.

Afanasyevsky said stands by Russian representatives on this issue in all international forums were in full accord with the Declaration by preside nts Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia. He said the Russian representatives on the U.N. Security Council and Contact Gro up would urge that dialogue begin as soon as possible in the spirit of th is Declaration.

Markovic pointed out that the Serbian state delegation was ready for dia logue with political representatives of Kosovo Albanians on all issues co ncerning coexistence in Kosovo and Metohija, so that all citizens and nat ional communities are secured equal rights.

The self-administration which would be guaranteed to citizens and nation al communites in this area should not jeopardize constitutional order or the integrity of the Republic of Serbia, said the statement released by t he Ministry of Information.

[14] ZEBIC AND TOMIC ON CORFU

Tanjug, 1998-09-19

Serbian Parliament Speaker Dragan Tomic arrived on Saturday on the islan d of Corfu, Greece, to lay a wreath before the mausoleum on the island of Vido to mark the 80th anniversary of the breakthrough of the Salonika fr ont. Tomic was met on Corfu by Yugoslav Vice Prime Minister Jovan Zebic a nd Serbian Vice Premier Milovan Bojic, both of whom arrived from Salonika where they laid wreaths in the Zejtinlik cemetery. Also present was Yugo slav Ambassador to Greece, Dragomir Vucicevic.

The mausoleum in Vido contains the bones of 5,200 Serb soldiers killed i n World War One, and another 10,000 soldiers are buried in the Ionian Sea , in the Blue Grave, between the Corfu and Vido islands.

[15] JOVAN ZEBIC ADDRESSES CEREMONY IN POLYCASTRON

Tanjug, 1998-09-20

In the town of Polycastron, Greece, which was the starting point of the victorious surge of the allied forces in their breakthrough of the Saloni ka Front in World War One, a ceremony was held on Sunday in the presence of the delegations of all countries who were on the winning side.

The Yugoslav state delegation was headed by Federal Vice Prime Minister Jovan Zebic.

A Greek Army unit fired salute volleys to the dead troops, who included 8, 500 Serb soldiers. This was followed by a mass in honoour of all who ga ve their lives for the freedom of their country.

Addressing the representatives of the victorious WW I powers, Zebic said that 80 years ago, Serb heroes and their comrades in arms from the allie d countries * Greece, France, Italy and Great Britain, started out from P olycastron for the final battle, spurred on by determination stemming onl y from the yearning for freedom. They sacrificed their lives, youth, as m any times before, with the image of their loved ones before their eyes, a lthough they were wrested from their arms by the enemy, from their villag es and homes," Zebic said.

In the victorious advance of the Serb and allied troops, 150,000 Serb so ldiers were killed, Zebic siad.

Before the decisive battle for the liberation of their country, Serbia, the Serb soldiers had to withdraw through Albania, and survive the hell o f winter, hunger, tiredness and attacks by Albanian gangs, to reach the G reek island of Corfu, in the Aegean Sea.

On Corfu they were welcomed by the blue sea, but once more had to endure hunger, fatigue and even death, Zebic said. "And then, after a lengthy w ait on Corfu, they were summonned to fight for the final liberation of th eir motherland. The final battle was fought under the command of the Serb Supreme Command, and this indicated the end of the war," Zebic said and wished that, in the memory of all soldiers who died on the Salonika Fron t, battle cries are forever replaced by odes of happiness.

"Let the creative forces of all Balkan powers, as an organic part of Eur ope, be directed towards wellfare and cooperation. Let this be the ultima te goal," Zebic said.

After the ceremony, wreaths were laid before a joint monument.

[16] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION ATTENDS CELEBRATION IN SALONIKA

Tanjug, 1998-09-18

A Yugoslav state delegation arrived in Salonika on Friday, headed by Dep uty Prime Minister Jovan Zebic, to take part in festivities marking the 8 0th anniversaries of the breakthrough of the Salonika Front and the end o f World War I.

The other delegation members are Serbian Deputy Premier Milovan Bojic, Y ugoslav Ambassador to Greece Dragoljub Vucicevic, Yugoslav Army Maj.-Gen. Gradimir Zivanovic, Secretary-General Slobodan Stevic of the Society for Nursing the Traditions of Liberation Wars of Serbia and Montenegro until 1918, and representatives of veteran organizations and associations.

The Yugoslav delegation will on Saturday attend the central celebration at the Military Cemetary Zejtinlik, where they will lay wreaths and pay t ribute to Serb veterans and fighters of allied armies in World War I.

The keeper of this Serbian cemetary, Djordje Mihajlovic, will report to the delegation head. He will be wearing the uniform of a WWI Serbian sold ier presented to him on this occasion by the JU Garant Bank of Belgrade.

On Saturday afternoon, the delegation will go to the island of Corfu to lay wreaths at the charnel house on the island of Vidho and then they wil l visit the memmorial museum Serb House in the town of Corfu.

Yugoslav Consul-General in Salonika Rajko Ristic is hosting a reception this evening for the Yugoslav delegation, the hosts and delegations of al lied countries taking part in the celebration.

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