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Serbia Today 96-05-30
Serbia Today
30 May 1996
CONTENTS
[01] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA
[02] JOINT VIEWS ON THE PEACE PROCESS
[03] SEPARATION OF ECONOMIC FROM THE POLITICAL QUESTIONS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS
[04] IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT AND RETURN INTO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY-PRIORITIES OF YUGOSLAVIA
[05] ZAGREB IS NOT FULFILLING UNDERTAKEN OBLIGATIONS
[06] ADMISSION OF CROATIA IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE POSTPONED AGAIN
[07] FOR THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS - SERBS DO NOT EXIST
[08] ZULFIKAR-PASIC EXPECTS NEW CROAT-MUSLIM WAR
[01] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA
Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Milan Milutinovic had talks yesterday with the Minister of
Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Yevgeny Primakov, who is on an official visit to the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia. In an open and friendly talk, views were exchanged about the most important
questions of bilateral cooperation, priorities in the economic field and actual development of the peace
process and relations in the Balkans and in Europe. It was jointly stated that the relations based on
friendship, equality and mutual respect of joint interests, are having good perspectives. Special attention
was devoted to the economic cooperation and the establishment of direct contacts between business partners
was welcomed, which will be further supported by the two sides by supplementing the contractual legal
basis and removal of all the barriers for free circulation of goods, services, capital and technology. During
the talks about the situation in the Balkans, it was stated that Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has fulfilled
all the obligations in respect to the Dayton Peace Agreement. Russian side has acknowledged due merit to
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its leadership for a consistent peace policy and expressed its
support to the efforts for the FR of Yugoslavia to take the place which belongs to it without any delay in all
the international organizations and fora. (Politika, May 30, 1996)
[02] JOINT VIEWS ON THE PEACE PROCESS
Ministers Milutinovic and Primakov have signed yesterday the Protocol on Cooperation between
the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of the Russian Federation. While expressing great satisfaction with the substantial and friendly
talks, Milutinovic especially underlined the following: "We had a positive view of the implementation so
far of the peace agreement and we have agreed that this is the best way for reaching of a permanent peace
and stability in this part of the region. We have confirmed readiness to continue joint cooperation in the
implementation of the agreement and have agreed that of primary importance now is to accelerate
preparations for timely free and democratic elections and for the reconstruction and revival of Bosnia-
Herzegovina, with an equitable treatment of the Republic of Srpska and of the Muslim-Croat federation. We
have also agreed", continued Minister Milutinovic, "that it is necessary to return to the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia without any delay and without any further conditions, all of its rights in the United Nations, in
the O.S.C.E. and in the other international organizations and fora". Minister of Foreign Affairs of the
Russian Federation Yevgeny Primakov, while qualifying the talks as very significant, said the following:
"We have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to make everything necessary for the elections in
Bosnia-Herzegovina to take place, because this is opening a road with many positive moments, towards
stabilization of the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, towards final abolition of sanctions and creation of the
new conditions for the economic recovery". (Politika, May 30, 1996)
[03] SEPARATION OF ECONOMIC FROM THE POLITICAL QUESTIONS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS
In the talks with the international financial institutions Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will
venture in accordance with the previously established platform of the Federal Government - in a well
coordinated, organized and single way. This was concluded at the session of the Commission of the Federal
Government for relations with the International Monetary Fund and international financial organizations
and the Commission for the follow-up on the work groups of the Council for Implementation of Peace.
Federal Government is insisting that in future negotiations, both with the International Monetary Fund and
the World Bank as well as with the creditors of the Paris and London Club, there should be a full separation
of the economic and financial issues from the political ones. This means that the agreement with the
international financial institutions, when speaking of the claims of foreign creditors, must be reached
exclusively on the legal basis. Economic and financial questions, i.e. the questions of debts must be
separated from the questions of political and legal continuity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
(Borba, May 30, 1996)
[04] IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DAYTON AGREEMENT AND RETURN INTO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY-PRIORITIES OF YUGOSLAVIA
By signing of the Dayton Agreement, Yugoslavia has strongly manifested its determination for all
the conflicts in former SFRY to be resolved by political means. Nevertheless, there is little respect for the
fact that Yugoslavia has supported all of the past five peace agreements for the solution of crisis. Not
because it did not have any objections to them - on the contrary. But it had accepted them because they were
offering a chance to peace. In spite of all this, sanctions against Yugoslavia were maintained, and even now
they are only suspended. Moreover, some international factors, unfortunately, even today are using threats
of imposing sanctions again regarding questions which are explicitly of an internal character and which
must be resolved in the legitimate institutions of our system, and not by any internationalization. Certain
factors in this way are trying to achieve their partial interests, which can bring seriously into jeopardy the
peace process in these areas. This is a part of the statement given by Dr. Radoje Kontic, Prime Minister of
the Federal Government, during his meeting with foreign journalists, participants at the 34th International
Gathering of Journalists. He especially underlined that our most immediate target is abolition of all forms
of sanctions, but that in this no additional conditions or coercions are acceptable, even more so since very
long ago all the alleged reasons have been overcome which served as reasons for imposing of the sanctions.
While speaking of the relations with the former Yugoslav republics, Kontic said that diplomatic and
economic relations with Macedonia have already been normalized and that there are no obstacles for a fast
and comprehensive development of relations. Regarding Croatia, revival of economic cooperation is now
on the way, but the path to normalization is encumbered by two obstacles: dispute about Prevlaka and
recognition of continuity to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia with the SFRY. Yugoslavia has recognized
Slovenia even in 1992, recalled
ontic, but it has refused this recognition. By the end of last year Slovenia had recognized the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia but not its continuity. Slovenia is declaring itself in favor of establishment of
diplomatic and economic relations, but unfortunately, its concrete actions in the international organizations
are different from this, said Kontic. Diplomatic negotiations are now taking place about the establishment
of the diplomatic and economic relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the final recognition will depend on
the election of legitimate bodies of Bosnia-Herzegovina. (Borba, May 30, 1996)
[05] ZAGREB IS NOT FULFILLING UNDERTAKEN OBLIGATIONS
Commission of the Government of the FR of Yugoslavia for humanitarian questions and missing
persons at its yesterday's session discussed implementation of the Protocol on Cooperation with the
Commission of the Government of the Republic of Croatia for detained and missing persons, signed in
Zagreb on April 17, 1996. It was stated that the Protocol is not being implemented, and therefore, a strong
protest and dissatisfaction are being expressed because the Croat side is still keeping in its prisons and in its
power several hundreds of prisoners of war, soldiers, officers and civilians. According to the information of
the Commission of the Government of FRY, the International Red Cross is visiting only 302 persons from
the total number of prisoners, and it is known with certainty that there is a large number of persons who
have not yet been registered by the International Red Cross. By such behavior Croatia is in the grossest way
violating the Geneva conventions and the Dayton Agreement, and above all is playing with its obligations
undertaken by signing of the Protocol, to release at once all persons that it has captured and those that it is
holding against their will under its power. Commission of the Government of the FRY is expressing its
dissatisfaction because the Croat side until today did not perform any of the obligations stipulated by the
Protocol, while the Yugoslav side has released all the prisoners. (Politika ekspres, May 30, 1996)
[06] ADMISSION OF CROATIA IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE POSTPONED AGAIN
Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has adopted yesterday the report in which it is
demanded of Croatia to respect human rights so that it may become a member of the Council. Committee
for the political issues of the Assembly proposed admission of Croatia to be postponed for as long as the
Government in Zagreb is not fulfilling previously undertaken obligations regarding freedom of media,
elections in Zagreb and recognition of The Hague Tribunal. Ministerial Committee of the Council of
Europe, at its meeting from June 3 to 6, 1996 will draft a list of conditions which Croatia must fully fulfil
before its admission in the Council of Europe is discussed. (Politika ekspres, May 30, 1996)
[07] FOR THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS - SERBS DO NOT EXIST
The offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross have submitted to the work group of
Carl Bildt data only for the search for missing Croats and Muslims, while "Serbs do not exist as a people
even for the International Committee of the Red Cross", states the letter of the Association of Imprisoned
Fighters of the Republic of Srpska Army with the seat in Banja Luka, sent to this international organization.
In the letter of this Association having 20,000 members, it is recalled that work group of Carl Bildt should
work in cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross in solution of this problem, but that
in Doboj the offices of this organization have ben closed and that the International Committee of the Red
Cross has become only a humanitarian organization. "It is shameful and sad for the oldest humanitarian
organization in the world to succumb to the discrimination of peoples", states the letter and adds that there
is a large number of soldiers of the Republic of Srpska Army in the prisons of the Croat-Muslim federation
and in the Republic of Croatia and that a great help was expected from the offices of the International
Committee of the Red Cross in Banja Luka. (Vecernje novosti, May 30, 1996)
[08] ZULFIKAR-PASIC EXPECTS NEW CROAT-MUSLIM WAR
The founder and leader of the Muslim-Bosniac organization and a returnee to Sarajevo after many
years of political emigration, Adil Zulfikar-Pasic is very dissatisfied with the situation in Bosnia-
Herzegovina. He is even of the view that Bosnia-Herzegovina is faced with a new catastrophe, if national
leaders of all the three sides are to continue with their present policies. "There is no Bosnia without
Muslims in Foca and Stolac, without Serbs in Sarajevo or Croats in Banja Luka. Unfortunately, the present
ruling politics are not caring at all for returning their people to the places from where they were exiled, and
neither for accepting others in the areas under their control", said Zulfikar-Pasic. "Without the return of
people to their homes new conflicts are certain", he says and adds: "I am afraid that a new war between
Bosniacs and Croats is already planned and that it may start soon, because the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina
was suspended, not terminated. We did not make peace with the Croats by ourselves, we were forced to do
so by the international community, i.e. by the United States". (Politika, May 30, 1996)
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