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Serbia Today, 97-02-12
Serbia Today
CONTENTS
[01] KLEIN: "WE NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC"
[02] MUJJAHEDINS TERRORIZE CITIZENS
[03] BILDT: BY THE END OF THE WEEK DECISION ON BRCKO
[04] SITUATION IN MOSTAR - A BLOW BOTH TO DAYTON AND THE FEDERATION
[05] EXPORTS IN JANUARY INCREASED FOR 42.7 PERCENT
[06] CHANGES UNDER THE STABLE CONDITIONS
[07] SPECIAL LAW ON LOCAL ELECTIONS ADOPTED
[08] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES JACQUES KLEIN
[01] KLEIN: "WE NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC"
The UN Administrator for the Srem and Baranja Region stated yesterday,
after his talks with President Milosevic, that Milosevic is striving very
much for personal safety and property security, for the dignity and rights
of the people in this region. "We are striving for the same things and
therefore we are in need of the assistance of President Milosevic", said
Klein for the press. He underlined that "Erdut Agreement is the basic
platform" for the solution of the problems in the Srem and Baranja Region
and pointed out at the importance of the elections scheduled for this
spring.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-12 ; Politika, 1997-02-12
[02] MUJJAHEDINS TERRORIZE CITIZENS
"In Zavidovici near Sarajevo some 500 mujjahedins are still living. I have
obtained this information just by chance from the police of this town".
This is written by the reporter of the independent monthly Sarajevo
magazine "Dan" in her report from Zavidovici, under the title "The City of
Mujjahedins, Killings and Fear". One of the many reports which are being
published these days by the Sarajevo media took place after the alarming
news from Zavidovici about the crimes, assassination and terror. The first
signal was given by the SFOR representatives and those of the international
police forces at regular press conferences. The citizens, who are
communicating with the reporters only on condition that they remain
anonymous, are saying that this is the city of horror and terror in which
"on the one hand there is the hard line of the Party of Democratic Action,
and on the other hand the mujjahedins who have come to Bosnia to fight for
and spread Islam, now holding Zavidovici under firm control". People are
afraid to go out of their homes at night, especially Serbs and Croats, who
are over one thousand living in the city now. Citizens are saying that the
mujjahedins "came in mid-September 1994 and settled in Gornja and Donja
Borcina, the former Serbian villages. We do not know how many of them there
are, but they came from Zenica. They are being given the citizenship of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, they are wondering aimlessly around the city and are
marrying the local girls". Citizens are saying that they are marrying only
young girls up to the age of 18. They are taking them out completely
covered from head to toe and with the veil over their faces. They are
spreading fear around Zavidovici and no one is allowed even to go near
them. It used to happen that they would beat up a young man if in a public
place he was holding his girl's hand. According to the claims of anonymous
citizens, mujjahedins have already during the war established courses and
were training "local" mujjahedins, whom they have so well brain washed that
even their own parents were no longer good enough for them. The stories of
citizens of Zavidovici told to the Sarajevo media are also confirmed by the
slogans plastered all over the many houses. They read that no hands are to
be shaken with those of a different religion, that no New Year greetings
are to be wished to the others, that men and women can not socialize
together, etc.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-12 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-02-12
[03] BILDT: BY THE END OF THE WEEK DECISION ON BRCKO
President of the Republic of Srpska Biljana Plavsic and the High
Representative of the International Community Carl Bildt, expressed, after
their talks yesterday in Banja Luka, pleasure because of the successful
implementation of the agreed activities in the zone of separation of the
entities, achieved last week, especially in the vicinity of Zvornik, in the
villages of Mahala, Dugi Dio and Jusici. "We have discussed also some other
aspects of the peace process, most of all Brcko, because by the end of the
week there will be a decision past by the Arbitration Tribunal. All the
sides are ready to accept the decision of the Tribunal, so that after this
we can concentrate on the economic and social issues", said Bildt.
President of the Republic of Srpska expressed fear that the joint measures
in the zone of separation of the entities may be jeopardized by an
inadequate decision of the Arbitration Tribunal for Brcko. President
Plavsic expressed also the belief that the president of the Arbitration
Tribunal, Robert Owen, will not place in this case his authority under the
question mark.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-12 ; Vecernje novosti, 1997-02-12
[04] SITUATION IN MOSTAR - A BLOW BOTH TO DAYTON AND THE FEDERATION
On the traffic routes at access points to the eastern part of Mostar,
Muslims have yesterday beaten up 18 Croat civilians, and two Croats are
recorded as missing, reports the Croat Radio. According to the testimonies
by the eye witnesses, reported by the Croat police force sources, Muslim
police patrols are stopping all the cars with the Croat community of Herzeg-
Bosnia markings and those of the Republic of Croatia, around which
afterwards the Muslim civilians are gathering and burning down and breaking
the vehicles, while passengers and drivers of Croat nationality are beaten
up and robbed. The situation in Mostar is still very tense, and therefore
strong forces of SFOR and international police forces are stationed along
the traffic routes on the separation lines.
The co-chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina Haris
Silajdzic stated that the latest incidents in Mostar are the most serious
blow to the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the implementation of the
Dayton Accords. He accused the international community that for three years
it has been neglecting the fact that all the reports are pointing out at
the fact that certain circles in the western part of Mostar, under Croat
control, are wishing to prevent establishment of the Federation. Special UN
envoy for human rights Elizabeth Ren called upon the Bosnian Croats
yesterday to remove from power all those responsible for ethnic violence in
Mostar. In the letter which she had sent to the president of the Muslim-
Croat Federation Kresimir Zubak, she is stating that the Croat Government
is responsible because it has a great influence in Mostar. The violence in
Mostar was also condemned by the German Minister of Foreign Affairs Klaus
Kinkel. "This is a slap on the face of all those who were trying to bring
peace and reconciliation to this country tormented by war", said Kinkel. He
warned that the Dayton Peace Accords and the European Union administration
"have prepared grounds for a peaceful life together in Mostar", and that it
must not be allowed to "fanatics to jeopardize what has already been
achieved".
Serbia Today, 1997-02-12 ; Politika ekspres, 1997-02-12
[05] EXPORTS IN JANUARY INCREASED FOR 42.7 PERCENT
Yugoslav enterprises in January this year have traded with some one hundred
countries and achieved the total volume of exchange in the value of 455
million US dollars, from which sum the exports amounted to 132 million US
dollars, which is 42.7 percent higher in comparison with the same month
last year. This was stated by the director of the Federal Institute for
Statistics Milovan Zivkovic. Just as before, most of the trading was done
with the Euroepan countries, which are covering as far as 85 percent of the
overall January exchange. Among them the key partners were Italy, Germany,
Russian Federation and Macedonia, and one of the most important partners in
trading has also become the Republic of Srpska. The export-import structure
shows that the dominant products are the ones of the lower degree of
processing, raw materials and commodities, which will make possible better
supply with imported raw materials thus creating better conditions for the
increase of production.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-12 ; Borba, 1997-02-12
[06] CHANGES UNDER THE STABLE CONDITIONS
During the past three years, the period during which the Government of
national unity was in office, it had decisively conducted the program of
economic recovery along the market and reform basis, and within the scope
of available material possibilities, made its utmost in the achievement of
the crucial social targets. This was stated yesterday at the extraordinary
session of the Parliament of Serbia by the Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic,
while elaborating on the proposal for the Government reshuffle. "These
tasks we have achieved under the hardest possible conditions of an
international isolation, great social tensions and inappropriate political
pressures from one part of the opposition in the country. But these were
also the years when great positive changes were initiated in the economic,
social and political fields. Through a consistent policy of peace of our
country and of President Slobodan Milosevic, Yugoslavia has already
established and is establishing full political and cultural links with the
world and is on its way of reintegration into the international economic
institutions",said Prime Minister Marjanovic. While recalling the
significant results in the field of economic recovery of the country, Prime
Minister Marjanovic also said the following: "We have planned for the year
1997 very ambitious targets in the field of economic and social policies.
First of all they are the system changes and most of all the ownership
transformation. Secondly, maximum discipline regarding the servicing of all
fiscal dues of both the economy and the population and regular payments to
the users of public consumption. Thirdly, activities regarding the
successful completion of the planting season and achievement of good
results this year in agriculture. Fourth, an intensified control for
purpose of better functioning of public utilities enterprises. Fifth,
giving priority in offering of the social security for the most endangered
layers of the population".
Serbia Today, 1997-02-12 ; Borba, 1997-02-12
[07] SPECIAL LAW ON LOCAL ELECTIONS ADOPTED
At the yesterday's session of the Serbian Parliament, the deputies have
adopted the Law on proclaiming as final the temporary results from the
elections for deputies to the municipal assemblies and cities, as stated in
the report of the O.S.C.E. Mission. While explaining the draft proposal of
this Law, Minister of Justice Arandjel Markicevic said that both the
federal and the local elections took place in a regular way and without any
major objections and irregularities. At these elections, the majority of
votes were won by the block of the left forces. Only in one part of the
municipalities and cities there were some irregularities because of which
the complaints were lodged to the courts. There is an obvious need, said
Markicevic, for the present situation to be overcome, and through the
special law for the temporary results to be proclaimed as final. This Law
is expressing the final will of citizens on the basis of the elections, and
not the O.S.C.E. report, underlined Minister Markicevic.
At the session, after the address by the republican Prime Minister, 13 new
members of the Government were elected, and seven of them released from
their duties. The republican Parliament released from his duties Slobodan
Babic Deputy Prime Minister, Dragan Kostic Minister of Mining and Power
Supply, Oskar Fodor Minister of Industry, Mirjana Stankovic Minster of
Tourism, Dragoslav Mladenovic Minister of Education, Radoje Djukic Minister
of Private Entrepreneurship, and Nedeljko Sipovac Minister of Agriculture.
Sipovac remains at the post of the Deputy Prime Minister. New appointed
members of the Government are the following: Prof.Dr. Milutin Stojkovic as
deputy Prime Minister, Prof.Dr. Jovan Babovic as Minister of Agriculture,
Water Supply and Forestry, Prof.Dr. Jovo Todorovic as Minister of Education,
Srboljub Stankovic as Minister of Mining and Power Supply, Vladimir
Ljubicic as Minister of Tourism and Prof.Dr. Radmila Milentijevic as
Minister of Information. At the head of the newly established ministries
are the following: Milan Beko as Minister of Economic and Ownership
Transformation, Bratislava Morina as Minister of Family Care and Zoran
Modrinic as Minister of Local Self-Government. The new ministers without
portfolio are Ivan Sedlak (entrusted with matters of national minorities
and human rights), Djura Lazic (entrusted with the realization of the
development programs and functioning of the bodies and services in Kosovo
and Metohija) and Dejan Kovacevic (engaged in capital infrastructural
projects of significant importance for the overall economic development).
The amendments to the Law on Ministries were also adopted which are
establishing the three new ministries and dissolving one of the former
(Ministry of Private Entrepreneurship).
Serbia Today, 1997-02-12 ; Politika, 1997-02-12
[08] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES JACQUES KLEIN
President of the Republic Slobodan Milosevic received yesterday the UN
Administrator for the Srem and Baranja Region Jacques Klein, with his
associates. During the talks on the consistent implementation of the Erdut
Agreement, President Milosevic underlined that Serbian-Croat relations
represent a vital factor for stability in the region. Consistent
implementation of the Erdut Agreement, said President Milosevic, will be a
significant element in the promotion of these relations, just as the
inconsistencies can be a deteriorating factor. In this respect the role of
the UN transitional administration has a great importance and, therefore,
it is expected that the Administrator Klein with his team shall show the
necessary understanding for the constructive proposals and requests of the
Serbian side. According to President Milosevic, the transitional
administration should especially contribute towards the atmosphere of
confidence building, towards the personal and property security and equal
rights of citizens in this region. Regarding the elections in the Srem and
Baranja Region, it was stated that all the necessary prerequisites must be
created for an equitable participation of all the inhabitants, so that the
elections may be conducted in a democratic atmosphere. It was also
concluded during the talks that the overall positive development is
undoubtedly assisted also by the process of normalization and promotion of
the relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Croatia.
Serbia Today, 1997-02-12 ; Politika, 1997-02-12
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