Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-11-05

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] ETHNIC-ALBANIAN TERRORISTS STAGE ANOTHER ATTACK ON POLICE

[02] BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT URGES RESPECT FOR DAYTON ACCORD

[03] MONITOR - "UNCLE SAM'S PERSONAL TERRORISTS"

[04] U.N. CONCERNED ABOUT ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISM IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

[05] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS THREATEN MEMBERS OF THEIR PEOPLE BACKING TALKS

[06] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ADMIT TO ABDUCTING DSK ACTIVISTS

[07] CONFERENCE ON KOSOVO-METOHIJA HELD IN WASHINGTON'S NIXON CENTER

[08] GERMAN AMBASSADOR SAYS GERMANY TO SEND 80 VERIFYERS NEXT WEEK

[09] SRPSKA PARLIAMENT ELECTS OFFICIALS

[10] XINHUA-FILIC: SECURITY WILL BE MAINTAINED

[11] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION MEETS RUSSIAN OFFICIALS

[12] YUGOSLAV MINISTER RECEIVES JAPANESE AMBASSADOR

[13] DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER DRAGAS RECEIVES ISRAELI COUNTERPART LEVI

[14] LUKASHENKO: IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL IF YUGOSLAVIA JOINED THE UNION

[15] YUGOSLAV, RUSSIAN MINISTERS SIGN LAND TRANSPORT AGREEMENT

[16] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES RUSSIAN MINISTER

[01] ETHNIC-ALBANIAN TERRORISTS STAGE ANOTHER ATTACK ON POLICE

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

A larger group of ethnic-Albanian terrorists attacked the police near th e village of Petrovo in the Stimlje municipality in Kosovo and Metohija a t around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the Media Centre in Pristina said. The att ack lasted until 1:20 p.m, according to the Media Centre.

A police vehicle was hit by a rifle grenade but the police had no casual ties, according to the same source.

[02] BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT URGES RESPECT FOR DAYTON ACCORD

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

The President of the Republika Srpska said on Wednesday that this Bosnia n Serb state was the fruit of the Serbs' struggle for freedom and the rig ht to live in dignity on the basis of fundamental civilisational norms of human rights. Speaking in the National Assembly (parliament, 1998) in Ba nja Luka after being sworn in, President Nikola Poplasen said that the Da yton Peace Accord was a legal compromise characteristic of the western wo rld.

However, he added, to oppose the Accord would be groundless, unrealistic and irrational, while it is rational and justified to defend its provisi ons where they relate to the Republika Srpska, to the other Bosnian entit y * the Muslim-Croat Federation * to the neighbouring states and to all s ignatories to the document.

He said that the Republika Srpska would forge and promote good relations with European and world organisations, western countries and the United States.

Correct relations based on understanding for the differences and on resp ect for the different interests are in the best interests of all, includi ng the Republika Srpska, according to Poplasen.

He pledged to respect the interests of the Bosnian Muslim-Croat Federati on and to support the work of all common bodies of power in Bosnia-Herzeg ovina.

He said it was in the best interests of both entities and all three nati ons living in the Republika Srpska and the Federation, and of all people of Bosnia-Herzegovina, that the common bodies of power envisaged under th e Dayton Accord should begin to function and be efficient.

He went on to say it was especially in the interest of the Republika Srp ska to deepen and promote all-round fraternal relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its Republics of Serbia and Montenegro, and to strengthen ties with the Commonwealth of Independent States, specificall y Russia and Belarus.

He went on to speak about the need for democratisation in the Republika Srpska, and about the main criteria for selecting Government members * pr ofessionalism, ability and commitment to the Dayton Accord, the Constitut ion and laws of the Republika Srpska. Regional, party, national and relig ious affiliations are secondary considerations, according to Poplasen.

[03] MONITOR - "UNCLE SAM'S PERSONAL TERRORISTS"

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

At the end of the 20th century, in the heart of Europe, in Kosovo and Me othija, two journalists are held in "prison no. 7," Sofia daily Monitor s aid. A commentary headlined "Uncle Sam's personal terrorists" said that t he so-called Liberation Army of Kosovo (KLA, 1998) had sentenced to two m onths in prison Tanjug's reporters Nebojsa Radosevic and Vladimir Dobrici c. A supposed martial court, of a supposed "general staff," has ruled tha t the two journalists had violated "the internal and civilian order" of t he so-called "army." Without specifying the mistakes of Tanjug's reporter s, they were simply declared "spies," the daily said.

The protagonists, the commentary said, are a group of certified Albanian separatists who seized a part of the territory of the soveriegn FR Yugos lavia and introduced the rule of terror.

Following the signing of the Belgrade Accord on a peaceful political sol ution for the crisis on Kosovo and Metohija, the so-called KLA, the daily said, has sentenced the two journalists to prison and is punishing Alban ians in favor of normal life with Serbs, Montenegrins and others living i n the Serbian Province.

The international community, however, continues to pursue its policy of double standards in Kosovo and Meothija, and continues to threaten Serbs with airstikes, while launching "appeals" to Albanian terrorists and sepa ratists to put an end to their criminal acts, the daily said.

If such is the case, the United States should place the terrorist organi ztion in its service for antoher scenario, the Bulgarian daily Monitor sa id.

[04] U.N. CONCERNED ABOUT ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISM IN KOSOVO AND METOHIJA

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Spokesman for the Belgrade-based U.N. Liaison Office Jay Carter said on Wednesday that the United Nations was concerned about ethnic Albanian ter rorist activity in Kosovo and Metohija because it could have a negative e ffect on the normalisation of the situation in Serbia's southern Provinc e.

Carter told a news conference in Belgrade that the United Nations was co ncerned about ethnic Albanian terrorists' seizing of checkpoints whence S erbian police had withdrawn and their refusal to release two Tanjug repor ters abducted on October 18.

Carter said this could badly affect the normalisation of the situation i n the Province, especially the return of Serbs to their homes, and could trigger their exodus from the Province.

He said the United Nations had welcomed Yugoslav authorities' compliance with an Accord recently reached by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. Envoy Richard Holbrooke and with relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, which he said had made possible relief aid deliveries and f ree movement of international organisations in the Province.

He also said the United Nations condemned a decision by the ethnic Alban ian terrorist organisation calling itself Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA, 1998) to sentence to imprisonment Tanjug reporters Nebojsa Radosevic and Vl adimir Dobricic and to refuse to allow officials of the ICRC to visit the m. He said the United Nations had called on KLA Spokesman Adem Demaci and other ethnic Albanian representatives to help ICRC officials visit the t wo reporters and to release them immediately.

He said holding the two reporters prisoner and refusal to allow the ICRC to contact them by all means represented the violation of the 1948 human rights Convention and of the right to freedom of the press.

Responding to a remark by Tanjug's reporter that hardly any pressure was being exerted on ethnic Albanians which practically meant the recognitio n of an ethnic Albanian terrorist organisation and promotion of what it c alled its military court, Carter said he believed the United Nations woul d soon play a positive role in the matter and that pressure on ethnic Al banians would soon be stepped up.

[05] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS THREATEN MEMBERS OF THEIR PEOPLE BACKING TALKS

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Ethnic Albanian terrorists threatened on Wednesday to retaliate to all m embers of their people trying to solve problems in Kosovo and Metohija th rough peaceful means.

A statement carried by Pristina's Albanian-language papers said the terr orists would deal with all ethnic Albanian representatives who open dialo gue in keeping with the international community's request and a recent ag reement on the peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues in Serbia's southern Province. Militant ethnic Albanian separatists reiterated that t hey would accept no solution short of independence for the Province.

Calling all ethnic Albanian representatives who do not support them phal anxes of autonomists, the terrorists attacked the international community 's position that independence for Kosovo and Metohija was out of the ques tion.

The terrorists went as far to warn the international community not to ta ke advantage of their restraint, magnanimity and readiness to cooperate.

The latest terrorist actions and attacks on members of their own people who do not support them, including killing, wounding and kidnapping, show in the best way possible just how restrained and ready to cooperate the ethnic Albanian terrorists really are.

[06] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ADMIT TO ABDUCTING DSK ACTIVISTS

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Ethnic Albanian terrorists on Wednesday admitted that they have abducted activists of the Malisevo branch of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo (DSK, 1998) Jakup Kastrati and Ceno Desku for allegedly working against the m by urging ethnic Albanians to surrender weaponry to the authorities.

The Albanian-language daily Koha Ditore said on Wednesday that the DSK b ranch President and Vice-President are also accused of alleged "collabora tion" and "permanent cooperation" with DSK Presidency member Agim Krasnic i. The terrorists describe Krasnici as a man known for his work on "devel oping a special war" against their bandit groups.

The abducted men are accused of "cooperation with Selim Binic and Ramiz Hodza of the village of Belanice," ethnic Albanians already condemned by terrorist bandit groups.

[07] CONFERENCE ON KOSOVO-METOHIJA HELD IN WASHINGTON'S NIXON CENTER

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Yugoslav Charge d'Affaires in Washington Nebojsa Vujovic has said that t he international community should now press ethnic Albanian political lea ders in the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia's Kosovo-Metohija Province to acc ept political dialogue on all issues outstanding and give up the idea of what they call a Greater Albania.

Vujovic was speaking at a conference on Kosovo-Metohija held at Washingt on's Nixon Political Center on Monday.

The conference was attended by numerous U.S. political figures such as S enator Chuck Rob, former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft, forme r State Department Under Secretary Peter Rodman, one-time U.S. Ambassador to NATO Robert Elsword and a lot of other diplomats and ambassadors and representatives of almost all prominent media.

Vujovic told the conference that many U.S. sources pointed to a danger o f resuming ethnic Albanian terrorist provocations and ethnic Albanians' r efusal to comply with an Agreement Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. Envoy to the Balkans Richard Holbrooke reached in Belgrade on Oc t. 13.

He said that the latest reports from Pentagon briefings also spoke about this danger. He repeated that the international community must exert pre ssure on ethnic Albanians to give up separatism and forget about their dr eam of the so-called Greater Albania.

The Albanian minority in Kosovo-Metohija must stop making excuses and hi ding behind rifts among its factions and realize that it is its obligatio n to abide by the Agreement on a peaceful and political settlement and ho nor the territorial integrity of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugos lavia, Vujovic said.

[08] GERMAN AMBASSADOR SAYS GERMANY TO SEND 80 VERIFYERS NEXT WEEK

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Kosovo District head Veljko Odalovic met in Pristina on Wednesday with G erman Ambassador in Belgrade Wilfried Gruber and discussed the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and implementation of an Agreement signed between Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and U.S. Envoy Richard Holbrooke.

Gruber said that the first 80 verifyers from Germany were expected to co me next week. A total of 200 German verifyers will participate in the mis sion.

Odalovic said that the country and its organs fully observed the Agreeme nt and that ethnic Albanian terrorist gangs continued to attack police, a rmy and civilians in order to prevent the realisation of the Agreement.

He said that the international community should strongly condemn terrori sm in Kosovo and Metohija and participate in the neutralisation of the te rrorists' activities. Odalovic said that the state and its organs were r eady for maximum cooperation with the verifyers.

[09] SRPSKA PARLIAMENT ELECTS OFFICIALS

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

The Republika Srpska National Assembly (parliament, 1998) elected on Wed nesday Petar Djokic of the Srpska Socialist Party as its Speaker and Jovo Mitrovic of the Serb National Alliance (SNS, 1998) as Deputy Speaker. T he parliament also elected Momir Malic (socialist, 1998) as Secretary-Gen eral and Boro Blagojevic (SNS, 1998) as his deputy.

The Socialist Party, the SNS, the Party of Independent Social-Democrats, the Radical Party, the Coalition for the King and Homeland and Muslim an d Croat deputies from the Muslim-Croat Federation voted in favor, and the deputies of the Serb Democratic Party, Serb Radical Party and Serb Coali tion for Republika Srpska voted against.

[10] XINHUA-FILIC: SECURITY WILL BE MAINTAINED

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Even though the Serbian Government has cut down the number of police in Kosovo and Metohija (Kosmet, 1998), security in that Autonomous Province will be maintained, Kosmet Deputy Chief of Police Bozidar Filic said in a n interview to the Chinese news agency Xinhua broadcast on Wednesday. Fi lic said the situation in Kosmet was relatively calm, in spite of sporadi c gunfire.

Two factors have contributed to calming the situation, said Filic, prima rily, police breaking up terrorist groups of the self-styled Kosovo Liber ation Army (KLA, 1998) and taking control over all main routes in the pro vince. Moreover, over 10,000 pieces of different weaponry have been seize d from terrorists or surrendered to police, he said.

The other reason is the warning from western countries to the OVK not to make provocations during the withdrawal of security forces and arrival o f OSCE observers, said Filic.

Filic warned, however, that remnants of terrorist groups had returned to some 200 villages in Kosmet during the withdrawal of security forces, pr etending to be refugees. He said terrorists were recruiting and preparing for new attacks on police, but that it would be difficult for them to ma ke up for the losses in weaponry since the Yugoslav border was efficientl y protected.

In the event of terrorist attacks on police, they will ask the OSCE obse rvers to intervene, he said. If the observers, or verifiers, fail to reac t to such incidents, police will have no choice but to defend themselves and the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country in keeping w ith the law, Filic explained.

[11] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION MEETS RUSSIAN OFFICIALS

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

A delegation of the Yugoslav Parliament which attended for the past two days the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Alliance of Russia and Belarus in Yaroslavl' held several meetings with Russian officials a nd leaders of parliamentary parties on Wednesday in Moscow.

The delegation, headed by member of the Chamber of Citizens (lower house, 1998) Foreign Policy Committee and head of the Radical Party Club Vojis lav Seselj, held a meeting with the First Deputy Foreign Minister Alexand er Avdeyev, who expressed Russia's determination to help Yugoslavia in th e present complex situation. Russia's policy does not focus only on prote cting Yugoslavia, but also on bilateral cooperation aimed at enabling the two countries to define their position in the future international order and to exert an influence on the world in the 21st century, Avdeyev said.

NATO must not be allowed to interfere in the affairs of sovereign states or to resolve world conflicts in its own manner at the time when future international relations are being defined, Avdeyev said.

Expressing conviction that the Yugoslav delegation had during its visit witnessed Russia's consensus on the need for preserving Yugoslavia's sove reignty and territorial integrity, Avdeyev said priority must be given to diplomacy in seeking to establish dialogue on Serbia's southern Province of Kosovo-Metohija.

The Minister also pointed to Russia's determination to help Yugoslavia r esume its place in international institutions, first of all in the OSCE.

Avdeyev reiterated that Russia's participation in the OSCE verification mission in Kosovo-Metohija must not be symbolic or an endorsement of acti vities staged by NATO. Yugoslavia must preserve its territorial integrity and Russia is ready to make a full contribution to this effect, he under lined.

The principal goal of the verification mission must therefore be objecti ve reporting on the true situation in Kosovo-Metohija in order to counter the one-sided approach and double standards used by the West, Avdeyev sa id.

Avdeyev pointed to the excellent legal conditions for future intensifica tion of bilateral relations, but noted that trade between the two countri es should grow considerably.

Seselj informed Avdeyev of the current situation in Kosovo-Metohija and reiterated Yugoslavia's views on resolving the problems in the Province.

Yugoslavia has done everything in its power, complied with all requests made by the international community and made considerable concessions to the extent that the preservation of its interests and borders allowed, Se selj said.

NATO threats have not yet been removed, but doors remain open for dialog ue that Yugoslavia has been advocating since the outset of the Kosovo-Met ohija crisis, Seselj said.

The Yugoslav delegation also met the head of the International Military Cooperation Department of Russian Defense Ministry General Leonid Ivashev , who also expressed Russia's determination to have the Kosovo-Metohija p roblem resolved by peaceful means.

Russia, he said, remains convinced that priority in resolving problems r egarding Europe's security must be given to the OSCE, not to NATO, and wi ll do all it can to that end through its participation in the verificatio n mission.

The Yugoslav delegation also met at the State Duma (lower house, 1998) t he leaders of the Liberal-Democratic Party Vladimir Zhirinovky, of the Ru ssian Regions' Party Oleg Marozov and of the Agrarian Party Nikolai Khari tonov.

Russian party leaders reiterated their understanding of Yugoslavia's vie ws as regards resolving the Kosovo-Metohija problems, and expressed Russi a's readiness to continue supporting Yugoslavia's leadership in seeking w ays for overcoming the problems by peaceful means.

It is precisely in Kosovo-Metohija that NATO has shown its true face, an d Russia is aware that by defending Yugoslavia, it is also defending its own state and national interests, it was noted during the meetings.

The Yugoslav delegation will hold on Thursday a series of meetings with other party leaders and will be received by Russian Orthodox Church Patri arch Alexei II.

[12] YUGOSLAV MINISTER RECEIVES JAPANESE AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Yugoslav Development, Science and Environment Minister Jagos Zelenovic o n Wednesday received Japanese Ambassador to Yugoslavia Noriaki Owada.

Zelenovic voiced Yugoslavia's need and wish to promote cooperation with Japan in all fields, especially in the economy, science and technology. I n view of the importance of science in the overall development of society , our country is ready to continue to cooperate with Japan in this field through the realization of scientific programs and projects, by establish ing closer cooperation between Yugoslav and Japanese scientific instituti ons and organizations, Zelenovic said.

Scientific cooperation between the two countries will help bring the two peoples closer together and achieve a more dynamic development of the ov erall bilateral relations, Zelenovic said.

Owada said he believed that Yugoslavia's speedy reintegration into inter national financial, trade and other organizations would largely contribut e to the strengthening of comprehensive cooperation with Japan.

[13] DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER DRAGAS RECEIVES ISRAELI COUNTERPART LEVI

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Yugoslav Deputy Minister of Health and Social Policy Mirjana Dragas on W ednesday received her Israeli counterpart, Boaz Levi, and head of the Ger iatrics Department in the Isreli Health Ministry, Professor Mark Clarfiel d. The two sides set out that the two countries had a good foundation on which to develop all-round cooperation in the domain of health protection.

The three-day visit of the Israeli officials has served to adjust the dr aft texts of a detailed five-year plan of cooperation between the two cou ntries in the domains of health and medicine. The five-year plan covers t he productions of drugs, their control and sales, clinical research and the production of medical equipment.

The two Ministries will closely cooperate on reforms of the health prote ction systems, and the two.

The two countries will also closely cooperate through the exchange of da ta and experts.

[14] LUKASHENKO: IT WOULD BE VERY USEFUL IF YUGOSLAVIA JOINED THE UNION

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko said he was a fervent advocat e of the idea of Yugoslavia joining the Alliance of Russia and Belarus an d said this would be of great use for the Russian-Belarussian union. Luka shenko pointed out that a three-way alliance of Russia, Belarus and Yugos lavia could not be realized at present, because the Yugoslav side had yet to decide about the issue.

He said Belgrade was still considering the idea and that Yugoslav repres entatives would decide if they wanted the procedure to begin.

The Belarussian President said the very act of joining would not require any major studies since Yugoslavia's level of economic development was n ot lower than the levels of Belarus and Russia.

Yugoslavia will never be a burden to us, but would in fact quite promote the Russian-Belarussian alliance economically, Lukashenko said in a stat ement to the Interfax news agency on Tuesday. Stressing the high level of Yugoslavia's agricultural production and food industry, Lukashenko concl uded that Yugoslavia would be of great benefit to Russia and Belarus from the aspects of both economy and strategy.

[15] YUGOSLAV, RUSSIAN MINISTERS SIGN LAND TRANSPORT AGREEMENT

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Yugoslav Transport Minister Dejan Drobnjakovic and his Russian counterpa rt Sergei Frank said after signing an inter-state Agreement on internatio nal land transport on Wednesday evening that the Agreement would contribu te to the promotion of traffic of goods and people between the two countr ies.

Drobnjakovic told reporters that the Agreement would also contribute to an upgrading of relations between the Yugoslav and Russian Governments. H e said that the Agreement regulated all problems of international land tr ansport, which dominated bilateral cooperation, and created legal precond itions for boosting the operation of this industrial branch.

Drobnjakovic said that the Wednesday's meeting focused also on cooperati on in river, maritime and air transports, where the situation was satisfa ctory. He said that an issue of European and Euro-Asian corridors had als o been considered.

The Russian Transport Minister said, for his part, that the Agreement pr ovided for a settlement of a series of specific issues that had so far ha mpered trade and flow of goods and people between Russia and Yugoslavia. He also stressed the importance of a development of land transport, which accounted for the brunt in cooperation between the two countries.

Frank said that both sides had agreed that all economic and trade potent ials had not yet been exhausted and that a successful economic cooperatio n called for efficient transport.

[16] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES RUSSIAN MINISTER

Tanjug, 1998-11-04

Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic on Wednesday received Russian Tr ansport Minister Sergei Frank, who is in a visit to Yugoslavia at the inv itation of his Yugoslav counterpart Dejan Drobnjakovic.

Drobnjakovic and Frank informed Bulatovic that the two countries' cooper ation in the field of transport was satisfactory and that it was based on inter-governmental agreements, the statement said.

Bulatovic said he was satisfied with the development of comprehensive re lations between Yugoslavia and Russia, especially cooperation in the fiel d of transport, on which the two Ministers' talks had focused.

Bulatovic said that Yugoslavia highly appreciated Russia's help in the r esolution of current problems in Yugoslavia and added that the two countr ies cooperated well on all levels, from meetings between the heads of sta te to parliamentary delegations and ministries.

Bulatovic voiced expectation that the Russian Federation would continue to support Yugoslavia's demands for a full return to the international co mmunity and all international organisations.

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