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Serbia Today, 97-03-04
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS IN ALL THE SPHERES
[02] LIST OF SERBIAN 'WAR CRIMINALS' IN SREM AND BARANJA REGION - A SHAME
ON CROATIA
[03] THE RIGHT WELL WON
[04] OPPORTUNITIES FOR A MUCH RICHER COOPERATION
[05] THE AGREEMENT ON RETURN
[06] THE FIRST YUGOSLAV JOINT VENTURE IN CHINA STARTS OPERATION
[07] THE LAW ON PRIVATIZATION - BY THE END OF THE MONTH
[08] IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIAL LAW
[01] DEVELOPMENT OF RELATIONS IN ALL THE SPHERES
Minister of Information of the Republic of Serbia, Mrs. Radmila
Milentijevic, received yesterday the Ambassador of the Russian Federation,
H.E. Jury Kotov. During the talks, the importance was emphasized of the
development of the relations between the two countries in all the spheres,
and especially in the field of information, in order to change through
facts, the false image of Serbia. Ambassador Kotov underlined that in the
Russian Federation there is an absolute political consensus on the support
for the return of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to all the
international organizations and institutions, especially the financial
ones. Minister Milentijevic pointed out that our side is expecting the
support of Russia in the international organizations in the implementation
of the Dayton Accords and in the realization of the interests of the
Serbian side in the Srem and Baranja Region.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-04 ; Politika, 1997-03-04
[02] LIST OF SERBIAN 'WAR CRIMINALS' IN SREM AND BARANJA REGION - A SHAME
ON CROATIA
While commenting on the list, still confidential, with the names of 175
persons who are exempt from the provisions of the new law on general
amnesty (the list in its original version contained 1,100 Serbs), Vojislav
Stanimirovic, President of the Executive Council of the Srem and Baranja
Region said the following: "It is a good idea not to publish for the wide
public the list of Serbian war criminals. After having seen the list I can
say that this list is a real shame for the Croat Ministry of Justice. It is
not a question here of a number of names. In the list there is no trace of
those persons who are the possible perpetrators of the war crimes. This
list, however, is a list of ordinary people, among them even two already
deceased and one woman above the age of 70. Publishing of this list would
be a real catastrophe for Croatia. It seems that someone realized that
because in the meantime the heading of the Ministry was deleted from the
list. But the names of persons have remained on the list, and for those
persons I declare under full responsibility that they have nothing to do
with the crimes. I know that the Croat public thinks that the list of 175
names is a small one. But Germany after World War Two had 40 persons
indicted for war crimes", Stanimirovic added. While speaking of the
extremists on the Croat side who are "constantly waving red cloth and
trying to intimidate Serbs in this Region", Stanimirovic said that
"Tomislav Mercep and Branimir Glavas in their statements and public
appearances on television are sending messages which can not be
understood". "They are digressing from the general policy conducted
officially by Croatia, but this is not a part of politics. Their
appearances are very harmful. What does it mean when Glavas says that he
will come here with a bulldozer and erase the cemetery with the Serbian
Vukovar victims, the cemetery which has a symbolic value here. If we are to
resolve things with bulldozers, then it is the end", warns Stanimirovic.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-04 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-03-04
[03] THE RIGHT WELL WON
The opportunity for signing such an agreement on special parallel links
with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is only one in a row of rights for
which we were fighting before Dayton and during the Dayton negotiations.
This is really a very important document which gives us the basis for
passing of a number of agreements, so that Serbian people on both sides of
Drina river can be completely linked. This was stated by Momcilo Krajisnik,
member of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina from the Republic of Srpska,
while addressing the citizens of the Republic of Srpska. The signed
document gives us the right to all the links which we have established -
from the payment transfers, monetary and customs union, up to the dual
citizenship, economic, cultural, educational and military cooperation, said
Krajisnik. He explained signing of the agreement just in this particular
moment as being the best time, because the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina
has signed many similar documents - on a confederal relationship with the
Republic of Croatia, and similar agreements with Turkey, Pakistan and Iran
even in the most delicate of segments. "We did not introduce into this
agreement anything that Croats and Muslims have not already introduced and
prescribed in their own. Why would, then, this our agreement be a
destruction of Bosnia and why such an agreement which they have already
signed with Croatia did not destroy Bosnia?" Republic of Srpska in the
economic sense does not wish to remain isolated, said Krajisnik and added
that in the Presidency he will propose to the other members - Zubak and
Izetbegovic - for everything that was signed in the agreement and pertains
to the economic relations, to be also used by the Federation. According to
Krajisnik, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has given its approval for
that. "We wish to renew economic links destroyed in the war whirlwinds. A
different thing are the emotional, national and cultural ties which we only
wish to build with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and no one has
anything against and should not have any objections for Serbs from one and
the other side to wish and link themselves and to be one single national
corps without any line to separate it", said Krajisnik.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-04 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-03-04
[04] OPPORTUNITIES FOR A MUCH RICHER COOPERATION
The Agreement on special links between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
and the Republic of Srpska will contribute towards improvement of the
economic cooperation between enterprises on both sides, to the faster
economic development of all, and to a more efficient joint venture on the
world market. This was stated by the businessmen interviewed in the Tanjug
survey. Director general of the business system "Grmec" and President of
the Assembly of the Chamber of Economy of Serbia Rajko Uncanin, stated that
"Grmec" has already established several of its enterprises in Banja Luka,
Prijedor, Bijeljina, Modrica and Visegrad, and added that, in case
favorable conditions for earning are created, there will be "a purchase" of
a large number of companies from the Republic of Srpska. Director general
of "Minel" Milosav Filipovic stated that business dealings with the
enterprises in the Republic of Srpska from now on will be considerably
simpler and easier, without excessive administration, which was earlier a
part of every business arrangement. He pointed out that "Minel" is
especially interested in promoting cooperation with the electricity
administration of the Republic of Srpska. Director of the Kragujevac
factory "Iveko-Zastava" Jeftimir Cvetkovic announced the possibility for
the growth of production in this factory for 20 percent until the end of
this year in comparison with the year 1996, if as he said, "the agreement
makes possible a free, and customs duties exempt circulation of goods".
Director general of "Ikarbus" Stanisalv Glumac underlined that they are
"intensively working on the establishment of business links with the
enterprises in the Republic of Srpska", stating that after signing of the
agreement, "the doors are open" for full cooperation in all the fields of
industry. Deputy director general of "Industrija motora - Rakovica" (IMR -
"Machine Industry Rakovica") Dr. Predrag Petrovic pointed out that
enterprises and most of all individual farmers from Posavina (Sava river
valley) were traditionally good clients of IMR tractors of smaller power
and announced the possibility of better sales of these products in the
entire Republic of Srpska. While speaking of the plans of "Prva petoletka"
of Trstenik, deputy director general for market and program development
Ivan Panic underlined that in the territory of the Republic of Srpska this
company will soon open a certain number of branch offices and enterprises.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-04 ; Tanjug, 1997-03-04
[05] THE AGREEMENT ON RETURN
Committee for the protection of rights and interests of displaced persons
and the return to the homeland reported that it has submitted a proposal to
the Federal Government for a more comprehensive solution of the problems of
refugees and misplaced persons in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The
Committee is of the view that the Government should accelerate the
activities in the implementation of the Agreement on the normalization of
the relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia, and
that during their next meeting ministers of foreign affairs of the two
countries should sign concrete agreements on a safe and free return, on the
compensation or return of property, on invalid and health care insurance
and payment of retirement pensions for over 30,000 retired persons from
Croatia who are now located in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The
Committee is striving at the state level for concrete plans to be drafted
for the reintegration of refugees and exiled persons and for the priority
to be given to the solution of status of invalids and persons injured and
families of those killed in the war in former Yugoslavia.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-04 ; Borba, 1997-03-04
[06] THE FIRST YUGOSLAV JOINT VENTURE IN CHINA STARTS OPERATION
In Harbin, the capital city of the northern Chinese province of Heilondjian,
the official registration took place and the production started of the
first Chinese-Yugoslav joint venture enterprise for production of semi-
trailers, established by "Gosa" and the Chinese factory from Harbin. "GOSA"
Holding Corporation from Smederevska Palanka was the first among several
Yugoslav firms, to establish a joint venture with the Chinese partners and
to start the production. For production of trailers "GOSA" has provided the
technology and the key equipment, and the Chinese partner has given
production halls and the manpower.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-04 ; Borba, 1997-03-04
[07] THE LAW ON PRIVATIZATION - BY THE END OF THE MONTH
During the talks with the Vranje businessmen about the situation in the
Yugoslav economy, Minister Coordinator in the Government of the Republic of
Serbia Dragan Tomic, underlined that the key for revival of the industrial
capacities in the increase of exports. "Although the sanctions are
suspended, foreigners were informed that it is not a good idea to enter
into business deals with us, especially not to invest in our economy.
Therefore, we are expecting to hear some new reasons for the obstruction of
the cooperation with our country", said Minister Tomic. For this reason the
Government decided to draft a program which will make possible further
growth of production and exports and to restructure the banking system. One
part of the economic strategy in the forthcoming period will be
actualization of the question of privatization. "Government will submit to
the Assembly of Serbia already by the end of this month, the law on
privatization. Certainly, one of the models which will be offered in the
new legal solutions should be selected", announced Minister Tomic.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-04 ; Politika, 1997-03-04
[08] IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIAL LAW
Initiative of President Slobodan Milosevic for the promulgation of the
special law on the basis of which the temporary results of the municipal
elections of November 17th were proclaimed as final - was received in the
Geneva United Nations Center for Human Rights "as a very important one".
This is stated in the monthly report by the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights. In the report which is to be discussed at the forthcoming annual
session of the Commission, it is recalled that President Milosevic
explained the adoption of the law by the desire "to rectify the relations
with the international community, and especially with the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe". Together with the statement that the
municipal and city assemblies have already been constituted in which the
coalition "Zajedno" ("Together") has won a victory at the elections, in the
report it is also stated that now "the attention is being focused on the
freedom of expression and of the media". The new Minister of Information in
the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Mrs. Radmila Milentijevic, at the
very beginning of her term of office stated that a new republican law on
information will be passed soon. This is stated in the report, as well as
the information that the Government of Serbia "has already permitted the
small local television channels and radio stations to operate independently,
or to operate under the control of the opposition in places where it has
won the majority of votes". In the part of the report pertaining to Kosovo
it is stated that "contrary to the situation in the other parts of Serbia",
the state of facts there "offers many reasons for profound concern", and it
is further specified that the main cause of this is terrorism of the
Albanian separatists. It is noticeable that in this report there are
significantly different qualifications about the respect of human rights in
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in Croatia or in Bosnia. While for the
situation in Serbia, with the exception of Kosovo, it is stated that it is
not offering cause for concern, Croatia is being strongly accused of the
violation of human rights, most of all of Serbs, while Croats in Bosnia-
Herzegovina are being accused for the drastic deterioration of the
situation in Mostar.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-04 ; Tanjug, 1997-03-04
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