BELGRADE,15 June 2000 C O N T E N T S : FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA - YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT FELICITATES YUGOSLAV ARMY DAY - TOP YUGOSLAV GENERALS HOST RECEPTION FOR ARMY DAY - MARJANOVIC INAUGURATES HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION - IMPRESSIVE RECONSTRUCTION RESULTS TRANSFORMED INTO DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS YUGOSLAVIA - ZIMBABWE - PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC SENDS MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT MUGABE - DEPUTY YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER IN ZIMBABWE KOSOVO AND METOHIJA - INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS - SERGEYEV - KFOR MUST COOPERATE WITH YUGOSLAVIA SERBIAN PROVINCE OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA - ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS LAUNCH ANOTHER ATTACK ON SERBS * * * FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT FELICITATES YUGOSLAV ARMY DAY BELGRADE, June 14 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who is also the Supreme Commander, felicitated Army Day (June 16) to the members of the Yugoslav Army, the president's military cabinet said on Wednesday. In his message to the Yugoslav Army members Milosevic said: "During last year's heroic resistance to the criminal armed NATO aggression against our country you have demonstrated in practice how one loves and defends one's own country and its freedom, earning the admiration of other countries. You have encouraged other countries and peoples who face the same threat from the creators of the new world colonialism. By nurturing the great traditions of freedom of the people of Yugoslavia you have gained combat experiences in opposing a much stronger enemy and incorporated this into your training programs, securing the strength of our defence and the protection of the territorial sovereignty, independence and constitutional order of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. During this year's ceremonies marking Army Day we revive memories of the heroes who gave their lives during the defence of Yugoslavia, for the freedom and dignity of the people. Their heroism is an example and inspiration both to present and future generations of soldiers and officers. I am certain that you will continue to carry out your military duties conscientiously and professionally, to strengthen the morale and combat readiness of your troops to the good of peace and the advancement of our country." Milosevic decreed promotions, awarded decorations and announced the termination of military service for a certain number of officers, the president's military cabinet said. Promotions of officers to the rank of general and the end of professional military service for generals in keeping with the law have secured the corresponding composition of generals in accordance with the service needs and formation of the Yugoslav Army. The Supreme Commander also decorated the most successful units, institutions and individuals for their exceptional contribution to the defence of the country's freedom and independence and their sacrifices in carrying out their tasks in preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yugoslavia. Milosevic also decorated a large number of officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers and civilians employed in the Yugoslav Army for their contribution to the development and strengthening of the defence power of the country, successes in commanding, training and boosting the combat readiness of the Yugoslav Army, as well as for valour shown in the defence of the country. The majority of the decorated are soldiers, noncoms and junior officers, it is said. TOP YUGOSLAV GENERALS HOST RECEPTION FOR ARMY DAY BELGRADE, June 14 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Defence Minister General Dragoljub Ojdanic and Chief of General Staff General Nebojsa Pavkovic hosted a reception in Belgrade on Wednesday on the occasion of Yugoslav Army Day (June 16). "The Yugoslav Army is an irreplaceable factor of the unity, stability and security of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and its unity, combat readiness and high morale will enable it to stand firm in the defence of the country to prevent all attempts at its destabilization," General Pavkovic said. Recalling last year's NATO aggression on this country, Gen. Pavkovic set out that the aggressors, in their criminal act, used banned weapons and dishonourable actions and committed crimes which must not be forgotten nor forgiven. "Everything and everyone was a target," he underscored. "At this ceremony marking Yugoslav Army Day, a year after the end of the aggression, I am proud to say that we have joined the ranks of those who are rebuilding the country and once again gaining the admiration of the world with our capabilities, determination and enthusiasm," Pavkovic stated. On behalf of the Yugoslav Army, Pavkovic awarded the people of Yugoslavia with a special plaque which will be on permanent display in the Army Museum in Belgrade. Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, who is also the Supreme Commander, received the great plaque of the Yugoslav Army. Plaques were awarded to the federal and Serbian governments, the federal Customs Administration and the Directorate for the Reconstruction of the Country for their great contribution to the reconstruction of the country and cooperation with the Yugoslav Army. Plaques were also given to a number of economic, media, educational and health institutions and companies. MARJANOVIC INAUGURATES HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION NOVI SAD, June 15 (Tanjug) - Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Marjanovic on Thursday inaugurated work on the construction of the 70km-long second lane of the highway from Novi Sad in Vojvodina province to Belgrade. The lane will be completed in less than two years since work will begin from both sides simultaneously. Speaking at the ceremony which was held at the Novi Sad intersection near Temerin and attended by several thousand citizens of Novi Sad and Vojvodina, Marjanovic said Serbia and Yugoslavia would be linked even more closely with Europe and the world by promoting traffic along Europe's Corridor 10. "This is a strategic investment and yet another great infrastructure and development project which testifies to our construction capabilities and readiness to build and develop our country even more quickly," Marjanovic said. In the realization of its key development objectives, Serbia is open to cooperation with anyone in the world who wants relations on an equal footing, Marjanovic said. "Equality in international political and economic relations is a principle constantly advocated by our leadership and a principle which enables our maximum reliance on our own forces and existing comparative advantages in the realization of the development tasks," he said. IMPRESSIVE RECONSTRUCTION RESULTS TRANSFORMED INTO DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS BELGRADE, June 14 (Tanjug) - The director of the Directorate for the reconstruction of the country, Milutin Mrkonjic, said on Wednesday that following the impressive results of the reconstruction, initiated has been the realization of the development stage which started with the construction of 10,000 apartments for young people. This is the first of 21 development projects planned. Mrkonjic said that the completion of these apartments by the end of the year 2000 would fulfil this year's plan which is only a part of the project to build 100,000 apartments by the year 2010. Mrkonjic said that modern apartments, conforming to all European standards, would be build for young couples employed in the Yugoslav Army and the Interior Ministry. Underscoring that work is currently underway on 68 sites, Mrkonjic said that the remaining traffic infrastructure damaged during the NATO aggression would be rebuilt and put into operation on July 7, the date of the second stage of the reconstruction. YUGOSLAVIA - ZIMBABWE PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC SENDS MESSAGE TO PRESIDENT MUGABE HARARE, June 15 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Deputy Foreign Minister Zoran Novakovic in Harare on Wednesday presented a personal message from Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to President Robert Mugabe. During his working visit to Zimbabwe Novakovic met with his counterpart, Nicholas Goche, expressing Yugoslavia's gratitude for the condemnation of the NATO aggression on Yugoslavia and Zimbabwe's strong support and understanding for the struggle to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity. DEPUTY YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER IN ZIMBABWE HARARE, June 14 (Tanjug) - Deputy Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zoran Novakovic has praised Zimbabwe for its principled, consistent and determined support to Yugoslavia in its struggle during last year's NATO aggression and afterwards, in the protection of its territorial integrity and sovereignty. Novakovic, who arrived in Harare on Tuesday, met today with his Zimbabwean counterpart Nicholas Goche. During extensive and friendly talks the two officials exchanged views on current international issues, especially the revival of Yugoslavia's full participation in the activities of the non-aligned movement. Novakovic informed Goche about the current situation in Kosovo-Metohija, especially the total fiasco of the KFOR and UNMIK mission and their failure to implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244, as well Yugoslavia's demands to end the mission of UNMIK chief Bernard Kouchner who is directly responsible for the deplorable security situation and the continuing genocide against the Serbs. Goche supported Yugoslavia's demand for securing the consistent implementation of Resolution 1244 and promised support for the full reintegration of Yugoslavia to the United Nations and other international organizations. Novakovic left for a working visit to South Africa. KOSOVO AND METOHIJA - INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS SERGEYEV - KFOR MUST COOPERATE WITH YUGOSLAVIA MOSCOW, June 15 (Tanjug) - Ethnic Albanian leaders who are refusing to give up their extremist positions and are working to detach Kosovo-Metohija from Yugoslavia are at the root of all evil in that U.N.-ruled Serbian (Yugoslav) province, Russia's defence minister is quoted on Thursday as saying. Speaking for the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, Igor Sergeyev said that ethnic Albanians are carrying out evidently organised operations against the Russian military contingent in the international force (KFor) in Kosovo-Metohija. In the lengthy interview, entitled "Balkan peace is impossible without Russia", Sergeyev went on to criticise the leniency of the KFor command, which is disinclined to take resolute action, fearing strong reaction from ethnic Albanian extremists. He stressed that the Russian delegation to a recent session of the Russia-NATO Council had drawn the NATO leaders' attention to many elements of the situation that is being created in Kosovo-Metohija. He said that one of KFor's priorities was to carry out a real demilitarisation of the ethnic Albanian so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) which, although formally disbanded, has entire units incorporated in the structures of the so-called Kosovo Protection Corps, including police and an intelligence service, planning to form a future army of Kosovo. This must not be permitted, and KFor must take efficacious control of the Corps, Sergeyev stressed. He urged tighter control of Kosovo-Metohija's porous boundaries which allow Albanians from other countries to pour into the province and settle there, creating a further obstacle to the repatriation of displaced Serbs and destabilising the whole of Serbia. One of the consequences of the lack of control on the boundaries is a flourishing drugs and arms trade, according to Sergeyev. He said that one important direction that joint Russia-NATO efforts in Kosovo-Metohija should take is for KFor to establish contacts with Yugoslavia. It is necessary that KFor immediately establish contact with the Yugoslav side, including opening dialogue in the Joint Implementation Commission, he said. Procrastination in dealing with these problems creates conditions that are conducive to detaching the province from Yugoslavia, and strengthens the ethnic Albanian separatists in the belief that they can attain their goals, according to Sergeyev. He went on to say Russia was worried that the UN mission to Kosovo-Metohija and the KFor command are actively considering turning Pristina Airport over to be administered by the United Nations, and the commercial side of its operation should subsequently go to an ethnic Albanian private company. Changing the status and the method of administration of the airport is, however, possible only with Russia's consent in a way envisaged under the Helsinki Accord, he stressed. He added that here also there are legal, political and security obligations to Yugoslavia and the property of its companies. SERBIAN PROVINCE OF KOSOVO AND METOHIJA ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS LAUNCH ANOTHER ATTACK ON SERBS KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, SERBIA, June 15 (Tanjug) - Two Serbs were killed and a third seriously injured at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday when their van hit an antitank mine planted by ethnic Albanian terrorists on a local road close to Kosovo Polje. Serb sources in Kosovska Mitrovica told Tanjug that the injured Serb was transferred to hospital and is in critical condition. Strong KFOR forces blocked the entire area and are searching for the perpetrators. __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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