OMRI Daily Digest no. 30, part II, 10 February [*]

Ta nea ths hmeras, apo to OMRI:

  • . Parabiash ths payshs pyros apo toys Serboys ths Bosnias.
  • * Toyrkoi boyleytes qeloyn thn UNPROFOR na epiballei thn eirhnh sthn Bosnia.
  • . O GG toy moysoylmanukoy "Kommatos gia Dhmokratikh Drash" sto Santzak zhtaei thn amoibaia allhloanagnwrish apo Serbia, Kroatia kai Bosnia. Oi HPA proeidopoioyn thn Kroatia oti den qa labei kammia bohqeia an janarxisei ton polemo sthn Kraina.
  • . Piqanologeitai apergia dhmosiografwn sthn Serbia.
  • * Kai sta albanika h didaskalia sthn paidagwgikh akadhmia ths pGDM.
  • . Eklogh twn epitropwn ths boylhs ths Boylgarias.
  • ** H Ellada mplokarei thn telwniakh syndesh ths EE me thn Toyrkia. Qa synexistoyn, omws, oi synomilies gia to qema.
  • ** H Ellada xairetizei thn apeleyqerwsh twn tessarwn hgetwn ths "Omonoias" apo to albaniko dikasthrio, kai qewrei oti qetontai h baseis gia ananewsh toy dialogoy metajy twn dyo xwrwn.

    Dhmhtrhs Paneras

    Boston, MA

    OMRI DAILY DIGEST

    No. 30, Part II, 10 February 1995

    SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

  • SERBS VIOLATE BOSNIAN CEASE-FIRE. The BBC's Serbian Service on 10 February reports major violations of the cease-fire the previous day by Bosnian Serb forces in Sarajevo and Krajina Serb units in the Bihac pocket. The UN, meanwhile, has complained again about Serbian authorities barring UN monitors from access to radar at Belgrade airport last week, when Serbian military helicopter flights to Bosnia were taking place. International media report that U.S. President Bill Clinton and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, meeting in Washington, called for strengthening the Croatian-Muslim federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

  • TURKISH LEGISLATORS WANT UNPROFOR TO HELP ENFORCE PEACE. Hina reports on 10 February that visiting Turkish deputies told their Croatian counterparts that UNPROFOR's mandate in both Croatia and Bosnia needs redefining. The Turks stressed that UNPROFOR should not be trying to keep a peace that does not really exist but rather to make peace. Meanwhile in Krajina, the Serbs announced they will respect agreements in force on reopening the Zagreb-Lipovac highway and the Adria pipeline but will suspend those not yet put into practice. The latter include projects to reopen the railway line through the zone known as Sector West and to restart the water supply for Pakrac. The Serbian authorities also refused some Croatian refugees permission to visit their homes in occupied areas, although some Serbs have been allowed to return to their houses in Novska and Nova Gradiska. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

  • BALKAN DIPLOMATIC UPDATE. Nasa Borba reports from the Sandzak on 10 February that Rasim Ljajic, general secretary of the mainly Muslim Party for Democratic Action, has called for Serbia, Croatia, and Bosnia to recognize one another in their internationally valid frontiers. Zagreb and Sarajevo insist on such recognition as proof that Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic has abandoned his ambitions to create a Greater Serbia, but Belgrade refuses to do so. The same newspaper also quotes American media sources and an interview with the U.S. ambassador to Croatia in a Zagreb weekly as indicating that Washington has warned Croatia not to expect any U.S. support if it renews the war in Krajina. Finally, rump Yugoslav Foreign Minister Vladislav Jovanovic is reported to be in Athens to discuss the possible opening of a "diplomatic office" in Skopje and its potential effects on Greek-Serbian relations. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

  • JOURNALISTS STRIKE IN SERBIA? Nasa Borba on 10 February reports that the editorial board of the journal Liberal has called for a journalists strike to protest Belgrade's recent attacks on Serbia's independent media. The board observes that the crackdown amounts to "the despotic regime of Slobodan Milosevic extinguishing the last free light in Serbia." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

  • ALBANIAN-LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION TO BE OFFERED AT MACEDONIAN ACADEMY. The Academic Council of the Skopje Pedagogical Academy has agreed to offer Albanian-language instruction in education, psychology, and sociology, Flaka reported on 9 February. A program is to be worked out for Albanian-language instruction in all departments at the academy. Ethnic Albanian students have been boycotting classes for more than two months, arguing that education courses should be taught in Albanian because their purpose is to train school teachers who will teach in that language. Meanwhile, ethnic Albanian deputies in the Macedonian parliament demanded that the proposed new identification cards should be bilingual. They were overruled by the Macedonian majority. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.

  • BULGARIAN PARLIAMENT ELECTS COMMISSIONS. The Bulgarian parliament on 9 February elected the members of its 20 commissions, 24 chasa reported the following day. No fewer than 18 are headed by deputies of the ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party and the remaining two by Bulgarian Business Bloc deputies. The Union of Democratic Forces declined to head any commission, insisting instead that one of the deputy chairmanships of each commission be filled by a UDF member. The Socialists complied with that demand. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

  • GREECE BLOCKS EU CUSTOMS UNION WITH TURKEY. The Greek government on 9 February rejected a compromise formula on a customs union between the European Union and Turkey, saying it will maintain its veto until its demands are met, AFP reported the same day. Athens is pressing for Cyprus's admission into the EU. EU foreign ministers agreed on 6 February to open membership talks with Cyprus six months after the union's scheduled institutional overhaul in 1997, while Greece promised to lift its veto on the trade accord with Turkey. Greek government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that while the Greek position is negative, "the government detects the possibility to continue talks" because there is "room for clearing up and improving the (EU) positions." Turkish officials said their country had met its obligations toward the EU and expects the union to do likewise. Noting that they were negotiating with the EU and not with Greece, they accused that country of continuing to block efforts to achieve a customs union. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

  • GREECE WELCOMES RELEASE OF ETHNIC GREEKS IN ALBANIA. Greek government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos on 9 February said the Albanian Supreme Court's decision to free four ethnic Greeks sentenced for espionage and illegal possession of firearms lays the foundations for resumed political talks between Greece and Albania, Reuters reported the same day. Following their conviction last fall, Athens broke off all contacts with Albania's leadership, saying no dialogue was possible until they were freed. A fifth defendant was released last December by presidential decree. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    [As of 1200 CET] Compiled by Jan Cleave