Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-12-11

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] POSITIVE ECONOMIC TRENDS CONTINUE

[02] REPEATED PROTEST OF GENERAL TALIC TO SFOR COMMANDER

[03] DONORS CONFERENCE FOR REPUBLIKA SRPSKA: RESULTS OF ENGAGEMENT

[04] BALKAN COUNTRIES PROMOTE ECONOMIC COOPERATION

[05] SESSION OF YUGOSLAV-CHINESE COOPERATION COMMISSION ENDS SUCCESSFULLY

[06] "DAYS OF YUGOSLAV CULTURE" EVENT OPENS IN BELARUS

[07] DEPUTY PREMIER VUKSANOVIC CONFERRED WITH FOREIGN MINISTER LATIPOV

[08] TWO-DAY DONOR CONFERENCE OPENS IN BANJALUKA

[09] DUMA MP'S RECOMMENDATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH NATO'S EASTWARD EXPANSION

[10] BABURIN: NATO EXPANSION DESTABILIZES EUROPE

[11] IVANOV DEMANDS THAT NATO LIFTS THREATS AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA

[12] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS DIG UP GRAVES FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES

[13] PROBLEMS PREVENT FINNISH PATHOLOGISTS TO BEGIN WORK IN KOSMET

[14] MARCH FOR PEACE ENDS IN KOSOVO

[15] RUSSIAN SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES SITUATION IN THE BALKANS

[16] REGULATION OF LEGAL RELATIONS IN KOSMET IS UNDERWAY

[17] YUGOSLAVIA FOR RESPECT OF U.N. CHARTER PRINCIPLES AND HUMAN RIGHTS

[18] OSCE MISSION OPENS ITS FIRST REGIONAL CENTER IN KOSMET

[19] YUGOSLAV-CROATIAN COMMISSION MEETS IN BELGRADE

[01] POSITIVE ECONOMIC TRENDS CONTINUE

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

The Yugoslav Government at a Thursday session, presided over by Prime Mi nister Momir Bulatovic, assessed that positive economic trends were conti nuing.

The Yugoslav Information Secretariat said that price hikes had slowed do wn significantly. In November, prices were only 1.7 percent higher that i n the previous month. The trend continued in the first week this month, w hen prices rose only 0.5 percent.

Thanks to measures undertaken by the Yugoslav Government, imports have d ropped, especially of consumer goods. In the same period the money mass w as not increased.

Bearing all that in mind, the Yugoslav government said there was not a s ingle realistic economic reason for the rise in the rate of exchange of f oreign currencies on the parallel market and that the recent rise would b e short-lived.

With a view to preserving the rate of exchange, as one of the top priori ties of the fiscal policy, the Yugoslav Government made a decision to und ertake decisive measures, in cooperation and in coordination with the Nat ional Bank of Yugoslavia.

The Federal Government examined the position and activities of the Feder al Republic of Yugoslavia in southeastern Europe following the meeting in Antalya.

It was assessed that cooperation in the region had been stepped up follo wing the signing of the Dayton agreement and that it was a response to wo rld globalization processes.

The Yugoslav Government pointed out that regional cooperation was the lo ng- term priority of the FRY in its foreign policy, in the process of buil ding goodneighbourly relations, in strengthening peace and security in th e region and in the creation of pre-conditions for the inclusion of the F RY into European integration processes.

By its active participation in regional cooperation initiatives our coun try is reinforcing its international position and affirming itself as a s ignificant and unavoidable regional factor and playing an adequate role i n the most important initiatives launched in that part of Europe.

The Yugoslav Government drafted a law confirming the Basel convention on the control of across-border movement of dangerous waste material and re ferred it to Yugoslav Parliament.

The convention is a very important international act, which represents a n important step forward in regulating the international traffic of dange rous and other waste material.

A decree was adopted on the sale of gasoline and diesel for vehicles wit h foreign registration plates and for vessels sailing under a foreign fla g.

[02] REPEATED PROTEST OF GENERAL TALIC TO SFOR COMMANDER

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

Republika Srpska Army Chief of Staff general Momir Talic repeated his pr otest to SFOR commander Montgomery Meigs in connection with the arrest of general Radislav Krstic, the RS Army Information Service said on Thursda y.

The repeated, written, protest was made after no response arrived to the first protest sent to Meigs immediately after the arrest of Krstic, whic h demanded that the arrested general be immediately released.

In the protest, general Talic pointed to the overstepping of the SFOR ma ndate, brutality, excessive use of force, and the use of procedures and m eans which are banned under the international war law. The repeated prote st said that "the arrest operation has resulted in widespread discontent among the Serbian people and the RS Army and has shaken the confidence be tween SFOR and the RS Army achieved in the process of implementation so f ar of the military part of the Dayton agreement."

"The vehicles used had the registration plates of Bosnia and Herzegovina , and the plates were changed during the operation. The persons who kidna pped general Krstic wore civilian clothes and black caps. It is well know n that military forces in performing their duties, under international wa r law, must wear uniforms with clearly visible insignia," general Talic s aid.

"Excessive force was used in the process of arresting unarmed persons. F irearms were used against persons who gave no resistance. The dignity of general Krstic came under attack. It is well known that general Krstic is an invalid, which under international law requires special behaviour. Ge neral Krstic was detained one day and a half in Tuzla and during that tim e he was tortured and mistreated," said the protest sent by Talic to Mieg s.

"The arrest of RS Army members has no basis in the provisions of Annex 1 -A or any other part of the Dayton agreement," said the repeated protest to Miegs, demanding once again adequate procedures and responses to the d emands made.

[03] DONORS CONFERENCE FOR REPUBLIKA SRPSKA: RESULTS OF ENGAGEMENT

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

The first day of the Donors Conference for Republika Srpska (RS, 1998), held on Thursday in Banjaluka with the participation of the Yugoslav dele gation headed by Federal Economy Minister Rade Filipovic, assessed the re sults so far of the engagement of the international community, lead by th e European Union and the World Bank, and the future prospects in the reco nstruction of RS, the Federal Information Secretariat has said.

World Bank Director for Bosnia-Herzegovina Rory O'Sullivan confirmed the Bank's interest to continue investing in RS on the basis of the conclusi ons of the Brussels May 1998 Donors Conference for Bosnia. O'Sullivan set out that it is necessary to correct the imbalance in the international e ngagement in favour of RS in view of the bigger investments into the Fede ration of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The Director in the EU Commission, H.Krechmar, set out that reconstructi on is one of EU's priorities and that it will continue to be the main and biggest donor, mainly with the aim of continuing the full implementation of the Dayton-Paris agreement and the process of maintaining peace. The EU also insists on good-neighbourly cooperation, the return of refugees a nd the further market orientation of RS.

The Yugoslav delegation received high treatment at the conference.

Filipovic, who will address both the plenum and the conference working b odies, has already conducted a series of meetings with members of the RS Government and with the participants of the conference regarding Yugoslav ia's role in the reconstruction of RS infrastructure since this country i s one of the donors.

[04] BALKAN COUNTRIES PROMOTE ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Tanjug, 1998-12-09

Inter-Balkan economic cooperation is on the upswing, but the potential h as not been exhausted, in view of the real needs, the Association of the Balkan countries' Chambers of Commerce noted at its session in Skoplje on Thursday.

The presidents of the Chambers of Commerce of the Federal Republic of Yu goslavia, Macedonia, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, who attended t he meeting, stressed the need for a better information exchange among the Balkan states' chambers of commerce.

It was agreed that this complex job be completed in the course of 1999, in order to make information about supply, demand, prices, etc., generall y available.

Practical moves of this kind should help considerably increase the valu e of inter-Balkan trade from the present 12 billion dollars a year, and d iversify cooperation with new and higher forms, such as industrial cooper ation and joint ventures, it was noted.

Coordination of customs and other regulations would considerably promote economic cooperation, as would also the settlement of visa and payment t ransaction problems, it was said.

The Yugoslav delegation was headed by Chamber of Commerce President Miha jlo Milojevic and comprised also the presidents of the chambers of commer ce of Yugoslavia's two republics * Serbia and Montenegro.

Milojevic said Yugoslav businessmen were still committed to the idea of creating a more favourable ambience for cooperation in the region, which was the motive force behind the setting up of the Association.

He went on to stress that non-economic influences must be kept to the mi nimum and that the governments must meet the needs of the national econom ies.

Romanian Chamber of Commerce President Gheorghe Cosacarou was elected Pr esident of the Association for 1999.

The Albanian Chamber of Commerce did not send a delegation to the meetin g, pleading the domestic situation.

[05] SESSION OF YUGOSLAV-CHINESE COOPERATION COMMISSION ENDS SUCCESSFULLY

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

Yugoslav Foreign Trade Minister Borislav Vukovic and China's Deputy Fore ign Trade Minister Zhang Xiang said on Thursday that the third session of the Yugoslav-Chinese Commission for Economic Cooperation had been succes sful and would boost the two countries' business ties.

At the close of the session, Vukovic and Zhang signed a Protocol on Coop eration backing the promotion of business ties in a large number of field s, welcoming results to date in the domain and pointing out ways of how t o promote cooperation still further.

Vukovic said the talks had focused on carrying out in the shortest time possible deals and contracts already signed and on the successful complet ion of negotiations on new projects and contracts.

He stressed the importance of a contract signed by Belgrade's Jugoimport - SDPR company and China's leading manufacturer of domestic appliances Hai er and providing for joint investment in the EI Nis air-conditioner plant .. This is the first time ever that a Chinese company invests in a joint-s tock company in Yugoslavia.

The protocol puts emphasis on measures for the promotion of the two coun tries' economic cooperation, especially trade.

The two sides exchanged information about the economic situation in thei r countries, with the Chinese delegation speaking in detail of adverse ef fects of the Asian financial crisis and last summer's great floods as wel l as of economic trends in China.

The session welcomed a growing number of joint-investment projects and r eadiness to back the two countries' companies' deals in the area.

Satisfaction was voiced with the successful realisation of a deal signed by the Pancevo Fertiliser Factory and a partner in China.

It was stated that cooperation could be developed also in the sphere of electronics, telecommunications, agriculture, food-processing, iron and s teel, machine-building and pharmaceutical industries, and transport and o ther spheres.

[06] "DAYS OF YUGOSLAV CULTURE" EVENT OPENS IN BELARUS

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

Yugoslav Vice Premier Danilo Vuksanovic opened a "Days of Yugoslav cultu re in Belarus" event in Minsk on Thursday, which will by December 16 have toured 12 Belarus towns.

The idea behind this complex and ambitious undertaking was to present to the people of friendly Belarus the cultural wealth of Yugoslavia, Vuksan ovic said, addressing numerous Belarus officials and admirers of Yugoslav culture gathered in the State Symphony Hall.

He pointed out that Belarus was the first country in which Yugoslavia wa s organising an event of this kind in some time, adding that the reason l ay in strong bilateral ties and cooperation which had not been stopped ev en at the worst moments in Yugoslav history.

He stressed that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Belarus were lin ked by historical friendship and a high degree of mutual regard.

Also, he added, they shared interests and the conviction that by develop ing all-round cooperation they were best helping the independence and dev elopment of the two countries, as well as the consolidation of peace, und erstanding, trust, cooperation, stability and prosperity in Europe and th e world.

Bilateral relations of this high level were being helped by regular visi ts by either state's officials to the other state at various levels, he s aid.

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko's visit to Belgrade earlier this year and talks with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic were especially important for deepening mutual respect and understanding and stimulating cooperation, especially economic, Vuksanovic added.

He went on to say that the purpose of the current visit by the Yugoslav delegation and cultural workers was to give a fresh impact to bilateral c ooperation and common projects.

About 200 cultural workers, authors and performers have arrived from Yug oslavia for the event.

[07] DEPUTY PREMIER VUKSANOVIC CONFERRED WITH FOREIGN MINISTER LATIPOV

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

Yugoslav Deputy Premier Danilo Vuksanovic and Belarus Foreign Minister U ral Latipov agreed on Thursday that political relations between Yugoslavi a and Belarus were at a very high level and said this provided possibilit ies for stepping up bilateral ties in all other areas as well, from econo my to culture.

Vuksanovic is heading a Yugoslav delegation which arrived in Minsk to at tend this evening's opening of a seven-day cultural event entitled "Days of Yugoslav Culture in Belarus."

During hearty talks, Vuksanovic and Latipov indicated the extreme import ance of the meeting between presidents Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia a nd Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus in Belgrade this year, pointing out th at the occasion had given strong impetus to the promotion of overall coop eration between the two friendly countries.

Informing Latipov about the current situation in Yugoslavia, in particul ar the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, Vuksanovic said Yugoslavia was d etermined to defend its territorial integrity, freedom and dignity, in sp ite of outside pressures.

President Milosevic, the Federal and Serbian governments are doing their utmost for the issue of Kosovo and Metohija to be settled peacefully wit h respect for top international standards on minority rights, Vuksanovic said.

He expressed gratitude to Belarus and its President for their resolved a nd unwavering support to such an option by Yugoslavia.

Minister Latipov said Minsk would remain true to that stand, because the people of Belarus nursed sincere friendship towards Yugoslavia and conde mned the pressures which were threatening its sovereignty.

Asked by his host about the activities of terrorists in Serbia's souther n province, Vuksanovic said it had not ceased even after the arrival of i nternational verifiers. Ethnic Albanian terrorists wish to prevent the re alization of the Milosevic-Holbrooke peace accords with their dangerous a ctions and with the support of NATO and the United States, said Vuksanovi c.

Vuksanovic also said that terrorists from a number of Islamic countries were being sent to Kosovo and Metohija with the help of foreign mentors, which was making the situation even more difficult.

Latipov spoke about the economic and other problems of his country, but said they were placing special attention on cooperation with Yugoslavia, as a Slav and traditionally friendly country.

Before the talks with Latipov, Vuksanovic gave a press conference togeth er with Belarus Culture Minister Vladimir Sosonk on the occasion of the o pening of the cultural event on days of Yugoslav culture in Belarus.

[08] TWO-DAY DONOR CONFERENCE OPENS IN BANJALUKA

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

A two-day Donor Conference for the (Bosnian Serb, 1998) Republika Srpska, which has rallied officials of donor countries and international organi sations and institutions operating in Bosnia-Herzegovina, opened in Banja luka on Thursday.

Addressing the conference, R.S. Premier Milorad Dodik stressed that the government had created a legal framework for the reconstruction and devel opment of the R.S. economy.

Dodik said the government had spent funds donated to date for specified purposes, saying it was vital to create conditions for a self-supporting economy.

He said regulations had been adopted reflecting his Cabinet's commitment to a speedier and more effective privatisation. He said the Cabinet was trying to create an institutional framework for free traffic of people, i deas, capital and goods in the Republika Srpska in order to make it more attractive for foreign investors.

R.S. Minister for Economic Relations Savo Loncar said donor countries sh ould provide funds for the independent development of Bosnia's two entiti es, the Republika Srpska and the Moslem-Croat Federation.

The conference is attended also by R.S. representatives in Bosnia's Coun cil of Ministers and Yugoslav and R.S. scholars who are to help define st rategic goals of the R.S. Government in the coming period.

[09] DUMA MP'S RECOMMENDATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH NATO'S EASTWARD EXPANSION

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

The Russian Duma held a debate on Thursday, organized by the inter-facti on anti-NATO group, on "Threats to European security in connection with N ATO's expansion, on the example of developments in the Balkans."

It was heard during the debate that the very members of NATO had "largel y provoked the crisis in Yugoslavia." The crisis was caused because NATO countries "differently stimulated the destabilization and disintegration of the SFRY" and "supported ethnic terrorist organizations and separatist movements" in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, it was heard.

In addition to MP's, representatives of the Foreign and Defense ministri es also took part. On the basis of the debate, the Parliament adopted rec ommendations to top state bodies aimed at curbing the potential threat wh ich NATO's spreading to the east and its new strategic conception might h ave "not only to Russia and Yugoslavia, but to European security on the w hole."

Assessing NATO activities in former Yugoslavia (settling conflicts in Bosnia, 1998) and neighbouring Albania (military presence and manoeuvres, 1998) as impermissible interference in the internal affairs of sovereign s tates and factual aggression, the hosts of the session in the Russian Par liament's Upper Chamber recommended to Russian President Boris Yeltsin to "launch an initiative that international sanctions be applied against th e aggressor."

Since Yugoslavia is still faced with threats with the use of military fo rce and economic sanctions, the Russian Government is asked to secure a d ecision by the United Nations Security Council that the "use of NATO forc e outside the territory of its members states is impermissible."

In parallel, the Government should consider the possibility of providing Yugoslavia with the "necessary military-technical assistance" and immedi ately begin negotiations on concluding the necessary agreements.

In order to overcome Yugoslavia's outer isolation as quickly as possible , the Federal Assembly is advised "to continue with the realization of me asures for bringing closer Yugoslavia and the alliance of Russia and Bela rus" and including Yugoslavia "in activities by the Commonwealth of Indep endent States as an associated member."

The Duma also recommends that the "closing of the Yugoslav-Albanian bord er is secured through the United Nations, in order to "localize the armed separatism in Kosovo and Metohija," and to proclaim the so-called "Kosov o Liberation Army" a "terrorist organization."

The organizers of the debate proposed a platform which said that "the al ready begun cardinal transformation of NATO's defense nature must cause c oncern" because that treaty is ready to intervene in reaction to "challen ges" according to its own choice, because it is spreading that field of a ction even outside the borders of its member-states, because it is reject ing the practice that the U.N. Security Council decide about the use of f orce, and because of its efforts to limit the roles of the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE, 1998) in settling the Balkan conflict.

The document says that this orientation has already caused grave consequ ences in the case of Yugoslavia: methods which were applied at the initia tive of NATO, primarily the United States * from the use of sanctions, th rough support to separatism, to threats with bombing * "have brought to a n escalation of conflicts (in Kosovo and Metohija, 1998) and contributed to the crisis assuming an irrevocable character."

The conclusions point out that President Yeltsin, in the interest of the economic stability of both Russia and Yugoslavia, and in case NATO initi ated international sanctions against them, should take measures for the t wo countries to conclude an agreement "on mutual non-application of econo mic sanctions which would be initiated by a third country or organization .."

[10] BABURIN: NATO EXPANSION DESTABILIZES EUROPE

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

The eastward expansion of NATO means the "strategic introduction of the United States into Central Europe," and in the case of Yugoslavia an appa rent attempt to "set a precedent for interfering with impunity in the int ernal affairs of a sovereign state," Russian state Duma Vice-President Se rgei Babruin said.

Opening parliamentary debates on the subject "Threats to European securi ty with respect to NATO expansion, on the example of events in the Balkan s," Baburin said the NATO's eastward expansion represented a process of " systematic destabilization" of Europe. He said that the process implied t he creation of a new world order "in which there is no place for Russia, or for Yugoslavia, or for Serbia."

Baburin, in his address, said that we are obviously witnessing "the mili tary-political penetration of the United States into Central Europe," and the "legal revision of the defensive character of NATO."

"The eastward expansion of NATO means in the first place the setting of a precedent for conducting with impunity interventions against a sovereig n state, in this case against Yugoslavia," Baburin said.

He added that Russia had at its disposal the possibility to declare a mo ratorium on the ratification of START-2 (in the state Duma, 1998), and al so to abandon the Partnership for Peace program.

[11] IVANOV DEMANDS THAT NATO LIFTS THREATS AGAINST YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov expressed Moscow's "categorically n egative stand" regarding NATO's decision to extend its earlier decision " on possible military operations against Yugoslavia due to the situation i n Kosovo," Moscow papers reported on Thursday.

According to these reports, Ivanov demanded the abolishing of this decis ion at a session of the Joint Permanent Russia-NATO Council, held on Wedn esday in Brussels.

"The key issue now is to achieve a turnabout regarding political talks a nd the use of force should absolutely not appear on the agenda," Ivanov s aid.

The Moscow media also quoted Ivanov as saying that "the international or der should be based on the rule of the international law" and that the Un ited Nations should remain "the main organization empowered to make decis ions about the possible use of force."

In this context, Moscow officially expressed "categorical opposition to attempts" that the new NATO strategic concept includes the provision on " the right of the Western Alliance to undertake military operations withou t a decision by the U.N. Security Council."

Ivanov told the partners in NATO that Moscow expected them "to bear this Russian position in mind" when developing their new concept.

"We want this concept to open the doors of expanding cooperation between Russia and NATO, rather than to lead towards new divisions on the contin ent," Ivanov said.

The Moscow media carried Russia's satisfaction that "the international c ommunity managed to stop the violence in the Balkans." The Inter-Fax news agency quoted Ivanov as saying that currently in the Kosmet conflict it is of special importance that "all sides in the province and in Yugoslavi a, as well as the outside factors, resolutely urge a political solution."

"This is the only path leading towards a firm and lasting peace in the B alkans," Ivanov said.

[12] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS DIG UP GRAVES FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

What kind of inhuman and uncivilised methods ethnic Albanian separatist ideologists are using is best seen from empty graves found in Kosovo and Metohija on Wednesday.

The graves, found at the village of Siroko near Suva Reka in the Yugosla v republic of Serbia's troubled southern province, had contained bodies o f unidentified militants of the terrorist organisation calling itself the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA, 1998).

The five terrorists buried at Siroko were killed in an attack on police at the Dulje mountain pass above Suva Reka.

The bodies have been dug up and taken away, and this action of the separ atists is being linked to the recent arrival of a team of forensic pathol ogists from Finland to make investigations in Kosovo and Metohija.

The removal of the bodies might be designed to create an impression of a deliberate concealment of allegedly huge losses among ethnic Albanians.

Local ethnic Albanians, speaking for understandable reasons on condition of anonymity, say that similar tactics are to be expected in other villa ges where terrorists have been killed.

The incident has disturbed local ethnic Albanians loyal to the governmen t, showing as it does the bestiality of the ethnic Albanian terrorist gan gs, who do not refrain from digging up dead bodies in pursuit of their go als to detach Kosovo and Metohija from Serbia.

The U.S. observer mission has been informed of the incident and has visi ted the scene at Siroko.

[13] PROBLEMS PREVENT FINNISH PATHOLOGISTS TO BEGIN WORK IN KOSMET

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

Finland's 20 forensic experts did not begin on Thursday their planned in vestigations in Kosovo and Metohija because the safety of the Yugoslav ex perts on the team could not be guaranteed.

The Finnish and Yugoslav investigators set off from Pristina, the chief city of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's troubled southern province, for the area of Donje Obrinje, the first of six localities where they were t o begin exhumations.

However, once past the village of Glogovica, the Finnish pathologists re fused to go on with police escort, fearing ethnic Albanian terrorist oper ations, whereas the Yugoslav experts would not go on without the agreed p olice escort.

Under an accord that the Finnish pathologists have signed, exhumations a nd post-mortem examinations are to be done only in the presence of the co mpetent Yugoslav bodies, who would in no way interfere in the Finnish pat hologists' work.

By refusing to travel as they had agreed to do in Pristina, the Finnish forensic specialists effectively prevented the start of the work on Thurs day and caused a misunderstanding that could be viewed as a tactic to cir cumvent the Yugoslav investigative bodies.

The Finnish and Yugoslav investigating team returned to Pristina late on Thursday, and talks will resume on Friday in an effort to find a way to continue work in line with the signed accord.

The accord envisages for the Finnish pathologists to make investigations at the localities of Donje Obrinje, Golubovci, Glodjane, Volujak, Orahov ac and Klecka.

[14] MARCH FOR PEACE ENDS IN KOSOVO

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

More than 1,000 participants in the march for peace, who set off on Thur sday morning from Orahovac, arrived late this afternoon in the village of Dragobilje near Malisevo, their destination, demanding the release of 40 Serbs.

The Serbs were abducted by ethnic Albanian terrorists five months ago an d nothing is known about their fate.

The participants * Serbs, Montenegrins, Muslims, Romanies and other peop le of good will, including the families of the missing persons, were met in Dragobilje by OSCE mission representatives, who had mediated in talks with representatives of local Albanians.

During the talks, they discussed the possibility of continuing the searc h for the missing persons together with representatives of humanitarian o rganizations.

It was agreed that lists of the missing Serbs would once again be presen ted to the International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday.

The families of the missing persons have become increasingly concerned f or their fate after Tuesday's statement by Adem Demaci, the political rep resentative of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army, who said that he dou bted the missing persons were still alive.

[15] RUSSIAN SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES SITUATION IN THE BALKANS

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

The Scientific Council for International Security, which operates within the Security Council of the Russian Federation, met on Thursday to discu ss the situation in the Balkans and its effect on the world.

A statement issued by the Security Council following the meeting said th at the complex Balkan problems cannot be resolved through military means whose application would "have disastrous effects on the entire internatio nal security."

The session was chaired by Deputy Secretary of the Security Council, Ale xei Molakov, while the participants in the debate were from the Foreign M inistry, the Federal Security Service, the Russian Federal Armed Forces G eneral Staff, as well as the heads of a number of scientific institutions and leading experts for the Balkans

Lectures were held by the Director of the Russian Institute for Strategi c Research, Yevgenni Kozhkin, and the Director of the Institute of the Ru ssian Academy of Sciences for Slav and Balkan studies, Vladimir Volkov.

[16] REGULATION OF LEGAL RELATIONS IN KOSMET IS UNDERWAY

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

Serbian Justice Minister Dragoljub Jankovic said on Thursday in Pristina that the regulation of future legal relations in Kosovo and Metohija is underway and that the basic preconditions for this are the Milosevic-Holb rooke Agreement and the 11-point Serbian Government conclusions.

"The process of determining the future legal relations in this region is underway. It is undergoing daily changes, being more precisely defined a nd is based on the Milosevic-Holbrooke Agreement and the 11 points set by the Serbian Government which accepted this agreement," Jankovic said aft er a lecture at the Law Faculty on the topic "Legal State in Contemporary Conditions."

Speaking with the professors, students and journalists, Jovanovic set ou t that the development of these framework plans is underway (Agreement and 11 points, 1998), and that each of the 11 points demands additional del iberation. It is easier to develop some points, he added, while others ar e more complex so that agreement has been reached about some of them and other have still to be clarified.

Jankovic stated that "during negotiations and talks, someone always trie s to get more than is his due," but that the Serb side is strictly adheri ng to the Milosevic-Holbrooke Agreement.

"We will not yield more than has been agreed, which practically means th at Kosovo and Metohija must remain within the borders of Serbia and the F ederal Republic of Yugoslavia, that all issues should be resolved within the existing constitutions * republican and federal, that all relations t o be determined should be based on the full equality of all nations livin g here," Jankovic said.

He recalled that the Agreement calls for the respect of certain historic al monuments, even if these areas are populated by a majority ethnic Alba nian population. Jankovic stated that "the areas where the Serb monuments are located, will never be given up to the ethnic Albanians."

According to him, the ethnic Albanians are expected to receive a high de gree of autonomy, which has never been disputed, but had they wanted to a gree to such a form of autonomy, offered to them earlier, the current sit uation would not have developed.

"It is clear that a part of the ethnic Albanians want much more, and tha t the majority is aware that their only country is Serbia and Yugoslavia and that they can live within it," Jankovic said.

He set out that even this small part of the ethnic Albanians, the terror ists, would not have been able to act in such a way had it not been for t he support of foreign factors, primarily a single superpower.

"If they had not received help from abroad, they would not have been abl e to act in such a way nor to make such conditions," Jankovic said.

Jankovic underscored that the Serbian Government would persist in the co ncept that Kosmet remains Serb and that the ethnic Albanians can get what belongs to them, but not at the expense of any other nation, including t he Serbs, to say the least.

[17] YUGOSLAVIA FOR RESPECT OF U.N. CHARTER PRINCIPLES AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

On the occasion of the International Human Rights Day and the 50th anniv ersary of the adoption of the General Declaration of Human Rights, marked on December 10, the FR of Yugoslavia said it urges the respect of the pr inciples and aims of the U.N. Charter and the General Human Rights Declar ation, the Federal Justice Ministry said on Thursday.

The FR of Yugoslavia primarily urges the respect of the principles of th e sovereign equality of states, equality of nations, ban of the use of fo rce and threats of force, is for the peaceful resolution of disputes, non - interference into internal affairs, the respect of the basic human right s and freedoms and above all for the preservation of international peace and security.

Although facing ethnic Albanian separatism and terrorism in Kosovo and M etohija, which are threatening its vital interests, FRY, in keeping with its orientations, is making maximum efforts for reaching solutions throug h peaceful means on the basis of the equality of all citizens, national a nd ethnic communities. In the year which marks the 50th anniversary of t he adoption of the General Human Rights Declaration, which is a basis of all subsequent international legal acts pertaining to the protection of h uman rights and freedoms, the postulate that "everyone is entitled to all rights and freedoms proclaimed in this Declaration, regardless of race, sex, language, religion, political or other views, national or social sta tus, property, birth or other circumstances", gains in significance.

As one of the founders of the Organization of the United Nations and the signatory of major international conventions and other documents referri ng to the rights and freedoms of mankind and citizens, FRY has incorporat ed into its Constitution and legal acts, the principles of the General Hu man Rights Declaration thus securing the conditions for realizing all the se rights and freedoms for its citizens.

As an open and democratic country attached to the principles of the U.N. Charter and the General Human Rights Declaration, FRY is oriented toward s the realization of human rights and freedoms and determined in advocati ng their further development. However, in view of the influence of the co mplex social, economic and political relations in the world on the develo pment and degree of excersizing human rights, the entire international co mmunity, and FRY as its part, remain obliged to continue making bigger ef forts for the protection of human rights and freedoms as the utmost goal of the world at the threshold of the third millennium, the statement said.

[18] OSCE MISSION OPENS ITS FIRST REGIONAL CENTER IN KOSMET

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

Kosovo observer mission chief verifier William Walker and British Ambass ador to Yugoslavia Brian Donnelly inaugurated the first of five planned r egional centers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europ e (OSCE, 1998) in Prizren on Thursday.

Ambassador Donnelly expressed gratitude to the British mission members o n behalf of the Foreign Ministry for the achieved results, and said they had managed to win the confidence of all citizens of Kosovo and Metohija in the past few weeks.

Walker said the opening of the regional center in Prizren had opened the long and complex process of the realization of the role of the observer mission in this southern Serbian province, which would be followed by cov ering all major points in the region.

The center was opened in the building of the ISF Progres Head Office.

[19] YUGOSLAV-CROATIAN COMMISSION MEETS IN BELGRADE

Tanjug, 1998-12-10

The Yugoslav-Croatian Commission for the implementation of Article 7 of the normalisation accord held its 11th session in Belgrade on Thursday, s aid a joint statement issued after the meeting and carried by the Yugosla v Information Secretariat.

The meeting was chaired by Radivoj Rajakovic, the Commission's co-chairm an from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Croatian delegation was h eaded by Bozo Marendic.

The two sides agreed that progress had been made in the process of repat riation to Croatia of refugees, displaced and expelled people and that mo st problems in this area would be settled in the course of 1999.

The Property Protection Service and the Agency mediating in specific rea l estate transactions submitted their reports.

They said that cooperation should be intensified in the coming period to serve the interests of people who have property in either country while living in the other.

The Commission reviewed property rights of bodies corporate and noted th at the procedure for taking stock of the property should be stepped up in order to deal with the matter as efficaciously as possible.

The Commission is to hold its next meeting in Zagreb in January, the sta tement said.

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