OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 66, 3 Apr 95

From: "Demetrios E. Paneras" <dep@bu.edu>


CONTENTS

  • [01] ODESSA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH TURKISH REGION.

  • [02] BOSNIA FIGHTING INTENSIFIES.

  • [03] ZAGREB HAILS UNCRO ...

  • [04] ... WHILE BOSNIA AND MACEDONIA RECEIVE NEW MANDATES.

  • [05] BULGARIA, GREECE CALL FOR LIFTING OF YUGOSLAVIA SANCTIONS.

  • [06] ALBANIAN JUDGES RESIGN IN SIGN OF PROTEST.


  • OMRI DAILY DIGEST

    No. 66, Part II, 3 April 1995

    EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE

    [01] ODESSA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH TURKISH REGION.

    Ukrainian Radio on 31 March reported that the head of Odessa Oblast Council, Mykola Bohoyavlensky, signed an agreement with a Turkish delegation from Kastamonou on economic and cultural cooperation. The two regions will open naval, trade, and cultural representations on each other's territory and will also start an air link between Odessa and Inebol. Odessa has called for economic autonomy from Kiev and demanded that it be made an economic free zone. -- Ustina Markus, OMRI, Inc.

    SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

    [02] BOSNIA FIGHTING INTENSIFIES.

    International media on 3 April reported that fighting in several parts of Bosnia continues to intensify, including in the northwest pocket of Bihac. Bosnian government radio on 2 April said that waves of Serbian and rebel Muslim infantry and tanks pounded the area, notably around the town of Velika Kladusa. According to at least one local amateur radio report, "everything [was] burning from shelling." Reuters the same day quoted UN spokesman Herve Gourmelon as saying that only 185 explosions could be accounted for in the area around Velika Kladusa, a number that the UN representative dubbed "not exceptional." In other news, the U.S. ambassador to Bosnia on 2 April announced that his departure from Sarajevo would take place on 19 April. Ambassador Victor Jackovich, in a statement made available to the press, said several members of staff will also be leaving over the next few months. He added that "My departure--and that of my colleagues--should be viewed as regular rotation for a posting in an environment as difficult and risky as Bosnia." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [03] ZAGREB HAILS UNCRO . . .

    Croatian media have continued their coverage of Zagreb's official reaction to the UN Security Council's passage on 31 March of Resolution 981, which permits a scaled-down UN mandate for Croatia under the banner of UNCRO in Croatia (a derivative of UN Confidence Restoration Operation). Vjesnik reports that Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic welcomed the resolution, acknowledging that it contains the much sought-after reference to Croatia in its title and saying it "reaffirms the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia." The newspaper on 1 April published the text of the resolution, which affirms that the new UN mandate is expected to see the shifting of some forces to positions along Croatia's international borders and away from monitoring positions held by Croatia's own rebel Krajina Serbs. Nasa Borba reported on 3 April that the Krajina Serb leadership has predictably emerged as the most vocal opponent of the new mandate, insisting that any change to the previous UN mandate is wholly unacceptable. Reuters on 1 April quoted Milan Martic, president of the self-styled Republic of Serbian Krajina, as saying the latest Security Council Resolution "ignored the real situation . . . [which] will bring into question our consent to the stay of peacekeepers in [Krajina]." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [04] .. . . WHILE BOSNIA AND MACEDONIA RECEIVE NEW MANDATES.

    The UN Security Council has also passed Resolution 982, permitting the UN mandate in Bosnia-Herzegovina to be extended until 30 November. Hina on 2 April reported that Resolution 983 has also received the Security Council's approval. The document stipulates that UNPROFOR in Macedonia "shall be known as the UN Preventative Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) . . . and that the mandate of UNPREDEP shall continue for a period terminating on 30 November 1995." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.

    [05] BULGARIA, GREECE CALL FOR LIFTING OF YUGOSLAVIA SANCTIONS.

    Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georgi Pirinski and his Greek counterpart, Karolos Papoulias, meeting in Sofia on 1-2 April, called for an end to the international sanctions against rump Yugoslavia, AFP reported. They proposed a conference of the region's main countries to press for the sanctions to be lifted. Pirinski asked neighboring countries hit by trade losses resulting from the embargo to appeal jointly to the United Nations and other international organizations for compensation. Papoulias proposed that Bulgaria, Belarus, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, and possibly Russia hold a conference in Athens later this month to discuss a common strategy. Pirinski suggested that Albania, Austria, Italy, Macedonia, and Slovenia also attend. He added that Bulgaria is ready to accept $3 million from the International Monetary Fund in compensation for trade losses due to the sanctions. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

    [06] ALBANIAN JUDGES RESIGN IN SIGN OF PROTEST.

    The chief judge of Tirana's district court and his deputies resigned on 31 March in protest at government interference in their work, international news agencies reported the same day. They accused Justice Minister Hektor Frasheri and his deputy of interfering in the court's work and trying to bring it under the jurisdiction of the Justice Ministry and government. Frasheri, they said, tried to stop certain cases from being heard and to influence the hiring and firing of even low-level employees. Gazeta Shqiptare cited chief judge Agim Bendo as saying "our resignation is a protest against the decisions of the justice minister." A Justice Ministry spokesman called the resignations "hasty and unmotivated," insisting that the Justice Ministry's actions "have been based in law." -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc. [As of 12:00 CET] Compiled by Jan Cleave

    This material was reprinted with permission of the Open Media Research Institute, a Prague-based nonprofit organization.


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