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Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-04-06Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>Yugoslav Daily SurveyCONTENTS
[01] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES RUSSIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTERTanjug, 1998-04-03President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic Friday received Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. The meeting focused on an exchange of information and views of issues of interest to both Yugoslavia and Russia. Taking part in the meeting were also Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic and Russian Ambassador to Yugoslavia Youri Kotov. [02] GERMANS DUPED BY FALSE ASYLUM-SEEKERSTanjug, 1998-04-05Illegal terrorist organizations of Kosmet Albanians have been sending their members to Germany as false asylum-seekers, the German Welt al Sonntag wrote on Sunday. Referring to a confidential report of the German intelligence service BND (Budesnachrichten Diest), the paper said Kosmet Albanian secret organizations issued detailed instructions to their members about how to present themselves to the German authorities in order to obtain asylum. The "design" was very simple: the asylum-seeker would state membership in the so-called Liberation Army of Kosovo or the "National Movement of Kosovo" as alleged victims of persecution in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The false asylum-seekers had to memorize the instructions in order to pass successfully the routine checking of foreigners make by the German authorities. The German intelligence service, to which Welt am Sonntag is referring, has learnt that the actions of extremist organizations from Kosmet were directed towards Germany, where the greatest majority of false asylum- seekers have been sent in this way. The discovery made by German intelligence officers, made public in Germany for the first time now, is nothing new for the Yugoslav authorities. The wave of fugitives from Kosmet towards Germany has long been interpreted as an organized activity used by separatist movement leaders to, on the one hand, increase pressure on the international community and, on the other to squeeze out considerable funds which were then mostly returned, through the so-called government in exile, to Kosmet in order to finance activities against Serbia and the FRY. German politicians point out in the first place their interest to return 140,000 Kosmet Albanian asylum-seekers. That the deception of sending economic immigrants under the cover of asylum-seekers was known even earlier is evidenced by the fact that the percentage of accepted applications has been very small, below 5 percent. However, rejected applicants have avoided for years deportations and managed to save from their social benefits and from moonlighting to pay those who sent them on the adventure. At least the German authorities and public have finally received official confirmation about the real reasons for the huge inflow of Kosmet Albanians, but the truth could have have been made public earlier. Many prejudices would about what is going on in Kosmet would then be dropped more easily. [03] JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS BOSNIAN SERB REPUBLIKA SRPSKATanjug, 1998-04-04Republika Srpska's President Biljana Plavsic and Premier Milorad Dodik received in Banja Luka on Saturday Japanese Foreign Minister Keizo Obuchi. After the meeting, Plavsic said that the Japanese Government was present in all of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska included, and was giving significant aid to the area. She expressed high appreciation that a distant country should be involved in this region and that it should be helping to stabilise both Bosnia- Herzegovina and the Balkans as a whole. She asked the visiting Japanese Minister to convey her greetings to the Japanese Prime Minister and tell him he was welcome in the Republika Srpska. Minister Obuchi, for his part, said that on his first visit to Banja Luka he had had important talks and seen for himself that the Premier of the Republika Srpska was working for developing the country and implementing the Dayton Accords, which Japan applauded. He went on to say that the Japanese Government would assist the Republika Srpska's development. He further said that Japan, too, would send observers to ensure that September general elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina should be free and unbiased. Obuchi said he had met during the day with U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata and exchanged views about the repatriation of refugees. He said the Japanese Government would send aid to help create conditions for the return of refugees to the Republika Srpska. Obuchi's meeting with Plavsic and Dodik was attended by Republika Srpska Vice President Dragoljub Mirjanic and Japanese Ambassador in Vienna Tokashima Jushu. [04] SERBS IN ROME HOLD GATHERING ON KOSOVO AND METOHIJATanjug, 1998-04-05The Serb community in Rome, who held a gathering at the Russian Orthodox Church on Sunday on the occasion of developments in Kosovo and Metohija, said that the issue was Serbia's internal affair and that it had to be resolved through dialogue. Members of the Sveti Sava Serbian Orthodox municipality in Rome supported the Belgrade authorities' stand that Kosovo and Metohija was Serbia's internal affair and that it could be resolved only through a dialogue between the Serbian Government and Kosovo Albanians, taking into account all historical and present circumstances. Talks are the only right way to achieve a full and lasting normalisation of co-existence in Kosovo and Metohija. "The Serb community in Rome will therefore make a maximum contribution to peacefully resolve the problem in Serbia's southern province," it was said. Head of the Sveti Sava municipality in Rome Rados Nedic told Tanjug that the community had decided that the gathering was not to be a protest as a sign of praise of the Italian policy for its correct attitude in the limited possibilities of action. [05] SERBS STAGE DEMONSTRATIONS IN GERMANYTanjug, 1998-04-05Serbs living in Germany on Sunday staged demonstrations in support of a peaceful resolution of the situation in Serbia's southern province of Kosovo and Metohija. Participants in the rally frequently interrupted the speakers with cheers "Kosovo - Serbia," expressing their attitude towards Kosovo Albanians' separatist efforts and part of the international community's attempts to impose other solutions. Speeches and posters supported a referendum on the foreign mediation in Kosovo and Metohija and rejected the participation of foreign factors in the coming talks. The referendum was described as a wise move on the part of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. "Dialogue - yes, violence - no," was one of the key slogans of the one-hour rally held opposite the office of German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. The participants invited the Germans and their politicians to show full understanding of the developments in Kosovo and Metohija, as part of the Serbian and Yugoslav territory. A call was made on Germany and the world to clearly condemn ethnic Albanian extremists' terrorism. The international community would thus help the Serbian Government to persuade ethnic Albanian leaders to participate in the long offered talks, it was said. The demonstrators recalled everything ethnic Albanian separatists had done to Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, who were the actual victims of expulsion as one of the forms of the increasingly aggressive battle for the secession of this part of Serbia. Germans were also informed about the historical connection between the two peoples, including many past cultural links and the times of Serbian 19th century educator Vuk Karadzic and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The dignified protest of Serbs living in Germany, organised at the invitation of the Serb World Community, was said to be an introduction to future rallies throughout Germany, which would support their motherland's policy aimed at preserving the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Serbia and Yugoslavia. [06] SERBIAN DEPUTY PREMIER SAYS KOSOVO IS SERBIA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRTanjug, 1998-04-04Serbian Deputy Premier Milovan Bojic said on Saturday that the Government firmly believed that Kosovo and Metohija was Serbia's internal affair and that problems could be resolved through open and unconditional dialogue within Serbia. Bojic was speaking during the opening of works on the reconstruction of the student health care institution. Through a joint dialogue we can reform and return the rights that ethnic Albanian citizens have deprived themselves of, mostly thanks to their leaders, he said. Bojic said that a continued international pressure on Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would be a direct or indirect support to the separatist movement in Kosovo and Metohija and stimulation of terrorism. He expressed belief that the international community would realise that in this way it was indirectly assisting the secession of Kosovo and Metohija and encouraged their so-called Liberation Army of Kosovo. Kosovo as a constituent element of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is a big fraud, served to our country's citizens by the international community, Bojic said and added that this was an "indirect path to the direct gateway to separatism and Kosovo - republic." He said that this was very cynical because "until recently, they did not recognise us as a federation, we were constantly presented as Serbia and Montenegro at international scientific, cultural and expert meetings." [07] FIRST OBSERVERS EXPECTED MID-APRILTanjug, 1998-04-04OSCE bureau deputy director for democratic institutions and human rights Peter Fischer has informed Montenegrin Parliament President Svetozar Marovic that the first representatives of the organization, in the capacity of observers at the early parliamentary elections scheduled for May 31, will arrive in Montenegro by the middle of April. The so-called long-term observers will monitor the observance of rules in the pre-electoral camapaign, especially in the media. A few days ahead of the elections, to arrive in Montenegro are "short-term" observers - who will directly monitor the regularity of elections. [08] YUGOSLAV COMMISSION FOR MISSING PERSONS CHIEF RECEIVES LAURA BOWMANTanjug, 1998-04-04Chairman of the Yugoslav commission for humanitarian issues and missing persons Maksim Korac Friday received Deputy Chief of the Sarajevo-based office of the international commission for missing persons Laura Bowman. According to a statement issued by the Yugoslav Information Secretariat, Bowman was interested in the latest results achieved in the resolution of these issues with Croatia and the Muslim-Croat Federation in Bosnia- Herzegovina. The meeting focused especially on a search for missing pilots of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), the statement said. Both Korac and Bowman agreed that such important issues called for a greater engagement of the international commission for missing persons. To this effect, Korac asked Bowman to urge Chairman of the international commission for missing persons Bob Dole to again exert pressure on Croatia and the Muslim-Croat federation so as to step up the resolution of the missing person cases in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was noted that Croatia had reneged on its promises made to Dole during his visits to Zagreb and Sarajevo in January 1998. At a recent meeting in Belgrade between the Yugoslav and Croatian Governments' commissions for missing persons, Croatia has delivered only 57 files to Yugoslavia, although it pledged to deliver a total of 732 files, the statement said. [09] BULAJIC RECEIVES CONAKRY FAIR DIRECTORTanjug, 1998-04-03Deputy Federal Foreign Minister Radoslav Bulajic received on Friday Amdurahman Sano - the director of the Fair in Conakry, capital of Guinea. Bulajic and Sano underscored the mutual wish for the further development of the traditionally good relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Guinea, the federal Foreign Ministry said. Set out was the good cooperation between the Belgrade Fair and its counterpart in Conakry, which will contribute, it was said, to the successful development of overall economic relations between the two countries. The talks were also attended by Guinean Ambassador to Belgrade, Alexandre Cece Loua and Belgrade Fair Director Sinisa Zaric. [10] YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENT DELEGATION LEAVES FOR NAMIBIATanjug, 1998-04-04A Yugoslav parliamentary delegation, headed by the chairman of the foreign relations committee in the Chamber of Citizens, Ljubisa Ristic, left on Saturday for Windhoek to take part in the 99th Interparliamentary Union Conference, April 6-11. The international parliamentary conference, at which Yugoslavia will have the status of a full member, will debate the political, economic and social situation in the world. Topics devoted to fighting AIDS and the prevention of conflicts will also be reviewed, as well as the establishment of peace and confidence in regions where war operations have ended. The Yugoslav Parliament information service has stated that Yugoslav parliamentarians take part regularly in the work of the Interparliamentary Union, an international organization which rallies members of parliament from 138 countries, and whose goal is to expand cooperation between parliaments. In Windhoek, at the same time, will be held a meeting of the association of parliament secretary generals in which Yugoslav Parliament Secretary General Milisav Milenkovic will take part. [11] YUGOSLAV ECONOMY MINISTER RECEIVES NAMIBIA'S POWER INDUSTRY MINISTERTanjug, 1998-04-03Yugoslav Economy Minister Rade Filipovic received on Friday Namibia's Mining and Power Industry Minister Andimba Toivo ya Toiva paying with his aides a five-day visit to Yugoslavia. A statement issued by the Yugoslav Information Secretariat said ways of how to renew Yugoslav-Namibian economic cooperation had been reviewed. The two sides exchanged information about the two countries' mining, power industry and other economic potential and the economic situation in them. Toiva spoke of possibilities for Yugoslav firms' participation in bids for the construction of a large hydro-electric power system in the north of Namibia and oil and gas prospecting in the south of the country that is rich in natural resources. He called on Yugoslav experts and companies to open textile works and factories for the processing of marble, semi-precious stones and diamonds and to take advantage of concessions in the production of exported-oriented goods offered by Namibia's free zones. He also said young people from his country were willing to receive education at Yugoslav universities. Stressing Yugoslav experts' and companies' reputation in the field of mining and construction of hydro- electric power systems and water supply and food-processing facilities, Filipovic said they were willing to bid for projects in Namibia under fair terms. In the next two days, the Namibian delegation will visit major mining and power industry systems in Yugoslavia, including the Djerdap hydro-electric power plant, the Bor mining and smelting works and the Kolubara and Krusik systems. On Monday, the delegation will visit Montenegro at the Montenegrin Government's invitation, the statement said. [12] BLOT: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY RESPECTS SOVEREIGNITY OF FRYTanjug, 1998-04-05France and other members of the Contact Group respect the sovereignity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and only want to help the start of a dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija as soon as possible, French Foreign Ministry Political Director Jacques Blot said in Belgrade on Sunday. At the end of a two-day visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Blot told reporters that he conveyed to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic a personal message from French President Jacques Chirac involving France's efforts for opening a dialogue in Kosmet as soon as possible. In that context, Blot welcomed the invitation of the Serbian Government to the Albanian national minority that the dialogue on resolving all problems in Kosmet starts on April 7. Blot said that, in the talks with top officials of Yugoslavia and Serbia and with representatives of Albanian political parties in Kosmet, he reiterated the position of the Contact Group that the opening of dialogue cannot be conditioned and that there was no reason for delaying it. The ranking French diplomat urged a higher degree of autonomy for Kosmet, but ruled out the possibility of independence for that Serbian province. [13] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALTanjug, 1998-04-03President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic Friday received French Foreign Ministry's Political Director Jacques Blot, who communicated to him a personal message by French President Jacques Chirac. The message refers to France's commitment to a prompt beginning of dialogue in Kosovo-Metohija. Taking part in the talk were also Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic and French Ambassador to Yugoslavia Stanislas Filliol. [14] MILUTINOVIC RECEIVES IVANOVTanjug, 1998-04-03Serbian President Milan Milutinovic has received Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov who is visiting the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). Milutinovic and Ivanov exchanged views on the current issues of mutual interest in an open dialogue, the Serbian President's cabinet said. [15] JOVANOVIC RECEIVES IVANOVTanjug, 1998-04-03Federal Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic received on Friday Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov who is visiting the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). Jovanovic and Ivanov exchanged views on bilateral relations and trends in Europe and southeast Europe, the federal foreign ministry said. Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |