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Serbia Today 96-06-13Serbia Today Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>Serbia Today13 June 1996CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES CARL BILDTPresident of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic received yesterday high representative of the international community for Bosnia Carl Bildt. During the talks, views were exchanged about the present situation in the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, with a special emphasis of the implementation of the civilian and political aspects of the peace plan. The greatest attention was devoted to the preparation of the forthcoming elections and securing of the necessary conditions for normalization of life and reconstruction of the economy. The importance was underlined, in this respect, of synchronizing steps and activities of the international community in providing for a consistent respect of the obligations undertaken in the peace agreement. (Politika, June 13, 1996)[02] FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION OF THE BELGRADE, NOVI SAD AND NIS RAILWAY JUNCTIONThis summer the final phases are to start in the construction of the Belgrade, Novi Sad and Nis railway junctions. Representatives of the Serbian Railways and of the Traffic Institute CIP of Belgrade have informed about this yesterday President of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic. Realization of this large-scale project, which is to commence this summer, plans to construct the new main railway station (terminal) in Belgrade, technical and passenger stations in Karaburma and Kijevo in Belgrade and a freight station in Makis. This will create conditions for an intensive development of the city railways and will remove railway installations from the right-hand bank of Sava river. In this way, space will be made available in the Sava river amphitheater for the central part of Belgrade, and opportunities given for the major investment project of Belgrade on Sava river. At the same time, city of Belgrade, as one of the most important gates of Europe, will be successfully equipped for the international transit. In the construction of the modern railway structures and the appurtenant infrastructure, which are planned in these major construction ventures, the greatest part will be in the hands of local economy. (Politika, June 13, 1996)[03] CLOSE STANDS OF YUGOSLAVIA AND ZIMBABWE ABOUT MANY ISSUESPresident of the Republic of Zimbabwe Robert Gabriel Mugabe, arrived yesterday on a three-day official visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After the official welcoming ceremony, President Mugabe immediately had talks with the President of the FR of Yugoslavia Zoran Lilic. In his statement for the press, President Lilic said that an extremely high degree of agreement was reached and identical views expressed about many, and especially, international issues and about strengthening of bilateral cooperation. This visit is not only an expression and confirmation of friendship between the two countries, but it is "opening the door" to a significant strengthening of economic cooperation. Recalling the support which Zimbabwe has offered Yugoslavia by voting against the introduction of the UN sanctions against Yugoslavia, Lilic thanked President Mugabe for the principled policy of Harare. "We will never forget the friendship of your country during our liberation struggle", said President Mugabe. Journalist from Zimbabwe asked the two presidents whether Yugoslavia must again submit its application for the admission in the UN. "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was never excluded from the United Nations and it would not be logical for it to apply again for its admission", said Lilic. He underlined that after the signing of the peace agreements in Dayton and Paris, conditions have been created for a significant change in the attitude of the international community towards the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its policies. All conditions have been created for the return of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia not only to the UN but also to all the other institutions important for the economic development and prosperity. While supporting this stand, Mugabe said that there is neither any sense nor logic for the sanctions on the one hand to be suspended and at the same time to be still applied. (Politika, June 13, 1996)[04] DELEGATION OF BAVARIA IN THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIADeputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Slobodan Babic and ministers of industry, transport and communications and private entrepreneurship, Oskar Fodor, Svetolik Kostandinovic and Radoje Djukic, received political and economic delegation of the distinguished Bavarian businessmen and officials, headed by Mr. Hans Schpizner, Member of the Provincial Parliament and the Secretary of State of Bavaria for Economy, Transport and Technology. During the talks greatest attention was focused on the revival and promotion of economic cooperation between our firms and companies and firms in Bavaria. It was stated that the greatest possibilities for cooperation are to be found in the fields of energy, machine building, chemical industry, agriculture, transport, construction and tourism. Representatives of the Government have especially underlined that the important condition for promotion of economic and every other cooperation with the FR of Germany, and therefore, with Bavaria, is the return of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the World Trade Organization, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, with the 'most favored nation' status and that they are expecting full support of Bavaria and Germany. At the same time they have expressed the belief that in this phase it is necessary for the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany to make possible free disposition with the assets of all our banks which are located abroad and to make possible reprogramming of the obligations of the Yugoslav debtors towards the German banks. (Borba, June 13, 1996)[05] MUSLIMS REFUSE TO SIGN THE AGREEMENTDelegation of the Bosnian Muslim government has refused yesterday in Oslo to sign the Agreement on Reduction of Armament in former Yugoslavia, in respect of which an agreement in principle was reached after five months of negotiations in Vienna. The mediator in the negotiations, Norwegian General Vigleik Ejde, announced that the Muslim delegation demanded a re-wording of the sentence in the preamble of the document in which the Republic of Srpska is being treated as an equitable signatory side. According to the government in Sarajevo, such a stand would mean an introduction in the recognition of the statehood of the Serbian entity in Bosnia. Ejde has called the Muslim excuse for not signing of the document, a political manoeuvre, in view of the fact that the disputable part of the text is only taken from the Dayton Peace Agreement, which all the sides, including the Muslim one, have already signed. The view of the Yugoslav delegation, which was ready to sign the document, is that it is extremely important not to allow the negotiations to return to the beginning, because this would be disastrous not only for the negotiations about reduction of armament, but for the entirety of the peace process in the Balkans. (Borba, June 13, 1996)[06] CROAT MONUMENT TO A TERRORISTOver the past several years "Croat liberators" have destroyed several thousands of monuments and memorials to the anti-Fascist struggle from the past world war. Not one of them has been renewed, but they are still being demolished. At the same time, monuments are being erected to the Ustashi terrorists, who have spend years in many even foreign prisons because of their criminal activities. The latest such example is the construction of 'the memorial center' for the notorious Ustashi terrorist Miro Barisic who had killed at the time the Yugoslav ambassador in Sweden and was tried and condemned in that country. The construction of the monument to this Ustashi assassin is aided by the Croat Defense Ministry, whose Minister Gojko Susak accepted the sponsorship over the entire action. Monument is being erected in the village of Miranje, on the road Sibenik-Benkovac, where Barisic was killed in 1991 during the terrorist action against the then Yugoslav People's Army. (Vecernje novosti, June 13, 1996)Supplement to the News Briefs: WHAT EUROPE CAN GUARANTEE SERBS IN CROATIA What kind of guarantee is to be offered to Serbs in the Srem and Baranja Region by the international community and Croatia, so that after termination of the UN mission there would not be a repetition of what we have witnessed in earlier cases? This is the question which for some time now is the crucial one for the overall Serbian-Croat relations and on which depends the entire stability in the Region. How important the regulation of these relations is, was best expressed by the President of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic in his interview for the German weekly "Der Spiegel", by explicitly stating the mood for the relations along the line Belgrade-Zagreb to open a new chapter, with the respect of equality as the most important principle. At the same time, leaders of the European Union, Santer and Dini were of the view during their recent visit to the countries of former SFRY that "Belgrade is the closest to the European Union", with the statement that Croatia is fighting against the respect of many universal principles of the Union. Everything that has been happening in Croatia over the past few months is showing that Franjo Tudjman and his team are reluctant to renounce on the approach in the solution of crisis in which there are very few guarantees for Serbs. Best illustration in this respect is the recent event in the midst of the Croat capital when practically the session of the round table of the Croat Helsinki Board (HHO) was made impossible because it was to discuss the status of Serbs in Croatia. The failure of this talk with almost 300 invited guests, mainly Croat intellectuals, has confirmed the long ago created impression that not only the official government in Zagreb is against a different treatment of Serbs. Diversified Croat opposition has already shown that it agrees with the power when Serbs are in question, and after the failed session of the Croat Helsinki Board, it seems that majority of intellectuals has joined in. Under such circumstances, the request for autonomy of Serbs in the Srem and Baranja Region appears as the consequence of a natural instinct for self-preservation. This would be the optimum model which would satisfy all the valid principles and preserve the authority of the peace mediators and of the world organization. Although in a good part of Croat public there are attempts for this form of Serbian diplomatic struggle to be presented as yet another "trick of Belgrade", it seems that in the authoritative political centers of Europe the awareness is growing about the necessity for a more efficient protection of Serbs. While announcing that the mandate of the transition administration for the Srem and Baranja Region will certainly be extended and that the de-militarization will be completed by June 21, 1996, UN High Administrator Jacques Klein underlined: "I think that they (Croatia) do not have a clear option about what to do after the completion of the UN mission in this Region". He rejected at the same time amy possibility of a forcible solution of these questions. The good will for the crucial question of the Serbian-Croat relations to be solved peacefully through agreement and with mutual respect is witness also by what is happening on the ground. Local Serbian authorities are cooperating with the representatives of the UNTS, they are giving their full support to the establishment of suspended communications with Croatia and are completing the project of autonomy. This project will be presented to several relevant European addresses, one of the first among them being the leadership of the European Union and the chief of the German diplomacy who has himself after a long time, tabled the question of the autonomy of Serbs. For Serbs in this Region the question of autonomy as the most optimum guarantee for a safe and equitable life, is of extreme importance. For European and world mediators in returning peace to these areas it is becoming an indicator of the overall authority of the international community and of its capability to secure for Serbs in Croatia a minimum of human rights. When we add here all the efforts made by the world peace-makers in convincing Croatia to create conditions for the return of exiled Serbs from Krajina and Western Slavonia, then the picture of the overall Serbian-Croat relations becomes more complete. Therefore, every move is to be welcomed leading in the direction of their full normalization and of establishment of long- term stability even after the departure of the international mediators. The local authorities in Vukovar are showing every day their good will, Belgrade is doing this continuously, concordant with the role which it has in this process. In the person of Jacques Klein, the international community has also started doing this. The next move is up to Zagreb, or up to those who could convince it to respect the EU principles and human rights of Serbs in Croatia. (Politika, June 13, 1996) Serbia Today Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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