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Serbia Today, 97-01-30
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] THE BALKAN JURIST ASSOCIATION FOUNDED
[02] BRUTAL ATTACKS AGAINST PRELATES AND BOOKS
[03] PROHOROVO - ZONE OF EXCELLENT NATURAL QUALITIES
[04] SERBS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECESSION OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY
[05] THE SERBS IN CROATIA ARE STILL OPPRESSED
[06] MAJOR EXPORTS AGREED
[07] SOLUTIONS THROUGH DIALOGUE, FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT INADMISSIBLE
[08] CROATS ABOVE THE HAGUE COURT
[09] LONG-TERM COOPERATION - MUTUAL INTEREST
[01] THE BALKAN JURIST ASSOCIATION FOUNDED
A delegation of Yugoslav jurists informed yesterday the Federal Premier -
Dr. Radoje Kontic - about the founding of the Balkan Association for
Criminal Law, seated in Belgrade. The association - founded by national
associations for criminal law from Bulgaria. Romania, Greece and Yugoslavia
- as a non-government-organization - will deal with specific and theoretic
issues regarding the battle against crime, illegal drug trade and other
criminal activities.
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Borba, 1997-01-30
[02] BRUTAL ATTACKS AGAINST PRELATES AND BOOKS
Each year, on January 27, the Serb and Montenegrin Society in Macedonia
traditionally celebrates St. Sava Day - honoring the great Serbian
religious figure and educator. The central manifestation is held in the
Serbian village of Kuceviste. Lamentably, this year the ceremony could not
be held as planned due to the lack of understanding displayed by the
Macedonian authorities, more specifically by the Macedonian Ministry of
Interior - said Society President Mr. Nebojsa Tomovic, at a press
conference. The Archbishop Pahomije and the Bishop of Maleseva Vasilije,
whose arrival was notified to the authorities in advance, were not allowed
to cross the Macedonian border at Tabanovci. The were not even allowed to
enter Macedonia in civilian clothes. Another incident took place when a
police patrol on the road leading into Skoplje stopped Society members for
a "routine control" and seized 80 copies of booklets in Serbian destined to
the children of the grammar school in Kuceviste. These books have never
been returned. We already had similar problems with Macedonian authorities,
but we thought that this was due to the unsettled relations between FR
Yugoslavia and Macedonia - said Mr. Tomovic. Such an attitude towards the
Serbs and their traditions is hard to understand, and the fact that no one
wants to communicate with us to solve this problem is even more
incomprehensible.
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Borba, 1997-01-30
[03] PROHOROVO - ZONE OF EXCELLENT NATURAL QUALITIES
Prohorovo, a unique combination of pastures and centuries old forests, in
an area of some 30 sq. kilometers at the very end of Serbia, finally
received the treatment it deserves. The Serbian Government has promoted
this area to the status of " zone of excellent natural qualities". This
means that the state will protect this area in view of its specific
ecological potentials. The administration of this territory encompassing
the nine centuries old Monastery of St. Prohor Pcinjski, has been assigned
by the Government to the Vrelo holding company from Bujanovacka Spa.
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Vecernje Novosti, 1997-01-30
[04] SERBS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECESSION OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY
Those that thought that after they have been ethnically cleansed from
Croatia, they will no longer be the scapegoats for all Croatian problems
and frustrations were mistaken: the Serbs are still the guilty ones. This
is indicated by the latest commentaries about the causes of the downfall of
the Croatian textile industry. At the press conference held in Zagreb to
announce the international textiles fair, the project director Pere Todoric
stated that the Croatian textile industry is faced major losses in lone-
arrangements because of the price drop on the European market caused by the
Serbs - i.e. by the Serbian textile industry. According to Mr. Todoric, the
Serbian textile industry allegedly offered its services at dumping prices,
making the Croatian companies loose deals because they can not compete with
these prices. He said that the Serbs are prepared to work with calculated
losses - probably just to destroy the Croatian companies!
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Politika, 1997-01-30
[05] THE SERBS IN CROATIA ARE STILL OPPRESSED
At the press conference held in Zagreb yesterday, Serbian Democratic Forum
(SDF) representatives presented data indicating that no major improvement
of the human rights status of ethnic Serbs in Croatia has been achieved.
"There are still harassment, robberies, and obstruction of the return of
Serbian refugees", said SDF Secretary Mr. Veljko Dzakula, stressing that
the authorities are not doing anything to change this situation. This
affects negatively the state of things in UNTAES territories and obstructs
the peaceful re-integration, since there are no positive examples that
would convince the Serbs that the Croatian Authorities are serious about
their promises. Speaking about the breach of law, Mr. Dzakula gave the
example that the Serbs - that stayed in Croatia after the military
operation "Flash", submitted some 300 requests for the reconstruction of
their homes, but none of these has been answered. Out of about a thousand
reconstructed houses in Pakrac, only two dozen belong to Serbs - most of
them in mixed marriage families - whose members were in the Croatian Army.
The attitude of the authorities regarding the repatriating Serbs is
illustrated by the example of the town of Kistanje where Croats from the
village Janjevo in Kosovo are being settled. They are now moving into the
homes of Serbs, and SDF has information about 50 demands filed by people
from Kistanje whose homes have already been taken by Croats. According to
SDF data, the worst situation is in Knin, where a serious incident took
place recently. The Orthodox church, adapted for the St. Sava liturgy on
January 25th, was completely demolished, devastated and desecrated with
feces when the Orthodox priest arrived. The believers were intercepted in
front f the church by a group of people cursing and threatening them.
Instead of arresting the rioters that prevented the religious ceremony,
local police escorted out of town the Orthodox priest Krajanovic and Mr.
Pupovac from the League of Serbian Associations "for their own security".
That same day, some 15 Serbian homes were attacked and looted in Knin.
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Politika, 1997-01-30
[06] MAJOR EXPORTS AGREED
At the meeting of the Serbian Government Foreign Trade Coordinating Team,
it has been stated that the Serbian exports of goods in 1996 has been
increased by 20% compared to the previous year (1995). At the same time,
the imports have grown by 50%, though raw materials constitute two thirds
of the imports. It is encouraging that numerous companies have renewed
contacts with old partners and established new business ties with foreign
companies, and that numerous export contracts are being signed. Particular
attention has been given to the importance of major business deals with
foreign partners affecting the entire national economy, such as the oil
arrangement with China and the natural gas deal with Russia. The
Coordination Team suggested to the competent institutions a number of
measures for the creation of a favorable environment for business and a
major increase of exports. Strong support has been offered to the
Government plans to liberalize foreign trade and create the preconditions
for the admission of our country to the World Trade Organization.
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Vecernje Novosti, 1997-01-30
[07] SOLUTIONS THROUGH DIALOGUE, FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT INADMISSIBLE
"Moscow is seriously concerned by the growing tension and is extremely
interested in helping find a way to overcome the conflict situation through
political dialogue involving all democratic forces, this being in the
interest of Yugoslavia, Russia and the general stability in the Balkans",
said Mr. Igor Ivanov, First Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian
Federation, at the press conference held yesterday after a three day visit
to Belgrade and the talks he had with the top government officials,
opposition party leaders and representatives of the student protest. Mr.
Ivanov stressed that "any from of foreign involvement is inadmissible" and
that Russia is prepared to provide "an active contribution in strengthening
the stability and the democratic development in Yugoslavia." According to
Moscow, the international community should - "and certainly can", "...help
overcome the present difficulties". According to Mr. Ivanov, the first step
would be to immediately abolish the external wall" of the sanctions, to
give the country economic aid, and to let "...Yugoslavia take its place in
OSCE and in other international organizations". According to the Russian
diplomat , the Yugoslav representatives he has met, stressed that "...the
solution must be sought through free dialogue and in an environment of
liberty" and that the Serbs are the only ones that can solve this.
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Politika, 1997-01-30
[08] CROATS ABOVE THE HAGUE COURT
Quoting a court official Associated Press reports that the Court in
Slavonska Pozega (Croatia) condemned two Serbs from Pakrac - Mihajlo Kulas
(aged 71) and Jovan Prokopic (48) - to 20 years of imprisonment, under the
accusation of war crimes, and crimes against humanity. AP indicates that
the Court decision breaches the Dayton agreement, which specifies - among
other things - that only persons listed as suspects by the Hague Tribunal
can be arrested for these crimes.
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Ekspres Politika, 1997-01-30
[09] LONG-TERM COOPERATION - MUTUAL INTEREST
Mr. Dragan Tomic - Speaker of the Serbian Parliament received yesterday the
Ambassador of Israel to Yugoslavia - Mr. David Sasson. During the talks,
both sides expressed satisfaction for the fact that the two countries have
brought back their diplomatic relation to the level of embassies.
Traditional and sincere friendship of the two nations, forged in dire
historical circumstances, represent a good foundation for close and long-
term economic cooperation - this being a mutual interest. It has been
particularly stressed that parliamentary cooperation and exchange of
parliament delegations should be promoted.
Serbia Today, 1997-01-30 ; Borba, 1997-01-30
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