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Serbia Today 96-02-12
From: ddc@nyquist.bellcore.com (D.D. Chukurov)
12 February 1996
In This Edition
FR OF YUGOSLAVIA IS THE STATE OF POLITICAL CONTINUITY OF THE SFR OF YUGOSLAVIA
'THE BEST POSSIBLE' INDICTMENT NOW BEING DRAFTED
USTASHI NEWSPAPER PROMOTED
CAMPAIGN IN GERMANY AGAINST HANDKE
CONTENTS
[01] STRICT RESPECT OF DAYTON AGREEMENT IS OF DECISIVE IMPORTANCE
[02] CONTRIBUTION TO THE AFFIRMATION OF EQUITABLE RELATIONS
[03] FR OF YUGOSLAVIA IS THE STATE OF POLITICAL CONTINUITY OF THE SFR OF YUGOSLAVIA
[04] THE PLACE OF YUGOSLAVIA IN THE BALKANS
[05] ECONOMIC EXHIBITION OF SERBIA IN KRASNOYARSK
[06] REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA ESTABLISHES AGAIN COOPERATION WITH IFOR
[07] 'THE BEST POSSIBLE' INDICTMENT IS BEING DRAFTED
[08] DISTURBING STATEMENT BY IZETBEGOVIC
[09] KINKEL: CROATS IN MOSTAR MUST BE 'SUBDUED'
[10] SHOTS FIRED AT KOSHNIK
[11] MORE SERBS WISH TO RETURN TO CROATIA
[12] USTASHI NEWSPAPER PROMOTED
[13] CAMPAIGN IN GERMANY AGAINST HANDKE
[01] STRICT RESPECT OF DAYTON AGREEMENT IS OF DECISIVE IMPORTANCE
President of the Republic of Serbia Slobodan Milosevic
received the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Holbroke,
who arrived in Belgrade at the head of the American team. The
talks were focused on the actual issues of implementation of
the peace plan for Bosnia, with special emphasis on the
necessary steps to be undertake in the interest of securing
consistent respect of the Peace Agreement. It was warned that
all the sides have undertaken to strictly respect their
obligations, which excludes the possibility of illegal arrest
and detention of persons from any of the sides. It must not
be allowed for individual incidents to jeopardize the entire
implementation of the peace plan. At the same time, however,
responsibilities for some incidents must not be treated
lightly because the incidents are beyond any doubt dangerous,
underlined President Milosevic. Therefore, every such
incident should without hesitation be solved in the interest
of progress of the process of confidence building between the
Republic of Srpska and the Muslim-Croat federation, and in
this of decisive importance is strict respect of the Dayton
Agreement.
After the talks with President Milosevic, head of the U.S.
negotiating team, Holbroke, stated that all the interested
parties agree that the Dayton process must be continued
without slowing down. Holbroke specified that he had a good
three-hour talk with President Milosevic and that he will
return in the morning to Sarajevo, from where he came to
Belgrade. Deputy Secretary of State for human rights John
Shatak, informed Holbroke, had visited yesterday in Sarajevo
the captured Serbian officers Djukic and Krsmanovic and has
seen that they are in good health. (Tanjug, February 12,
1996)
[02] CONTRIBUTION TO THE AFFIRMATION OF EQUITABLE RELATIONS
President of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic received Jula
Tirmer, President of the Workers Party of Hungary. In the
cordial talks mutual strives were expressed for the
development of good neighborly and friendly relations and
overall ties between the two countries. Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and Hungary, because of many mutual interests,
should offer their contribution to the affirmation of
equitable relations between states and nations. In this of
the greatest importance is strengthening of peace and
stability in the region, together with the respect of rights
and freedoms of all peoples and states to decide
independently on their own development. (Politika, February
10, 1996)
[03] FR OF YUGOSLAVIA IS THE STATE OF POLITICAL CONTINUITY OF THE SFR OF YUGOSLAVIA
France is of the view that "the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia should be granted in the political sense the
status of the state of continuity of the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia". This is the official stand of the
French Government quoted by the Paris daily "Le Mond". This
stand was expressed in the seat of French diplomacy within
preparations for the discussions on the political and legal
problem of continuity of Yugoslavia in the UN Security
Council. It is specified that regarding economic and
financial aspects "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is the
state-successor, as well as the other states created from the
former Yugoslavia". The stand of France, writes "Le Mond",
has surprised the United States and some other western
countries which would wish for the FR of Yugoslavia to be
subjected to strict conditions for the candidature for the
membership in all the international organizations as a
completely new state. It is actually a manoeuvre not to admit
the truth about the new states created through secession from
the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. (Politika,
February 11, 1996)
[04] THE PLACE OF YUGOSLAVIA IN THE BALKANS
Participants of a two-day Athens conference devoted to the
regional security and revival of the Balkans, academic
researchers and diplomates, have most often treated the topic
of the seminar (organized by the Athens Center for
Euro-Mediterranean Studies and the British Redding
University) through various aspects of crisis in former
Yugoslavia and forecasts for strengthening of peace. Yugoslav
participant in this gathering, Ambassador Dragomir Vucicevic
informed the gathering of the efforts made by Yugoslavia for
the implementation of the peace agreement, especially the
complex phase of its civil chapters, and concluded: "It is
not possible to make plans for the future of the Balkans
without the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, whose interest is
participation in the processes of cooperation and
reconstruction. Therefore, it is necessary for Yugoslavia to
be fully integrated in the international community, which
will make it possible for it to give contribution to the
construction of new relations in the region and in Europe".
(Vecernje novosti, February 11, 1996)
[05] ECONOMIC EXHIBITION OF SERBIA IN KRASNOYARSK
In Krasnoyarsk, one of the Siberian centers of Russia, an
economic exhibition of Serbia was opened with the
participation of some 60 companies and 12 scientific
institutes ready to offer their partners in the Russian
Federation many products and services. The exhibition, under
the auspices of the Chamber of Economy of Serbia and in the
agreement with the republican Ministry of Industry and
Directorate for International Relations of the Krasnoyarsk
province, was organized by the Belgrade Fair, on one thousand
square meters. It is foreseen that during the exhibition an
agreement will be signed on the economic, scientific and
technical and cultural cooperation between Serbia and the
Krasnoyarsk province. (Politika ekspres, February 11, 1996)
[06] REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA ESTABLISHES AGAIN COOPERATION WITH IFOR
Government of the Republic of Srpska decided to establish
again cooperation with the IFOR, warning at the same time
that it shall have no contacts with the representatives of
the Bosnia-Herzegovina federation for as long as all the
arrested members of the Republic of Srpska Army are not
released. In the communique it is stressed that the capture
of General Djukic and other officers of the Republic of
Srpska Army is an attack on Dayton Agreement and that it is
expected from the international community to secure their
release. President of the Republic of Srpska Radovan
Karadzic, qualifying the arrest as an act of renewed
hostilities, stated the following: "We will not arrest
Muslims, except terrorists who are roaming around in our
territory, and even then we shall strictly respect the legal
procedure. Therefore, we will not arrest Muslims and Croats
out of revenge because we do not wish in any way to
deteriorate the situation". (Politika, February 11, 1996)
[07] 'THE BEST POSSIBLE' INDICTMENT IS BEING DRAFTED
Information service of the Main Headquarters of the Republic
of Srpska Army reported that for three days now there are
disputes and arguments between the International War Crimes
Tribunal prosecutor Goldstone and the Muslim judicial
authorities in Sarajevo as to how to draft "the best
possible" indictment for the arrested General Djukic and Col.
Krsmanovic. Prosecutor Goldstone was not satisfied so far
with any of the indictments submitted by the Muslim judicial
authorities to The Hague Tribunal, and as much as a dozen
versions of the indictment have been changed from the day of
arrest because judge Goldstone was always asking for stronger
arguments. The Hague-Muslim tension and quarrels about
convincing statements of the indictment against Serbian
officers, and even inventing of the guilt are caused by the
fact that on February 10, 1996 the deadline expires for the
arrested officers to be either indicted or released.
Information service is informing the world public that
Serbian officers were arrested on January 30, 1996 and that
within three days the procedure had to be completed for
indictment and the case submitted to the competent
prosecutor. (Politika, February 11, 1996)
[08] DISTURBING STATEMENT BY IZETBEGOVIC
President of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Alija
Izetbegovic stated that, in spite of pressures, members of
the Republic of Srpska Army, suspected of war crimes, will
not be released from prison, even if this is to jeopardize
the peace process. Sarajevo "Dnevni avaz" quotes
Izetbegovic's statement that "certain pressures are being
made on the authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina", but that the
release of suspects of war crimes "is out of the question".
"We shall not release criminals even if peace is endangered",
categorically states Izetbegovic. (Politika, February 12,
1996)
[09] KINKEL: CROATS IN MOSTAR MUST BE 'SUBDUED'
German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel stated that "Croats in
Mostar must be subdued" and that Zagreb is responsible for
the implementation of the peace process in this Herzegovina
town. "Therefore we are demanding from them: bring things to
order", Kinkel strongly reprimands Croats in his statement
published today in the newspaper "Welt am Zontag". Prior to
his visit to Zagreb on Tuesday, for talks with Tudjman and
Izetbegovic, Kinkel sends them a message that "their behavior
in the situation in Mostar will play a role in further
linking of Croatia with the European Union". (Politika,
February 12, 1996)
[10] SHOTS FIRED AT KOSHNIK
Independent daily "Novi list" in Rijeka writes yesterday that
"Croats must be faced with the fact that they have made an
assassination attempt at Hans Koshnik, the man who is
representing European and even the overall international
community in Mostar". Some 11 to 12 shots were fired at his
car. "There is no doubt that Croatia will pay by disrupture
of links with Europe, this cry, anger and recognizable
Ustashi violence of the Mostar extremists", warns the
newspaper. Zagreb is for many reasons considered to be
responsible for what is happening in Mostar because "it is
certain that Herzegovina rioters are not without support from
Croatia", writes the newspaper. Mostar "happening of Croats"
is unmasking the Croat politics and it is now clear what are
its intentions - it has signed the Dayton package, but it is
interpreting it is accordance with its war targets, concludes
"Novi list". (Vecernje novosti, February 12, 1996)
[11] MORE SERBS WISH TO RETURN TO CROATIA
Commission for Human Rights of Serbs in Croatia reported in
Zagreb that, in cooperation with the Helsinki Board for Human
Rights of Serbia, it has determined that over 26,000 Serbs
who have escaped from Krajina, have requested the return to
Croatia. Members of the Commission are warning that the
representatives of the Croat Government "are trying by all
means to explain that Serbs are not interested in returning",
and that the statements made in this respect by some
officials in Zagreb are false. The Commission is of the view
that the Croat Government is also in gross violation of the
Constitution. "After the propaganda democracy and guaranteed
special rights, we are only asking for constitutional
equality for the return", reads the report of the Commission.
(Vecernje novosti, February 10, 1996)
[12] USTASHI NEWSPAPER PROMOTED
In Zagreb there was an official promotion of the newspaper
"Independent State of Croatia", an ideological newspaper of
the Croat Liberation Movement - a party which was founded by
immigrants abroad and the Ustashi leader Ante Pavelic. The
newspaper edited by the President of the Croat Liberation
Movement Srecko Psenicnik, son-in-law of leader Pavelic, was
published since 1960 abroad, and for the first time now, it
is said, 'is brought into the motherland". "Croat men and
women, the day has come when the Independent State of Croatia
has returned to Croatia, and we hope not only as a newspaper
but also as a reality", said at the ceremony of promotion
President of the Croat Forum Nedeljko Kujundzic. Promotion of
the Ustashi newspaper was attended also by the General of the
Croat Army Mate Djarlija Daidza. (Vecernje novosti, February
12, 1996)
[13] CAMPAIGN IN GERMANY AGAINST HANDKE
Media campaign in Germany against the writer Peter Handke,
because of his text "Justice for Serbia" has received a new
momentum today. Handke was forced to cancel his first in a
series of meetings with the public, scheduled for February
15, 1996 in Berlin, where he intended to read the said text
and talk about the views stated in it. According to the
German news agency DPA, the fate of the other scheduled
meetings is also uncertain, those in Hamburg, Frankfurt,
Munich, Klagenfurt and Ljubljana. No matter how great his
contribution to the culture, nothing could save Handke, one
of the four greatest living writers in the German language,
from the torrent of accusations only because he dared as a
humanist to look into the "Serbian backyard". "Handke
hunters" obviously were heavily stricken by the writer's
attempt to oppose reasonable arguments and testimonies about
Serbia to their accusations of the Serbian people, and their
defense of German protegees: Croats and Muslims. (Politika,
February 12, 1996)
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