Yugoslav Daily Survey, 96-11-14

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From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT: ECONOMIC RECOVERY - PRIORITY GOAL

[02] SECOND ROUND OF TALKS ON SUCCESSION TO FORMER YUGOSLAVIA ENDS

[03] YUGOSLAV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT MEETS WITH SWEDISH PARTNERS

[04] U.S. CHRISTOPHER MEETS WITH BOSNIA'S KRAJISNIK, IZETBEGOVIC, ZUBAK

[05] BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT MEETS WITH IFOR COMMANDER

[06] BOSNIAN SERBS' NEW GENERAL STAFF CHIEF PROMISES TO PURSUE THE PEACE

[07] FROWICK IN NATO ON ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

[08] SEMINAR ON RECONCILIATION IN BOSNIA OPENS IN LONDON

[09] AUSTRIAN IFOR COMMANDER IN BOSNIA SACKED OVER RACIST T-SHIRTS

[10] YUGOSLAVIA URGES EQUAL FINANCIAL AID TO ENTITIES IN BOSNIA

[11] INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS SUSPEND REFUGEE REPATRIATION PROGRAMME

[01] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT: ECONOMIC RECOVERY - PRIORITY GOAL

Lilic underlined that Yugoslavia's Government was determined to pursue in 1997 its policy of maintaining the stability of prices and of the exchange rate of the dinar, and ruled out any devaluation of the national currency. The dinar will not be devalued and any speculations on this subject are above all the result of some people's personal wishes and interests, the President said.

The policy of stable prices and exchange rate, together with an adequate fiscal policy, should lead to an increase of production, exports and social product, in order to provide funds for both reproduction and development, Lilic said.

The President also singled out agricultural production as a very important development priority, as agriculture must be a strategic development branch of the economy.

Expressing optimism regarding the future following the probably most difficult period in Yugoslavia's history, Lilic said that the lifting of international community sanctions had restored Yugoslavia's right to compete with other countries on an equal footing in all fields, taking advantage of its know-how, potentials and quality standards.

According to President Lilic, the sanctions have caused great harm to Yugoslavia's economy and society, and hindered progress and modernization throughout southeastern Europe.

Underlining that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had withstood and overcome adversities despite all difficulties thanks to its policy of dialogue and peaceful resolving of disputes, Lilic said that many human lives could have been saved and much destruction avoided had the international community accepted Yugoslavia's policy earlier.

Referring to the results of the policy followed by Yugoslavia's leadership, Lilic said that the endeavors of Yugoslavia's delegation at the Dayton Conference had resulted in ensuring equal rights for the Serb people in Bosnia-Herzegovina as for the two other peoples there (Musims and Croats), and in obtaining for Republika Srpska international recognition as an entity on equal footing. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has thus been preserved, and has made a decisive contribution to the creation of Republika Srpska, Lilic said.

Referring to Yugoslavia's foreign policy goals, Lilic said priority would be given to the strengthening of good neighborly relations, both with the old neighbors and with the former Yugoslav republics. This will be in both Yugoslavia's and their interest. Yugoslavia wishes to cooperate with these republics, but above all on the basis of the principles of equality and interest. Yugoslavia and the former federation members will probably never again be united under a common political umbrella, but there is no reason why they should not come under the umbrella of common interests, the President said.

Important goals are also the promotion of relations with the European Union and the international community as a whole, and Yugoslavia's Goverment will to this effect continue passing laws providing incentives to capital investment projects, privatization and attracting of foreign capital, Lilic said.

Expressing satisfaction with the harmonious and stable relations between Bulgarian minority and Serbs in the Pirot District, Lilic underlined that priority must be given to the building of an economically strong and stable Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as a community of citizens enjoying equal rights and in which minorities will form a link reinforcing the friendship between Yugoslavia and their countries of origin.

[02] SECOND ROUND OF TALKS ON SUCCESSION TO FORMER YUGOSLAVIA ENDS

The two-day talks were held behind closed doors and in the presence of Watts by delegations from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Slovenia and Macedonia.

The first to meet with Watts on Thursday will be the delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, whose idea it was to include in the agenda a definition of state property and principles for its division.

Yugoslavia's firm position is that this is an issue crucial to the future business of dividing the legacy of the former common state and without which there can be no equitable solution satisfactory to those who hope to be included in the division. The other four delegations insist on separate agreements on dividing that part of the property which they consider to be undisputed.

Yugoslav delegation head Kosta Mihajlovic said it had been agreed on Wednesday that another round of plenary talks be held by the end of the year, which he said could be expected to produce a document on common principles for identifying state property.

The Wednesday debate touched also on the question of possible division of records from the state achieves in which individual states are interested.

It was agreed that final decision on the matter should be taken only after a conference of archivists from all states created from former Yugoslavia, who should make recommendations as to how to settle the matter.

[03] YUGOSLAV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESIDENT MEETS WITH SWEDISH PARTNERS

Milojevic later discussed the same questions with the representatives of the Stockholm Industrial Chamber and other prominent Swedish businessmen.

All sides reacted positively to Yugoslavia's expectations that Sweden would suport the speedy equalizing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's status with other similar partners and agreed that Stockholm should step up its activities within E.U. institutions. The overall assessment of what has been achieved during the visit so far is that the talks have contributed considerebly to the renewal of trust of Swedish firms and economic associations in the Yugoslav economy. Expressed was also interest for the speedy resumption of economic ties following the lifting of the international embargo on Yugoslavia.

Milojevic also met with a big group of businessmen of Yugoslav origin who work in Sweden in the sphere of trade and industrial cooperation between Yugoslav and Swedish firms.

[04] U.S. CHRISTOPHER MEETS WITH BOSNIA'S KRAJISNIK, IZETBEGOVIC, ZUBAK

Before the meeting, Krajisnik said that the Republika Srpska wanted to participate actively in forming common bodies of power in Bosnia-Herzegovina while expanding political and economic ties with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

[05] BOSNIAN SERB PRESIDENT MEETS WITH IFOR COMMANDER

Hundreds of armed Muslims on Monday crossed the inter-ethnic border on their way into the village of Gajevi, near Koraj. Two Bosnian Serb policemen were wounded in skirmishes that erupted on Tuesday. Serb Majevica Radio in nearby Lopari on Wednesday said Muslim civilians were assembling on the other side of the border, near Koraj. The Radio said tension was mounting among the Serbs in the border area on Majevica.

NATO Spokesman Brett Boudreau said the Muslims had provoked the incident and added there was firm evidence to show the involvment of the Muslim army. Boudreau quoted a local Muslim army Commander as saying he had lost control over his soldiers, and added that NATO officers had seen a high-ranking Muslim army officer on the scene.

[06] BOSNIAN SERBS' NEW GENERAL STAFF CHIEF PROMISES TO PURSUE THE PEACE

The Bosnian Serb Supreme Defense Council appointed Colic Head of the General Staff on Saturday, after dismissing Gen. Ratko Mladic. Maj. Gen. Dragan Josipovic was appointed Deputy.

[07] FROWICK IN NATO ON ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Frowick said that the success of the local elections in Bosnia, which were scheduled twice, first for September and then November and then finally postponed for the spring of 1997, will directly depend on the international community's further engagement. In this sense he underscored the need for NATO's continued full engagement over the next two years.

Frowick said it was necessary to speed up the process of the return of the refugees and displaced persons to Bosnia in order not to repeat the mistakes of the September elections when many people were prevented from voting due to the situation in and relations between the two entities in Bosnia-Herzegovina (Republika Srpska and Muslim-Croat Federation).

Frowick also insisted that the next elections maintain the principle according to which it is not possible to vote outside the place of residence of 1991. According to him, very encouraging are the initial steps aimed at the coordination of work of the newly-elected authorities in the joint state and both entities.

Frowick underscored 'the good atmosphere' at the Oct. 19 inaugural session of the R.S. Assembly in Banja Luka in the presence of elected Muslim deputies.

[08] SEMINAR ON RECONCILIATION IN BOSNIA OPENS IN LONDON

[09] AUSTRIAN IFOR COMMANDER IN BOSNIA SACKED OVER RACIST T-SHIRTS

The scandal involving Austrian IFOR troops was in the focus of attention on Tuesday, with officials of the Social Democratic Party (SPO), the country's biggest party, demanding on Wednesday the resignation of Christian Democrat Defence Minister Werner Fasslabend.

The Commander has been sacked for knowing about the offensive T-shirts and doing nothing about it, the Defence Ministry said.

In future, special permission will be required for wearingin scribed T-shirts, the Ministry said, adding that the T-shirts in question had been obtained by individual soldiers off their own bat.

The T-shirts sported a cartoon of Austria's extreme rightist Freedom Party leader Joerg Haider, Hammer In Hand, with an inscription saying that 'Tschuschen fall silent when our strong arm dictates. Heavy Platoon.'

Tschuschen is a pejorative term used in Austria to denote people from the Balkans.

[10] YUGOSLAVIA URGES EQUAL FINANCIAL AID TO ENTITIES IN BOSNIA

The Yugoslav delegation will inform Ogata about the realistic possibilities for the repatriation of refugees from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to Bosnia, primarily R.S. 'There can be no largescale repatriation, such as UNHCR planned, without large funds, and it is clear that these funds do not exist. This is why we will demand the distribution of international financial aid for the Muslim-Croat Federation and R.S. in the ratio of 51:49,' Radovanovic said.

According to him, this will enable Serb refugees in Yugoslavia to return to R.S. which is, in view of the numerous problems in the Muslim-Croat Federation, currently the only realistically possible form of repatriation.

'We expect the entire region, especially Yugoslavia, to remain the humanitarian priority of U.N. agencies, although there are indications that a certain number of humanitarian organizations from the U.N. system, as well as the Humanitarian Bureau of the European Union, could withdraw in 1997, giving up their role to various non-government organizations and associations,' Radovanovic said. 'The withdrawl of the leading humanitarian agencies has already been felt by the 650,000 refugees in Yugoslavia through the significant reduction of the entire humanitarian aid in this year which is most often justified by 'the tiring of the donors,' he said.

Radovanovic announced for late November in Sarajevo the third regional meeting of ministers and commissioners for refugees in Bosnia-Herzegovina (from both entities), Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The meeting will discuss a draft document proposed by UNHCR at the second regional meeting held in August in Milocer, adriatic resort in Montenegro, and which represents a regional plan on lasting solutions for refugees over the next two years.

[11] INTERNATIONAL MEDIATORS SUSPEND REFUGEE REPATRIATION PROGRAMME

The line separates the Muslim-Croat Federation from the Republika Srpska.

News agencies quote Spokesman Colum Murphy as saying that the programme had been suspended because of serious breaches of the Dayton Accords by Muslims. The decision came after hundreds of armed Muslims crossed into the Republika Srpska on Monday and provoked a clash in the village of Gajevi on Tuesday, in which one Serb police officer was killed and one was injured.

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