Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-12-14

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] DEPUTY YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES CUBAN AMBASSADOR

[02] ETHNIC ALBANIAN SEPARATISTS ALONE RESPONSIBLE FOR KOSOVO AND METOHIJA CONFLICT

[03] DEFEAT OF U.S. DIPLOMACY

[04] NO CONDEMNATION OF ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISM, SAYS KOSMET OFFICIAL

[05] FINNISH AMBASSADOR SAYS SERBIAN POLICE DID NOT STOP PATHOLOGISTS

[06] INCIDENT PROVOKED BY FINNISH FORENSIC EXPERTS, JUDGE SAYS

[07] ANDJELKOVIC RECEIVES FINNISH AMBASSADOR

[08] SERBIAN PROVINCE OFFICIAL RECEIVES FINNISH AMBASSADOR

[09] AFANASYEVSKY ON CONTACT GROUP MEETING IN PARIS

[10] U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATES ANNAN'S REPORT ON SERBIAN PROVINCE

[11] HILL RULES OUT KOSMET AS AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY

[12] YUGOSLAV COMPANY STRIKES MAJOR DEAL WITH CHINESE PARTNER

[13] CHINA'S OFFICIAL DESCRIBES YUGOSLAV-CHINESE COMMISSION'S SESSION AS SUCCESSFUL

[14] YUGOSLAV, CHINESE OFFICIALS GIVE HIGH MARKS TO BILATERAL TIES

[15] MONTENEGRO'S DJUKANOVIC MEETS WITH FRENCH MATTEOLI

[16] CERTAIN SECI PROJECTS CANNOT BE REALIZED WITHOUT YUGOSLAVIA

[17] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION ATTENDS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN INDIA

[18] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION IN BELARUS

[19] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO MEXICAN PRESIDENT

[20] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES NEW AMBASSADOR OF UKRAINE

[01] DEPUTY YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES CUBAN AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

Deputy Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zoran Novakovic received on Friday Cuba n Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Omar Medina Quintero, at the latter's request. The two officials discussed future action on int ensifying political dialogue and overall bilateral cooperation, specifica lly economic.

Both sides stressed the importance of the forthcoming meeting of the joi nt Committee on Economic Cooperation and of a visit to Cuba by Yugoslav F oreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic. It was stressed that both sides must m ake timely and comprehensive preparations if they are to make an active c ontribution to promoting Yugoslav-Cuba relations and cooperation.

[02] ETHNIC ALBANIAN SEPARATISTS ALONE RESPONSIBLE FOR KOSOVO AND METOHIJA CONFLICT

Tanjug, 1998-12-13

The Belgrade weekly Vojska said in its latest issue that ethnic Albanian separatists' illegal activity and violence were alone responsible for th e conflict in Serbia's southern Province of Kosovo and Metohija.

The weekly said that, in collusion with the separatists, some internatio nal factors were impudently and ruthlessly taking advantage of Serbia's a nd the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's patience and commitment to and ef forts for settling the situation in the Province through dialogue and par liamentary methods.

Vojska said that quite a number of reports on the activity by separatist s and some international factors spoke of their commitment to securing th rough pressure, threats and use of force a status for Kosovo and Metohija contrary to the agreement which Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic an d U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke signed on October 13 and which was made op erational through the November 20 joint draft agreement on the political framework for self-rule in the Province and the November 25 declaration.

If they really want to find a peaceful solution to problems in the Provi nce, international factors must immediately and fully distance themselves from ethnic Albanian terrorists, the weekly said.

In this connection, the weekly said U.S. Ambassador Christopher Hill had met with some of the terrorists in Dragobilje. One of the terrorists he met with was Jakup Krasnici, commander of the terrorist group including a lso Savet Kabasi of the village of Opterusa, Orahovac municipality.

On July 18, 1998, the entire Serb population of the village of Retimlje were taken hostage by the terrorists. Fatmir Limaj, Gani Krasnici and His ni Kiljaj, terrorist gang leaders, raped two Serb girls in the villagers' presence. Claiming to have been "annoyed" by what Rajko Nikolic, one of the villagers, had said regarding the rape, the gang leaders ordered Kaba si to kill Nikolic, the weekly said.

The two girls were raped by 47 terrorists, the weekly said.

Despite the U.S. media campaign against Yugoslavia, it would not be hard to predict how the U.S. public would react if it found out that Hill dis cusses the resolution of problems in Kosovo and Metohija with representat ives of persons who have committed such and other bestial crimes or even with the perpetrators themselves, the weekly said.

U.S. special services had for nearly five years looked for Pakistani Mir Aimal Kansi who had killed two and wounded three CIA agents on January 2 5, 1993. They tracked him down in Afghanistan on June 15, 1997, kidnappin g and transferring him to the United States. They refused to show any und erstanding for the crime he had committed. Hill's "magnanimous" behaviour towards ethnic Albanian terrorists who have killed or wounded about 300 Yugoslav Army troops and Serbian police officers since the beginning of t he year cannot therefore but surprise, the weekly said.

It would be interesting to attend a U.N. Security Council debate on why representatives of ethnic Albanian separatist parties in Kosovo and Metoh ija and some international factors are trying to put the terrorists under their control rather than to eliminate them, the weekly said.

Such one debate should by all means be preceded by the showing of a vide o on mass crimes against Serb civilians committed by the ethnic Albanian terrorists at Klecka. Limaj, Krasnici and Kiljaj were yet again involved in the crimes either as commanders or as perpetrators.

Moreover, it would be interesting to observe the Security Council member s' reaction to the explanation for the crimes offered by the Mazreku brot hers, two ethnic Albanian terrorists, the weekly said, quoting them as sa ying, "Our commanders, Fatmir Limaj, Gani Krasnici and Hisni Kiljaj, have told us that our republic will be the best state only after all Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija have been killed."

Following the terrorists' defeat this summer, Lamij and Krasnici sought shelter in Albania. They recently crossed illegally into Yugoslavia. Lima j and his gang have headquarters in Malisevska Banja, near the village of Pagarusa. They are systematically terrorising the population of the vill ages of Gajrak, Goric, Ladrovac, Senik and Belanica, in an attempt to rei nforce their ranks.

Limaj's and Krasnici's gangs have been ordered to launch successive atta cks on Serbian police and Yugoslav army troops, the weekly said. Their fo reign patrons, however, appear to have entrusted them with a strategic ta sk in whose fulfilment they will be assisted by Mujaheddin fighters conce ntrated at this point in the area of Malisevo, it said.

Pointing out the future scenario of developments in Kosovo and Metohija, Vojska said the much-exploited thesis on the humanitarian catastrophe in the Province, launched as an excuse to exert pressure on and threaten Yu goslavia, was gradually being forgotten and replaced by another one * the evacuation of OSCE verifiers from a crisis area.

Although the deployment of the OSCE mission to Kosovo and Metohija has n ot been completed yet, NATO's rapid reaction force, entrusted with the mi ssion's evacuation, is already on its way to Macedonia. Once the force re aches its destination, it will not be hard at all to make it look that th e verifiers are in danger, the weekly said.

Ethnic Albanian terrorist gangs will stage the necessary scenario. It wo uld not be logical, however, that they jeopardise the lives of U.S. perso nnel, because of which Mujaheddin fighters will be entrusted with the tas k, the weekly said.

Vojska said they would all become irrelevant at one point when the only important thing would be to provide the rapid reaction force with a motiv e for the verifiers' evacuation. The dangerous scenario makes it possible to understand the ethnic Albanian separatists' repeated refusals to open dialogue with the Serbian Government on the peaceful resolution of probl ems in Kosovo and Metohija, the weekly said. "Tolerance demonstrated by s ome countries over the ethnic Albanian separatists' determination to reso lve the problems through terrorism is senseless, provocative and highly d angerous...the time has come to show wisdom because violence can bring no one good," the weekly said.

[03] DEFEAT OF U.S. DIPLOMACY

Tanjug, 1998-12-12

The U.S. diplomacy has suffered a defeat in Kosovo and Metohija, Rome da ily Il Manifesto said on Saturday. The paper said that the proposal of U. S. Ambassador to Macedonia Christopher Hill about the future status of Ko smet had been rejected both by Belgrade and the political representatives of the Albanian national minority in Kosmet. The latest statements of to p officials in Washington "only additionally underscore the confusion of ideas in the U.S. Balkan strategy," the daily set out.

Il Manifesto said that "now is the moment for Europe to make a real cont ribution to the peaceful political solution of the Kosmet situation."

As a basis for resolving the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija, t he daily pointed out the recently clearly stated position of the Italian Government presented by Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini. Il Manifesto reca lled that Dini said that the basis was the Belgrade Agreement signed by Y ugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and special U.S. envoy Richard Holbr ooke and underscored "autonomy as the only realistic solution for the sta tus of Kosovo and Metohija." Dini described the demand for the independen ce of Kosovo and Metohija as "a pure illusion," Il Manifesto said.

[04] NO CONDEMNATION OF ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISM, SAYS KOSMET OFFICIAL

Tanjug, 1998-12-13

Top official of the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia's Kosovo-Metohija Provin ce told Tanjug on Sunday that a lack of adequate condemnation of ethnic A lbanian terrorism from the international community and OSCE verifiers dir ectly added fuel to the flames of terrorism in the Province. President of the Provisional Executive Council of Kosovo-Metohija Zoran Andjelkovic, commenting on the latest killings of ethnic Albanians loyal to Serbia and Yugoslavia in the towns of Glogovac and Djakovica, said that "the more i nternational officials and verifiers met and took pictures with ethnic Al banian terrorists and their leaders, the wilder ethnic Albanian terrorist s get, believing to enjoy tacit support from the international community. "

International observers in Pristina, including representatives of the EU and the USA, have so far not condemned a single killing of civilians, ab duction of innocent people, bombing attack on hospitals which provide tre atment to all the people in Kosovo-Metohija, Andjelkovic said.

"Ethnic Albanian terrorists killed employees of the Elektrokosmet power company in Glogovac on Friday and their only sin was to have tried to rep air a failure of a transformer station and restore power to a village pop ulated by ethnic Albanians," he said.

Andjelkovic wondered if restoring power to ethnic Albanian homes was a c rime. He also wondered whether ethnic Albanians near Djakovica had come u nder a terrorist attack only for wanting peace, understanding and co-exis tence in Kosovo-Metohija. "These innocent people were the targets of ethn ic Albanian terrorists disturbed by light and peace. The international co mmunity and verifiers still keep silent at the killing of innocent people , " he said, adding that the silence encouraged the terrorists to go on.

Andjelkovic wondered how many more innocent people had to be killed and how many more crimes needed to take place for the international community to condemn terrorism and state the blame of ethnic Albanian separatists and extremists.

[05] FINNISH AMBASSADOR SAYS SERBIAN POLICE DID NOT STOP PATHOLOGISTS

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

Finnish Ambassador to Yugoslavia Hannu Mantyvara said on Friday that the Serbian police had not stopped Finnish forensic pathologists from going to Gornje Obrinje in Serbia's troubled Kosovo-Metohija province on Thursd ay. Speaking for Tanjug, Mantyvara, who had been with the forensic team o n Thursday, explained that the pathologists themselves had decided to go on from the village of Glogovac without police escort.

In line with an agreement reached with Serbian authorities, the Finnish team was accompanied by a local examining magistrate, and escorted for re asons of safety by European Union observers and Serbian police, he explai ned. However, he added, once past Glogovac, the Finnish team had decided to go on without the Serbian police escort, fearing that there was danger ahead and believing themselves to be safe because they were foreigners.

He went on to say that the forensic pathologists were loath to expose th e Serbian police to possible danger from the terrorist organisation calli ng itself the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA, 1998), which de facto controls Obrinje.

Mantyvara said that the Finnish team had offered to the examining magist rate, Danica Marinkovic, to come along with them alone, without the Serbi an police escort, which she refused, fearing for her safety.

Ambassador Mantyvara said that the Finnish team fully understood the con cern of the Serbian authorities for their people's safety, and had theref ore decided that they should all return to Pristina together. He said tha t they wanted to be practical and find acceptable solutions, because both the team of experts and the Serbian authorities were interested in the j ob being done.

He said he would be staying in Pristina for a few days and meeting with Government officials in an effort to find an acceptable solution.

[06] INCIDENT PROVOKED BY FINNISH FORENSIC EXPERTS, JUDGE SAYS

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

Investigative judge of the Pristina District Prosecutor's Office Danica Marinkovic told Tanjug on Friday that exhumations in the village of Gornj e Obrinje had not started, because a team of Finnish forensic experts ref used in Trstenik, near Obrinje, to be further accompanied by Serbian secu rity forces.

In accordance with an agreement with Finnish forensic experts to carry o ut an inquiry on Friday morning in Gornje Obrinje in the presence of comp etent bodies, the investigative judge, representatives of the prosecution and the security forces, the entire team started off early in the mornin g. In the vicinity of Obrinje, nearby the village of Trstenik, the vehicl e with the Finnish forensic experts suddenly stopped and they told me tha t they will continue only unaccompanied, Marinkovic specified.

The explanation was the at the entrance into the village of Obrinje were "armed men" who will let them in because they had "passes", and that Ser bian representatives would not be allowed to continue because they did no t have "passes."

Marinkovic reminded the Finnish team about their agreement that the inqu iry should be conducted by the judge while they were to conduct their ana lyses later in the Forensics Institute.

Finally an agreement was reached that they all return to Pristina, and t ry to resolve their differences in talks with the Finnish Ambassador to Y ugoslavia.

[07] ANDJELKOVIC RECEIVES FINNISH AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

President of the Provisional Executive Council of the Autonomous Provinc e of Kosovo and Metohija Zoran Andjelkovic received on Friday the Ambassa dor of Finland to Yugoslavia Hanu Mantivaru. Ambassador Mantivara said he wanted to know more about the humanitarian situation in Kosovo and Meto hija and about the possibility of reaching an agreement soon which would be acceptable for all those living in the region.

Andjelkovic, speaking about the situation and political solution of prob lems in Kosovo and Metohija, said that the state was making efforts to re ach an agreement that would fulfil the demand for the equality of all nat ional communities.

He said that such a solution would exclude the possibility of abuse by t he majority of one national community, as was the case during one period in Kosovo and Metohija, when a large number of Serbs and Montenegrins and members of other national minorities moved out of the Province under pre ssure. Andjelkovic pointed out that the international community should su pport all those forces which are in favour of true dialogue and life toge ther in Kosovo and Metohija.

Explaining the return of Finnish forensic experts from the field, the Fi nnish Ambassador said that the police did not allow the experts to perfor m their work.

[08] SERBIAN PROVINCE OFFICIAL RECEIVES FINNISH AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

Kosovo District Administrator Veljko Odalovic met in Pristina on Friday with Finnish Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hannu Manty vara. The two officials discussed the present situation in the Yugoslav R epublic of Serbia's troubled Province of Kosovo-Metohija and how to settl e the problems by peaceful means.

Odalovic, who chairs the humanitarian affairs Commission of the Province 's Provisional Executive Council, said that the competent Government bodi es and institutions would give help and cooperation to Finnish forensic p athologists investigating in Kosovo-Metohija.

He said this was in full compliance with a clear accord reached with the international community about a peaceful settlement of Kosovo-Metohija's problems. He said that the Government was willing, in line with the law, to provide security and maximum assistance to the Finnish team of expert s, but that they, in turn, must cooperate with the competent Government b odies and local medical teams.

In line with this it was decided to seek solutions that would make it po ssible to honour the agreements and give the world true facts about event s that have been attracting the international community's attention.

[09] AFANASYEVSKY ON CONTACT GROUP MEETING IN PARIS

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

One of the main problems in regulating the crisis in Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija Province is the disunity among Kosovo Albanians, said Deputy Ru ssian Foreign Minister Nikolai Afanasyevsky who headed the Russian delega tion to the session of the Contact Group in Paris on Friday.

In a statement to the ITAR-TASS news agency after the end of the session , Afanasyevsky confirmed that the main item on the agenda had been the st epping up of the negotiating process in order to regulate politically the situation in Kosovo.

The Contact Group members demonstrated a joint opinion that much had bee n done already through the common efforts to end hostilities, said Afanas yevsky.

It can be concluded today that the situation is considerably improved an d refugees and displaced persons have already begun to return to their ho mes in large numbers, he said.

The main practical task now is further to develop actions by the OSCE mi ssion on verifying the implementation of the agreement, he said.

Pointing out that there was already no grounds for speaking about a huma nitarian disaster, or even a humanitarian crisis, Afansyevsky said the Se rbian authorities and humanitarian organizations had done a thorough job in this area.

The negotiating process, however, is at a stalemate, he said. Everyone a grees it should be accelerated in the coming weeks, he said.

A clear signal should be sent to the negotiating sides, especially ethni c Albanians, in view of their disunity, he said. This lack of unity is th e very essence of the problem, because it is not clear to what extent the y would adhere to a future agreement, said Afanasyevsky.

All efforts will now be aimed at beginning the talks, he said, adding th at they were already considering concrete conditions and a time for the m eeting between high-level Contact Group members with representatives of t he authorities and the ethnic Albanian community.

Talks could be expected to begin after that, he said.

Asked to comment on the deployment of an international force in Macedoni a, Afansyevsky said Russia was not prone to exaggerate their importance, since Yugoslavia was responsible for the security of the OSCE mission on the grounds of their mutual agreement. He said they were naturally concer ned about the safety of the mission, as it now included about 30 Russians working under complex conditions, but that the Yugoslav side was respons ible for this.

The fact that Russian Ambassador Vladimir Ivanovski had been appointed O SCE mission Deputy Chief for political affairs and relations with represe ntatives of local authorities and the Albanian community, presents intern ational recogniton that Russia is doing its job on the most essential iss ues of regulating the situation, and that it is doing its job well, said Afanasyevsky.

[10] U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL DEBATES ANNAN'S REPORT ON SERBIAN PROVINCE

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

The U.N. Security Council held closed-door consultations on Friday to re view the latest report by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the situation i n the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's troubled Province of Kosovo-Metohija. The report warns of the danger of terrorist operations flaring up again and points out the fact that the Province's ethnic Albanian terrorists ar e arming themselves preparatory to fresh operations.

After the two-hour session, several countries proposed that a Presidenti al statement be adopted to make formal the condemnation of the terrorists .. However, the adoption of such a statement was blocked by the United Sta tes, although Russia, China and Brazil had stressed the danger of turning a blind eye to the facts.

Chinese Ambassador Kin Huasun said that the terrorists and separatists a re making trouble in the Province. Speaking after the session, Kin said h e had pointed out to the other Security Council members that the internat ional community must make a loud and clear condemnation of terrorist oper ations in Kosovo-Metohija. He reiterated China's position that solutions must be sought with strict respect for the sovereignty and territorial in tegrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

An identical position was taken by Russian Ambassador Sergei Lavrov, who asked several times during the consultations that the Security Council m embers express in a Presidential statement their concern at the activity of ethnic Albanian terrorists. After the session, Lavrov said that, unfor tunately, the Security Council had not been amenable to taking an objecti ve view of the Kosovo-Metohija situation.

The Brazilian representative is reported to have warned of the danger of violating the arms ban resolution, drawing attention to the fact, confir med in Annan's report, that arms are still being smuggled into Kosovo-Met ohija across the border from Albania.

British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock, too, this time expressed concern a t the information that indicates that the separatists are arming themselv es.

Concern about the information in the report was voiced also by the Frenc h representative.

Apart from warning that the terrorists are preparing for new operations, Annan says in the report that they are feverishly arming themselves and moving into the vacuum created by the withdrawal of the special security forces. He goes on to say that the terrorists are still abducting civilia ns and that they have set up so-called "tribunals," before which they hau l abducted persons, both Serbs and ethnic Albanians. He lists recent indi vidual cases of abduction by the terrorists, whom he refers to as members of paramilitary forces.

Although everybody present at Friday's consultations was clearly fully a ware of the true situation in Kosovo-Metohija, the debate ended without a formal conclusion being adopted.

Bahrein Ambassador Mohammad Buali, current president of the Council, tol d reporters after the session that the Council had supported the position s of the "Contact group" as set down in a statement released after Thursd ay's meeting in Paris. The "Contact group" statement stressed the need fo r a political settlement for the Kosovo-Metohija crisis to be found as so on as possible.

[11] HILL RULES OUT KOSMET AS AN INDEPENDENT ENTITY

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

U.S. envoy Christopher Hill said in Podgorica on Friday that Kosovo and Metohija as an independent entity was out of the question and added that such a possibility did not exist in his plan.

Hill, talking to reporters, ruled out a military option for resolving th e crisis in Kosovo and Metohija, and said that all problems in that Serbi an Province must be solved by political means. The U.S. diplomat assessed that much more creativity was needed to find a way out of the Kosmet cri sis.

Hill, speaking about the position of Montenegro on Kosmet, said he was c onfident that the political solution for Kosovo and Metohija will also su it "other entities in Yugoslavia."

[12] YUGOSLAV COMPANY STRIKES MAJOR DEAL WITH CHINESE PARTNER

Tanjug, 1998-12-13

The Yugoslav Petrohemija company based in the town of Pancevo here on Su nday signed with a Chinese partner a project on production of carbon fill ers, which is expected to highly meet the demand of the Yugoslav rubber i ndustry.

Under the contract, signed at the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce represent ation office in Beijing, a future Petrohemija plant is to produce 15,000 tonnes of carbon fillers a year and thus meet 80 percent of the Yugoslav demand for this raw material which has so far been imported.

The investment worth 21.8 million U.S. dollars will be implemented throu gh the crediting of exports of Chinese technology. The implementation of the deal will be monitored by a Chinese bank and the Beogradska Banka ban k of Yugoslavia.

Petohemija Director-General Slobodan Tresac, who signed the contract, st ressed the importance of the contract, especially pointing to the fact th at it was signed as part of the third session of the Yugoslav-Chinese mix ed Commission on economic cooperation.

[13] CHINA'S OFFICIAL DESCRIBES YUGOSLAV-CHINESE COMMISSION'S SESSION AS SUCCESSFUL

Tanjug, 1998-12-12

Chinese media quoted on Saturday State Council Member Wu Yi as saying th at the successful outcome of the third session of the Yugoslav-Chinese Co mmission for economic cooperation had created a stable basis for the prom otion of the two countries' cooperation.

Reporting on the session, the media quoted Wu as saying in a talk with Y ugoslav Foreign Trade Minister Borislav Vukovic on Friday that China had successfully overcome problems caused by Asia's financial crisis and grea t floods, securing a speedy economic growth.

Wu informed the Yugoslav delegation to the session, led by Vukovic, abou t China's economic development priorities for 1999. She listed as China's top priority the recovery of areas hit by the floods, saying the country 's monetary policy should support infrastructural projects and stimulate domestic demand.

China will try to ensure a GNP increase of seven percent, she said.

The eight-percent increase planned for this year will most likely be rea lised despite the financial crisis and the floods. The media quoted Vukovic as saying that the two countries' could diversi fy cooperation in the area of high technologies and finance, because of C hina's technological achievements in some industries.

Vukovic ended his visit to China on Friday.

[14] YUGOSLAV, CHINESE OFFICIALS GIVE HIGH MARKS TO BILATERAL TIES

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

China will continue to give full political and economic support to Yugos lavia, Chinese senior officials said in Beijing on Friday at a meeting wi th Yugoslav Minister of Foreign Trade Borislav Vukovic. Vukovic headed a Yugoslav delegation to the 3rd session of the joint Com mission on economic cooperation, that has ended recently.

During an hour-long meeting with Vukovic, State Council Member (vice- premier, 1998) Wu Yi reiterated the Chinese Government's support for the sov ereignty and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

Wu stressed that Kosovo-Metohija was an internal affair of Yugoslavia an d its republic of Serbia and that solutions must be sought through dialog ue, with respect for the equality of all people and ethnic communities, a nd without outside interference. She said she was sure that a settlement would be found on these principles, adding that China would continue to s upport Yugoslavia's efforts for a negotiated political settlement. She em phasised China's opposition to threats, foreign interference and use of f orce against Yugoslavia.

Wu thanked Yugoslavia for its support for the policy of a united China, with Taiwan as its inseparable part.

Vukovic and Wu exchanged views also on the social and economic trends in their respective countries.

Wu warmly thanked Yugoslavia for its generous aid, despite its own econo mic difficulties, for areas in China hit by recent floods.

[15] MONTENEGRO'S DJUKANOVIC MEETS WITH FRENCH MATTEOLI

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

Montenegrin President Milo Djukanovic met in Podgorica on Friday with a French delegation headed by Parliament official Jean Matteoli. Matteoli c hairs the French Parliament's Political and Social Council which rallies politicians and executives of influential companies and trade unions.

Djukanovic told the press that the meeting had in fact been a continuati on of talks started during his visit to Paris in April. He said he had in formed the delegation about the economic and social situation in Monteneg ro and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, pointing out that Yugoslavia w as still tightly isolated from the international community. He stressed t hat the talk had touched also on the possibility of setting up an economi c and social council in Montenegro, which could be a link for further pro moting cooperation between the Yugoslav republic of Montenegro and France..

Matteoli, for his part, expressed pleasure with the meeting and support for the setting up of such a Council.

[16] CERTAIN SECI PROJECTS CANNOT BE REALIZED WITHOUT YUGOSLAVIA

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

The realization of programs on the promotion of a transport network, pro tection and development of the Danube basin, and the rationalization of e lectric power systems in countries of the Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI, 1998) is practically inconceivable without Yugoslavia.

This is one of the key messages of the participants of an international conference devoted to possibilities for including Yugoslavia in that form of regional cooperation, which ended two-day work in Belgrade on Friday.

It was pointed out that Yugoslavia's geographic position indicated the n ecessity of its soonest possible inclusion in the SECI mechanisms and pro jects.

The conference, held at the initiative of the non-government association , the Yugoslav Council for SECI, and organized by the Economic Sciences I nstitute of Belgrade, rallied, in addition to Yugoslav, experts from nine SECI member-states.

In 27 reports, experts and participants said in debates that SECI opened possibilities for stepped up integration and development processes in th at part of Europe. SECI is accelerating these processes, especially since it is based on a project-business approach to economic cooperation of th e interested countries and companies, and also fits into the existing int egration programs under auspices of the European Union.

It was agreed that Yugoslavia had the necessary production, market, huma n and natural potential for such forms of regional linking.

The participants indicated the necessity for Yugoslavia's reintegration into the system of international markets and international institutions b ecause that would turn the negative economic trends in Yugoslavia and str engthen the market and import potential which is important for all countr ies in the region.

This would especially activate the production and market potentials of n ew states * former Yugoslav republics * since their mutual shipments and procurements of goods, before the crisis in former Yugoslavia, had accoun ted for almost half the gross domestic product.

[17] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION ATTENDS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN INDIA

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

An international conference on terrorism as a threat to the 21st century , organised by the New Delhi-based Institute for Strategic Studies and No n- Alignment, opened in the Indian capital on Friday. The conference is at tended by delegations from more than 30 countries, including the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

The Yugoslav delegation is headed by Major-General Dragan Ilic, who head s the crime department of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's interior mini stry.

The guest of honour at the conference was Indian Foreign Minister Mrs Va sundhara Raye who, in concert with the other speakers, stressed the need for taking firm action against terrorism, one of the worst evils plaguing the world today. Dangers coming from sponsoring terrorism, which some co untries are doing, were also pointed out.

Raye met briefly with the Yugoslav delegation, expressing pleasure at th eir participation in the conference.

[18] YUGOSLAV DELEGATION IN BELARUS

Tanjug, 1998-12-13

Federal Vice Prime Minister Danilo Vuksanovic visited on Sunday the memo rial complex Brestka Fort in the city of Brest, the Belarus Republic, to lay a wreath beneath the monument to the fighters against fascism and to visit the city's national museum.

Vuksanovic heads a delegation visiting this country on the occasion of t he Days of Yugoslav Culture in Belarus, held from Dec. 10-16.

After meeting with the Culture and Foreign Ministers and a dialogue at t he Belarus Parliament, the Yugoslav delegation will on Monday meet with t he Belarus Prime Minsiter and Vice Prime Minister and on Wednesday with P resident Alexander Lukashenko.

About 200 Yugoslav artists and performers arrived in Belarus to actively present our country's culture through classical and pop music concerts, exhibitions of books, paintings and sculptures and Yugoslav film screenin gs in 16 Belarus cities.

[19] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO MEXICAN PRESIDENT

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

Yugoslavia's newly-appointed Ambassador to Mexico Dusan Vasic has prese nted his credentials to Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo.

Vasic and Zedillo stressed the two countries' interest in stepping up al l- round cooperation.

Vasic conveyed Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's message to Zedill o and his sincere wishes for further development of friendly relations an d cooperation between the two countries and for Mexico's prosperity.

Zedillo thanked for Milosevic's message, asking Vasic to convey to the Y ugoslav President his sincere wishes for the Yugoslav peoples' prosperity and further development in peace and freedom. Zedillo voiced confidence that Yugoslavia would again play an important role in international relat ions.

[20] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES NEW AMBASSADOR OF UKRAINE

Tanjug, 1998-12-11

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received on Friday the newly-appoi nted Ambassador of Ukraine to Yugoslavia Vladimir Furkal, who delivered h is credentials.

The Ukrainian Ambassador expressed hope that he will contribute to the f urther successful building and to the strengthening of multifaceted bilat eral relations and cooperation between peoples and states, whose long-sta nding links, mutual solidarity and joint fate through history, confirmed their closeness and friendship.

Receiving the credentials, President Slobodan Milosevic said that the Fe deral Republic of Yugoslavia wants to develop with Ukraine substantive co operation in a number of fields of joint interest, for what the friendshi p of the two peoples, harmonious life of parts of the two peoples in both countries, a particularly the joint fight against fascism in World War T wo, are an impetus for mutual efforts in the realization of successful bi lateral links.

President Milosevic wished the Ambassador Furkal success and conveyed to President Kuchma cordial greetings and wishes for the further developmen t of Ukraine.

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