OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 97, 19 May 1995

From: "Steve Iatrou" <siatrou@cdsp.neu.edu>

CONTENTS

  • [01] IS MILOSEVIC PLANNING TO RECOGNIZE BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA?

  • [02] BOSNIAN UPDATE.

  • [03] REFUGEES FROM SLAVONIA TO BE SETTLED IN KOSOVO.

  • [04] COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION IN MACEDONIA.

  • [05] SIGNING OF BULGARIAN-RUSSIAN AGREEMENTS POSTPONED.

  • [06] G-24 MEETING ON ALBANIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.

  • [07] DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE TO SOLVE GREEK-TURKISH RIFT WITHIN NATO.

    •

    OMRI DAILY DIGEST

    No. 97, Part II, 19 May 1995

    SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

    [01] IS MILOSEVIC PLANNING TO RECOGNIZE BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA?

    Politika on 19 Mayreports that Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic has signaled to U.S. envoy Robert Frasure that the rump Yugoslavia may be prepared to extend recognition to Bosnia-Herzegovian. According to the daily, the two have met to discuss the details of such a move. Nasa Borba quoted Lord Owen as saying in an interview with the BBC the previous day that recognition on Milosevic's part would constitute "a momentous step" in halting hostilities in the war-torn country. Meanwhile, ultranationalists within Serbia are said to be furious by the reports. Nasa Borba on 19 May noted that the Serbian Radical Party, led by ultranationalist and accused war criminal Vojislav Seselj, is planning to hold protest meetings on 17 June to show that the Serbian people [will not] tolerate sell-outs." Vladimir Lazarevic, a member of the New Democracy party, which is supportive of Milosevic's Socialists in the Serbian legislature, is quoted by Nasa Borba as saying that recognition of Bosnia-Herzegovina would be "acceptable." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [02] BOSNIAN UPDATE.

    International media say that fighting in Sarajevo was lighter on 18 May than on the previous two days. Only sporadic shelling was reported, following intense clashes during the previous 48 hours. Meanwhile, Hasan Muratovic, a Bosnian government minister without portfolio, said at a conference in Morocco on 18 May that the arms embargo against his country should be lifted as a means of bringing the Serbian side to the negotiating table. "We need a big success on the battlefield to bring the Serbs to discussions," he said. Nasa Borba on 19 May reported that General Rasim Delic, commander of the Bosnian Muslim army, has said his troops are ready to liberate Bosnia. Finally, Reuters on 18 May, citing UN sources, reported that some 155,000 residents of Bosnia's western Bihac pocket face real prospects of starvation unless "its rebel Serb and Muslim besiegers stop blocking relief convoys to the enclave soon." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [03] REFUGEES FROM SLAVONIA TO BE SETTLED IN KOSOVO.

    The Serbian administration of Kosovo is preparing to settle thousands of Serbian refugees from other former Yugoslav republics, Kosova Daily Report said on 17 May. About 10,000 Serbian refugees from western Slavonia are expected to arrive in Kosovo soon. They will initially be housed in hotels, hostels, and tourists resorts until permanent accommodation is found. Humanitarian organizations, including the UN High Commission for Refugees, will reportedly cater for their food needs. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.

    [04] COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION IN MACEDONIA.

    A delegation from the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly arrived in Macedonia for a two-day visit on 18 May, Flaka reported the following day. The delegation met with parliament chairman Stojan Andov to discuss economic developments in Macedonia. Meetings are also scheduled with President Kiro Gligorov, Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, representatives of various political parties, members of the Ethnic Relations Council, non-governmental organizations, and religious communities. The delegation also plans to meet with the rector of Skopje University to discuss higher education in Albanian. Meanwhile, the university's Faculty of Drama has decided to launch acting courses in Albanian and Turkish beginning this fall. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.

    [05] SIGNING OF BULGARIAN-RUSSIAN AGREEMENTS POSTPONED.

    Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Kiril Tsochev on 17 May announced that two agreements between Russia and Bulgaria will not be signed during Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin's visit to Sofia on 18-19 May, Reuters reported the same day. He said that the two countries are ready to sign an agreement on nuclear fuel but that there are objections from Ukraine and Moldova, which are concerned about the safety of nuclear fuel transports via their territory. The second agreement is on preferentially priced natural gas deliveries from Russia to Bulgaria. The present agreement expires in 1997, and experts from both countries have been unable so far to reach agreement on new prices. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    [06] G-24 MEETING ON ALBANIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.

    A G-24 meeting on infrastructure investment in Albania was held on 17 May in Brussels, the European Commission reported the following day. The Albanian delegation was led by Minister for Construction and Tourism Dashnor Shehi. The meeting was also attended by officials from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Turkey, the United States, and representatives of the IMF, the World Bank, and the EBRD. Discussions focused on implementing the public investment program adopted by Albania in 1994 and on the external assistance required for its implementation. The participants reviewed projects submitted by the Albanian government for possible external financing. These projects were in the transport, energy, telecommunications, and water supply sectors. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.

    [07] DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVE TO SOLVE GREEK-TURKISH RIFT WITHIN NATO.

    NATO Secretary-General Willy Claes, announced that a diplomatic effort will be undertaken to resolve differences between Greece and Turkey before a meeting of defense ministers in June, international news agencies reported on 18 May. Speaking in Ankara following talks with Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Ciller, Claes said a NATO delegation would shuttle between Ankara and Athens to find a solution to disputes over budget matters and the stationing of a rapid deployment force in the region. The row has resulted in Turkey's blocking of NATO's military budget and the forestalling of a 1992 decision to establish two new military bases in the region. -- Lowell Bezanis, OMRI, Inc.

    This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research Institute, a Prague-based nonprofit organization.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute
    news2html v2.09a run on Friday, 19 May 1995 - 19:17:09