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Serbia Today, 97-04-17
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] SYSTEMIC FRAMEWORK FOR THE INITIATED ECONOMIC REFORMS
[02] THE NEW YORK TIMES ON THE REAPPEARING GHOSTS OF USTASHIS IN CROATIA
[03] STABLE PRICES AND GROWTH OF PRODUCTION
[04] BELGRADE - FACTOR OF STABILITY IN THE BALKANS
[05] SOLUTION MUST BE FOUND FOR 700,000 REFUGEES IN YUGOSLAVIA
[06] THE HAGUE PROPOSES THE ARREST OF THE CROAT DEFENSE MINISTER
[07] CROATIA AGAINST A FAST RETURN OF SERBS
[08] UNOFFICIAL ELECTORAL RESULTS IN THE SREM AND BARANJA REGION
[01] SYSTEMIC FRAMEWORK FOR THE INITIATED ECONOMIC REFORMS
At the public debate on the draft version of the Law on Ownership
Transformation, organized by the Independent Trade Unions of Belgrade, the
Republican Minister for Ownership and Economic Transformation Milan Beko
pointed out that this Law makes it possible for all those, who have for
years been creating the national wealth, contained in the state and social
capital, to take their share in its ownership. "Furthermore", Minister Beko
said, "by passing of this Law, a systemic framework is being created for
the reforms of our economy which have already been initiated, to take
place". While speaking of the basic principles and models of transformation
of enterprises, Beko underlined that an enterprise passing the decision on
its transformation must inform the trade unions of the program of
transformation. The evaluation of the capital of the enterprise entering
the transformation phase is mandatory, and may be done either by the
enterprise itself or by the specialized firm which is so authorized by the
Ministry, while the verification of such evaluation is done by the
Directorate which is the component part of the Ministry. Republican
Government is also preparing a social program which is to alleviate the
solution of eventual problems.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-17 ; Politika, 1997-04-17
[02] THE NEW YORK TIMES ON THE REAPPEARING GHOSTS OF USTASHIS IN CROATIA
The renown daily newspaper "The New York Times" from the pen of one of its
best columnists, A.M. Rosenthal, published a commentary under the title
"Return From the Grave", which is one of the fiercest attacks on the
authorities in Zagreb, Franjo Tudjman, but also on the West, which has
allowed in Croatia the resurgence of phantoms of one of the most obscure
ideologies of the contemporary world - Fascism. The article published this
Tuesday, starts with the recollection that "during World War Two Hitler
never had so eager executioners and fervent allies as the Fascists from
Croatia". "And here they are, coming back 50 years later, from what should
have been their eternal grave - the defeat of Nazi Germany", writes
Rosenthal. He further recalls that Hitler awarded Croat Fascists by giving
them their independent state. "And, in return, they did not fail him.
Ustashis slaughtered Serbs, Jews and Croat anti-Fascists with such joy and
cruelty that their name became the symbol of terror throughout Europe".
Rosethal recalls for the American public many historical facts - from the
perdition of Serbs during World War Two up to the period of disintegration
of former Yugoslavia, and states that the West did create this Croatia, by
recognizing the right to the Croat nationalists headed by Franjo Tudjman,
the right to secession from Yugoslavia. For Franjo Tudjman, the newspaper
underlines that he gave just what the Ustashi needed - the right to exist
and the right to re-tailor history. "Franjo Tudjman is now ours and the
West can not escape from its responsibility because of the resurgence of
Fascism in Croatia", reads the article, in which, for the first time until
now, in an open way there is a warning about the enormous danger from the
reappearance of the phantoms of Ustashis in Croatia and an inadmissible
tolerance of the West towards such a policy of Zagreb.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-17 ; Borba, 1997-04-17
[03] STABLE PRICES AND GROWTH OF PRODUCTION
During the first three months of this year, in comparison with the same
period last year and even the previous years, the stability of prices was
achieved, which is rarely happening on our market, stated Milovan Zivkovic,
M.A., director of the Federal Institute for Statistics. The growth rates of
retail prices of 1.4 percent in January, 0.8 percent in February and 1
percent in March are pointing out that prices are calm, and it is expected
that such trends will continue in the forthcoming months, states Zivkovic.
According to the estimates of the statistical experts, the year 1997 should
end with an inflation rate of some 15 percent at the annual level. In this
quarter there is also a gradual recovery of production and a slight growing
trend in respect to the same period last year. From January to March the
production has grown for some 6.5 percent. "There were many factors which
had the influence on production not to be as we would have wished", said
Zivkovic, "but under our circumstances the results have, nevertheless, been
positive, although we have not yet succeeded in establishing cooperation
with the international financial institutions".
Serbia Today, 1997-04-17 ; Politika, 1997-04-17
[04] BELGRADE - FACTOR OF STABILITY IN THE BALKANS
The official Moscow is supporting all the efforts of the Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia for its reintegration into the international political and
financial institutions and is undertaking concrete steps in this direction,
stated yesterday in his interview for Radio Yugoslavia the Ambassador of
the Russian Federation in Belgrade, H.E. Yury Kotov. "Belgrade is a
significant factor of stability and security in the Balkans and in the
Southeastern Europe", said Ambassador Kotov, underlining the need for the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to be reintegrated in the work of the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. While speaking of the
economic cooperation between the Russian Federation and the FR of
Yugoslavia, Kotov stated that this year the bilateral economic cooperation
will exceed the last year's amount of 800 million US dollars. He emphasized
that the legal grounds have been rounded up for the development of
bilateral relations. Last year nine inter-governmental agreements have been
signed, and especially important among them are the protocols on the
deliveries of the Russian oil and gas to Yugoslavia.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-17 ; Borba, 1997-04-17
[05] SOLUTION MUST BE FOUND FOR 700,000 REFUGEES IN YUGOSLAVIA
"I hope that we will very soon find the solution for refugees and exiled
persons who are some 700,000 now in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia",
said yesterday in Sremski Karlovci the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
Mrs. Sadako Ogata. Consultations are now taking place about the solution of
this problem with the commissariats for refugees in the areas of former
Yugoslavia, said Ogata, who visited collective refugee center in Sremski
Karlovci in the company of the Commissioner for Refugees of the Republic of
Serbia Bratislava Morina and the special envoys for former Yugoslavia
Frederick Flauber and Margaret O'Keef. Bratislava Morina said that the
visit of Mrs. Ogata offers a great encouragement and insurance that the UN
High Commissariat for Refugees will resolve the great tragedy of people who
were forced to abandon their homes.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-17 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-04-17
[06] THE HAGUE PROPOSES THE ARREST OF THE CROAT DEFENSE MINISTER
Public Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague for
War Crimes Committee in Former Yugoslavia, the Canadian Louis Arbour,
proposed that the Tribunal shall issue a warrant for the arrest of the
Croat Defense Minister Gojko Susak and the Minister of Defense of the
Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Ante Jelavic, because of the
contempt of court. "If a person, whether having an official capacity or not,
should fail to respond to the summons of the International Tribunal and
shall refuse to appear before the Tribunal in The Hague, the Tribunal is so
authorized to issue a warrant to that person's arrest", stated Mrs. Arbour.
The Hague Tribunal on February 14, 1997 ordered Zagreb and the Muslim-Croat
Federation to submit all the documents in connection with General Tihomir
Blaskic, the former commander of the Croat Defense Council (HVO), the army
of the Bosnian Croats, indicted for war crimes. The Government in Sarajevo
offered 'its full cooperation', but its Defense Minister Jelavic,
responsible for the archives, remained deaf and dumb to the appeals of the
Tribunal. Regarding Croatia, it is quoting the state secrecy clause and is
expressing doubts as to the legitimacy of the summons to appear before the
Tribunal in The Hague.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-17 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-04-17
[07] CROATIA AGAINST A FAST RETURN OF SERBS
Croatia has rejected yesterday the demand, contained in the resolution of
the UN Commission for Human Rights, adopted on Tuesday in Geneva, to make
possible a prompt return of the exiled Serbs to the Knin Krajina and
Western Slavonia. The Government of Croatia, according to the statement of
its spokesman, is of the view that it is impossible to secure the return in
the demanded period because of high material costs and a great
international mistrust. Croat Government is also claiming that the majority
of Serbs does not wish to return.
Ambassador of the United States in Zagreb, Peter Galbright, stated
yesterday in Knin that all the exiled Serbs must be guaranteed the return
to Croatia. "This is the stand of the United States", underlined Galbright.
"Croatia must extend to all Serbs the hand of reconciliation and must begin
together with them to construct its democracy", said the U.S. Ambassador.
He also warned that the return of Croats to Ilok or Vukovar will be
impossible until the return of the exiled Serbs is secured.
Deputy Prime Minister of Croatia, Ljerka Mintas-Hodak stated, in an attempt
to alleviate the criticism which was sent to Croatia by the UN Commission,
that the Government, until the end of April this year, will prepare a plan
for the return of Serbs to the Knin Krajina. However, according to this
plan, the Croat Government has conditions the possibility of return of
Serbs into the Knin Krajina and Western Slavonia by creation of the
conditions for the return of Croats exiled from Eastern Slavonia, Baranja
and Western Srem.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-17 ; Politika, 1997-04-17
[08] UNOFFICIAL ELECTORAL RESULTS IN THE SREM AND BARANJA REGION
Independent Serbian Democratic Party (SDSS), according to the unofficial
results, at the elections held on April 13 and 14, 1997 in the Srem and
Baranja Region, was an absolute winner in 11 municipalities - Tenje,
Mirkovci, Erdut, Borovo, Trpinje, Negoslavci, Dzodovovci, Markusica, Stari
Jankovci, Darda and Jagodnjak. In the city assemblies of Vukovar and Beli
Manastir SDSS has won the largest number of deputy seats. In the communique
it is added that the Independent Serbian Democratic Party (SDSS) has also
won a large number of deputy seats in another seven municipalities, and
that it shall have a great influence in the formation of the municipal
authorities. It is also stated that the turn-out of voters in these
municipalities was over 80 percent. In the area under the UNTAES
administration, the elections were conducted in 27 municipalities and in
three cities, and it is scheduled that after the elections, the present-day
territory of the Region will be in the administrative sense, divided into
two Croat counties (zupanije). While speaking of the regularity of the
elections, the Independent Serbian Democratic Party upholds the communique
issued by its electoral headquarters, which has proposed to the Main Board
to submit the complete analysis of shortcomings and all failures which
occurred during the election days to the UN Transitional Administrator
Jacques Klein, Committee for Elections and international observers, who are
to give their final judgment on the elections.
Serbia Today, 1997-04-17 ; Politika, 1997-04-17
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