BOSNEWS digest 489 - 04/12/95

From: Dzevat Omeragic <dzevat@ee.mcgill.ca>

Bosnia-Herzegovina News Directory

From: Dzevat Omeragic <dzevat@ee.mcgill.ca>

BOSNEWS Digest 489

CONTENTS

[01] GREECE AND B-H - ESTABLISHED DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Sarajevo, December 1,1995 (Press TWRA) - The B-H Foreign Minister Muhamed Sacirbey informed on the press conference that B-H and Greece established the diplomatic relations. The document which verify this was signed by Greek Foreign Minister Carolos Papulias who arrived to Sarajevo to continue with the trilateral talks between B-H, Iran and Greece. (end) S.K.

[02] KARADJIC BLACKMAILS FRANCE

Pale, December 1,1995 (Press TWRA) - As AFP reported Karadjic's Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) demanded the improvement of peace plan completed last week in Dayton."SDS demands that all necessary steps are undertaken in order to possibly improve the peace plan, specially in finding more just solution for Serbian Sarajevo, some parts of Drina valley, the access to sea and corridor near Brcko. The agreement from Paris will not be legitimate if it is not signed by the President of republic srpska who, according to the constitution, represents the state", says the press release.

In the same time, the leader of Bosnian Serbs R. Karadjic demanded from France the support to reach better solution for Serbs in Sarajevo in exchange for release of two French pilots, reported "Le Figaro". Karadjic's demand has been delivered to French Government, allegedly, by Italian poet Daniel Salvatore Shiffer who did that in the past, too." France could help the liberation of the pilots if it does something important for Serbia", said Karadjic. (end) S.K.

[03] OPPOSITION TAKES OVER ZAGREB

Zagreb, December 1,1995 (Press TWRA) - The constitutive session of the Zagreb's city assembly and Zagreb's county assembly are scheduled for tomorrow. The opposition will, after winning election, formally take over the administration in Zagreb (city and county). Besides President and vice-President of city and county assembly the new major will also be elected. The opposition expects easy victory because out of 5O representatives in the city assembly 32 are from joint opposition, 16 from ruling HDZ and 4 from HSP. Today, on the press conference Croatian President Tudjman said: "I support the Presidency of HDZ which in the name of democracy and as a party which won relative majority has right to form city and county Government. I can not allow establishing of the city or county administration, no matter, which would confront the state policy - in Zagreb which makes 1/4 of Croatia, and even more than 1/4", (end) S.K.

[04] AUSTRIA LIFTED TRADE EMBARGO AGAINST "FRY"

Vienna, December 1,1995 (Press TWRA) - The Austrian Ministry of Finances lifted the trade embargo against so called "FRY". The Ministry's press release emphasized that the lifting of trade embargo, one week after UN officially lifted embargo, relates to import and export from Austria for the Serbs from Serbia and Monte Negro and for the territory of Croatia which are at present under UN protection. (end) S.K.

[05] MILITARY REINFORCEMENT OF B-H GOVERNMENT NECESSARY, THE USA SAYS

Washington, Dec 1, 1995 (Press TWRA) - The US spokesman N. Burns said: "We cannot abandon Bosnia after one year and leave the B-H government in a subordinate position. There are two options: to reach a military agreement bringing the military arsenal of the other sides to the level that does not make any threat to the B-H government or to assist the armament of the B-H govt. to the extent of being a guarantee of its security." Asked what the USA mean by the "B-H government"-Croat Bosniak Federation or Bosniaks, N.Burns replied: "Bosniaks." /end/ A.S.

[06] SLOVENIA RECOGNIZED "FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA"

Ljubljana, Dec 1, 1995 (Press TWRA) - Slovenian foreign minister Zoran Thaler released yesterday that Slovenian government decided to recognize "FR Yugoslavia" which had recognized Slovenia when Milan Panic was in power in Belgrade on Aug 21, 1992. The govt. in Ljubljana made such a decision as mutual recognition of Belgrade and Zagreb is expected during the Paris conference in mid December and Slovenia might not attend the conference. Ljubljana suggests diplomatic relations be established on the charge d'affaires level in Ljubljana and Belgrade. Besides, the trade embargo is lifted on FR Yugoslavia on what Slovenian Parliament will decide today. Slovenian diplomacy head announced continuation of the consultations with Croatia, Macedonia and B-H on the issues of succession "until the mutual interest exists." Slovenian media inform that Croat diplomacy head Mate Granic said that Zagreb was ready to recognize to Belgrade a judicial but not the property succession of the former Yugoslavia. So far, Skopje, Zagreb, Sarajevo and Ljubljana supported the view that all states of ex-Yugoslavia have equal rights as its successors. /end/ A.S.

[07] NATO TO B-H - THE LEADING BRITISH ROLE

Sarajevo, Dec 1, 1995 (Press TWRA) - The US and other diplomats talked yesterday with the B-H government officials, the day after the US army experts arrived at Tuzla to prepare the terrain for 2O,OOO US soldiers. About 2,OOO Russians should be placed in Tuzla along with their commander authorized to make decisions on some issues. Up to 1O,OOO Frenchmen will be situated in Sarajevo and Mostar along with several thousands of Spaniards and Italians. The British (12,OOO) will be joined by several thousands of Canadian and Benelux soldiers. There will be more than a thousand soldiers from Nordic countries and several thousands from Muslim states (Malaysia 1,OOO, Turkey a bit more, Pakistan with several thousands). Some soldiers are expected from the Republics of Czech and Slovak and 5,OOO German soldiers as a logistic support. All the main IFOR bases will be in the B-H Federation and the presence of those forces to "Republika Srpska" will be symbolic. The key role with majority staff in the command and commander (sir Michael Walker) have the British. /end/ A.S.