Yugoslav Daily Survey, 97-12-19

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Yugoslav Daily Survey

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES CARLOS WESTENDORP

[02] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR PROTESTS TO THE WARSAW TRIBUNA

[03] ALL PREPARATIONS FOR SERBIAN RUNOFF ELECTIONS MADE

[04] YUGOSLAV AIRLINES JAT STARTS SERVICE TO BEIJING

[05] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES NEWLY-APPOINTED BRITISH AMBASSADOR

[06] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT RECEIVES BUILDERS OF NEW SAVA BRIDGE

[07] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT PROPOSES DRAFT BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR

[08] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT SAYS PREMIER KONTIC'S VISIT TO RUSSIA SUCCESSFUL

[09] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER KONTIC SENDS LETTER TO U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL

[10] DELEGATION OF YUGOSLAV CONSTITUIONAL COURT IN GERMANY

[11] LEDA EXPORTS FOOTWEAR

[12] SHIPBUILDERS PLAN TO EXPORT 42 SHIPS

[13] EXPORTS WILL EXCEED 15 MILLION D-MARKS

[14] MOUNT KOPAONIK BEGINS WINTER SEASON

[15] TOMIC CONFERS WITH AUSTRIAN AMBASSADOR

[16] YUGOSLAV PREMIER RECEIVES RUSSIAN CORRESPONDENTS

[17] KRAJISNIK RECEIVES HEAD OF RUSSIA'S SARAJEVO MISSION GERASIMOV

[18] KRAJISNIK RECEIVES FROWICK ON FAREWELL VISIT

[19] POLISH PRESS REPORTS ON TRAINING OF MUJAHIDEEN IN BOSNIA

[20] KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY TERRORISTS CONVICTED

[21] YUGOSLAV PREMIER GIVES INTERVIEW TO RUSSIAN BELGRADE CORRESPONDENTS

[22] YUGOSLAVIA OPENS ITS CONSULAR OFFICE IN VUKOVAR

[23] PRIME MINSITER KONTIC RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF DPR OF KOREA

[24] BILDT SPEAKS ABOUT MISTAKES OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN BOSNIA

[25] YUGOSLAVIA-CROATIA SMALL BORDER TRADE AGREEMENT TAKES FORCE

[26] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARIANS 1998.

[27] MILUTINOVIC: DUAL CITIZENSHIP DEAL VITAL FOR CLOSER TIES WITH BOSNIA

[28] YUGOSLAVIA'S 1997 GNP TO REACH 8 PERCENT - STATISTICS

[29] ITALY'S FOREIGN MINISTER DUE IN BELGRADE ON MONDAY

[30] U.S. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES: YUGOSLAVIA IS A SOVEREIGN STATE

[01] PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC RECEIVES CARLOS WESTENDORP

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received on Thursday the International Community's High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina Carlos Westendorp.

In a talk relating to topical issues of the implementation of the Dayton Agreement and the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, President Milosevic said that Yugoslavia, which had made a decisive contribution to the creation of the foundations of the curent and future peace in the region, was actively working on the preservation and successful implementation of the peace process in its neighbourhood.

President Milosevic stressed that the sides in Bosnia-Herzegovina should increasingly assume their share of responsibility.

The international community should not act instead of them and should not assume the role of an arbiter in every disputed issue but should create conditions for the democratically elected representatives fully to play the role which belongs to them under the peace agreement, President Milosevic said.

He underscored that it was especially important that the international community secure a balanced economic development of the two entities through providing an equal treatment of the two.

The strengthening and affirmation of legally elected authorities is doubtlessly in the interest of citizens and of a successful implementation of the Dayton Agreement. It was assessed in that context that the constituent session of the newly elected Parliament of Republika Srpska should certainly be held within the period envisaged under regulations.

[02] YUGOSLAV AMBASSADOR PROTESTS TO THE WARSAW TRIBUNA

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

Yugoslav Ambassador in Warsaw Zoran Novakovic has sent a letter to the Warsaw Tribuna saying that two years after the conclusion of the civil war in Bosnia, that paper continued to sensationalise reports about Yugoslavia.

In the letter, published by Tribuna on Wednesday, Ambassador Novakovic reminds that the FRY had made a decisive contribution to the conclusion of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which led to the ending of the civil war in Bosnia.

"Tribuna's reports about the FR of Yugoslavia have lately been hostile, unobective, in one word as if the intention was to lead a new anti*Serbian propaganda campaign," Novakovic said.

Is Tribuna anticipating or stirring up new conflicts and why?, the Yugoslav Ambassador asked.

"To say that Kosovo is part of Albania is strange and has nothing to do with professional journalism," the Yugoslav Ambassador assessed and added: "Is it possible that in Tribuna's international desk journalists don't know anythong about geography?"

Tribuna also regularly publishes polls in which Serbs are most often classified as the most disliked people.

"Where does this come from? Short memory? What is the intention, to stir up, stimulate?," Novakovic asks the Warsaw daily.

The Yugoslav Ambassador told Tribuna he was "not afraid of new sanctions against the FRY." "Sanctions cannot be imposed on a country for pursuing a policy of defending national interests, including tending to the needs of countrymen outside its borders - by political means, dialogue and cooperation," Ambasssador Novakovic said in conclusion.

In it's reply, Tribuna said that "after the unfortunate note about Kosovo, taken word for word from the news agency PAP," it published a correction and apologies the following day.

With respect to polls conducted in Poland about different peoples, the daily's staff said it was not responsible for them and that it "had always attempted to present the situation in the Balkans in an objective manner."

[03] ALL PREPARATIONS FOR SERBIAN RUNOFF ELECTIONS MADE

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

All preparations have been made for the second round of the Serbian presidential elections to be held between 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) and 8 p.m. on Sunday.

According to the Serbian Statistics Bureau, Serbia has 7,235,307 voters, who will be able to cast their ballots at 9,844 polling stations throughout Serbia.

Socialist Party of Serbia-Yugoslav Left-New Democracy candidate Milan Milutinovic and Serbian Radical Party candidate Vojislav Seselj will run at the elections.

Under the relevant law, the candidate who wins the majority of ballots if the turnout is more than 50 percent will become the Serbian President.

[04] YUGOSLAV AIRLINES JAT STARTS SERVICE TO BEIJING

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

A Yugoslav Airlines JAT DC-10 took off from Belgrade Airport at 8 p.m. on Thursday on its first flight to Beijing.

The long-haul flight, with 277 passengers on board, inaugurates JAT's regular weekly service to the Chinese capital.

The new service will help strengthen bilateral economic cooperation and enhance understanding between the two nations, in the wake of the recent Friendship and Cooperation Declaration, JAT officials said.

The Declaration was signed in Peking by the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, and the President of the People's Republic of China, Jiang Zemin.

[05] MILOSEVIC RECEIVES NEWLY-APPOINTED BRITISH AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic received on Thursday Britain's newly- appointed Ambassador in Belgrade Joseph Brian Donnelly who presented his credentials to him.

Donnelly expressed his country's readiness to step up the promotion of relations and cooperation with Yugoslavia, its ally throughout history with which it has had friendly ties for decades. He said it was vital to diversify economic cooperation between the two countries whose businessmen had had numerous positive contacts, saying these contacts created a stable basis for a new upturn in the realisation of joint deals.

Milosevic said he was confident that stable relations based on the footing of equality and all-round cooperation between the two countries would continue to develop successfully, which he said was not only in the best interests of the two nations but also in the best interests of strengthening stability and progress in Europe.

Milosevic stressed the importance of current integration processes in the world, whose success he said depended on the countries' active participation in them on the footing of equality. He also underlined Yugoslavia's openness and its firm commitment to setting up all-round economic ties with other countries, in the process of which he said Britain played an important role considering the achieved level of scientific, technological, cultural and other cooperation with it.

Milosevic wished Donnelly every success in his work.

[06] YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT RECEIVES BUILDERS OF NEW SAVA BRIDGE

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on Thursday received leading engineers and constructors of a new bridge on the Sava River. The 1,800- metre bridge is the most complex facility on the Bubanj Potok-Dobanovci section of the trans-Yugoslav highway and it is worth about 250 million dinars.

Experts of the Yugoslav construction companies Mostogradnja, Jugoslavija Put, Novi Autoput, Partizanski Put and Ratko Mitrovic, who are engaged in the realisation of this strategic facility, informed the president that the section was to be opened in late July 1998.

Addressing the builders, Milosevic said: "This year we built probably the largest number of roads. Brand new factories, hospitals and schools were opened. Yugoslavia is returning to the time from which it was expelled by sanctions and other outside pressures. "This bridge represents a symbolic return of out country to that time, to a new time and recovery, which has especially intensively started this year.

In order to achieve full recovery, in order to make our country economically and culturally successful and modern, the entire people, all citizens should join their efforts. Difficult times sometimes divide people, entire nations. But difficult times can also link them firmly, stubbornly, creatively and heroically. Therefore, I should say that this bridge represents a symbolic message of history, an appeal of the future to link everything we have, time, energy, forces, good will in the interest of a better and more humane life and modern development of our country.

"Whether our country will be peaceful, beautiful and successful depends only on us. It is in the hands of constructors of bridges, those that symbolise our future and that characterise our present with which we enter the new year. I want our country to have thousands of bridges like this linking river banks, people, nations, efforts they make to live in freedom, peace and prosperity. Let ill intentions, hatred, vassalage and laziness, which tie hands even in better times than this, stay at the bottom, where they belong.

"I wish all the citizens of Yugoslavia that 1998 be a year of solidarity and success, which is symbolised by this bridge. I wish to congratulate the engineers and workers, the builders of the bridge on their efforts and success. I wish that our Yugoslavia be peaceful, developed and harmonious," Milosevic said.

[07] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT PROPOSES DRAFT BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

The Yugoslav Government submitted to Parliament on Thursday a draft law on the Federal Budget for 1998 to the amount of 9.693 billion dinars. Parliament is expected to adopt the bill, which is 9.13 percent of the GDP, by summary procedure. The Draft Budget, and the commitment that spendings be financed solely from real sources, is in line with the stabilization economic policy pursued by the Government in the last few years.

The concept of the economic policy for next year is based on a market economy with accent on exports and intensified reforms.

The growth of the GDP is calculated at 10 percent, compared with the GDP estimated for 1997.

Price increases have not been calculated in the budget, except the transfer of this year's price growth of 5.5 percent.

Most of the earnings are expected from the sales and excise tax - 5.2 billion dinars.

Tax earnings are expected to bring in 835 million dinars, customs and duty three billion dinars, and the rest 650 million dinars.

Most of the budget will be used for the army - 6.5 billion dinars, which amounts to about 67.6 percent.

Twelve percent of the budget - 1.16 billion dinars, will go for invalids and veterans, and 13.6 percent for federal organs and organizations.

About 250 million dinars will be used for interventions in the economy and for stimulating development.

[08] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT SAYS PREMIER KONTIC'S VISIT TO RUSSIA SUCCESSFUL

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic's visit to Russia on December 2-4 was successful and has created conditions for further promotion of the two countries' overall relations and in particular economic cooperation, the Yugoslav Government said on Thursday. The Government adopted at a session a report on Kontic's visit, paid at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin, a statement issued by the Yugoslav Information Secretary said.

The Government said Kontic's visit had confirmed the two countries' wish to develop and promote their relations in keeping with their interests, tradition, historical and spiritual closeness, and comparative possibilities and needs of their respective economies.

Russia remains Yugoslavia's major economic partner and the two countries have developed mechanisms of cooperation, their economic subjects are inter- dependant and have had successful cooperation to date, the statement said.

The Government adopted a platform for Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic's talks with his Portugese counterpart Jaime Gama in Belgrade on December 22-23, the statement said.

It also adopted a platform for Yugoslav Transport Minister Dejan Drobnjakovic's participation in a conference of Balkan Transport Ministers in Salonika, Greece, on December 23. Yugoslav Deputy Transport Minister Budimir Saranovic will head the country's delegation in talks with officials of Albanian Industry, Transport and Trade Ministries in Tirana, the statement said.

The Government also adopted a platform for talks with Iran on an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation. The talks are to be held in Belgrade on December 22-25.

[09] YUGOSLAV PRIME MINISTER KONTIC SENDS LETTER TO U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic has sent a letter to U.N. Security Council President Fernando Soto suggesting that the mandate of the U.N. military observers on the Prevlaka peninsula (UNIMOP), which is due to expire on Jan. 15, 1998, be once again extended. Kontic expressed hope that UNIMOP would remain in the area until a jointly acceptable solution to the territorial dispute involving Prevlaka was found through bilateral talks.

Prime Minister Kontic set out that Yugoslavia consistently respected the demilitarized area on Prevlaka.

He said no major headway had been made toward a solution to the dispute due to Croatia's lack of readiness to resolve the dispute through talks and its attempts to prejudice a solution through unilateral actions and violations of the demilitarized zone.

[10] DELEGATION OF YUGOSLAV CONSTITUIONAL COURT IN GERMANY

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

A delegation of the Yugoslav Constitutional Court, headed by Court President Milomir Jakovljevic, visited the German Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, at the inviattion of Court President Jutte Limbnach. The working visit was very successful and useful. The exchange of views covered the position, role and jurisdictions of constitutional courts, the Yugoslav Constitutional Court said on Thursday.

The two sides agreed to intensify the mutual exchange of experiences in the interest of the two Courts.

Jakovljevic invited representatives of the German Federal Constitutional Court to visit the Yugoslav Constitutional Court.

[11] LEDA EXPORTS FOOTWEAR

Tanjug, 1997-12-17

The shoe factory Leda, based in the Serbian town of Knjazevac, has exported more than 90 percent of its production this year, earning the factory six million German marks, General Director Milos Mikic has said. Mikic said Leda produced 4,000 pairs of footwear every day, mostly for buyers in Italy and Britain. The rapid comeback on the world market has helped the company recover and bring back about 70 percent of its workers from compulsory leave.

[12] SHIPBUILDERS PLAN TO EXPORT 42 SHIPS

Tanjug, 1997-12-17

Shipbuilders in Apatin and Macvanska Mitrovica, northern Serbia, have concluded a deal with partners from Norway to build five ships worth 37 million German marks, director of Dunavbrod Dragoljub Kornicer has said. This brings the total number of ships to be delivered to buyers in Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Slovakia, to 42, and the value of the works to 287 million marks. The realization of the deals, however, is impeded by lack of funds, said Kornicer. The Serbian fund for development has granted a credit to the amount of 11 million marks, the sum allotted to shipbuilders to boost exports.

In order to earn 500 million marks from exports, the shipbuilders need investments, that would be advantageous to other industrial branches, as well, as their products and services are used, said Kornicer. Yugoslav shipbuilders enjoy a high reputation in the world and Dunavbrod has recently become a member of the European association of shipbuilders, Kornicer said in conclusion.

[13] EXPORTS WILL EXCEED 15 MILLION D-MARKS

Tanjug, 1997-12-18

Livnica of Kikinda, a casting plant in North Banat, will export this year goods worth 15 million D-marks. In 1998, exports are expected to total 25 million D-marks.

Of this sum, the planned export of tool-machines is around 14 million D- marks and a 10 million profit in foreign exchage is also planned from the export of automobile industry parts and other products.The plant which employs more than 4,000 workers, exported this year mostly to the western market castings for the automobile industry, and special tool-machines worth over 10 million D-marks as well as other products.

The main buyers were from Italy, Germany, Hungary, Turkey, Belgium, People's Republic of China and the Russian Federation.

[14] MOUNT KOPAONIK BEGINS WINTER SEASON

Tanjug, 1997-12-17

Mount Kopaonik officially begins its winter season on Wednesday, with 70 km of ski tracks.

The longest track is 3,000 meters long, spanning from Drzeca to the top of the mountain, and the funicular railway is running, Director of the Genex hotels Slobodan Scepanovic said.

Kopaonik expects the arrival of 4,000 foreigners this winter, mostly from Russia, Britain, Greece, Czech Republic and Hungary.

The snow blanket is 40 cm high, and the temperature minus eight degrees Centigrade.

All access roads are passable. Winter gear is required, and careful driving advised, due to glaze.

[15] TOMIC CONFERS WITH AUSTRIAN AMBASSADOR

Tanjug, 1997-12-17

Serbian Parliament President and Acting President of the Republic of Serbia Dragan Tomic held talks on Wednesday with the newly-appointed and plenipotentiary Ambassador of Austria in Yugoslavia, Wolfgang Petritch, the Serbian Parliament information service said.

[16] YUGOSLAV PREMIER RECEIVES RUSSIAN CORRESPONDENTS

Tanjug, 1997-12-16

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic received on Tuesday the correspondents of Russian media in Belgrade to thank them for their contribution to the success of the recent visit of a Yugoslav state delegation to Russia, as their professional reporting had helped create the atmosphere for signing a series of bilateral agreements.

Kontic said his visit to Russia, the first of a Yugoslav Premier in ten years, had been very successful and contributed to strengthening the friendship between the two countries which has stood the test of time. The visit also demonstrated the identity of Russia's and Yugoslavia's views on all important international issues, Kontic said, Yugoslav information secretariat said in a statement.

As there are no obstacles hindering overall bilateral cooperation, Kontic expects bilateral trade to reach between 2 and 2.5 billion dollars by the end of the century, provided that the recently signed agreements are realized.

Bilateral dialogue will continue next year at the highest level, as Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin has accepted Kontic's invitation to visit Yugoslavia.

Kontic expressed to Russian reporters his best wishes for 1998, the statement says.

[17] KRAJISNIK RECEIVES HEAD OF RUSSIA'S SARAJEVO MISSION GERASIMOV

Tanjug, 1997-12-16

Republika Srpska member in Bosnia's three-man Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik received on Tuesday Head of Russia's mission in Sarajevo Yakov Gerasimov.

Krajisnik told reporters after the meeting that the Bosnian Serbs would not accept Bosnia's Law on Citizenship if it did not contain a provision on dual citizenship. Krajisnik said Gerasimov had backed the Serb side's position on the issue.

He said the Moslems wanted to make more complicated the adoption of the Citizenship Law because of the provision on dual citizenship, provided for by an agreement recently signed in Belgrade.

Krajisnik said the Agreement had been approved by the other two Presidency members, Alija Izetbegovic and Kresimir Zubak.

He said the Moslems were obstructing the adoption of the law hoping that something might change because they had not expected that Yugoslavia would agree to sign the dual citizenship deal.

Krajisnik said he had informed Gerasimov about the Serb side's position that the Bosnian Serbs were entitled to the same rights granted to the Bosnian Croats in Croatia and provided for by the Dayton Peace Accords.

[18] KRAJISNIK RECEIVES FROWICK ON FAREWELL VISIT

Tanjug, 1997-12-16

The Republika Srpska member of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik received on Tuesday in Pale the outgoing Head of the OSCE mission Robert Frowick.

Krajisnik said after the meeting that he had thanked Frowick for what he had done during his mission and asked him to to tell the truth about Bosnia, Republika Srpska and its people in his home country, the United States.

Frowick said that the past year was characterized by many difficulties in implementing the compromises stemming from the Dayton Peace Agreement, and added that he had understood during his mission the scope of the fight that had to be waged to create Republika Srpska and the OSCE endeavors to legalize the election results in the Serb entity in Bosnia.

Republika Srpska has survived an internal crisis, Frowick said and paid homage to its citizens for resolving it peacefully.

Promising to inform the US public of all he has learned, Frowick said he admired the Serb people for its intellectual and creative capabilities and its courage which will help it build a happy and permanent community.

The meeting was attended also by the Srpska parliament Speaker Dragan Kalinic, Deputy Prime Ministers Velibor Ostojic and Aleksa Buha and Deputy Foreign Minister in the Bosnia-Herzegovina Council of Ministers Dragan Bozanic.

[19] POLISH PRESS REPORTS ON TRAINING OF MUJAHIDEEN IN BOSNIA

Tanjug, 1997-12-16

Intelligence services of the Nordic-Polish SFOR Brigade suspect that a center for training terrorists from Islamic countries is located in the Bocina Donja village near Maglaj in Bosnia, Warsaw daily Rzecspospolita writes on Tuesday.

The author of the article, Marek Popowsky, who used to be in both SFOR and its predecessor IFOR in Bosnia, writes that mujahideen had first come to Bosnia in 1992, and numbered over 3,000 in the summer of 1995.

Besides mujahideen from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Pakistan, there were several hundred Muslim extremists who had come from Italy, France, Germany and Britain, he notes.

Deserters from the Turkish, Malaysian and French UNPROFOR battalions also volunteered as mujahideen, Popowsky writes.

In addition to dangerous military actions, the mujahideen also carried out a religious and ideological mission, enforcing abidance by the Koran and recruiting young soldiers to die for Allah, Popowsky writes.

Noting that Bosniac (Muslim) troops respected their allies but feared them at the same time as Allahs' warriors used to carry out high-risk actions and were cruel fighters, Popowsky quotes Serb officers as saying that the mujahideen never took prisoners. Wounded enemy soldiers were usually decapitated or slaughtered by mujahideen, Popowsky writes.

The Dayton Agreement committed (Bosnian Muslim leader) Alija Izetbegovic to remove all foreign fighters from Bosnia, but about one thousand mujahideen who obtained Bosnian citizenship in the meantime remain in Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica and about ten villages, the daily writes.

The largest group of mujahideen is now in Bocina Donja, a formerly Serb village near Maglaj, the daily writes, adding that the Nordic-Polish intelligence service G-5 is following the activities of such unusual "settlers", as it suspects that a camp for training terrorists is located in the village following reports from Serb and Croat forces' commandders.

Noting that Islamic states had allocated to the Muslim part of Bosnia military and humanitarian aid to the value of over one billion dollars and that decisions to this effect had been taken not only by governments but also by various extremist Muslim groups and informal institutions, the daily writes that the activities of mujahideen in Bocina Donja would continue to be monitored by international special services to prevent the village from being transformed into a base for launching terrorist operations.

[20] KOSOVO LIBERATION ARMY TERRORISTS CONVICTED

Tanjug, 1997-12-16

Verdicts were delivered on Tuesday in the district court of Pristina to nineteen ethnic Albanians, members of the terrorist organization Liberation Army of Kosovo, 17 of which are prison terms, and two acquittals.

Presiding the five-member court council, judge Dragoljub Zdravkovic, sentenced to 20 years in prison Naiti Hasani, Agron Toljaji and Arif Voksi. Hasan Zenelji received a 15-year prison term and Agim Makoli 11 years. Aslan Selimi, Echrem Kastrati and Isak Sabani received 10-year prison terms, and Alija Djulic nine years. Demir Ljimaj received eight years, Hajdin Rama six years, Bisljim Zogaj, Agim Huljaj and Selim Ljokaj five years, and Nezir Zogaj four years.

Two convicted in abstentia, Cherim Keljmendi and Hamza Pandjaj, received 15 and 13 years.

All the convicted were charged, as Kosovo Liberation Army members, with taking part in the planning and executing of several terrorist actions throughout Kosmet, in which three persons lost their lives.

The acquitted are Aljban Neziri and Iljir Gasi, due to lack of evidence of their guilt.

[21] YUGOSLAV PREMIER GIVES INTERVIEW TO RUSSIAN BELGRADE CORRESPONDENTS

Tanjug, 1997-12-16

Russia's Itar-TASS news agency carried on Tuesday a statement by Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic urging a speedy ratification of Accords signed during his recent visit to Moscow.

Meeting with Russian corrspondents in Belgrade earlier on Tuesday, Kontic analysed the results of the visit, saying that the Accords were mutually useful and should therefore take effect as soon as possible.

He singled out as especially important the Memorandum on liberalising trade, which he said reflected the spirit of the times and raised the level of trade and economic cooperation between the two states making a transition to an open-market economy.

Itar-TASS highlighed Kontic's statement that Yugoslavia expects the first phase of the Accord to be implemented already in 1998, when tariffs for commodities on the two countries' priority lists would be sharply reduced or even abolished.

It gave prominence also to Kontic's statement that the reintegration of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in international financial organisations will be the country's priority in 1998.

Kontic is quoted as saying that, in attaining this crucial objective, Yugoslavia counted on Russia's support pledged during their meeting by Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin.

Kontic is further quoted as saying that the United States' linking the removal of the so-called "outer wall of sanctions" against Yugoslavia to settling the problem of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo-Metohija Province was a non sequitur. "Yugoslavia considers (the situation in the Province) as its internal affair, and does not accept attempts at internationalising the problem," Itar-TASS quotes Kontic as saying. He also said that Yugoslav authorities "are ready to open dialogue with ethnic Albanians on a normalisation."

Yugoslavia, he added, was consistently urging the implementation of all provisions of the Dayton Accord, and saw it as the only alternative if the peace process were to be achieved in the Balkans.

He said that the level of democracy and of market economy development in Yugoslavia satified the international standards for an open society.

Therefore, he added, there should be no serious obstacle to Yugoslavia's reintegration in world financial, commercial and political bodies and equal place in the world community of nations.

[22] YUGOSLAVIA OPENS ITS CONSULAR OFFICE IN VUKOVAR

Tanjug, 1997-12-13

The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on Saturday opened its Consular Office in Vukovar, Serbian Radio-TV reported. Such an office will work in Beli Manastir on Sunday.

Since the Yugoslav-Croatian Agreement on local border traffic will take force on Sunday and since a large number of eastern Slavonia's citizens are interested in Yugoslav visas, the Office will work in Vukovar on Saturdays and in Beli Manastir on Sundays.

[23] PRIME MINSITER KONTIC RECEIVES AMBASSADOR OF DPR OF KOREA

Tanjug, 1997-12-12

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kontic received on Friday the Ambassador of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kim Von Ho, who is has ended his diplomatic mission in Belgrade, the Federal Information Secretariat has said.

In a long and open talk about current issues of bilateral cooperation and international relations, expressed was full agreement about the existence of conditions and joint interest for the promotion of cooperation in all spheres.

Underscoring that Ambassador Kim Von Ho's diplomatic mission in Belgrade resulted in the promotion of friendly relations betewen the two countries and their peoples, Kontic set out that the constructive position of DPR of Korea towards the Yugoslav crisis and efforts for its political and peaceful resolution, are of importance for the development of cooperation in the coming period.

Both sides said that it was necessary to complete the institutional framework for economic cooperation. First of all, it is necessary to coordinate interstate agreements on the protection of investments and the avoiding of dual taxation. Also expressed was the readiness for the intensification of interstate contacts at the highest level and revival of work of the Mixed Committee in order to speed up the resolution of practical issues and promote economic cooperation.

Ambassador Kim Von Ho expressed gratitute for the cooperation and help during his time as Ambassador and underscored the importance of the humanitarian aid which the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia sent to DPR of Korea. He also thanked Yugoslavia for its support to the constructive unification efforts of the Korean people.

Both sides expressed belief that the unification issue without outside interference, could best be solved by the people themselves. It was said that this would be in the interest of Korea, but also of the entire region, the statement said.

[24] BILDT SPEAKS ABOUT MISTAKES OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN BOSNIA

Tanjug, 1997-12-12

Swedish politician Carl Bildt, former High Representative of the international community in Bosnia said that peace could have been in place much earlier in Bosnia if a higher level of cohesion had been present earlier in the international community, which, he said, has made many mistakes in the region.

Bildt made this assessment in a statement to the Milanese daily Corriere della Sera, adding that the region now depended on the policy of the United States.

The Milanese daily writes about Bildt on the occasion of the publishing of his book Peace Mission, about what was really happening in and around Bosnia.

Bildt said his book was a history of mistakes, conspiracies and treachery, intended to undermine the mission, starting from the precipitated recognition of the former Yugoslav republics, arduous agreements about military initiatives and interventions, until peace was finally restored, and peace-keeping established or the initiative and agreement for lasting peace, Bildt told the Milanese daily.

Corriere said that Bildt was full of bitterness because of the incredible things that happened in Bosnia, and which are still happening.

The international community is investing millions of dollars in the reconstruction of Bosnia. But Muslims and Croats in Bosnia are using over half of the money for purchasing arms, Bildt said.

In a statement to the Milanese daily, Bildt said in conclusion that the international community and NATO will have to deal with Bosnia for years, as peace in Bosnia is maintained by the multinational forces.

[25] YUGOSLAVIA-CROATIA SMALL BORDER TRADE AGREEMENT TAKES FORCE

Tanjug, 1997-12-14

As of Sunday, those wishing to cross the border between the Srem-Baranya region and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia are using either small border passes or visas. An Agreement on small border trade, signed between Yugoslavia and Croatia in September, took effect at midnight local time.

Under the Agreement, people living in most parts of the Srem-Baranya region on the Croatian side and in Apatin, Bac, Backa Palanka, Beocin, Novi Sad, Odzaci, Ruma, Sombor, Sremska Mitrovica, Sid, Beska, Golubinci, Stari Slankamen and Novi Slankamen on the Yugoslav side of the border are entitled to small border passes.

The passes may be obtained at local police precincts.

Yugoslav Ambassador to Croatia Veljko Knezevic was present at the opening of the Consulate.

The Yugoslav visa is valid for six months. Also entitled to the visa are the region's students attending schools and universities in Yugoslavia.

[26] MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENTARIANS 1998.

Tanjug, 1997-12-12

Moldovan President Petru Luchinski has received a Yugoslav parliamentary delegation headed by Miodrag Koprivica, member of the Lower House Foreign Relations Committee, which is attending for the first time a session of the parliamentary assembly of the Black Sea Organization for Economic Cooperation.

Luchinski said Moldova supported Yugoslavia's endeavors for reintegration in all international institutions and wished to develop bilateral relations in all fields.

The Yugoslav delegation thanked the Moldovan President for the invitation to attend the session and for Moldova's support to Yugoslavia.

The delegation held a separate meeting with Moldovan Deputy Minister of the Economy and Reform Dumitru Bragish, which focused on the need for accelerating the conclusion of bilateral agreements on trade, economic cooperation, investments, avoidance of double taxation, education, culture and transports, possibly in the first months of 1998.

The Yugoslav delegation also had several informal meetings on the sidelines of the session with representatives of Moldova, Russia, Greece, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Armenia, Romania, Albania, Egypt, Israel, Azerbaijan and Turkey.

The session endorsed a draft charter of the Black Sea Organization for Economic Cooperation and urged national parliaments to ratify it as soon as it is signed in the beginnng of

The session ended by handing over the chairmanship of the organization to Romanian Senate Speaker Petre Romanu for the next six month period.

The next session of the Black Sea cooperation Parliamentary Assembly will be held next June in Bucharest.

[27] MILUTINOVIC: DUAL CITIZENSHIP DEAL VITAL FOR CLOSER TIES WITH BOSNIA

Tanjug, 1997-12-13

Yugoslav Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic said on Saturday that Republika Srpska member in Bosnia's three-man Presidency Momcilo Krajisnik and himself had signed an Agreement on Dual Citizenship earlier in the day. Milutinovic said the Agreement entitled all citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina and in particular Serbs and Montenegrins in the Republika Srpska to apply for the Yugoslav citizenship. "This is a major contribution to establishing closer relations between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Bosnia- Herzegovina and goodneighbourly relations in general," he said.

He said the Agreement would help all the interested citizens to feel safer and communicate more easily with their mother country.

Krajisnik said Bosnia officials were reviewing the draft law on citizenship, passports and travel papers at this point, saying the law was to be adopted early next week. He said preliminary agreement on the draft law had been reached at a recent conference of the Peace Implementation Council in Bonn.

He said all three members of Bosnia's Presidency had signed at the conference a statement enabling Serbs and all other citizens of Bosnia- Herzegovina to apply for the Yugoslav citizenship.

"The Dayton Peace Agreement contains a provision providing for dual citizenship of Bosnia's citizens," he said explaining that the signing of an Agreement to this effect with a mother country was a condition for it.

Krajisnik welcomed the Agreement, saying it enabled all citizens of Bosnia- Herzegovina to apply for the Yugoslav citizenship. "The agreement does not only enable Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina to apply for the Yugoslav citizenship but also entitles them to the same rights granted to the Bosnian Croats in Croatia," he said.

[28] YUGOSLAVIA'S 1997 GNP TO REACH 8 PERCENT - STATISTICS

Tanjug, 1997-12-14

Yugoslavia's GNP will be between 7.5 and 8 percent this year, Tanjug was told by Yugoslav Statistics Bureau Director Milovan Zivkovic. The assessment was based on expectations that the industrial production would grow by 9.6 percent, agricultural production by 3 percent and production in other sectors by more than 10 percent, Zivkovic said.

He said that these results were satisfactory, in view of the fact that Yugoslavia had not regulated its membership in international financial and trade organisations.

Speaking about prices, Zivkovic said that they were not expected to grow in December and that in view of their 8.3-increase in the past 11 months, the inflation rate would be between 8 and 8.5 percent. The stability of prices was certainly the main feature this year, he said.

The prices of some Yugoslav products are higher than those in Europe, which means that they can be reduced, Zivkovic said.

He said that Yugoslavia was expected to increase its exports by more than one-third in comparison with 1996 and deliver goods worth a total of 2.370 billion dollars.

Zivkovic said that Yugoslavia had taken advantage of just a small part of E.U. trade preferentials because of a complicated procedure.

On the other hand, exports will grow by 15 percent this year and Yugoslavia's foreign trade deficit would amount to more than two billion dollars, like last year, Zivkovic said.

He said that the import of raw materials and intermediates accounted to 65 percent of the deficit.

Yugoslavia's GNP in 1998 should grow by about 10 percent, industrial production by 10.5 percent, agricultural production by 3 percent and production in other sectors by 13.5 percent, he said.

We do not expect an increase of the inflation rate, the Yugoslav Statistics Bureau director said and added that prices should be lowered by 4 to 4.5 percent next year.

In the foreign trade sector, Yugoslavia plans to increase exports by 32 percent and reduce its imports, he said.

[29] ITALY'S FOREIGN MINISTER DUE IN BELGRADE ON MONDAY

Tanjug, 1997-12-13

Italy's Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini will pay a one-day working visit to Yugoslavia on Monday, at the invitation of his Yugoslav counterpart Milan Milutinovic.

[30] U.S. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES: YUGOSLAVIA IS A SOVEREIGN STATE

Tanjug, 1997-12-12

The U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Yugoslavia said in the southern city of Nis on Friday that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was a sovereign state and that the Province of Kosovo-Metohija was its internal affair. Speaking about international interest in this Province of Yugoslavia's Republic of Serbia, Richard Miles said that international norms should be applied in dealing with the problem of Kosovo-Metohija.

Miles said that actions speak louder than words and that the Yugoslav authorities needed to take but a small step to reach a global political solution to the problem. He did not elaborate, but did not miss the opportunity, either, to say that the reaching or otherwise of a global settlement would determine future bilateral economic cooperation and the return of Yugoslav exporters, those in Nis included, to the U.S. market.

He described his closed-door talks at the regional Chamber of Commerce as a high-level exchange of views on economic issues, saying they would be resumed.

There was no comment from the local officials, whose victory in last year's local elections Miles described as the result of their own efforts and a little help from their friends.

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