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Serbia Today 96-06-06
Serbia Today
6 June 1996
CONTENTS
[01] RENEWED DIALOGUE WITH THE PARIS CLUB
[02] VISIT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL IN THE HAGUE
[03] SCHISSEL: BELGRADE IS A KEY FACTOR IN THE BALKANS
[04] A LONG TRADITION OF RESPECT, FRIENDSHIP, AND UNDERSTANDING
[05] A GAS PIPE-LINE THROUGH SERBIA WILL BE BUILT
[06] SMALL COMPANIES - GOOD COMPETITION
[07] PROTESTS TO CROATIA FOR THE LIMITED AMNESTY
[08] A NEW FORM OF EVICTION
[09] HOUSES BURNED - NO RETURN IS POSSIBLE
[10] CRIMES IN VUKOVAR - ORDERED BY THE REGIME
[11] ACCOMPLICES WITH POOR MEMORY
[12] POLITICAL ECHO OF A HANDBALL GAME
[01] RENEWED DIALOGUE WITH THE PARIS CLUB
The renewed dialogue with the Paris Club is a very good indicator for the normalization of the
relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the leading international institutions. It
represents a major effort to overcome the effects of the secessionist disintegration of former Yugoslavia and
the subsequent crisis. This is why the first encounter between the Yugoslav delegation and the
representatives of the Paris Club was primarily dedicated to the renewal of comprehensive cooperation and
the settlement of the debts to the member countries. The intensive rehabilitation of the Yugoslav economy,
the stabilization of the monetary situation and the overcoming of the effects of the economic blockade that
lasted several years, require international support. Official IMF representatives made it clear that such
readiness exists. Other international financial organizations will be involved in the talks. All this fits into
the efforts to stabilize the situation in former Yugoslavia and in the Balkans. It has been officially stressed
in Paris that Belgrade has an important role in these efforts. (Politika, June 6, 1996)
[02] VISIT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL IN THE HAGUE
Mr. Antoino Casese, President of the International Criminal Court for Crimes of War, visiting FR
Yugoslavia, met yesterday with Federal Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, Federal Foreign Minister - Milan
Milutinovic and Speaker of the Federal Parliament Chamber of Citizens - Radoman Bozovic. During the
talks, it has been remarked that FRY is honoring all its Dayton Agreement commitments regarding the
cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. In this sense, more than 1,200 cases of infringement of humanitarian
law have been processed and all this evidence has been made available to the Tribunal. Mr. Casese has also
been informed that the Yugoslav criminal legislation is in full compliance with the relevant international
conventions and regulates all infringements in the competence of the Tribunal in accordance with the
relevant international conventions and need not be modified or amplified. During the talks a number of
remarks have been made regarding the work of the Tribunal, because not all possible culprits are treated
equally. Mr. Casese told the reporters that in the war in Bosnia crimes of war were committed by
individuals and not by nations or states. "The Tribunal is indicting individuals regardless of their
nationality. This is the essence of our efforts that are not aimed at raising indictments against an entire
nation." - Mr. Casese said. (Politika, June 6, 1996)
[03] SCHISSEL: BELGRADE IS A KEY FACTOR IN THE BALKANS
Belgrade is an important partner and a key factor in the Balkans, said Austrian Foreign Minister
Wolfgang Schissel in an interview published by the Belgrade magazine "Internacionalna Politika". Vienna
has a long-tern interest In ensuring an adequate place for FR Yugoslavia in the international community and
in intensifying the Austrian-Yugoslav relations in all fields." - added the Austrian diplomat. (Borba, June 6,
1996)
[04] A LONG TRADITION OF RESPECT, FRIENDSHIP, AND UNDERSTANDING
The US Information Center has been opened yesterday in Pristina. The ceremony was attended by
US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe - Mr. John Cornbloom, Deputy Assistant State Secretary
Rudolph Perina, representatives of the US Embassy in Belgrade, as well as Yugoslav federal officials, local
authorities, and representatives of the ethnic Albanian political parties. At the inauguration of the Center,
Mr. Cornbloom, stated that the Center is not an official-political institution, nor a place for political
negotiations, adding that true dialogue should be conducted directly between the peoples in Kosovo. The
statement issued after the talks between the US State Department delegation and representatives of the
authorities, indicates that the peace role and contribution given by FRY to the peace process, as well as the
full normalization of the bilateral relations between FRY and the US, constitute important components of
the Yugoslav foreign policy. It has been particularly stressed that the relations between the US and FRY,
i.e. Serbia and Montenegro, have a long tradition of mutual respect, friendship and understanding. (Borba,
June 6, 1996)
[05] A GAS PIPE-LINE THROUGH SERBIA WILL BE BUILT
Yesterday in Belgrade the founding papers for a joint stock company owned by the Russian
company "Gazprom", Yugoslav companies "Progres", "Progres Trading", Serbian Petrol Co. (NIS) and
Beobanka have been signed. The company will build the south branch of the gas pipe-line through Serbia,
worth some 240 million dollars. (Politika, June 6, 1996)
[06] SMALL COMPANIES - GOOD COMPETITION
Even during dire situation created by the international embargo, the "Simpo" Co. from Vranje
managed to establish 32 small companies, investing 80 million German marks in them. These new
production plants which are part of the furniture producing giant, now employ 600 workers. Simpo plans to
create 100 daughter companies by the year 2000. "These small companies have completed the production
process and only now can the holding company from Vranje face the world market." - said, Simpo General
Manager - Mr. Dragan Tomic at the opening of the International Entrepreneurship Fair yesterday. Stressing
that small companies are indispensable for healthy competition, Mr. Tomic announced a new Simpo project
- pure potable water factory. (Politika, June 6, 1996)
[07] PROTESTS TO CROATIA FOR THE LIMITED AMNESTY
Sixty persons that were held prisoner in Croatia since the outbreak of hostilities in former
Yugoslavia have been turned over to the Federal Government Committee for humanitarian issues and
missing persons, and representatives of the Yugoslav Committee of the Red Cross by Croatian officials and
the Yugoslav-Croatian border near Batrovac. The Committee presented a protest of the Federal Government
for the fact that President Tudjman granted amnesty to only 76 prisoners, keeping in jail several more.
According to ICRC data, Red Cross officials are visiting 302 persons still held in Croatian jails. The
Dayton Agreement specifies that Croatia has to release simultaneously all persons detained in jail, just
Yugoslavia did a long time ago. (Borba, June 6, 1996)
[08] A NEW FORM OF EVICTION
Numerous forcible evictions carried out in the past several years in Croatia by officials in uniforms
- seriously damaged the Croatian reputation both morally and politically. Such abuses targeting most of all
ethnic Serbs, families of former Yugoslav Peoples Army and "insubordinate" subsided after public pressure.
The practice has been renewed through a new methodology - the apartment holders are now simply
proclaimed state enemy, for which no court document or sentence is needed. The Croatian Helsinki
Committee addressed a letter to President Tudjman - quoting amongst other thing the recent ruling of the
County Court in Varazdin. The rationale offered in the ruling canceling the tenant rights states that "...the
very fact that a person was a member of the former YPA is in itself sufficient to be qualified as hostile
activity against the Republic of Croatia. " (Politika, June 6, 1996)
[09] HOUSES BURNED - NO RETURN IS POSSIBLE
Mr. Milan Djukic - Chairman of the Serbian Popular party and member of the Croatian Parliament
addressed an open letter to Croatian President Tudjman, in which he stresses that never before were that the
number of Serbs in Croatia has drastically fallen and that their bitterness has reached the limit, and remarks
that "no one ever faced such injustice and humiliation as the Serbs in Croatia." Mr. Djukic particularly
underscored that there are no more Serbs, that they have fled and that their homes were burned thus
preventing them from returning. The purges are being conducted methodically and continually throughout
Croatia. In the past several years not a single Serb has been given employment. They are simply laid off,
and ethnic origin has become a prime criterion in all state institutions. "Still, the Serbs that are left are
determined to stay." - wrote Mr. Djukic, ending his letter to Mr. Tudjman. (Vecernje Novosti, June 6, 1996)
[10] CRIMES IN VUKOVAR - ORDERED BY THE REGIME
In 1991, the Serbs living in Vukovar and the surrounding villages offered an organized resistance
to the terror promoted by Tomislav Mercep and similar criminals backed by the Croatian regime - said
representatives of the Serbian Unity Congress Belgrade Information Center at the press conference held
yesterday. The journalists have been called to the Association of the Croatian Regime Victims to be
informed about the results of the investigation conducted in Vukovar at the end of May by the judges of the
Hague Tribunal. It has been remarked that these findings will undermine the general international stands on
armed rebellion of the Serbs and aggression against Croatia. The Hague investigators have been given
evidence about the Croatian crimes in the village of Paulin Dvor, about the massacre in Sarvas, the crimes
against civilians and wounded treated in the Vukovar hospital and other medical institutions. The thesis that
the Croatian regime stood behind the crimes is backed by numerous facts. Information Center
representatives announced that new evidence on Croatian crimes against Serbs will be made public in a
week or two. (Vecerne Novosti, June 6, 1996)
[11] ACCOMPLICES WITH POOR MEMORY
Commenting the statement delivered by Croatian Cardinal Franjo Kuharic at the session of the
European Episcopal Conferences held in Austria, the Banjaluka daily "Glas Srpski" states that Cardinal
Kuharic denied facts that are undeniable even for those that authorized the Croatian aggression (US and
Germany) against the Republic of Serbian Krajina. According to the cardinal, there was no aggression,
persecution or pogrom against elderly and helpless, nor were Serbian houses and churches destroyed. The
biggest lie professed by the high official of the Catholic Church in Croatia is the statement that "Croatian
authorities prevented violence against the population." Cardinal Kuharic omitted to mention the mass
graves in Western Slavonija, "forgot" about the Croatian shelling of the refugee columns, the maltreatment
and murder of the few Serbs that stayed in occupied Krajina, as well as numerous other horrible facts and
data. "The Cardinal does not have poor memory. He is an accomplice in the crime against the Serbian
people, and he is afraid to admit it now", concludes "Glas Srpski". (Borba, June 6, 1996)
[12] POLITICAL ECHO OF A HANDBALL GAME
After the match recently played by the Yugoslav and Croatian national teams at the European
championships in Spain, "...Croatian dailies practically kept silent about the defeat - in the best tradition of
Soviet censorship." - remarks the Split daily "Slobodna Dalmacija". The day after the game, the Croatian
national team has been accused of treason and the coach was immediately replaced, "... with criticism
usually used to ostracize internal enemies from the world of literature and journalism." "The innocent
national team coach has been immediately turned into a dissident and a morally suspicious person, one that
has collaborated with the Communist State Security (UDBA) from the time he was in high school" -
comments the Split newspaper, concluding that no Croatian handball expert, journalist or simple viewer
wants to admit that the match was just as it was. (Politika, June 6, 1996)
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