Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-09-11

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] YUGOSLAV DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS SLOVAKIA

[02] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT COMMISSION HOLDS SESSION

[03] DELEGATION OF MOSCOW REGION IN YUGOSLAV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

[04] WORLD ENVOY WESTENDORP SAYS BOSNIAN ELECTIONS MUST BE HELD

[05] RS LEADERSHIP LEAVES BANJALUKA

[06] IPTF SPOKESMAN SAYS BANJA LUKA POLICE TURNED BACK RALLY-BOUND BUSES

[07] SERBIAN PREMIER MARJANOVIC - WE FULFILLED THE SET TASKS

[08] OSCE SAYS TECHNICAL PREPARATIONS COMPLETED FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

[09] WASHINGTON DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT BOSNIA - NEW YORK TIMES

[10] DER SPIEGEL: CROATIA BLOCKS THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL

[11] MINISTER KANAZIR RECEIVES CHINESE AMBASSADOR

[12] SERBIAN, GREEK CONSTRUCTION MINISTERS MEET IN SALONIKA

[13] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES NEWLY APPOINTED YUGOSLAV AMBASSADORS

[14] PAPER VESTI: CROATS KILLED 2,500 SERBS IN PAKRACKA POLJANA

[15] COOPERATION BETWEEN YUGOSLAV AND AUSTRIAN BUSINESSMEN

[16] KLICKOVIC RECEIVES WORLD BANK DELEGATION

[17] DIPLOMATS IN YUGOSLAVIA VISIT KALENIC MONASTERY

[18] MIHAILOVIC: NEW VERSION OF MEMORANDUM WAS DISCUSSED

[19] BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL KRAJISNIK MEETS WITH U.N. ENVOY EIDE

[20] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES KONTIC, PAVLE BULATOVIC

[21] BOGDANOVIC RECEIVES LATIN AMERICAN DIPLOMATS

[22] KRAJISNIK IS READY TO BE PUT TO TEST

[23] U.S. CONGRESSMEN VISIT KRAJISNIK

[24] BOSNIAN SERBS KLICKOVIC, BUHA MEET WITH OSCE'S FROWICK

[25] PRESIDENT PLAVSIC SAYS THERE WILL BE NO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

[26] IVOR ROBERTS IN PODGORICA

[01] YUGOSLAV DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS SLOVAKIA

Tanjug, 1997-09-09

Yugoslav Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic leaves on Wednesday for a tw-day official visit to Slovakia at the invitation of his counterpart Jan Sitek, said a statement released by the Ministry on Tuesday. The Defense Ministers will discuss boosting bilateral military, economic, scientific and technical army cooperation, and questions pertaining to regional and European security.

The Yugoslav delegation is expected to be received by Slovakian Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and other high-ranking political figures.

[02] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT COMMISSION HOLDS SESSION

Tanjug, 1997-09-09

The Yugoslav Government's Commission for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's relations with the Peace Implemention Council and with world financial and commercial bodies held a session here on Tuesday. The session, chaired by Prime Minister Radoje Kontic, heard a report on steps taken to adjust the organisation and business operation of the Yugoslav Bank for Foreign Economic Cooperation, a Government statement said.

The cabinet also discussed some questions relating to cooperation between Yugoslav Railways and railway companies in the newly-created states in the territory of former Yugoslavia, the statement added.

On the subject of the Bank for Foreign Economic Cooperation, the Commission decided that there were no obstacles of any kind from the point of view of succession to former Yugoslavia and division of its assets to opening the process of transformation of the Bank.

In view of this very important banking institution's significance and business reputation in the world and among international financial organisations, its transformation into a joint-stock bank should be started as soon as possible.

On the subject of cooperation between Yugoslav Railways and railway companies in the lands of former Yugoslavia, the Commission reviewed their exchange of goods cars.

Noting that this was a matter of physical exchange of wagons duly registered with competent international bodies and not an ownership transfer, the Commission recommended that Yugoslav Railways negotiate a solution directly with colleagues in the new states.

The Commission expressed great interest in and willingness to negotiate a speedy settlement of the question of Yugoslav Railways' equity capital with the European Company Financing Railway Rolling Stock (EUROFIMA), the statement said.

[03] DELEGATION OF MOSCOW REGION IN YUGOSLAV CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Tanjug, 1997-09-10

Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce President Mihailo Milojevic met on Wednesday with a delegation of the Moscow region, headed by Economy Minister Boris Balashov, to discuss possibilities for extending economic cooperation.

Milojevic informed the Moscow delegation about the potentials of the Yugoslav economy and this country's openess to the development of cooperation, especially in the sphere of the chemical, pharmaceutical, machine-building and power industries.

Milojevic and Balashov agreed that Yugoslav expert teams visit the Moscow region to exchange experiences, especially on the application of scientific and technical achievements in the economy and production.

At the end of the three-day visit to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Balashov set out that the exhibition "Science and Economy of the Moscow Region", which opened on Monday at the Russian bureau in Belgrade, is a good basis for the promotion of this cooperation.

The exhibition includes more than 50 firms and institutes from the Moscow region which presented their products and proposals for joint ventures with Yugoslav companies.

[04] WORLD ENVOY WESTENDORP SAYS BOSNIAN ELECTIONS MUST BE HELD

Tanjug, 1997-09-09

President of the Republika Srpska Biljana Plavsic met in Banja Luka on Tuesday with the international community's High Representative to Bosnia Carlos Westendorp to discuss municipal elections, called for September 13- 14.

Plavsic spoke to reporters after the closed-door meeting which had lasted for an hour and a half. She said that she had met on Monday with Momcilo Krajisnik, the Republika Srpska's member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina three- man Presidency, in an effort to reach accord so as to ease tension in the Republika Srpska before the parliamentary elections. The meeting had been attended by Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Christian Orthodox Church, she added. Plavsic said she had suggested to Krajisnik that they start with the media, by having Serbian Radio and Television broadcast one day from the studio in Pale and the next from Banja Luka, but no agreement was reached.

Westendorp, for his part, said that the elections must be held as scheduled, because this was an obligation dictated by the Dayton Accord. He said that the international community could not accept the reasons offered for not holding the elections, because it had so far invested 14 million dollars into the elections and had sent 2,500 monitors to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

[05] RS LEADERSHIP LEAVES BANJALUKA

Tanjug, 1997-09-09

RS President in the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Momcilo Krajisnik, RS Parliament Speaker Dragan Kalinic, Premier Gojko Klickovic and replaced Interior Minister Dragan Kijac left Banjaluka in the afternoon (around 15:00).

They were this morning blocked in Hotel Bosna by the police loyal to RS President Biljana Plavsic, who told them that they could all, except Kijac, leave the hotel, but the captives did not agree to that.

A large crowd of Banjaluka residents gathered in front of the hotel chanting "thieves, thieves," "go to Pale,", "go into the woods," "cowards,", "traitors" and so on.

Mediating in the incident were representatives of SFOR who protected with personnel carriers the deparature of Pale officials from Banjaluka. After that, the crowd dispersed quietly.

Mayor of Banjaluka Savo Cuk addressed himself to President Plavsic, first Krajina corps commander general Momir Talic and the public security center to warn them about the tense situation and about the need that measures provided by law be undertaken.

[06] IPTF SPOKESMAN SAYS BANJA LUKA POLICE TURNED BACK RALLY-BOUND BUSES

Tanjug, 1997-09-09

An International Police Task Force (IPTF) Spokesman confirmed on Tuesday that, following arrests of seven armed men from eastern Republika Srpska late on Sunday, the Banja Luka police was authorised to stop all suspect buses and passenger cars on access roads to the town.

Spokesman for the IPTF Sector West Alun Roberts told a regular news conference in Banja Luka that about 70 busloads were due at an election rally of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) in Banja Luka, but the pro-Plavsic police had turned back 55 of them coming from the town of Prnjavor at the village of Klasnjice. This triggered an incident in which three policemen were injured, one of them seriously.

Roberts said that about 300 supporters of Momcilo Krajisnik and about another 200 followers of Biljana Plavsic attended the SDS rally in Banja Luka on Monday. He said that Krajisnik's and Plavsic's supporters had clashed after the rally outside the Bosna Hotel, with the latter throwing stones at Krajisnik's associates.

Roberts said the IPTF mediated in the evacuation of Krajisnik and his associates from the Bosna Hotel.

Also addressing the press was Spokesman for the SFOR Sector South-West British Lt.-Col. Mike Wright. He confirmed that one police officer had been seriously hurt in the clashes between Plavsic's and Krajisnik's followers.

Referring to the banned SDS rally in Banja Luka late on Monday, Wright said that the civilian police loyal to President Plavsic was acting correctly, while the SFOR remained neutral.

[07] SERBIAN PREMIER MARJANOVIC - WE FULFILLED THE SET TASKS

Tanjug, 1997-09-09

Serbia's Government of national unity has won the full confidence of citizens because it has introduced stability and security into daily affairs and created a material base for reforms, Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic said on Monday. Marjanovic set out in a meeting with representatives of the Republic's economic life that his Government had fulfilled the set tasks, despite difficulties and impediments.

"Equitable peace has been achieved on the territory of the former SFRY primarily thanks to the policy pursued by Serbia, i.e. the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Economic Recovery Program has successfully been implemented, the stability of prices and the national currency achieved, a market-economy system rounded off, and the rule of law and principles of democratic rule affirmed," Premier Marjanovic pointed up.

He said his Government had taken office in 1994, at a time "when we faced the most difficult situation in the more recent history of Serbia...'a time of the secessison of the former republics of the SFRY, war which rage in our neighbourhood, hyperinflation, the country's devastating fiscal and monetary system and production which was practically at a standstill."

Marjanovic told the meeting of company directors, Government members, representatives of the trade unions and the Serbian and Yugoslav Chambers of Commerce that his Government had achieved better results than anyone had initially expected in the implementation of the Economic Recovery Program.

The Serbian Premier underscored that negative economic tendencies had been turned into positive ones, and the growth of production and exports stepped up, especially since the lifting of the international sanctions against Yugoslavia.

Marjanovic said a 15-percent growth of the social product had been recorded over a three-year period, which he noted had not been achieved by any transition country and had been recorded by hardly a few countries of the EU.

The per capita social product has risen from 250 dollars when the Marjanovic Government took over to 1,500 dollar, and is expected to go further up, as Marjanovic set out.

The Serbian Premier said his Government had taken a series of measures and invested significant resources to stimulate production and exports and build numerous infrastructure facilities - the reconstruction and building of roads, railways and telecommunications.

He gave as an example the 1.2 billion dinars invested in Belgrade's metallurgy, which he said was now capable of further pursuing reforms without much intervention by the state. Marjanovic set out that his Government had activated the agricultural budget and secured a non- inflationary financing of the agricultural production and purchases, which he said had helped secure a 3.3-percent annual growth of the agricultural production.

The Serbian Premier said exports had been recording a stepped-up growth, especially since the lifting of the international sanctions, and pointed up that they were a fifth higher in 1996 than in 1995, a year near whose end the sanctions were lifted.

Marjanovic singled out the oil barter deal with China and the natural gas barter deal with Russia, and said that even at the time of the "harshest sanctions, our exports had stood at a billion German marks, thanks to the gas arrangement with Russia."

He said his Government had pursued a policy of stiff budgetary discipline, decisively contributing to the stabilization of prices and the national currency.

Marjanovic pointed out that the participation of public spending in the social product and taxes on the economy were steadily being decreased.

He said the situation in terms of pensions, social benefits, education, health and science was gradually improving.

Marjanovic set out that the market was relatively well supplied, after a period of a devastating hyperinflation and shortages.

He said his Government had embarked on a path of reforms fully aware that "stability and stepped-up economic growth are possible only through a further consolidation of the foundations of a modern, mixed market economy, ... the rule of law, and the full protection of property and contracts."

The Serbian Premier told the meeting that in additon to measures aimed at stimulating economic activities and securing full stability, Serbia and Yugoslavia had adopted systemic laws, including those on enterprises, banks and other financial organizations, labour relations, taxation system, concessions, and anti-monopoly.

He said the law on ownership transformation was a "key, reform law, without which no essential and major changes are possible."

The Serbian Premier set out that with the ownership and organizational transformation of the PTT Serbia public enterprise, his Government had show it was seriously counting on onwership transformation and foreign capital and had secured foundations for the financing of development, the stimulating of production and exports, and a more regular financing of public spending.

The process of restructuring of enterprises will not be easy or brief, but it must be pursued with a view to creating foundations for more efficacious economic activity through production, organizational and onwership restructuring, Serbian Premier Marjanovic told the meeting.

[08] OSCE SAYS TECHNICAL PREPARATIONS COMPLETED FOR MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

Tanjug, 1997-09-08

All technical preparations for the Sept. 13-14 municipal elections have been completed, Spokesman for the OSCE Regional Office in Banjaluka Fabio Gregolet told a news conference on Monday. Asked whether free, fair and democratic elections were possible when the police in Banjaluka had banned all public gatherings, the Spokesman said the ban was contrary to the election rules and regulations but the security of citizens was of the utmost importance at this point.

Spokesman for the International Police Task Force Alun Roberts said that the problem of a Serb Democratic Party (SDS) rally scheduled to be held in Banjaluka on Monday evening had been discussed with Republika Srpska member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik by special U.N. envoy Kai Eide and IPTF commissioner Manfred Zeitner.

The Spokesman said a compromise solution had been offered that the rally be held on the outskirts of the city and not in its centre.

He told reporters that Eide had let it be known that the U.N. mission opposed bans of election-campaign meetings and urged that the proposal for the meetings to be held outside of the city be accepted.

SFOR Spokesman Mike Wright confirmed that the multinational force had approved the request of the Republika Srpska 1st Army Corps for the use of armoured personnel carriers and additional personnel to provide security for Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic.

He said SFOR had not observed any activities of groups or individuals in the vicinity of Banjaluka, and set out that the multinational force would not interfere in the responsibilities of local authorities in connection with the banned SDS rally.

[09] WASHINGTON DOES NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT BOSNIA - NEW YORK TIMES

Tanjug, 1997-09-08

The United States does not have a consistent policy towards Bosnia, nor does the Administration know what it really wants to do about that former Yugoslav republic, according to the New York Times on Monday. The newspaper carries a commentary by Thomas Freedman who is trying to shed light on the U.S. policy in the Balkans, suggesting that the interpretation of the Dayton Peace Accord has been rather flexible since it was signed in late 1995.

The commentator doubts that arresting war crime suspects would solve the present problems in Bosnia.

The newspaper says that, to listen to Clinton Administration officials, one would think that all Bosnian problems would be solved by arresting Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, whereas this is not so.

The commentator stresses that while he fully supports the principle of arresting war crime suspects, there are still dangers inherent in this kind of simplistic interpretation of the complex situation in Bosnia.

He takes the view that important matters may be obscured if attention is focused on only one problem to the exclusion of all else.

He goes on to say that the Bosnian war broke out because the Muslims wanted a centralised state, whereas the Serbs and Croats sought separate national states.

Freedman says clearly that the Dayton Accord has practically given the Serbs and Croats in Bosnia a kind of autonomy and the right to forge close ties with their national mainlands.

The other part of the Accord, he says, includes an annexe with practically the force of a promise, which speaks of building in the future a multi- ethnic democracy in Bosnia through elections, common bodies of power and settlement of the refugee problem.

The paper says that, ever since the Accord was signed, Washington has been unable to decide whether to insist on the carrying out of its promise to the Muslims or just let the multi-national peace force supervise the ceasefire in a divided Bosnia.

The dilemma has been a serious one for U.S. Administration officials, and they will soon have to decide one way or the other, whether Karadzic is arrested or not, the commentator says.

One of the options is for the United States to recognise the legality of the division of Bosnia, which would secure a painless implementation of the plan of pulling U.S. troops out of Bosnia by June 1998, the paper says.

Should this be accepted, then, with certain amendments to the Dayton Accord, the line of separation between the entities - the Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation - would be altered, too, the author says. He opines that the solution arrived at in this manner would be a stable one.

Other alternatives are being put forward, too, which the Administration will supposedly have to consider. One of them is the insistence on a united multi-ethnic Bosnia, which would almost certainly mean that NATO troops would have to stay on in Bosnia indefinitely, in order to support this artificial creation.

The commentator suggests that Washington should bring to the speediest possible conclusion the present phase where accent is being laid only on arresting war crime suspects. Once this is over, then efforts might possibly be concentrated on the heart of the matter, he says.

[10] DER SPIEGEL: CROATIA BLOCKS THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL

Tanjug, 1997-09-08

Croatia is still avoiding cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, the German weekly Der Spiegel said in its Monday issue and concludes that the authorities in Zagreb were trying to block the work of the International War Crimes Tribunal.

The weekly stressed that the regime in Zagreb was protecting some if its people politically, while in other cases it was preventing proceedings by failing to provide evidence required by the Hague Tribunal. Contrary to Dayton Agreement provisions, the Tribunal Prosecutor has not yet obtained documentation about general Tihomir Blaskic, or about Darija Kordic.

Der Spiegel stressed that in the case of Tomislav Mercep the court was still undecided, in expectation of evidence material from Zagreb. Sufficient evidence against Merceo was given in the recent confession of criminal Miro Bajramovic, member of death squads that killed hundreds of Serb civilians, but the authoritites in Zagreb are not ready to issue a permit to Hague Tribunal investigators to interrogate in Zagreb the arrested Bajramovic. The German daily described the behaviour of official Zagreb towards the International War Crimes Tribunal as a blockade. But Der Spiegel does not mention possible measures against Zagreb's behaviour, such as sanctions that could come from Washington.

Nor does it carry the assessment of Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic that Zagreb could turn over all those on the Tribunal's list, on condition that trials do not last for months as is the case with Blaskic. However, that Bosnian Croat General is in the Hague very long precisely because Zagreb is not ready to send to the Court all the documentation in its possession.

However, the German media has recently started to slowly open the files of Croatian crimes committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia. Recently even Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, very supportive of the Zagreb regime in the past, devoted a lot of space to Bajramovic's confession and reproduced all the gruesome details about massacres perpetrated by members of the unit "fall rains" over Serb civlians in Croatia.

Germany's support of Croatia, at least in the case of the German media, now ends at the dividing line about the truth about crimes committed in the name of secession, putting an end to years of propaganda in favor of that former Yugoslav republic as the alleged "victim."

[11] MINISTER KANAZIR RECEIVES CHINESE AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1997-09-08

Serbian Minister of Science and Technology Dusan Kanazir conferred on Monday with Chinese Ambassador to Yugoslavia Zhu Ankang on the further development of scientific-technical cooperation between Yugoslavia and China, in particular cooperation with Shandong province, a Republican Ministry statement said.

The Serbian government, at the proposal of the Shandong Provincial Government, has decided to set up a joint centre for scientific-technical and economic cooperation in the provincial capital of Jinan.

Assistant Serbian Minister of Science and Technology Ratko Uzunovic has been entrusted with heading the working group of the Republican Government to coordinate founding documents for the centre, as well as a number of proposed scientific-research projects.

[12] SERBIAN, GREEK CONSTRUCTION MINISTERS MEET IN SALONIKA

Tanjug, 1997-09-08

Serbian Construction Minister Branislav Ivkovic met in Salonika on Monday with Greek Minister of Town Planning, Housing and Public Works Costas Laliotis to discuss promotion of Yugoslav-Greek cooperation in this field. The consturction Minister of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia is in Salonika to attend an international congress on the linkage of southeast European markets through large-scale infrastructural projects.

A statement issued by the Yugoslav Consulate General in Salonika quoted Minister Laliotis as saying his Government was willing to support Yugoslavia's return to and full participation in all world bodies, and to help promote its relations with the EU.

The Greek Government's decision to grant a loan of one hundred million dollars for building infrastructural projects is geared to this end.

The Minister further said he was confident of success in talks being held in the Serbian Government with Greek companies about the construction of a section of a highway through Yugoslavia as a joint venture. He added that the development of the road network in Yugoslavia was creating conditions for an optimum exploitation of the road arteries in Greece.

The two ministers agreed that an inter-state treaty on scientific and technical cooperation, to be signed by the end of 1997, would be a good basis for further developing bilateral cooperation in the building of infrastructural projects in both countries.

Minister Ivkovic informed his partner in talks about the reform process and its effect on the economic and social development of Serbia, specifically about investment possibilities, concessions and privatisation. He stressed the importance of passing reform laws from the point of view of protecting foreign investors, the statement said.

[13] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES NEWLY APPOINTED YUGOSLAV AMBASSADORS

Tanjug, 1997-09-09

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received on Monday the newly appointed Yugoslav Ambassadors Pavle Todorovic to Canada, Dragan Dragojlovic to Australia, Nikola Cicanovic to Belgium, Radomir Bogdanovic to Libya, Cedomir Strbac to India, Mirko Stefanovic to Israel, Milan Grubic to the Netherlands, Danilo Vucetic to Portugal, Dusan Crnogorcevic to Finland, Stanimir Stakic to Kuwait and Vladimir Drljevic to Kenya.

President Milosevic set out that the current period was characterized by decisive efforts for the full international affirmation of the Federal Republc of Yugoslavia and its policy of peace, openness, cooperation and understanding with other countries. Milosevic said he was convinced that the traditionally good bilateral relations and, especially, economic cooperation between Yugoslavia and the countries where the Ambassadors would serve would continue successfully to develop.

President Milosevic said the Yugoslav Ambassadors would make a contribution to such a development by representing the overall social, economic and cultural life of Yugoslavia and its peoples and Yugoslavia's steady efforts to strengthen peace, stability and equality-based relations among states and nations in the world.

The openness of Yugoslavia enables the focus of activities to be on the strengthening of economic relations, President Milosevic pointed out. He wished the Ambassadors success in the performance of their responsible duties.

[14] PAPER VESTI: CROATS KILLED 2,500 SERBS IN PAKRACKA POLJANA

Tanjug, 1997-09-07

Croatian forces killed 2,500 Serbs in Pakracka Poljana alone, claims Dr. Vojin Dabic from the Information Centre of the Serb Alliance in an interview to be carried by Monday's issue of its paper Vesti. Dabic quoted the results of an investigation conducted in mid-1993 by a Canadian officer from the civilian police in Western Slavonija.

The paper Vesti, published in Frankfurt, Germany, demanded that Dabic provide more details regarding the recent confession of Miro Bajramovic, a Croat, about the mass crimes against Serb civilians.

"Since the summer of 1991, my associates and I have followed the trail of the crimes committed by Tomislav Mercep, starting from the murder of Milenko Djuricic, executed in Vukovar by Nebojsa Hodak, who was recently arrested in Zagreb," Dabic said and added that all the evidence shows that Mercep's group had killed in Croatia in regions where there were no war operations."

"Mercep was the creator of ethnic cleansnig," Dabic said.

He underscored that "now it is clear that Croatia was no victim, but had used (the western media campaign) to carry out ethnic cleansing. All ethnic groups, especially the Serbs who are now an insignificant minority, have been annihilated by Croatia, which is one of the ehtnically cleanest countries in Europe today," Dabic said.

He set out that his team had managed to find an eye-witness who watched the preparations for the stagemanaging of the massacre of people waiting in a breadline in the Vase Miskina Street in Sarajevo, for which the Serbs were blamed.

According to Dabic, the witness saw strechers being brought, TV cameras and crews placed in position, and all carried out by a Muslim terrorist group.

The witness had to be concealed from the public because some members of his family remain in Sarajevo, Dabic said.

The breadline massacre in the Vase Miskina Street, which took place on May 27, 1992, served as an excuse for the imposition of sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Bosnian Serbs were immediately blamed for the massacre. The London Independent, however, on August 22, 1992 published a secret U.N. report which showed that the massacre was committed by the Muslim Government in Sarajevo in order to convince the international community, primarily NATO, to wage war on its behalf.

[15] COOPERATION BETWEEN YUGOSLAV AND AUSTRIAN BUSINESSMEN

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

The just-concluded visit of an Austrian business delegation to FR Yugoslava has given the first concrete results, newspapers here said, citing Austrian Embassy Trade Department Head Franz Erhart and Austrian Chamber of Economy President Leopold Maderthaner. The Vienna newspaper Die Presse quotes Maderthaner's assessment that he was "returning home with good impressions" and that he was optimistic that trade relations between the FRY and Austria will soon reach the former, high level.

A firm from Steiermark, Plan T, has signed with the Serbian electric power industry a contract on the modernization and expansion of the electric power station Kolubara, and a study is currently worked out about investments, which will be presented end-September.

It is assessed that the sum in question is between 20 and 40 million shillings (three-six million Deutsch marks), Die Presse said.

The Austrian media pointed out that representativs of the firm Elin EBG visited for the second time Belgrade to talk with Yugoslav railway officials about the modernization of the railway's rolling stock.

A third firm mentioned in concrete business arrangements, Frequentis, deals with information technique. The firm is interested in cooperation in the field of flight control.

It was agreed that a Yugoslav business delegation visits Vienna on December 2.

Die Presse assessed that Yugoslavia's restrictive monetary policy succeeded to bring under control the economy, stressing that after a number of years of high inflation prices rose in seven months this year only 3.3 percent, and that production and exports were growing.

Trade between the two countries was 330 million dollars before the introduction of sanctions by the international community.

[16] KLICKOVIC RECEIVES WORLD BANK DELEGATION

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

Republika Srpska Prime Minister Gojko Klickovic and Minister of Power and Mining Milorad Skoko conferred in Pale on Friday with a delegation of the World Bank headed by Executive Director Boris Habirov. Following the meeting, Skoko said Republika Srpska would not make difficulties for the Muslim side to conclude an agreement with Russia on supplying Muslim towns with gas in spite of the unresolved oustanding debts.

Skoko said Habirov had said it was necessary to settle the oustanding debts of Republika Srpska and the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation to the amount of 12.4 million dollars for gas delivered by Russia following the signing of the Dayton Accords. Russia delivered 38 million dollars' worth of gas, and the remaining debt is to be divided also among certain donour countries, and some credits were used as well, Skoko said.

[17] DIPLOMATS IN YUGOSLAVIA VISIT KALENIC MONASTERY

Tanjug, 1997-09-07

Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives accredited in Yugoslavia visited on Sunday the 28th annual celebration held near Kalenic Monastery. The diplomats, representing around 40 countries, toured the Monastery church, which boasts some of the most beautiful frescos of medieval Serbia, and attended a performance by the Kolo folk ensemble.

Welcoming the guests was Zoran Lilic, Vice President of the Socialist Party of Serbia and the candidate of the SPS, Yugoslav Left and New Democracy at the forthcoming Serbian presidential elections.

The guests were enabled to acquaint themselves with the spirit of the Serbian people and the cultural policy that takes care to raise the cultural level throughout the country, said SPS Vice President Zivadin Jovanovic. Jovanovic said the gathering, held from September 5-7, linked cultural history with modern trends and the culture and activities of Serbs abroad.

[18] MIHAILOVIC: NEW VERSION OF MEMORANDUM WAS DISCUSSED

Tanjug, 1997-09-06

The head of the Yugoslav delegation at the talks on the succession of the former Yugoslavia, Academician Kosta Mihailovic, told Tanjug on Saturday that the latest version of the memorandum on succession issues, made up by Sir Arthur Watts, is an improvement on the former one, but that in bilateral talks with Sir Arthur in Brussles in Sept. 4 the Yugoslav delegation had clearly pointed out the disagreements which have yet to be overcome.

Mihailovic made the following statement:

"The topic of the talks was the lastest version of the memorandum to which the Yugoslav side submitted a number of amendmants in writing with the corresponding explanations. Although each amendment was discussed separately, both sides tried to examine in full the issues of the biggest importance both for the basic orientation of the memorandum, and for the individual solutions in this document.

Both sides considered necessary to determine whose document the memorandum was and to establish its character. According to the explanation of Sir Arthur Watts, he had composed this document on the basis of the views and positions expressed by all delegations. Regarding the document's character, it is no longer an informal personal text, but has aquired an official character, which is expressed in the latest version titeled:"Draft Memorandum on Succession Issues."

Such an explanation has a far-reaching significance for defining the next stage of the talks, the further method of work, the responsigibily of all delegations and Sir Arthur's role as the 'international community's negotiator'.

Of the key issues, special attention was paid to the key to the distribution. The Yugoslav side insisted that this key cannot be left for the final agreement, but that the principles for its selection should be contained in the memorandum itself. The Yugoslavs insisted that other major issues should be based on principles, such as the inventory and the evaluation of the property, and that quantitative relations stem from the technical appliation of these principles.

Relevant dates, criteria for the identification of property, beside the key to the distribution, were discussed in detail.

These discussions removed some misunderstandings and imprecisions and clearly pinpointed the disagreement which should be overcome. Both sides agreed that the fruitful discussion about these major issues should be continued at another bilateral meeting in early October before a plenary session is scheduled for late October.

The Yugoslav side informed Sir Arthur that it believes that the latest version of the memorandum is an improvement on the former one and that his contrinution to this is appreciated.

Some issues, such as the case of the archives, were considered to be more of a practical, than a principled nature.

The Yugoslav side expressed its disatisfaction over the conduct of the other delegations who are trying to resolve issues which are the subject of discussion of the group for succession in court and in appeals to international organizations, thus demonstrating unloyalty towards the group for succession and a wish to avoid a discussion on essential topics.

In the same sphere are attempts by the other delegations to, through the making of demands for a partial division, put the Yugoslav side in an uncomfortable position by showing it as uncooperative and thus force the international community excert additional pressure on it," Mihailovic said.

[19] BOSNIAN SERB OFFICIAL KRAJISNIK MEETS WITH U.N. ENVOY EIDE

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

Bosnian Serb representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina's three-man presidency Momcilo Krajisnik met in the Republika Srpska centre of Pale on Friday with the U.N. Secretary General's special envoy Kai Eide. After the meeting, Krajisnik said they had discussed a number of subjects, specifically restructuring of the Republika Srpska police force, elections and the crisis in the Bosnian Serb state.

He said the talks had been useful, adding that Eide had been understanding and had promised to help solve the crisis in the Republika Srpska. Krajisnik described the talks as successful, adding he hoped that good cooperation with U.N. representatives would continue.

[20] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES KONTIC, PAVLE BULATOVIC

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received on Friday Yugosllav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic and Defense Minister Pavle Bulatovic, to review issues related to the funding and development of the Yugoslav Army. Taking part in the meeting were also Chief of Staff Gene.Momcilo Perisic with associates - Gen.Aleksandar Dimitrijevic, Gen. Zivorad Vujicic and FRY President Military Cabinet Chief Gen. Slavoljub Susic.

Long-term and short-term measures prepared during the month of August with a view to increase funding for the Yugoslav Army were assessed as successful. Conditions have been met for the timely payment of salaries and pensions to members and officers of the Yugoslav Army and to secure regular supplies of food, clothing, medicine and electric power, with the maximum efforts of the Federal and Republican Supply and Procurement Authorities.

It was established that work has started on the realization of the program for restructuring the Yugoslav special purposes industry, with an analysis of domestic economic potentials, export possibilities and degree of conversion of military into civilian production programs.

It was stressed that funds had been secured for a speedy realization of the project of building 10,000 apartments for the needs of the Yugoslav Army over a five-year period.

[21] BOGDANOVIC RECEIVES LATIN AMERICAN DIPLOMATS

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

The Yugoslav Assembly's Chamber of Republics Vice-President Radmilo Bogdanovic received on Friday the Ambassadors and Charges d'affaires of Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, and Peru, and, on Thursday, the Indian Ambassador, at their request. During the talks, views were exchanged regarding the holding of the upcoming conference of the Interparliamentary Union in Cairo, in whose work a Yugoslav delegation will also take part as full member.

[22] KRAJISNIK IS READY TO BE PUT TO TEST

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

Republika Srpska member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik said on BK Television late on Thursday that it would be best for the crisis in the Bosnian Serb entity if President Biljana Plavsic was to resign. "I think that the right solution is for the individual which does not want to participate in the collective work to resign. And, it would be the best and most honourable solution if Ms. Plavsic was to resign," Krajisnik set out.

He said since Plavsic did not want to resign and wanted to remain in power, there had been quite a few proposals that not just parliamentary but also presidential elections be held with a view to calming the situation in the republic.

"Ms. Plavsic wants that I, too, as 'Bosnia-Herzegovina' Presidency member be put to test. I agree to it and it is my offer. I am not afraid of being put to test, let this be the case also with Ms. Plavsic," Krajisnik told BK Television.

He said the international community "will not easily agree to having general elections held in Republika Srpska, and will want parliamentary elections to be held so as to weaken Republika Srpska and get in a larger number of Muslims and Croats." The Bosnian Serb official said it was very symptomatic that those who wanted "to drown Republika Srpska in Bosnia- Herzegovina" wholeheartedly advocated support for Biljana Plavsic.

[23] U.S. CONGRESSMEN VISIT KRAJISNIK

Tanjug, 1997-09-06

Republika Srpska's representative in Bosnia's three-man presidency Momcilo Krajisnik met on Saturday with U.S. Congressmen Charles Boyd and Garner Packam. The officials exchanged information on implementation of the Dayton Accord, the current situation in Republika Srpska with regard to the entity's internal crisis, and the forthcoming local elections.

There was mention of recent events in Brcko and Bijeljina and relations between Republika Srpska and the Stablization Force. Krajisnik said after the meeting that he had told the Congressmen that Republika Srpska called for the implementation of the Dayton Accord and good relations with SFOR.

He said he hoped that Republika Srpska's stands on these issues would be presented to the U.S. Congress, which plays an important role in the implementation of the Dayton Accord.

[24] BOSNIAN SERBS KLICKOVIC, BUHA MEET WITH OSCE'S FROWICK

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

Republika Srpska Premier Gojko Klickovic and Vice Premier Aleksa Buha met on Friday with Robert Frowick, chief of the Bosnia mission of the OSCE, and his aides. The two sides discussed upcoming municipal elections.

Buha, who is in charge of foreign relations, said after the talks that some headway had been made; for instance, the article providing for the arrest of people on the Hague-based war crimes court's secret lists had been dropped from the election rules annexe. He also said that the question of opposition parties' participation in municipal administration bodies had also been cleared up. He added that the parties or coalitions of parties that won the elections would have the right to appoint municipal officials, and the other parties would have the right to be represented on municipal boards for different regions.

Buha announced meetings with OSCE officials about the voters' registers for Monday and Tuesday.

He said that the Republika Srpska Parliament would have the final say in the matter of municipal elections when it convened on Sept. 10.

Frowick, for his part, said that he would be discussing with Government officials questions that should be dealt with in the next few days. He said that progress had been made in the evening's talks, adding he hoped that questions outstanding could be cleared out of the way and that the provisional electoral commission would convene on Tuesday.

He also said that these were difficult questions, but that the OSCE would invest efforts to help the people elect municipal representatives of their choice.

[25] PRESIDENT PLAVSIC SAYS THERE WILL BE NO PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic said on Thursday on BK Television that there will be no presidential elections in the Bosnian Serb entity, and that local elections must be held, as envisaged under the Dayton Peace Agreement.

President Plavsic said she had dissolved the Assembly and called early parliamentary elections because of "chaos in Republika Srpska.' "It is envisaged under the Constitution, and I made use of the possibility because Republika Srpska, in the absence of classic foes, started losing at another level, at the crime level," Plavsic told BK TV.

She said she had dissolved the Assembly because there was no other way to secure a change of the Cabinet.

"Due to the fact that the policy is decided by the party presidency, the party is concerned with its on interests and forgets the interests of the state. The elections must be held because the institution "Assembly has been dissolved," Republika Srpska President Plavsic set out.

"Presidential elections, just as elections for all other institutions, are scheduled for September 1998," she said.

"Municipal elections are envisaged under the Dayton Agreement and it is not advisable to violate the Dayton Agreement, and you cannot selectively take from the Dayton Agreement what suits you and reject what does not suit you, " Plavsic underscored.

[26] IVOR ROBERTS IN PODGORICA

Tanjug, 1997-09-05

Montenegrin Foreign Minister Branko Perovic received on Friday in Podgorica Ambassador of Great Britain to Belgrade Ivor Roberts. Views were exchanged about the current political situation in Montenegro and about some issues related to cooperation between Montenegro and Great Britain.

Within bilateral cooperation, talks also dealt with a new program of pursuing further studies in Great Britain for 15 young experts from Montenegro, in the field of privatization and management, realized in cooperation with the British Know How Fund.

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