Yugoslav Daily Survey 96-04-10

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory

From: ddc@nyquist.bellcore.com (D.D. Chukurov)

10 April 1996

CONTENTS

[A] AFTER SIGNING YUGOSLAV-MACEDONIAN ACCORD

[01] BRITISH-YUGOSLAV DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS RAISED TO AMBASSADORIAL LEVEL

[02] HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR IN BELGRADE SOON

[03] THE ACCORD LEADS TO LASTING STABILISATION IN THE BALKANS

[B] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

[04] R.S. HOLDS EMERGENCY SESSION

[05] R.S. RELEASED THREE MUSLIM PRISONERS OF WAR

[C] FROM FOREIGN PRESS

[06] GOVERNMENT IN SARAJEVO MAINTAINS IRANIAN CONNECTION

[A] AFTER SIGNING YUGOSLAV-MACEDONIAN ACCORD

[01] BRITISH-YUGOSLAV DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS RAISED TO AMBASSADORIAL LEVEL

The spokesman said that Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind had on Tuesday afternoon written to Italy in its capacity as E.U. President, informing it that Yugoslavia's normalisation with Macedonia formally met the requirement for a full diplomatic recognition of Yugoslavia. This means that Great Britain has already established full diplomatic relations with Belgrade, the spokesman added.

[02] HUNGARIAN AMBASSADOR IN BELGRADE SOON

He told a news conference here that the Hungarian Embassy was functioning also during the sanctions when the mission was headed by its Charge d'Affaires.

He said that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was recognized de facto with the Dayton agreement, while problems arising from the succession of what was once their common state should be resolved by the former Yugoslav republics alone.

[03] THE ACCORD LEADS TO LASTING STABILISATION IN THE BALKANS

(by diplomatic editor Zoran Jevdjevic)

Belgrade, April 9 (Tanjug) - The signing of the agreement on the regulation of relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Macedonia in Belgrade on Monday leads to the lasting normalisation of the two countries' relations and the stabilisation of the overall situation in the Balkans and in Europe.

Yugoslavia continues this way to implement in its foreign policy its consistent and principled stand that all issues between Balkan states, and especially the questions which appeared after the forcible secession of some republics of the former Yugoslavia, must be settled by negotiations. This means solutions have to be reached by peaceful means with the respect of all interested parties and without unilateral moves.

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic told reporters after signing the agreement with his Macedonian counterpart Ljubomir Frckoski that relations between Belgrade and Skopje had been virtually normal from the outset of the Yugoslav crisis, and that this was only reaffirmed by the signing of the agreement.

Belgrade again showed that it is the central factor in the territory of the former Yugoslavia sincerely wishing to contribute to the settlement of contentious issues by peaceful means whenever that is possible and by maximum respect of the interests of others while remaining fully aware of its own interests.

The European Union has after several years of crisis also adopted a realistic stand concerning relations between the republics of the former Yugoslavia.

Respect for Yugoslavia's principled and consistent policy is growing, even in countries such as Germany, which cannot be said to have had a balanced stand towards events in this area.

It should be recalled in this context that the only demand of the E.U. Ministerial Council for the full normalisation of E.U. relations with Belgrade was the normalisation of relations between Yugoslavia and Macedonia.

The process of the promotion of relations of the group of countries headed by France and the F.R.Y. was looked upon with restraint by some European centers.

It can now be expected that objections will be dropped and that F.R.Y.'s diplomatic-political position will be fully stabilised as far as its European partners are concerned considering its increasingly respected and important role in the Balkans.

The model established in the Belgrade-Skopje relations best shows why there had been no full normalisation of relations with other states emerging from the former Yugoslavia. It also shows what remained to be done for this normalisation to take place to mutual and general benefit.

A mutually satisfactory agreement was reached with Macedonia which respects the basic interests regarding the F.R.Y.'s state and legal continuity of the former Yugoslavia.

The agreement also provides for two outstanding issues to be subsequently resolved through negotiations until the full regulation of the relations of the two countries in all spheres of mutual interest.

There is absolutely no reason why this model cannot be applied to relations with the other states of the former Yugoslavia. If the situation does not develop this way Belgrade can certainly not be held to blame.

Hence, one should believe that other former Yugoslav republics will soon realise that it is in the general and in their own interest to find a way to fully normalise relations with Belgrade by recognising its legitimate interests and respecting commitments undertaken during negotiations.

[B] REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

[04] R.S. HOLDS EMERGENCY SESSION

The Government said peace and stability in the region depended on the equal treatment of the two entities Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat federation.

Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic said that a great diplomatic struggle for keeping the independence and integrity of Republika Srpska lay ahead. Pointing to cases of discrimination against Republika Srpska, he said there were attempts at reintegrating Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Parliament Speaker Momcilo Krajisnik told the Government members that Assistant International High Representative for Bosnia Mihail Steiner on Tuesday expressed satisfaction that Republika Srpska had fulfilled its commitment to release all prisoners.

[05] R.S. RELEASED THREE MUSLIM PRISONERS OF WAR

Krajisnik said after meeting with Michael Steiner that he had voiced dissatisfaction with Steiner's statement that the Serb side had not fulfilled the Dayton provisions on the release of pows.

Krajisnik said that was not the case and only technical difficulties had been involved.

He said the Serb side had also lodged a protest with Steiner because Muslim authorities had not released R.S. Colonel Aleksa Krsmanovic, although he had not been indicted by the Hague War Crimes Tribunal.

Krajisnik said after the meeting with Steiner that no precise information was available about a large number of Serbs taken prisoner in Western Republika Srpska and held in prisons in Croatia.

[C] FROM FOREIGN PRESS

[06] GOVERNMENT IN SARAJEVO MAINTAINS IRANIAN CONNECTION

Quoting U.S. intelligence sources, the daily said Muslim officials had assured Teheran that Washington would accept this as it had previously accepted the secret deliveries from Iran to the Bosnian Muslims in violation of the arms ban on the former Yugoslavia imposed in 1991.

Several U.S. media last week said that the secret channel of arms deliveries from Iran to the Bosnian Muslims had operated in 1994 and 1995, until last January, with the awareness and approval of the U.S. diplomacy. The Los Angeles Times on that occasion quoted official sources close to the administration to the effect that secret arms deliveries to the Muslims in Bosnia were made with the knowledge and approval of President Bill Clinton. Washington Times on Tuesday said Iran had promised credits worth 100 million dollars for arming Bosnian Muslims, considerable aid in weaponry and other equipment, and oil deliveries.

A State Department spokesman said recently that Washington would not tolerate the Muslim Sarajevo Government's Iranian connection.

Congress took a similar stand when it conditioned U.S. aid for the reconstruction and rebuilding of Bosnia with the severing of military and intelligence links between Sarajevo and Teheran.