|
|
|
Serbia Today, 96-12-19
CONTENTS
[01] FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SESSION ON YUGOSLAV WTO MEMBERSHIP
[02] BULLETIN SUPPLEMENT: "UNCLEAR INTENTIONS"
[03] CROATIAN-SLOVENIAN BATTLE FOR EUROPEAN CORRIDORS
[04] SANCTIONS FOR LOCAL RULERS IN THE BOSNIAN FEDERATION
[05] PROTEST FOR KISTANJE
[06] CIVILIANS MASSACRED
[01] FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SESSION ON YUGOSLAV WTO MEMBERSHIP
The Federal Government discussed the draft documents concerning World Trade
Organization membership for Yugoslavia. This marks the practical part of
the procedure to make our country member of WTO. Current talks with the WTO
Secretariat indicate that conditions have been reached to initiate the
relations between WTO and FRY. It has been remarked that the Government and
the competent state bodies should finalize the memorandum on the Yugoslav
foreign trade system, the imports/exports liberalization program and the
list of customs concessions in the domain of agriculture and services.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-19 ; Borba, 1996-12-19
[02] BULLETIN SUPPLEMENT: "UNCLEAR INTENTIONS"
Foreign media are carefully examining the current political events in
Serbia, indicating the latest moves made by President Milosevic to solve
the crisis and wondering more and more what is the true background of the
opposition protests and the true goals of the "Together" coalition. French
media give prime importance to the news that President Milosevic received a
delegation of college students from Nis. and thus made the first gesture
for the "pacification" of the situation created by opposition protests.
Paris dailies "Le Figaro" and "Liberation" quote in this regard the
statement made by Mr. Milosevic that "all will be done to honor the law and
the will of the voters." French media also quote the statement made by
Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic - interpreted as an effort to settle the
current political crisis in Serbia quickly and justly. Reuters news agency
circulated a lengthy analytical commentary of the events after the local
elections in Serbia, indicating the cautious stand of the western countries.
The same source remarks that officials in various European capitals
indicated that this is due to the fact that President Milosevic is a key
figure in the implementation of the peace agreement for Bosnia. Diplomats
quoted by Reuters, stress that there is a discrepancy between the stands
assumed by the US, the leading European countries and Russia concerning the
position towards the Serbian opposition. The same British agency indicates
the official Russian position, namely that the crisis should be settled
internally, without foreign involvement. Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny
Primakov - quoted by Reuters - asked the international community at the
beginning of this week to refrain from pressures against Belgrade, because
"...this might generate more unfavorable conditions or serious difficulties
for the continuation of the peace process." The Guardian - a highly
influential London daily published an article authored by its reporter -
Julian Burger, about the nationalist grounds of the protests now organized
by the "Together" coalition. Offering a portrait of "Together" leaders:
Zoran Djindjic and Vuk Draskovic, the same journalist remarks that that
they are compromised by their efforts to charm the right-wing extremists.
Right from the start, Draskovic was opposed to the Bosnian Serb leadership,
but at the same time the movement he is heading advocated militant
nationalism and had paramilitary formations at the beginning of the war in
former Yugoslavia, turning to pacifism later on. The Vienna newspaper "Der
Standard" also analyzes thoroughly the behavior of Draskovic and Djindjic,
indicating a number of contradictions and incongruent actions in their
political efforts. The same daily affirms that Draskovic rejected all
political actions of the Belgrade authorities, aimed at normalizing the
relations with the international community and implementing the Dayton
Agreement. The German weekly "Der Spiegel" indicates that the opposition
alliance embodied by the coalition "together" is progressively falling
apart due to the differences the leaders of the three member parties have
regarding the national question. The same magazine also remarks that Adem
Demaci - one of ethnic Albanian extremist leaders - sent a message of
support to the Serbian opposition coalition.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-19 ; Tanjug, 1996-12-19
[03] CROATIAN-SLOVENIAN BATTLE FOR EUROPEAN CORRIDORS
Ever since they seceded from former Yugoslavia and became independent
states, Croatia and Slovenia seem unable to settle major bilateral
controversies such as the border (especially in the Bay of Piran), the use
of the common nuclear power plant "Krsko" and the debt of Ljubljana Bank to
Croatian savings holders. These problems now include new ones, one of which
has been dubbed "diplomatic incident" by Zagreb newspapers. The two
neighboring countries are in "direct contrast" because of a document on the
construction of a railway and road corridor. In fact, EU, Italian,
Slovenian, Hungarian, Slovak and Ukrainian representatives signed a
protocol on the project that will link Venice, Trieste, Capo d'Istria,
Ljubljana, Budapest and Kiev. Recently the Croatian Minister of Transports
refused to sign the document because of Slovenia. Croatia had proposed that
that another ramification in the direction of Zagreb and Fiume should be
added to the corridor, but the motion was rejected because of Slovenian
objections, even thought he other partners were in favor. The Zagreb daily
"Vjesnik" remarks that the Slovenian political hard-liners want to affirm
the "central role" of Slovenia in the new axis Rome-Ljubljana-Budapest -
"at the expenses of Croatia".
Serbia Today, 1996-12-19 ; Politika, 1996-12-19
[04] SANCTIONS FOR LOCAL RULERS IN THE BOSNIAN FEDERATION
Mr. Christian Schwartz Shilling - international mediator for the
implementation of the Moslem-Croatian Federation, told the Moslem media
yesterday local the local authorities in certain Federation towns are
treating the minority population in an inhuman way, denying them the right
to work and the freedom of movement. He quoted the example of Jajce, Stolac,
Capljina and Livno - towns under Croatian control, and Bugojno and Vares
run by the Moslems. "Local rulers in these counties are saying one thing
and doing the opposite, because what they have to do exists only on paper
and is not being implemented", said Mr. Shilling. Sanctions have been
introduced against these counties because they are ignoring the Dayton
Agreement. They will not receive funds for reconstruction projects and will
be given humanitarian aid only. Mr. Shilling also threatened all local
rulers who are ignoring the Federation Constitution and the Dayton document,
that they will be replaced.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-19 ; Politika, 1996-12-19
[05] PROTEST FOR KISTANJE
The Association of Refugees in FR Yugoslavia, addressed a letter of protest
to the UN Security Council, the Contact Group members, Mr. Karl Bildt, and
Ms. Sadako Ogata, in reaction to the recent decision of the Croatian
Government, namely that the little town of Kistanje in former Republic of
Serbian Krajina - "...a traditionally and typically Serb-populated zone in
Dalmatia" should be settled by Croatian refugees only. The letter stresses
that this method of stripping people of their place of birth and property
is just another form of genocide perpetuated in peace time, and a drastic
breach of the peace agreement signed by Croatia and Yugoslavia.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-19 ; Politika ekspres, 1996-12-19
[06] CIVILIANS MASSACRED
Hague Tribunal Judges, gathering witness statements on Croatian crimes
against Krayina Serbs, showed particular interest in the past several days
for the Croatian Air Force raids on the Krayina refugee columns in the
vicinity of Bosanski Petrovac. Various witnesses have given statements in
this regard. One of them was J.P. from the little town of Donji Lapac. He
was part of a column that had no military vehicles in it. "We were some 12
kilometers from Bosanski Petrovac near the village of Bravsko. The column
stopped for a rest. Then a terrible explosion was heard. It was on August
6th last year. I was thrown out from the truck I was in and landed about 20
meters away." The same witness said that in the raid, several people were
killed: Krstan Vukovic and his son Darko, and two young children - Nevenka
and Zarko Rajic "In front of the truck there was a car in flames. A four
member family died in it. "I never found out how many people died then, but
about 100 meters of road were stained with blood. It reminded me of a
slaughter house", said J.P. A special investigations team will imminently
start interviewing witnesses of crimes committed against Serbs in Western
Slavonia during the "Operation Flash". For the time being, the Hague
investigative judges are not prepared to reveal when the indictments for
these crimes will be made, maybe because they have realized that so many
were committed in Krayina.
Serbia Today, 1996-12-19 ; Vecernje Novosti, 1996-12-19
|
