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Serbia Today, 96-12-13
CONTENTS
[01] MILOSEVIC: PEACE AND DEMOCRACY, TOGETHER WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ARE FUNDAMENTAL TARGETS OF OUR POLICY
[02] "DO NOT TRUST THE ENEMY"
[03] THE USTASHI STILL MARCHING IN
[04] LAWLESSNESS IN THE MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION
[05] STARA PLANINA (OLD MOUNTAIN) TO BECOME A PARK OF PEACE
[06] RETURN OF REFUGEES AND JUST DISTRIBUTION
[07] DINI: ELECTIONS CAN NOT BE REPEATED, THERE IS NO INTRODUCTION OF SANCTIONS, WAYS SHOULD BE FOUND FOR OPENING OF THE DIALOGUE
[08] OPENESS AND UNDERSTANDING
[01] MILOSEVIC: PEACE AND DEMOCRACY, TOGETHER WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
ARE FUNDAMENTAL TARGETS OF OUR POLICY
The U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher has sent a letter to the
President of the Republic of Serbia, stating concern of the United States
regarding the democratization in our country, which concern, as he says,
has considerably increased since the annulling of the results of local
elections of November 17, 1996. Recalling the Dayton Accords, Christopher
in his letter says that he sees the future of Serbia in the full
participation in the Dayton process and the revival of peace and prosperity
in the region. Pointing out that peace and democracy together with the
economic development, are the fundamental targets of our politics and the
greatest interest of our citizens, President of the Republic Slobodan
Milosevic in his letter to Christopher especially responds to some concrete
questions. "In Serbia there are over ten thousand polling stations, from
which number at 96.5 percent the elections were completed without the
second round, and only on 3.5 percent there was a second round of voting
because of irregularities determined exclusively by the electoral
commissions or the regular courts of law. At the new round of elections at
the same polling station with the same candidates and the same voters,
everyone - all the candidates and the parties had the same chances. It is
not known to us that in the world practice there is something that is more
democratic. Therefore, Mr. Secretary of State, the claims which may be
heard and seen these days that 'Serbian authorities have annulled local
elections' - are a falsehood", reads a letter by President Milosevic.
Regarding the dissatisfaction with the electoral results, it is being
expressed by one part of the opposition, among others, also in a vandalous
manner and through threats by political terrorism, by bringing children and
youth out in the streets and by blocking the daily city life in the very
center of Belgrade. "Such an expression of the dissatisfaction is not only
undemocratic, but it is not even political, and should not find support of
the democratic and progressive individuals, institutions and governments in
the world". President further states that the rallies in Belgrade are not
turned towards the Yugoslav public, because the Yugoslav public knows well
the truth. "The rallies are turned towards those exterior factors from
which the support and pressure is expected on Serbia - with the aim of
slowing down its full reintegration in the international community". "Our
Government", further reads the letter, " has decided to send an invitation
for a distinguished delegation of the O.S.C.E. to come and visit our
country and inform itself truthfully of all the facts. Because of the great
importance that I am attaching to the relations between Yugoslavia and the
United States and their development, which may be successful only if we are
to maintain permanent and open dialogue, I will ask the representatives of
the media to publish simultaneously your letter and mine. Citizens have the
right to be completely informed and to judge for themselves - both the
weight of the objections which have been sent to us and the truthfulness of
the reply", concludes the letter by President Milosevic to the U.S.
Secretary of State.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-13 ; Politika, 1996-12-13
[02] "DO NOT TRUST THE ENEMY"
The Community of Associations of the Yugoslavs in France has condemned the
participation of the former French Minister of Culture Jacques Lange in the
rallies of the Serbian opposition. "We are appalled by the presence in the
rally of protesters of Mr. Jacques Lange who, as the Minister of Culture
and Education of France in 1993, prohibited our children from learning
Serbian language in the supplementary tuition, by ordering all schools to
prevent pupils and teachers from entering the classrooms", reads the
announcement of the Community. In it, it is calling upon the opposition in
Serbia to refuse the support of people who like Henry Bernard Levy, Andre
Glikmann, Bernard Kushner and others, have been speaking in French radio
and television programs, on the pages of the newspapers and in their books
"about Serbs in general as of a pathological people, barbarians, killers
and Fascists".
Serbia Today, 1996-12-13 ; Vecernje novosti, 1996-12-13
[03] THE USTASHI STILL MARCHING IN
The well known anti-Fascist and hunter on the Nazi criminals, Simon
Wiesental, in his interview for the Rijeka newspaper "Novi list" stated
that "the neo-Ustashi movement is realizing its influence in Croatia". "I
do not know the exact number of members of the Ustashi movement and of
their children who have returned to Croatia, but I do know that they have a
certain influence. When I hear that your streets have changed names, have
lost their anti-Fascist designation, and which is even worse, have been re-
named after the Ustashi officials, who Mile Budak definitely was, this for
me means that the Ustashi movement is achieving its influence in Croatia",
said Wiesental. He also pointed out at President Tudjman for his anti-
Semitism, his minimizing of the number of the Jewish victims and his
unacceptable book "Wastelands of Historical Reality".
Serbia Today, 1996-12-13 ; Vecernje novosti, 1996-12-13
[04] LAWLESSNESS IN THE MUSLIM-CROAT FEDERATION
The process of constitution of the authorities of the Muslim-Croat
Federation, three months after the elections, is still completely blocked,
because the federal partners can not agree on the distribution of the key
functions, report the media of both sides. Leader of the Muslims Alija
Izetbegovic, reiterated the stand that Muslims should be given the
functions and offices of the President of the Federation and of the Prime
Minister, which is energetically opposed by the Croat side. President of
the Croat Democratic Community of Bosnia-Herzegovina Bozo Rajic, stated
that the demands of the Muslim Party of Democratic Action are bringing the
Croat people into an unequitable position. The lag in functioning of the
federal bodies and institutions has caused de-stabilization of the
situation in Mostar and elsewhere, claim the media. In most of the ten
cantons neither the government is functioning nor the assemblies have been
constituted or the constitutions adopted. Because the municipal
governmental bodies have not been constituted and because of the
prohibition of return of refugees, the international community has punished
four municipalities: Stolac, Capljina, Bugojno and Vares, in the way that
it has deprived them of aid. In Mostar for today a forum was scheduled of
the Muslim-Croat Federation where it is expected that the international
mediators will be present, most of all the Americans, to rule in the
crucial disputes between the federal partners.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-13 ; Politika ekspres, 1996-12-13
[05] STARA PLANINA (OLD MOUNTAIN) TO BECOME A PARK OF PEACE
Stara Planina (Old Mountain) and the entire area covered by its mass on the
border between Serbia and Bulgaria, will become a park of peace, because
the two neighboring countries will transform it into a protected contact
and open zone. This is the essence of the protocol signed by the resor
ministers for protection of environment, Jordan Aleksic and Georgy
Georgijev. According to the explanation of Bozidar Jovanovic, President of
the Board of Directors of the Balkan Association for Work and Living
Environment Quality, which is the initiator of this project about the Old
Mountain, there will be a joint investigation into all the natural
potentials of this area and into the possibilities for the development of
tourism and other economic branches here. According to him, this is the
first step in the application of the new model of inter-governmental,
regional and local cooperation between Serbia and Bulgaria, which is in
accordance with the global processes of integration and mutual opening of
the countries of Europe.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-13 ; Politika, 1996-12-13
[06] RETURN OF REFUGEES AND JUST DISTRIBUTION
The Commission of the Federal Government for the relations between the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Council for the implementation of
peace and the international financial and trade organizations, discussed
the platform for talks on the normalization of the relations with the
Republic of Croatia and the report of the Yugoslav Group for Succession
from the London talks. The Commission stated that the refugees and
misplaced persons should be provided the conditions for a free and safe
return to their homes and places of their own choice, and the return of
their property, i.e. a just compensation. By accepting the Agreement on
normalization, the two sides have also undertaken the obligation to
guarantee an equitable legal protection of property of physical persons
having the citizenship of or the residence in the territory of the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia, i.e. of Croatia, the same as granted to their own
citizens. Regarding the problems of succession, it is increasingly becoming
obvious that they will be hard to solve at the level of the expert groups,
because there is an obvious wish of the former Yugoslav republics for the
questions of succession to acquire a political dimension. The Commission
remains of the view that the agreement on succession should be reached on
equitable and legal grounds. This means that through a constructive
approach, just principles should be made for identification of the assets
and that the questions of the succession on no grounds whatsoever can be
linked with the questions of political and legal continuity of the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-13 ; Borba, 1996-12-13
[07] DINI: ELECTIONS CAN NOT BE REPEATED, THERE IS NO INTRODUCTION OF
SANCTIONS, WAYS SHOULD BE FOUND FOR OPENING OF THE DIALOGUE
The Italian chief of diplomacy Lamberto Dini stated at the press conference
that the talks with President Slobodan Milosevic "were constructive and I
did not observe any intention for prolonging the present situation and for
deepening of the gap, but for searching for the ways to overcome the
present difficulties". Dini further stated that at this moment too much is
being asked for, because the process is already on the way. "There is
something here that at this moment can not be repeated in any of the ways
that the opposition is demanding: the direct recognition of all the results
at all the polling stations from November 17th". Dini further stated:
"There is no introduction of sanctions, although some have mentioned this,
but this was not mentioned in the communiques and reports of the European
Union, because behind the political controversies which are taking place
here there are people and economies which must return to the normal course
and activities that have to be renewed and the economic growth". New
sanctions and the embargo could not at all help the people of this country
and neither can they bring about the solution of the political conflicts,
underlined Dini. "In view of what I have heard here from both sides, I
think that the further course should take place in the direction of a
dialogue", emphasized the Italian Foreign Minister.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-13 ; Politika, 1996-12-13
[08] OPENESS AND UNDERSTANDING
President of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic received yesterday Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Italy, Lamberto Dini, who arrived in our country with
his associates. In a cordial talk which took place in an atmosphere of
openess and understanding, it was underlined that the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and Italy are realizing a successful bilateral cooperation,
which is based on mutual interests, equality, good neighborly relations and
mutual confidence. The two countries are allotting special importance to
the constant strengthening of mutual economic relations and links, which is
witnessed also by the fact that Italy ranks among the leading foreign trade
partners of Yugoslavia among the developed countries. There was special
talk about the actual situation in our country and it was stated that the
existing problems should be solved in the institutions of our country.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-13 ; Politika, 1996-12-13
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