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Serbia Today, 97-03-18
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] CROATIA DOES NOT WISH TO BE IN THE BALKANS
[02] ARMAMENT GOES TO KOSOVO
[03] MIXED MARRIAGE - AN EVIL THING
[04] SILAJDZIC'S REASONING
[05] HONORS FOR CRIMINALS
[06] TUDJMAN DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE FRONTIERS
[07] NEGOTIATIONS ON THE COUNCIL OF SERBIAN MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT TO BE
COMPLETED
[08] DIALOGUE ON ALL ASPECTS OF COOPERATION BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND FRANCE
[09] IN APRIL A PUBLIC TENDER FOR ALLOCATION OF RADIO AND TV FREQUENCIES
[10] DECLARATION ADOPTED ON THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND THE
REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
[11] THREE YEARS OF RULE OF NATIONAL UNITY
[12] REFORMS - A CONDITION FOR PROGRESS
[01] CROATIA DOES NOT WISH TO BE IN THE BALKANS
Croat President Franjo Tudjman yesterday again rejected the possibility of
participation of Croatia in the integration of the countries of the broader
region. In his talks with the representatives of the Bavarian government
Tudjman called such initiatives as absurd, because Croatia, as he said
"historically, culturally and civilizationally does not belong to the
Balkans". President of Croatia with this statement for the second time in
only one month, officially opposed the initiatives of the United States and
European Union for linking of the countries of the Southeastern Europe.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-03-18
[02] ARMAMENT GOES TO KOSOVO
Albanians from Kosovo are amply profiting from the anarchy in Albania to
purchase large quantities of arms and ammunition from the plundered
storages of the Albanian Army. British reporters from the region are
reporting that it is a question of a large plundering of military material,
which is threatening "to light new fires in the neighborhood of Albania".
According to the report in yesterday's London "Times", in Drache in the
south of Albania, Albanians from Kosovo were seen purchasing for three
hundred US dollars over a dozen automatic riffles and a full truck of
ammunition. "There is no doubt that the Liberation Army of Kosovo will be
able to transport these armaments through the mountain routes into the
valley of the Crni Drim (Black Drim) river valley, in order to arm its
growing guerilla movement in Kosovo", writes the newspaper.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-03-18
[03] MIXED MARRIAGE - AN EVIL THING
The leader of the Islamic community in Bosnia-Herzegovina Rais al Ulema
Mustafa Ceric stated yesterday that he has the obligation to promote
Islamic values with all the members of this faith, and even with those who
are the government employees. In his interview published by the "Feral
Tribune", Ceric says that no faith in the world is promoting mixed
marriages. According to him, Islam is allowing the right of a Muslim to
marry a Christian or a Jewish woman provided the children are raised and
educated according to Islam, but Muslim women are not allowed to marry non-
Muslims. The leader of the Islamic community has once again confirmed what
everyone can see - that in Bosnia-Herzegovina there is at work a general
and exclusive islamization of all the segments of society and life.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-03-18
[04] SILAJDZIC'S REASONING
The co-chairman of the Government of the Bosnian Union, Haris Silajdzic
stated at the Sarajevo Muslim Television while commenting on the Agreement
between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Srpska about
parallel relations, that the office of Carl Bildt has the duty to suspend
this agreement. As the main argument for this he is stating the fact that
between the FR of Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina the inter-governmental
and the diplomatic relations have not yet been established, and that
therefore the Republic of Srpska has no right to any agreements. According
to Silajdzic, Republic of Srpska probably only has the right to watch
passively how the Muslim Sarajevo Government is establishing numerous
relations with various states of the world, and especially with its Islamic
'brothers' from all over the globe. Muslim government in this has neglected
the provisions of the Dayton Accords, even in the part of balance in the
armament of the entities. Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina has long ago
violated this balance by receiving, further to supplies through 'the
regular'channels, also the military and combat shipments through the
illicit channels from the Islamic world. Only half an hour before the
Silajdzic's opposition to the agreement between the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and the Republic of Srpska, Muslim Television of Bosnia-
Herzegovina with elation spoke of the visit of Alija Izetbegovic to Saudi
Arabia, without missing in a specific way of presenting this visit as a
warning to Serbs at the time of ratification of the Agreement on Special
Parallel Relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Izetbegovic
clearly stated for his hosts in Saudi Arabia what his government needs. It
is not hard to imagine what the Islamic world is expecting in return from
Izetbegovic, which is in part testified by the fact that the mujjahedins,
foreign mercenaries, are still plundering around the Federation. For
Izetbegovic, Silajdzic and all of their followers, it would be desirable
for Serbs to remain isolated from the rest of the entire world and even
from their own motherland.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-03-18
[05] HONORS FOR CRIMINALS
Citizens of the Srem and Baranja Region are acquainted with the list of
members of the Croat armed formations, but also civilians, for whom there
is evidence that in the year 1991 they have committed war crimes against
Serbs in Vukovar, Borovo Naselje, Sarvas and the nearby villages. The
International Tribunal in The Hague however is turning a deaf ear and a
blind eye to these evidence. Instead of being brought to justice and the
bench of the accused, these criminals are today as heroes strolling around
the Republic of Croatia and are enjoying all the privileges, benefits and
many medals with which they were decorated by President Tudjman for
"services and merits" rendered during the war. The list of Croat war
criminals was compiled on the basis of proof and evidence material gathered
by the Information Center of the All Serbian Alliance in Belgrade, headed
by Prof.Dr. Vojin Dabic. Not a single court of law in Croatia has so far
either tried or convicted any Croat criminal of war. And neither has the
Tribunal in The Hague filed indictments against the criminals who were
slaughtering and killing Serbs in Croatia, although it is well known to the
international community that against Serbs, and not only in Vukovar and its
vicinity, many terrible crimes have been committed.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-03-18
[06] TUDJMAN DOES NOT RECOGNIZE THE FRONTIERS
Visit of the President of Croatia to western Mostar several days ago has
shown once again that Tudjman is regarding the frontiers between Croatia
and Western Herzegovina as non-existent, writes Sarajevo daily
"Oslobodjenje". In the commentary entitled "Tudjman's Herzegovina" the
newspaper writes that "it is without a precedent in the world the ease with
which the President of one state is behaving in another, which is being
repeated with every Tudjman's visit to Western Herzegovina". He also stated
this time again that Herzegovina is one of the pillars of the entire Croat
identity and mentioned great merits of Herzegovian people for the creation
of the Croat state, but also in the fight against radicals, which is an
obvious allusion to the Muslims, comments the newspaper. According to the
"Oslobodjenje" newspaper commentator, there is also an indicative
qualification by Tudjman of the forthcoming Pope's visit to Sarajevo, which
he designated as "the visit to the Croat Catholic people".
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-03-18
[07] NEGOTIATIONS ON THE COUNCIL OF SERBIAN MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT TO BE
COMPLETED
The UN transitional administrator of Eastern Slavonia Jacques Klein stated
that the agreement is about to be reached on the integration of the future
joint council of Serbian municipalities in this Region, which were not
specified in the Erdut Agreement. Klein underlined that there are different
views about the competencies of the future council, but he stated his
opinion that the council should be established by law, having its
committees for finance, for recruiting and for other matters, and with the
possibilities in Zagreb and in the Croat Parliament (Sabor) to 'lobby' for
the interests of Serbs in the Region. "In the draft agreement we have
stated that their representatives will have regular access to the President
of the Republic of Croatia at least four times per year", said Klein.
Regarding the other basic reason for Serbs to take part at the forthcoming
elections, i.e. the request for the international observer mission to
continue in the Region even after the departure of the UNTAES on January
15th next year, Klein said that intensive work is being done to that
effect. It is not a question any more whether O.S.C.E. will establish an
observer mission after the departure of the UNTAES, but only of how to do
it, said Klein and recalled that he had already requested from the O.S.C.E.
to send to the Region at least 200 observers and that he had provided the
budget for the entire next year.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Borba, 1997-03-18
[08] DIALOGUE ON ALL ASPECTS OF COOPERATION BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND FRANCE
French Foreign Minister Herve de Charrette and the Federal Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Milan Milutinovic
conducted yesterday in Paris official talks about all the aspects of
cooperation between the two states in traditionally good relations, on the
possibilities for their further promotion through various forms of
cooperation, especially in the sphere of economy and the relations between
Yugoslavia and the European union. "I can state with pleasure that we have
agreed to continue and intensify the dialogue between government
representatives, between parliaments, businessmen, their associations,
representatives of culture, education and science, in which fields we have
even until now achieved certain results", said Minister Milutinovic after
the official talks were adjourned. "It is our clear stand after the present
talks that France is respecting Yugoslavia as an important political and
economic partner in bilateral relations and a factor which is having a
central role in the realization of all the plans of regional linking and
cooperation", underlined Milutinovic.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Borba, 1997-03-18
[09] IN APRIL A PUBLIC TENDER FOR ALLOCATION OF RADIO AND TV FREQUENCIES
"We will propose for the beginning of April this year to have a public
tender for the allocation of radio and TV frequencies and after that, on
the basis of the submitted applications, we shall give the opinion which
radio and TV stations are complying with the conditions prescribed by the
federal law on frequencies", stated yesterday Minister of Information
Prof.Dr. Radmila Milentijevic at the press conference held in the
Government of the Republic of Serbia. Minister Milentijevic underlined that
the Government of Serbia will undertake measures which will introduce more
order in the utilization of frequencies. "At the moment in Serbia there are
over 180 radio stations and even as much as 70 television channels
broadcasting their programs without work permits", said Minister
Milentijevic and added that each particular application will be examined in
detail and that three basic conditions will have to be fulfilled for
obtaining the permit - technical, financial and program ones. According to
the Republican Minister for Transport and Communications, Dr. Svetolik
Kostandinovic, in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia there is a single
system of communications but permits for construction of links in their
territories are issued by the republican authorities, even at the local
level of municipalities. In order to obtain a work permit, it is necessary
to fulfil all the requirements specified in the Law on Frequencies.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Politika, 1997-03-18
[10] DECLARATION ADOPTED ON THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND THE
REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
Deputies of the Assembly of Serbia at their yesterday's session passed the
Declaration on the Agreement between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and
the Republic of Srpska, as a kind of a general act underlining the
importance and supporting the Agreement, and which expresses the hope that
the Federal Assembly will ratify it through its law. Declaration is
formally guarantying the framework for broadening and enriching Serbian-
Serbian relations and intensifying of the links between all the citizens of
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and one of the two equitable entities of
Bosnia-Herzegovina - the Republic of Srpska, and is securing the political
stability in the Balkans and in Europe. This was stated on behalf of the
those proposing the Declaration, by the Deputy Prime Minister of the
Republic of Serbia Ratko Markovic. The Agreement means establishing of
direct links between the two parts of the same people and thus elimination
of the administrative barriers and deletion of obstacles to the natural
process of linkage between one and the same people. It is a great impetus
to the spiritual unification of the Serbian people and to erasing from its
mind river Drina as a symbol and a metaphor of divisions. This will
eliminate also the remnants of separation walls which the outside world, as
a form of sanction, had imposed on us and made them a condition for
survival of our state . The Agreement can not be a matter of concern of
anyone, it is not at a detriment of neither one of the contractual parties
nor of the third ones, but is for the general well-being of all, underlined
Deputy Prime Minister Markovic.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Politika, 1997-03-18
[11] THREE YEARS OF RULE OF NATIONAL UNITY
Yesterday three years have elapsed since the Government of national unity
of the Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic took over its duties. Among the
important results which the Government has achieved most of all to be
mentioned are termination of hyper-inflation, recovery of the monetary
system and regained confidence in the local currency the dinar. In a strong
fight for an economic recovery of the country, the main tasks of
Marjanovic's Government were the realization of the program of social
protection of the most vulnerable parts of population, preservation of
production capacities, creation of the rule of law and of a democratic
state. For purpose of calming down of growth of prices and abuses of the
monopoly position, Government has passed a number of intervention measures.
Marjanovic's Government succeeded, as the first government of Serbia after
World War Two, in completing its three years without a budgetary deficit.
In this three-year period the social product has grown, for the first time
after a decade of stagnation and a dramatic fall, the fall of industrial
production from the period 1993-1993 was also stopped, in order to grow
last year for eight percent. It is necessary especially to emphasize that
all these results the Government has achieved without any support from
abroad.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-03-18
[12] REFORMS - A CONDITION FOR PROGRESS
Government of Serbia will abide with the consistent implementation of the
commenced reforms, which are a key condition for an accelerated economic
recovery and economic development of the country over the forthcoming
period. This was underlined in yesterday's talks between President of the
Republic Slobodan Milosevic and the Government of the Republic of Serbia,
headed by the Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic, at the end of a three-year
successful period since the Government has taken the mandate. President
Milosevic pointed out especially at the expectations that the Government in
this year will offer with its measures and activities a decisive impetus to
the implementation of the commenced reforms in which undoubtedly the most
outstanding are the ownership and structural transformations. "Today
conditions are more favorable for a successful implementation of the
initiated reforms", said President Milosevic, "because they are taking
place in the conditions of growth both of industrial and agricultural
production, and the real financing of the public expenditures". While
pointing out also at the great importance of the campaign which the
Government is conducting for purpose of fighting crime, terminating
smuggling and eliminating shadow economy, as well as all the other unlawful
phenomena, President Milosevic expressed his expectations that the results
of these actions will eliminate the cases of illegal business operations
from the times of sanctions and an environment of war, the times which are
now behind us.
Serbia Today, 1997-03-18 ; Politika, 1997-03-18
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