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RFE/RL Newsline, Vol. 2, No. 72, 98-04-15Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty: Newsline Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty <http://www.rferl.org>RFE/RL NEWSLINEVol. 2, No. 72, 15 April 1998CONTENTS[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
[C] END NOTE
[A] TRANSCAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA[01] GEORGIAN LEADERSHIP WILL NOT OPPOSE GAMSAKHURDIA'S REBURIALGeorgian presidential spokesman Vakhtang Abashidze said on 14 April that there are no obstacles to reburying Zviad Gamsakhurdia in Georgia if the former president's family requests such a reburial, Interfax reported. Gamsakhurdia, who committed suicide in late December, 1993, is buried in Djohar-gala. Adjar parliamentary speaker Aslan Abashidze told journalists in Batumi on 13 April that Gamsakhurdia's reburial in Tbilisi would be an appropriate step toward the process of national reconciliation espoused by current President Shevardnadze after Gamsakhurdia supporters abducted four UN observers in western Georgia in February. LF[02] REVIVAL FACTION THREATENS TO BOYCOTT GEORGIAN ELECTIONSAlso on 13 April, Aslan Abashidze warned that the Revival faction that represents Adjaria's interests within the Georgian parliament will not participate in the 1999 Georgian parliamentary elections if his proposals aimed at ensuring democratic elections are not adopted, Caucasus Press reported. Earlier this month, the Revival faction had demanded that a representative of Adjaria be elected Georgian deputy parliamentary speaker. That demand further strained relations between Adjaria and the central Georgian leadership. All 24 deputies from the Revival faction traveled to Batumi on 14 April for talks with Abashidze. LF[03] GEORGIAN ENERGY MINISTER RESIGNSIn his weekly radio address on13 April, Shevardnadze announced he has accepted the resignation of Energy Minister David Zubitashvili following a parliamentary investigation into allegations of corruption, Caucasus Press reported. Electricity continues to be rationed in Georgia, despite substantial investments in that sector in recent years. LF[04] BELGIAN PREMIER VISITS AZERBAIJANMeeting in Baku on 14 April, Jean-Luc Dehaene and Azerbaijani President Heidar Aliev signed three cooperation agreements, Turan reported. They also discussed the possible expansion of the Belgian oil company Petrofina's participation in Azerbaijan's oil sector. Petrofina already has a 10 percent stake in the consortium to develop the Lenkoran-Deniz and Talysh- Deniz fields and reportedly hopes to acquire a 5 percent stake in the Kyurdashi field. But an unnamed Azerbaijani government source told Interfax that Belgian oil interests in Azerbaijan could be negatively affected by the resolution passed last month by the Belgian parliament recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide. Dehaene, for his part, told journalists in Baku on 13 April that the Belgian government "does not espouse" the parliamentary resolution. LF[05] SIX RUSSIAN SERVICEMEN DIE IN TRAINING ACCIDENT IN TAJIKISTANOn the eve of a training exercise in southwestern Tajikistan an armored personnel carrier was destroyed, killing six soldiers and injuring 15 others, ITAR-TASS and Reuters reported on 14 April. It is unclear if the vehicle struck a land mine or simply overturned. Russia's 201st division is to hold exercises with Tajik troops on 15-16 April at a site 150 kilometers from Dushanbe. Meanwhile, the investigation continues into the cause of the crash of a Su-25 combat aircraft on 11 April, in which both pilots were killed. It was initially thought the plane crashed into a hill, but RFE/RL correspondents report investigators are looking into the possibility that the plane strayed over an artillery range during firing practice and was hit by a shell. BP[06] TURKISH PRIME MINISTER VISITS KYRGYZSTANMesut Yilmaz met with Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev and Prime Minister Kubanychbek Jumaliev in Bishkek on 14 April, RFE/RL correspondents and Kyrgyz Radio reported. The two sides signed agreements on cooperation between customs services, forestry agencies, and securities markets. Yilmaz said the last agreement allows the securities of one country to enter the market of the other. But he noted that the lack of an agreement on avoiding double-taxation is likely to prevent Turkish investors in from entering the Kyrgyz market. BP[07] OSCE CHAIRMAN MEETS WITH TURKMEN PRESIDENTBronislaw Geremek, the Polish foreign minister and chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, met with Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov in Ashgabat on 14 April, ITAR-TASS reported. The two discussed methods of accelerating democratic and peacemaking processes in Central Asia. Geremek stressed that Turkmenistan, as a neutral country, could play a role "in the formation of a future architecture of European security." Geremek also met with members of the Turkmen parliament and visited the Institute of Democracy and Rights. BP[B] SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE[08] CROATIA AT 'TURNING POINT' ON REFUGEE RETURNSCroatian President Franjo Tudjman told U.S. and U.K. diplomats in Zagreb on 14 April that Croatia will consider all requests by Croatian Serbs to return home on an individual, humanitarian basis. Tudjman cautioned that the arrival of all refugees at the same time could prove destabilizing and lead to what he called the tense state of affairs that prevailed before the Serbian uprising in 1990- 1991, an RFE/RL correspondent reported from Zagreb. The diplomats reminded Tudjman that the pace of Croatia's integration into Euro-Atlantic structures is closely linked to its treatment of returning refugees. The diplomats also expressed the hope that the parliament will approve measures on refugee return recently worked out by Croatian and international officials. U.S. Ambassador to Croatia William Montgomery said that "this is a fork in the road for Croatia" (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 31 March and 1 April 1998). PM[09] SAKIC CASE OFFERS OPPORTUNITY FOR CROATIAA spokesman for the Croatian People's Party said in Zagreb on 14 April that the current case surrounding suspected World War II war criminal Dinko Sakic is an excellent opportunity for the present Croatian state to underscore the differences between it and Hitler's wartime puppet (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 April 1998). The spokesman said the government's request that Argentina extradite Sakic is a step in the right direction. In Buenos Aires, a Croatian embassy spokesman said Argentina has agreed to the request. Meanwhile in Belgrade, several Serbian experts on World War II war crimes called for the extradition of Sakic's wife as well, the daily "Danas" reported on 14 and 15 April. The experts charge that Nada Sakic (who now uses the name Esperanza) was the wartime commander of the women's concentration camp at Gradiska, where she committed atrocities. PM[10] GERMANS WILLING TO HELP CATCH KARADZICGerman Defense Minister Volker Ruehe said in Sarajevo on 14 April that German peacekeepers will participate in any NATO action to apprehend indicted war criminals if the Germans are asked to do so. Ruehe added that he is confident that all indicted war criminals will appear in The Hague sooner or later. On 11 April, the Bosnian Serb news agency SRNA quoted Radovan Karadzic's wife Ljiljana as saying that her husband will never give himself up (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 10 April 1998). On 14 April, Serbian media quoted hard-line Bosnian Serb politician Bozidar Vucurevic as saying that Karadzic is in eastern Herzegovina and that 23,000 Bosnian Serb soldiers will defend him against any attempt to arrest him. PM[11] SLOVENIAN AID FOR BOSNIASlovenian parliamentary speaker Janez Podobnik presented Bosnian officials in Sarajevo on 14 April with an aid package worth $600,000. Slovenian Foreign Trade Minister Marijan Senjur added that total Slovenian assistance to Bosnia this year will reach $3 million. Presidents Milan Kucan and Alija Izetbegovic met in Ljubljana the previous week. PM[12] GARROD WARNS HERZEGOVINIANSMartin Garrod, who is the international community's chief representative in Mostar, called on the ultranationalist Croatian leadership in the town of Stolac to investigate recent minings and burnings of Muslim homes in the area, and to publish the findings of their investigation. In February, Carlos Westendorp, the international community's chief representative in Bosnia, fired the police chief of Stolac for not allowing Muslim refugees to go home. In March, Westendorp sacked the mayor of Stolac for the same reason. PM[13] SESELJ SAYS WEST WON'T START WAR IN KOSOVASerbian Deputy Prime Minister Vojislav Seselj told a private television station in Lesovac on 14 April that there will be no war in Kosova because the Western powers "prefer to advance their goals by peaceful means," BETA news agency reported. In Prishtina, a policeman was wounded when unidentified individuals threw at least two hand grenades into a police station in an ethnic Albanian neighborhood. And in the Decan area, some 40 ethnic Serbian families recently left their villages and are now settled together in a nearby recreation area. The Serbs told BETA that they moved because they feared attacks by armed Albanians. It is unclear if they moved voluntarily or were resettled by the authorities. PM[14] RADIOACTIVE SALT IN SERBIAThe opposition Democratic Party said in a statement in Belgrade on 14 April that it wants those persons responsible for the import of radioactive salt from Belarus to be investigated and punished. Some 50,000 kilograms of imported Belarusian table salt were found last week to be radioactive, the Belgrade daily "Danas" reported. The Democratic Party statement added that 50,000 tons of Belarusian salt were imported last year and that plans for this year call for total salt imports from Belarus to reach 100,000 tons. PM[15] ALBANIAN COALITION TO FORM NEW GOVERNMENTMembers of the governing center-left coalition agreed in Tirana on 14 April to set up a new government with 18 members, down from the current 22. Socialist Deputy Prime Minister Bashkim Fino will replace fellow Socialist Sabit Brokaj as defense minister, and Socialist Luan Hajdaraga will become interior minister in place of the Democratic Alliance's Neritan Ceka, who will take up the portfolio on local government. Socialist Ilir Meta will head the new Ministry for Euro-Atlantic Integration, "Koha Jone" reported. The parliament must approve the new government. Socialist Prime Minister Fatos Nano has repeatedly criticized the outgoing cabinet for inefficiency and indifference (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 2 April 1998). FS[16] ALBANIAN POLICE ACTION OVER MISSING CHILDRENTirana police seized birth registers and related files from the capital's hospitals on 14 April, "Koha Jone" reported. The police are investigating reports of alleged organized traffic in children and in the organs of children. Meanwhile near Fier, a gunman killed two policemen, bringing the total number of Albanian police killed this year to nine. And near Tirana, police arrested four suspects in connection with the recent shooting of two British diplomats on Mount Dajti (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 April 1998). FS[17] MOLDOVA'S COMMUNISTS TO FORM OPPOSITION?Vladimir Voronin, head of the Party of Moldovan Communists, said on 14 April that the party could function as the opposition, even though it won the most votes in the 22 March elections, Infotag reported. Voronin said it would be easy for the Communists to remain in the opposition, although they are still willing to form a coalition with the For a Prosperous and Democratic Moldova Bloc (PMDP). Voronin said the Communists are not against private businesses or the free market but that "runaway capitalism" has turned Moldova into "one big Turkish bazaar." The PMDP has not rejected forming a coalition with the Communists but says it will most likely form a government with the other two parties elected to the parliament. PB[18] GREECE, BULGARIA TO DEVELOP INFRASTRUCTUREBulgarian President Petar Stoyanov said on 14 April that Balkan policy in the future will be "big infrastructure projects," Reuters reported. Stoyanov was speaking to reporters after meeting with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis. Stoyanov said the two countries will work to build a "new pro-European image of the region." He said they agreed to build a highway between the Black Sea port of Bourgas and the Greek city of Ormenion. Simitis also met with his Bulgarian counterpart, Ivan Kostov. Greece is Bulgaria's fourth largest trading partner. PB[19] GREECE SUPPORTS BASING BALKAN FORCE IN BULGARIAN CITYA Bulgarian parliamentary spokesman said on 14 April that Greece supports the basing of an all- Balkan rapid reaction force in the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, AFP reported. His comments came after Greek Foreign Minister Teodoros Pangalos met with Assen Agov, the head of the Bulgarian parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee. The proposed force would include troops from Slovenia, Turkey, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Albania. The establishment of such a force was discussed at the recent Romanian-Bulgarian-Greek meeting (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 14 April 1998). PB[C] END NOTE[20] THE POLITICAL ENDS OF RUSSIAN ECONOMIC ADVICEby Paul GobleEven as Moscow applies economic pressure to Latvia, Russian officials are once again seeking to use economic arguments to promote Moscow's political influence over the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Last week, a spokesman for the Russian Ministry for Relations with the CIS Countries suggested that reversing the decline in trade turnover among those countries is the key to restarting their economic growth. Deputy Minister Marat Khasmutdinov noted that overall trade turnover among the CIS countries was down 10 percent in 1997, following similar decreases after the collapse of the USSR. He said that such trade now amounted to only 6 percent of the CIS's total GDP, down from 21 percent in 1992. Only by increasing trade, he concluded, can those countries deal with their current economic slump. On the face of it, such arguments are plausible; after all, an expansion in foreign trade has often helped power economic growth. But there are three reasons why the countries involved are unlikely to take such arguments seriously, even if Western commentators find them attractive. First, the decline in trade turnover among the former Soviet republics belonging to the CIS is not the primary cause of their economic distress. And reversing that decline would not necessarily be the primary cause of their recovery. Indeed, such a change might impede further economic reform. It is certainly the case that dislocations in trade following the collapse of the USSR had an impact on the economic situation of the 12 member states of the CIS. When the Soviet Union fell apart, enterprises and ministries on the territory of each of the 12 countries suddenly had to seek new partners to obtain raw materials and spare parts as well as new markets to sell their own products. But whatever impact that process had on their economic growth, an even greater role was played by the shift toward a free market in many of those countries, the collapse of political authority, and the impact that uncertainty about those two processes had on both foreign and domestic investment. Second, the CIS itself has little prospect of becoming the most relevant trade organization for most of the countries that are currently its members. On the one hand, most have more natural trade partners beyond its borders. Moscow managed the Soviet economy in such a way as to promote the integration of its empire into a single state, cutting off the republics from most foreign trade and creating chains of economic activity that could be described only as irrational. In many cases, individual republics could have made far more by selling their products abroad than they did by providing them to Moscow. And few of them could have foreseen the effect their past dependence on Moscow for determining prices and patterns of trade would have on their ability to make their own way after the collapse of the USSR. On the other hand, the CIS is increasingly becoming more a Russian claim than a genuine reality. Since its creation in December 1991, the CIS has adopted some 800 agreements, very few of which have been approved by all the members or implemented even when they are approved. As a result, and whatever the advocates of the CIS say in its defense, the commonwealth is simply not the most important actor in either the economic or political lives of its member states. Indeed, an increasing number of the leaders of those countries have indicated that they remain members only because of the likelihood of a sharp Russian reaction should they leave. Third, such arguments obscure the fundamental difference between economic integration and economic reintegration. As the Soviet Union approached its end, President Mikhail Gorbachev and his supporters routinely pointed to developments in the EU, arguing that integration rather than disintegration was the order of the day. Russian officials are again making such claims, but those arguments are unlikely to impress many because they represent a confusion between integration and reintegration. Integration is a natural process, reflecting both individual national interests and a level of self-confidence that would allow countries to yield some of their sovereignty for other gains. Reintegration, particularly in this context, is about the forced remarriage of countries that have only recently completed their divorce. Even before all the CIS member countries of the CIS can feel confident about their status, some Moscow officials are advocating that in the name of economic interests, those countries yield some of the sovereignty that still alludes them. But the reactions of the non-Russian countries to such proposals in the past suggest that most of those states will view such arguments for what they almost certainly are: a political program to expand Moscow's influence rather than a genuinely economic one intended to benefit them all. 15-04-98 Reprinted with permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
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