Serbia Today, 97-05-07

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From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Serbia Today

CONTENTS

[01] RETURN OF YUGOSLAVIA TO THE UN - CONTRIBUTION TO STABILITY

[02] SYSTEMATIC PERSECUTION

[03] SPY COMEDY IN THE CROAT JUDICIARY ENDED

[04] NEW BURNING OF HOUSES IN DRVAR

[05] AMERICAN WARNING TO RUGOVA

[06] MARINA NENEZIC WINS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

[07] IMPORTANT JUBILEE OF OUR SCIENCE

[08] CREDITING OF PRODUCTION - A CONDITION FOR BIGGER EXPORTS TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

[09] CHINESE DELEGATION IN THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA

[10] APRIL WITHOUT INFLATION

[01] RETURN OF YUGOSLAVIA TO THE UN - CONTRIBUTION TO STABILITY

Borba, 1997-05-07

During the talks between the Federal Prime Minister Radoje Kontic and the United Nations Under-Secretary for peace operations, Mr. Bernard Miyet, mutual satisfaction was expressed with the present degree of cooperation and the role and contribution of our country underlined in strengthening of peace and stability in this region. Prime Minister Kontic especially emphasized the need for equitable participation of the Yugoslav side in the realization of the peace mission and in drafting of the report on the exercise of human rights and minority rights in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to which reports our country until now had objections. During the talks special attention was devoted to the question of Kosmet. Federal Prime Minister expressed readiness of our country for talks about the realization of minority rights of Albanians up to the level of world standards in this field, pointing out at the same time that the FR of Yugoslavia can not and will not accept internationalization of the Kosmet question, because it is exclusively an interior affair of Serbia and of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

[02] SYSTEMATIC PERSECUTION

Vecernje novosti, 1997-05-07

In Slovenia there is a massive and systematic violation of human rights, and they all have a common denominator - the problem of citizenship. This is written in the latest report by the Helsinki Monitor of Slovenia, acting within the Helsinki Federation for Human Rights in Vienna. The head of the Slovenian board, Neva Miklavcic Predan is pointing out that some 25,000 citizens from the former Yugoslav republics, who have been living and working for years in Slovenia, are still waiting to obtain the Slovenian citizenship. The same number of them is also without any documents, and among them there are some seven thousand minors, born in Slovenia, for whom the state authorities do not wish to solve the status. "They are real dead souls, and because they do not have citizenship they can neither get a job, nor get married or exercise any other civil and human rights", says Neva Miklavcic Predan. This general rejection of the citizens from the former Yugoslav republics, the so-called southerners, which is growing into real hatred, is joined also by the state authorities who in many different ways are making life difficult for these people. Thus, the Defense Ministry of Slovenia prepared 1,200 decrees for eviction of non-Slovenian families from the apartments of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), although these apartments were legally and properly given to all the tenants. The former members of the JNA are being deprived of the right to retirement pension, and there is a long list of undesirable persons who can not enter Slovenia and continue life with their families.

[03] SPY COMEDY IN THE CROAT JUDICIARY ENDED

Politika ekspres, 1997-05-07

Almost three years of spy comedy in the Croat judiciary has ended a few days ago by setting free the alleged "Serbian spies". However, even the acquittal of seven "members of the enemy group Labrador" (Branko Tracivuk, Ratko Rakic, Paja Casic, Zeljko Rajnovic, Mile Vasiljevski, Miro Mihajlovic and Slavka Malobabic) was not as it should have been - for the indictment to be in full rejected because there was no proof and evidence whatsoever, but what was applied was the Law on Amnesty. The judicial farce is not yet fully completed because according to the decision of the Supreme Court of Croatia, Radenko Radojcic and Slobodan Rakocevic, also accused of being "members of the spy group Labrador", still remain indicted, but this time on charges of "associating for purpose of enemy activities against the Republic of Croatia". At one time the capture of "The Labrador Group" was presented to the local Croat public as "the greatest success of the Croat secret police" in the discovery of "Belgrade agents". Without any evidence, on the basis most probably of faked documentation, at that time there was a lot of talk and writing about their spying activities while they were members of the Ministry of Interior Affairs of Croatia, from autumn of 1990 until autumn of 1991. The trial of "The Labrador Group" started with legally ungrounded procedure, with proof from the newspapers and witnesses who had nothing to say against the accused, and was dragging endlessly in order to finish in the only possible way - by a great shame to the Croat judiciary in front of the entire world. Unfortunately, the Croat courts of law did not yet annul many verdicts pronounced with maximum sentences at trials held in absentia, pronounced without proof and evidence, but held for purpose of intimidation and prevention of the condemned from returning to Croatia.

[04] NEW BURNING OF HOUSES IN DRVAR

Politika ekspres, 1997-05-07

The spokesman of the international police forces Alun Roberts, while condemning the behavior of the local authorities in Drvar, stated yesterday at the press conference in Banja Luka, that in the villages near Drvar and especially in Mokronoge, the unknown perpetrators have first removed the roofs and then set on fire 25 Serbian houses. The same thing was to happen with another 25 houses, but the perpetrators of this crime were prevented. Especially disquieting is the fact that the latest incidents in Drvar occurred after the visit of Kay Ide, special envoy of the UN Secretary General, and Christian Swartz, representative of the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina, who had talks about the return of refugees to this town, said Roberts. He warned that the chief of the local police will be replaced if he is to refuse cooperation with the international police forces.

[05] AMERICAN WARNING TO RUGOVA

Politika ekspres, 1997-05-07

Charge d'affaires of the United States embassy in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Mr. Richard Miles, stated yesterday in Prishtina that the United States are opposed to holding of the parallel elections for the parliament of Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija, which would be outside of the institutions of the Republic of Serbia, France Press reports. "Government of the United States has never supported the idea of parallel elections for a parallel parliament", stated Miles after his meeting with the leader of the Democratic Alliance of Kosovo, Ibrahim Rugova. The American news agency Associated Press reports that Miles warned Albanians in Kosmet not to hold such elections. Rugova said to Miles that the elections will be held soon and requested international observers.

[06] MARINA NENEZIC WINS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Politika, 1997-05-07

At the just adjourned international competition of the law students in Netherlands, the winner of the silver cup was Marina Nenezic, student at the Faculty of Law of Belgrade. In the competition of post-graduate students from the world famous law schools, the cup was won by the Belgrade University which has never before taken part at this prestigious competition. During the competition, in one imaginary case from the international private law, which was very difficult to solve, legally very complicated, with ambiguous state of facts, Marina won over her competitors, actually the post-graduate students in the international private law, although she herself did not even pass that subject yet. "The victory was for us important for several reasons: we have broken the ice after sanctions and have won over post-graduate students, which speaks about the importance of Belgrade University and its further affirmation in the world", says Marina Nenezic.

[07] IMPORTANT JUBILEE OF OUR SCIENCE

Vecernje novosti, 1997-05-07

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Serbian Chemical Society, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Mirko Marjanovic received academician Aleksandar Despic, honorary president of the Society, Prof.Dr. Jovan Jovanovic, president of the Society and Prof.Dr. Zivorad Cekovic, president of the board for celebration of the jubilee. During the talks it was underlined that Serbian Chemical Society which is one of the ten oldest societies in the world, further to the distinguished scientists, is also gathering young engineers and school youth and is an important link between our science and the world development trends. While emphasizing extreme contribution of the chemical science to the mastering of modern technology and to the overall development of domestic industry, Prime Minister stated that also this great jubilee of the Yugoslav science should be used for strengthening of links between fundamental research and industry.

[08] CREDITING OF PRODUCTION - A CONDITION FOR BIGGER EXPORTS TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

Politika, 1997-05-07

The decision of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the European Union about the return of preferential treatment to Yugoslavia is a great chance for our economy, which should be used the best possible, in order to secure our place on this market. The key condition for an accelerated export into the European Union market is crediting of the export oriented production, both from the local and foreign funds - said at the session of the Central Coordination Team in the Government of the Republic of Serbia Minister Coordinator Dragan Tomic, while summing up the estimates of the businessmen gathered in the team, representatives of the branches which at one time were the biggest exporters to the market of the European Union. Obtaining again the preferential treatment is actually an opportunity and the reason for our economy to do its utmost in order to produce more rationally, to achieve savings, to improve organization, increase productivity and undertake major steps in restructuring. Recalling that until the passing of this decree Yugoslavia was the only country whose exports were not subject to any facilities, which was not only making export difficult but often made any exports impossible into the European Union member-countries, director of the Federal Institute for Statistics Milovan Zivkovic stated that the latest measures of the European Union are a step forward both in the political and in the economic respect. From the political aspect, he said, this is one of the extremely important signs for establishment of full normalization of the relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and recognition to the Yugoslav authorities and competent bodies for conducting successful policy in the past period. Economically speaking, this is a significant improvement of the position of the Yugoslav exports on the European Union market, especially for products important for us whose exports were burdened with high customs duties.

[09] CHINESE DELEGATION IN THE GOVERNMENT OF SERBIA

Politika, 1997-05-07

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of the Republic of Serbia, Dr. Jovan Babovic, received the Chinese economic delegation from the Province Hunan, headed by Hu Biao. The purpose of this visit, as the guests have stated, is further promotion of the economic relations, especially in the field of agriculture and production and processing of food. The guests have expressed great interest for cooperation in the processing of meat, fruit, vegetable and timber, and during their visit have made a tour of several slaughter houses and food factories from which, as they said, they are carrying very favorable impressions. Babovic informed Chinese businessmen about the possibilities and potentials of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the field of agriculture and food production.

[10] APRIL WITHOUT INFLATION

Politika, 1997-05-07

In the month of April retail prices in Serbia were completely stable or had a zero growth. This was stated by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Mirko Marjanovic, on the occasion of the information by the Federal Institute for Statistics about the movement of prices in April. "Dormancy of prices in the month of April and stability of the exchange rate of dinar confirm that in the past months of this year we have fully realized the planned tasks of the economic policy regarding the stability. Consistent strives devoted to the policy of well balanced budgetary expenditures and the policy of sound money, brought the best results regarding the stability in comparison with the past few years", said the Prime Minister. He also stated the fact that the industrial production and exports are recording growth. Only in March industrial production was increased for 7 percent in comparison with March last year, and especially encouraging is the growth of volume of trade and lowering of stocks of goods in the trading channels. Prime Minister especially pointed out that the return of preferential treatment for our goods by the European Union will have a direct and great positive effect not only on the foreign trade exchange, but also on the growth of production. "On the basis of the projected economic policy, we have undertaken a number of concrete steps in the direction of accelerating the growth of production, most of all by lifting of the fiscal burden. We have also continued with the realization of the large-scale infrastructural projects, which will engage not only the local construction capacities, but also a number of appurtenant branches. In the field of agriculture we have created conditions for renewal of equipment and thus provided for higher use of capacities of the metal processing plants. All this confirms that our projections regarding the growth of social product will be realized". Over the past three years we have continued the process of market economy reforms by adopting a number of laws aimed at providing a modern market infrastructure, recalled Prime Minister Marjanovic at the end of his statement.

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