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Serbia Today 96-05-24
Serbia Today
24 May 1996
CONTENTS
[01] NEW FORMS OF COMMUNICATIONS IN THE BALKANS
[02] THE SERBIAN GOVERNMENT ON INTERNET
[03]
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT AND THE BALKAN ASSOCIATION
[04] HONORS FOR SERBIAN HEROES
[05] THE ARILJE CHURCH SEVENTH CENTENARY
[06] SPECIAL STATUS FOR THE SERBIAN PROVINCE
[07] CAIRO ASKED IZETBEGOVIC TO EXTRADITE THE ISLAMISTS
[01] NEW FORMS OF COMMUNICATIONS IN THE BALKANS
Serbian Minister of Information - Mr. Ratomir Vico met yesterday with the leaders of the Balkan
News Agencies Association and stressed the importance of information ties in the Balkan region. "The
project for a Balkan information pool offers the best chance to overcome the situation faced until recently
by the neighboring countries - they exchanged information through global agencies instead of doing it
directly", said Minister Vico. He particularly endorsed the urgent establishment of the Balkan economic
service, because information of this kind is still scarce in the media of the Balkan countries. The Balkan
News Agencies Association was founded last year in Sofia, and it comprises the national news agencies
from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Macedonia and FRY, whilst news agencies from Slovenia and
Bosnia enjoy the status of observers. (Politika, May 24, 1996)
[02] THE SERBIAN GOVERNMENT ON INTERNET
The Serbian Government has gained access to Internet - the global computer network with over 50
million users. Actually, the Serbian Ministry of Information was linked to Internet since last August -
during the international blockade - through a private person of Yugoslav origin living in the US. "We have
made enormous efforts to divulge information under such adverse condition - and promote a true image of
the situation. However, we can not force other states to accept such information, because a key role can be
plaid by political interests", says Mr. Rade Drobac - Serbian Deputy Minister of Information in
commenting the unfounded accusations of the battle for the media being lost. The Ministry is using Internet
to divulge information to over 4000 addresses of the most influential institutions, media, educational
institutions, NGOs and politicians. They all receive a monthly and daily news bulletin: five languages,
thousands pages of texts, some two thousand pictures, 200 audio files and dozens of video clips. All
information is technically well-shaped and some American services for Internet have rated the Yugoslav
offer as one of the most complete last year. The communication potentials of the highest technological level
are best illustrated by the fact that last month the Yugoslav Internet server was accessed 2.500 times by
Canadians, 7.000 Australians, 2.500 by Englishmen. In the US, where the greatest interest for information
offered by the Serbian Government is registered, there were 24.500 contacts by educational institutions,
1.700 by the American Government, 16.000 by media, and 44.000 by commercial institutions. Many have
asked additional information; for example, French users asked for data on the Markale Massacre and the
Moslem manipulations, and many Internet users throughout the world expressed surprise and disdain the
Jasenovac extermination camp existed at all. (Politika, May 24, 1996)
[03]
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT AND THE BALKAN ASSOCIATION
Prof. Dr. Mira Markovic - Chairman of the Yugoslav Foundation for European Integration, and
Mr. Prof. Dr. Zaharie Zahariev - President of the Bulgarian "Slavs" Foundation, signed yesterday in
Belgrade an agreement on mutual cooperation between the two NGO and non-profit organizations. The
two foundations endorse the same principles of economic, political and cultural cooperation between the
Balkan and European nations, said Dr. Mira Markovic and added: "The cooperation is based on the
principle of equality, with the hope that it will contribute to the linking of Balkan and European nations. It
should also create a future in which the Balkan nations - being part of the European family of nations - shall
live in peace and will be able to dedicate themselves to their economic and cultural development."
Reminding that the "Slavs" Foundation launched such cooperation two years ago - in an extremely difficult
moment for Yugoslavia - Mr. Zahariev stated: "We wanted to help because brothers should help each other
in times of need, and because we were convinced that our future lies in friendship and cooperation. We are
doing this in order to avoid being isolated and to defend our place in Europe." (Politika, May 24, 1996)
[04] HONORS FOR SERBIAN HEROES
One hundred years old Jevrem Ivanovic and 98 years-old Naum Djordjevic,
and several hundred Serbs, gathered on the Isle of Corfu to pay their respects to the heroes that crossed the
Albanian mountains 80 years ago and reached this Greek island to recuperate. Of the 140.000 Serbian
soldiers that found shelter on the Greek island in 1916, thousands have stayed there for ever, having
succumbed to illnesses, wounds and general weakness. This year, the Pre-1918 Serbian Liberation Wars
Society organized a special ceremony on the day that that the Serbian soldiers set foot on this island for the
first time. Before the mausoleum on the little island of Vid, where the bones of the soldiers are buried, a
memorial service was held by Serbian Orthodox and Greek Orthodox priests. The first wreath was laid by
Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic. According to tradition, flowers were thrown into the sea in
memory of those that were buried in the "blue grave" 80 years ago. Along with the flowers a French Navy
cap was thrown. Mr. Jacques Vensel - a "Thessaloniko Front" veteran, arrived this year with a message from
the Admiral Gepratte family that the cap be thrown into the sea near the coasts of Vid - to commemorate the
arrival of Serbian soldiers on the island. (Politika, May 24, 1996)
[05] THE ARILJE CHURCH SEVENTH CENTENARY
The scientific meeting held at the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences - regarding the historical
and artistic importance of St. Achilles - whose bones were transferred to present-day Arilje in the 10th
century, marks the beginning of the celebration of the 7th centenary of the temple of St. Achilles, one of the
oldest Serbian Orthodox churches. After restoration works that lasted almost 25 years, the church which
was seat of one of the 12 episcopates at the time of St. Sava. Later on, during the Ottoman rule it was turned
into a stable, then demolished and for many years abandoned. Now it is a glorious reminder of the fact that
it was once a Serbian spiritual center; It has been completely restored, a new inn added, the frescoes have
been cleansed and protected, and the iconostassis painted in 1849 by the zoograph Nikola Jankovic has been
also restored. The completion of the restoration works on the Arilje church, marks the end of the largest
project launched by the Serbian Ministry of Culture last year and this year. (Vecernje Novosti, May 24,
1996)
[06] SPECIAL STATUS FOR THE SERBIAN PROVINCE
The deputies of the Vukovar Municipal Council launched an initiative yesterday, asking that the
Serbian Province of Slavonija, Baranja and Western Srem be given a special status within the Republic of
Croatia. A general concept for such a special status has been drafted, with the remark that it should be based
on principles used in similar situations by western countries. The Serbian province should have an assembly
and government, the right to a regional citizenship and passport, its own Police, its own or other adequate
currency, education, judiciary, Serbian language, the right to an anthem, coat of arms and flag, as well as
economic self-government. Furthermore, the province should be permanently demilitarized, and its men
would not be serving in any army. The concept envisages the possibility of certain regulations being
adopted by the Provincial Assembly, and the right of veto by the Croatian President if authorizations were
overstepped. The draft project will be discussed imminently by the municipal assemblies of the other towns.
The mayor of Vukovar - Mr. Miroslav Keravica says that the request is completely logical, especially after
the recent statements on the autonomy of the Serbs in the province made by German Foreign Minister Klaus
Kinkel and the UN Administrator - Mr. Jacques Klein. (Borba, May 24, 1996)
[07] CAIRO ASKED IZETBEGOVIC TO EXTRADITE THE ISLAMISTS
Egypt has asked the Moslem Government in Sarajevo to extradite several dozen radical Islamists
from Egypt, who fought in Bosnia with Izetbegovic troops - says the "Al-Dustur" weekly - generally
considered close to the Egyptian security service. Quoting a non-specified Egyptian official, who said that
"Egypt asked Sarajevo to extradite 75 Egyptian Moslem extremists who fled to Bosnia" to escape sentences
for anti-government activities and extremism. (Ekspres, May 24, 1996)
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