YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY
BELGRADE, 20 June 2001 No.3442
C O N T E N T S :
YUGOSLAVIAUN
- REPORT BY SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION AFTER ITS VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA
YUGOSLAVIA - THE DONORS' CONFERENCE
- U.S. FIRMLY KEEPS CURRENT STAND
- FOR CONDITIONING AID TO YUGOSLAVIA INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP
- HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CALLS FOR PUTTING OFF DONOR CONFERENCE FOR YUGOSLAVIA
YUGOSLAVIA - THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL
- DRAFT LAW ON COOPERATION WITH HAGUE COULD BE WITHDRAWN FROM
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
- ZIVKOVIC: FRY PREPARED TO MEET INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS
- ICTY COOPERATION IS BELGRADE'S OBLIGATION SERBIAN VICEPREMIER
- SERBIA CAN GO IT ALONE, SAYS BATIC
- COOPERATION WITH ICTY IS A MUST MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT
- SOCIALIST PEOPLE'S LEADER SAYS REFERENDUM TO SOLVE CRISIS
YUGOSLAVIA-BILATERAL RELATIONS
- ROMANIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES SERBIAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER
- SERBIAN JUSTICE MINISTER MEETS WITH SLOVAK COUNTERPART
- BATIC IN PRAGUE
FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
- GOOD PROSPECTS FOR GREATER COOPERATION OF YUGOSLAVIA, TURKEY
- YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENT LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER RECEIVES DANISH MPS
- UNECE URGES GREATER COOPERATION WITH YUGOSLAVIA
- YUGOSLAV HEALTH MINISTER MEETS WITH UNECE OFFICIAL
- YUGOSLAV MINORITY MINISTER MEETS COE OFFICIAL
- SERBIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES OPENING BITS OF EXTRA PROFIT BILL
- OSCE DELEGATION VISITS SERBIA'S VOJVODINA PARLIAMENT
KOSOVO - METOHIJA
- OSCE CHIEF URGES KOSOVOMETOHIJA SERBS TO VOTE IN U.N. POLLS
- SERBS DO NOT HAVE INTEREST TO GO TO POLLS SERBIAN LEADER
- SOLUTION FOR KOSOVO IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT BELGRADE, RUSSIAN TOP ARMY OFFICIAL
- KFOR ARRESTS 19 REBEL SUSPECTS
KOSOVO-CRISIS IN MACEDONIA-INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS
- BUSH FOR SEALING MACEDONIANKOSOVO BORDER
REPUBLIC OF MONTENEGRO
- DJUKANOVIC: NEW GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME DEFINES MONTENEGRIN INTERESTS
- VUJANOVIC: LET'S WORK IT OUT
YUGOSLAVIAUN
REPORT BY SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION AFTER ITS VISIT TO YUGOSLAVIA
UNITED NATIONS, June 20 (Tanjug) Ambassadors of the memberstates
of the United Nations Security Council Tuesday urged ethnic Albanian
leaders in Kosovo to make a greater effort to improve the position of Serbs.
According to news agencies, they simultaneously appealed to Serbs
to take part in the Kosovo elections scheduled for November 2001. A report
by the 15member Security Council mission said that, in spite of Russia and
Yugoslavia's opposition to various aspects of the U.N. plan on Kosovo's
selfmanagement, including elections scheduled for November 17, the
political process should proceed.
YUGOSLAVIA - THE DONORS' CONFERENCE
U.S. FIRMLY KEEPS CURRENT STAND
BRUSSELS, June 20 ( Beta) - The international donors' conference
for Yugoslavia will be held in Brussels on June 29. However, if the U.S.
and some other donors, who are ready to provide "significant funds", do not
attend because of Yugoslavia's failure to fulfill certain political
conditions, the gathering will "not be very successful", officials of the
European Commission said on June 19.
The European Union is set to provide $270 million at the donors'
conference, for the financing of various projects, while the Americans
would be willing to "promise" $100 million to Serbia and $80 million to
Montenegro.
The opinion is that Japan, Canada and some other countries would
not participate if the Americans do not attend the conference. This would
leave Yugoslavia "short" by several hundred million dollars, of the more
than one billion that is expected. EU officials who monitor political and
economic relations between the European Union and the FR Yugoslavia, point
to the fact that the uncertainty over the adoption of the law on
Yugoslavia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal was "an unfavorable
circumstance... because the Americans are, and there should be no doubt
about it, determined not to take part in the conference if there is no
proof of Yugoslavia's cooperation with the Hague".
European sources say that the authorities in Belgrade "could
establish full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal" even without such a
law. "Therefore, the problem could be solved if they were to reach
appropriate decisions on the republican level, and it is not too late to do
this."
FOR CONDITIONING AID TO YUGOSLAVIA INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP
BRUSSELS, June 19 (Tanjug) The International Crisis Group
recommended to donor countries and to the international financial
institutions to condition financial aid to Serbia, that is Yugoslavia, by
progress in cooperation with The Hague war crimes tribunal, cooperation
with the UN civilian mission in KosovoMetohija and cooperation in achieving
aims of the international community in BosniaHerzegovina.
The group proposes in its latest SerbianYugoslav statement in June
that the donors' conference planned for June 29 in Brussels be postponed
indefinitely if Yugoslavia does not satisfy the United States and the
European Union by one or more moves, as a sign of good will.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CALLS FOR PUTTING OFF DONOR CONFERENCE FOR YUGOSLAVIA
BELGRADE, June 20 (Tanjug) The United States and the European
Union should put off the donor conference for Yugoslavia, scheduled for
June 29 in Brussels, Human Rights Watch said in a statement presented to
Tanjug.
In view of the total lack of Yugoslavia's cooperation with The
Haguebased international war crimes tribunal, it would be inappropriate to
hold a conference at which billions of dollars of economic aid should be
gleaned for Yugoslavia, the human rights watchdog said.
YUGOSLAVIA - THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL
DRAFT LAW ON COOPERATION WITH HAGUE COULD BE WITHDRAWN FROM PARLIAMENTARY
PROCEDURE
BELGRADE, June 20 ( Beta) - Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister
Miroljub Labus stated on June 19 that the draft law on cooperation with the
Hague Tribunal could be withdrawn from the parliamentary procedure.
"One option is that the draft goes to parliament and is not
adopted, and I think that would be the worst possible solution. At this
moment it would have very serious consequences because it would mean that
Yugoslavia de facto refuses to fulfill its international obligations,"
Labus told Radio B92.
In his words, a "somewhat better" option would be to withdraw the
law from parliamentary procedure, after which the Serbian legislature
should legally regulate cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.
According to Labus, if an appropriate law is not adopted at the
federal level the Republic of Serbia would have to, whether it wanted to or
not, take over the jurisdiction of cooperation with the Tribunal.
ZIVKOVIC: FRY PREPARED TO MEET INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS
SARAJEVO, June 19 ( Free Serbia) - Yugoslav Minister of Interior
Zoran Zivkovic sated on Tuesday during a visit to Sarajevo that FRY was
prepared to meet international obligations, among them detaining
individuals indicted for war crimes. Zivkovic said the chances were the
Yugoslav Parliament would not adopt the Bill on the Hague Tribunal on
Thursday, but this does not mean Belgrade will fail to meet international
obligations
ICTY COOPERATION IS BELGRADE'S OBLIGATION SERBIAN VICEPREMIER
BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) Belgrade clearly has an obligation
which it cannot avoid to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), according to the Yugoslav republic of
Serbia's vicepremier on Tuesday.
Zarko Korac, who is also deputy speaker of the Yugoslav Chamber of
Republics (upper house), was speaking for the British Broadcasting
Corporation BBC.
Korac said that contingency plans were being made in case the
Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) bloc's coalition partner in the
federal government Montenegro's Democratic Party of Socialists
(SNP) should oppose the cooperation in parliament on Thursday.
He said that a vote on the ICTY cooperation bill in the federal
government had shown that the ration of forces was 9:7, which means the
government could decide to apply the ICTY Statute or take some other
decision.
He added that there was a chance that Serbia might do the needful,
but opined it would be best if the federal government were to do it.
He stressed that DOS was fully united in favour of full
cooperation with the Haguebased ICTY.
SERBIA CAN GO IT ALONE, SAYS BATIC
BELGRADE, June 19 ( B92) Serbia's justice minister today declared
that the republic might be better off without its federal partner
Montenegro if the Hague co-operation bill fails as expected in parliament
on Thursday.
Vladan Batic told Belgrade daily Politika that holding the country
together was beginning to seem like a thankless task.
"The arguing has been going on for months," he said. "One part of
Montenegro doesn't want to live in a federation, and the other, smaller,
part wants a federation in which Milosevic would reign on."
He added that neither option was in Serbia's interest, and the
republic had its own right to choose.
"We'll wait a few more days, and if the answer's still no, we'll
have to prepare people at home and abroad for the idea that Serbia looks
set to become an independent state," he said
COOPERATION WITH ICTY IS A MUST MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT
PODOGORICA, June 19 (Tanjug) By signing the Dayton Accord,
Yugoslavia undertook to cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal
for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and so has Montenegro, according to the
Montenegrin president on Tuesday.
Quite apart from the bill on cooperation with the ICTY tabled in
parliament by the Yugoslav federal government, there is an obligation to
cooperate, Milo Djukanovic told reporters during this Yugoslav federal
unit's parliament recess.
"Of course, it would be better to cooperate with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank, but cooperation with the Haguebased
ICTY is necessary as well", Djukanovic stressed.
Asked about Montenegro's future status and the international
attitude to this issue, he replied there was a recommendation from the
international community for "a democratic Montenegro in a democratic
Yugoslavia", but this was no more than a recommendation.
"The international community does not question that the
Montenegrin people have the final say about its status", he added.
SOCIALIST PEOPLE'S LEADER SAYS REFERENDUM TO SOLVE CRISIS
BELGRADE, June 20 ( Beta) - Socialist People's Party President
Predrag Bulatovic said on June 19 that in the event of a "government
crisis," his party would insist on the holding of a referendum in
Montenegro, "and in Serbia if necessary."
"If the (tribunal cooperation bill) issue results in a government
crisis, and if DOS truly cares -- and the Together For Yugoslavia coalition
wants to preserve the joint Yugoslav state -- then we can solve the
deadlock over the tribunal cooperation bill in several ways," Predrag
Bulatovic told BETA.
He said that in the referendum on independence, Montenegrins
should say if they are in favor of the joint state proposed by the
pro-Yugoslav factions in Serbia and Montenegro, or an independent country,
as proposed by the Democratic Party of Socialists and the Liberals.
YUGOSLAVIA-BILATERAL RELATIONS
ROMANIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES SERBIAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER
BELGRADE, June 20 (Tanjug) Romanian President Ion Iliescu
received Serbian Minister of Agriculture Dragan Veselinov in Bucharest late
Tuesday, a Serbian government statement said.
Veselinov proposed to Iliescu that a joint commission be appointed
to draw up a bilateral accord on scrapping all Romanian taxes on food and
agricultural products imported from Serbia.
Veselinov also met with his Romanian counterpart Ilie Srbu, the
statement said.
SERBIAN JUSTICE MINISTER MEETS WITH SLOVAK COUNTERPART
BRATISLAVA, June 20 (Tanjug) Serbian Justice Minister Vladan
Batic conferred with Slovak Legislature Minister Jaroslav Carnogurski in
Bratislava on Tuesday on relations between Serbia and Montenegro, the
situation in Kosovo and Metohija, and Yugoslavia's cooperation with The
Hague tribunal.
A great part of the talks focused on Slovakia's experience in
adapting its legislature to European Union standards, said a statement
released by the Yugoslav Embassy in Bratislava.
BATIC IN PRAGUE
PRAGUE, June 20 (Tanjug) Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic
has met with Deputy Czech Foreign Minister Martin Palous in Prague, the
Czech Foreign Ministry Press Service confirmed Wednesday.
Batic arrived in Prague within a tour during which he has already
visited Vienna and Bratislava.
At an unofficial dinner late Tuesday, Batic acquainted Palous
about the real situation on the political scenes in Yugoslavia and Serbia,
and the situation in the Serbian judiciary, a Ministry representative said.
FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
GOOD PROSPECTS FOR GREATER COOPERATION OF YUGOSLAVIA, TURKEY
BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) There are good prospects for promoting
political, economic and cultural ties of FR Yugoslavia with Turkey, it was
jointly assessed in talks Tuesday between Yugoslav parliament lower house
speaker Dragoljub Micunovic and the Ambassador of Turkey to Yugoslavia
Ahmet Acet.
Micunovic, who discussed with the Turkish ambassador bilateral,
particularly parliamentary cooperation of the two countries, pointed out
that relations with Turkey were of exceptional importance for Yugoslavia,
given its strategic orientation towards the promotion of cooperation of
Balkan countries.
In the talks was announced the exchange of parliamentary
delegations of Turkey and FR Yugoslavia and cooperation that in the future
will be conducted through friendship groups formed in both parliaments, the
Yugoslav parliament information service said.
YUGOSLAV PARLIAMENT LOWER HOUSE SPEAKER RECEIVES DANISH MPS
BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) Yugoslav parliament lower house
speaker Dragoljub Micunovic discussed Tuesday with a delegation of the
Danish parliament foreign policy committee, headed by Inge Marie Brun
Viero, the current political situation in Yugoslavia.
Speaking about the situation in Kosovo and Metohija, Micunovic
assessed that it was still very difficult and proposed a constitutional
framework for the Serbian province that guarantees to Serbs and other
nonAlbanians security, the return of displaced persons and respect of human
rights and that in such a situation it was uncertain whether they take part
in the elections, scheduled for November, the Yugoslav parliament
information service said.
Micunovic informed Danish parliamentarians about relations in the
federation and pointed to the need to decentralize the federal state and
reduce its competencies to the most important ones.
On the issue of cooperation of FR Yugoslavia with The Hague
tribunal, he recalled that was an obligation of Yugoslavia as a UN member
and assessed that the momentary disagreement in the ruling coalition
regarding the draft law will not jeopardize the survival of the federal
state.
UNECE URGES GREATER COOPERATION WITH YUGOSLAVIA
BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) The U.N. Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE) is prepared to intensify cooperation with Yugoslavia,
according to the UNECE executive secretary meeting with the Yugoslav
foreign minister in Belgrade on Tuesday.
UNECE is prepared to help along Yugoslav economic reforms and
development through its programmes and the involvement of experts, said
Danuta Hubner, who heads a UNECE delegation to Yugoslavia.
Hubner and Goran Svilanovic exchanged views on ways and means of
promoting Yugoslavia's cooperation with this U.N. regional economic
commission, a government statement said.
YUGOSLAV HEALTH MINISTER MEETS WITH UNECE OFFICIAL
BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) Yugoslav Minister of Health and Social
Policy Miodrag Kovac discussed on Tuesday with Danuta Hubner, executive
secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) cooperation and
possibilities of economic and technical assistance in the working out of
reports about the environment in Yugoslavia.
Highlighted in the talks was the need for the speedy ratification
of several very important conventions in the field of environment
protection within UNECE, as well as inclusion in the process of The
Environment for Europe, the Yugoslav Information Secretariat said.
By the end of the year is expected the joint organization of a
seminar on the promotion of the legislature in the field of environment
protection, and the participation of Yugoslav experts in the work of this
international organization.
YUGOSLAV MINORITY MINISTER MEETS COE OFFICIAL
BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) Yugoslavia's minister of minority
communities and a Council of Europe (CoE) official discussed in Belgrade on
Tuesday a coming international conference on confidence building and the
position of minorities in Southeastern Europe.
The conference is to be held in Belgrade on July 56, under the
aegis of the CoE and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe (OSCE).
Minister Rasim Ljajic and CoE special envoy for minority rights
HansPeter Fuhrer hoped the conference would be attended by all governments
in the region.
They hoped it would reaffirm the importance of the inviolability
of borders and respect for minority rights, as two fundamental principles
of regional stability, a Yugoslav government statement said.
SERBIAN PARLIAMENT APPROVES OPENING BITS OF EXTRA PROFIT BILL
BELGRADE, June 19 (Tanjug) The Serbian parliament approved on
Tuesday the opening provisions of a bill on extra profits, designed to levy
a oneoff tax on wealth accumulated by drawing on special privileges, such
as budget funds.
Parliament decided the law should be backdated to Jan. 1, 1989.
OSCE DELEGATION VISITS SERBIA'S VOJVODINA PARLIAMENT
NOVI SAD, June 19 (Tanjug) A delegation of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) had talks on Tuesday at the
Assembly (parliament) of the Yugoslav federal unit Serbia's northern
Vojvodina province.
The delegation, headed by OSCE Yugoslav Mission Chief Stefano
Sannino, met with Vojvodina Parliament Speaker Nenad Canak. A Vojvodina
government statement quotes them as reviewing the political and economic
situation in Vojvodina and the rest of the country in the light of new
Serbian legislation, and rights acquired by the provincial parliament in
the decentralisation process.
KOSOVO - METOHIJA
OSCE CHIEF URGES KOSOVOMETOHIJA SERBS TO VOTE IN U.N. POLLS
GRACANICA, June 19 (Tanjug) The presidentinoffice of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) urged
KosovoMetohija's Serbs on Tuesday to vote in elections called by this
Serbian (Yugoslav) province's U.N. administrator for Nov. 17.
Speaking with local Serb officials in the province's Serb enclave
of Gracanica, Mircea Geoana of Romania said he understood the Serbs'
difficult position, which was why he was urging them to vote in the polls
as the only legitimate way to influence the administration.
Later on Tuesday, Geoana is scheduled to meet in the province's
chief city of Pristina with ethnic Albanian leaders Ibrahim Rugova, Hashim
Thaci and Ramush Haradinaj.
SERBS DO NOT HAVE INTEREST TO GO TO POLLS SERBIAN LEADER
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA, June 19 (Tanjug) Serbs do not have an
interest to go to the polls in KosovoMetohija, and the issues of return,
security, freedom of movement and missing and kidnapped persons are of
paramount importance for Serbs, Serbian National Council of northern Kosovo
member Oliver Ivanovic said.
After talks with French Ambassador to Yugoslavia Gabriel Keller,
Ivanovic pointed out that he reiterated the initiative of Yugoslav
President Kostunica and of Russian President Putin for the holding of a
Balkan conference and assessed that Europe does not have stand on that.
In any case they are interested in reviewing the issue and finding
the best possible solution, Ivanovic said.
He added that he reiterated to Ambassador Keller, just as in
earlier meetings with him, that Serbs have no interest to go to the polls
in KosovoMetohija, and that they would do so only because of the insistence
of the international community and ethnic Albanians.
Security, return of expelled persons to their homes, freedom of
movement and missing persons will be issues they will also be discussing in
the future, Ivanovic said.
SOLUTION FOR KOSOVO IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT BELGRADE, RUSSIAN TOP ARMY OFFICIAL
MOSCOW, June 19 (Tanjug) It is impossible to normalize the
situation in the Kosovo province without the participation of Yugoslav
state bodies, Russian Army Chief of Staff Gen. Anatoly Kvashnin said
Tuesday.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1244 clearly states that Kosovo
is an inseparable part of Yugoslavia, Kvashnin noted in a statement to
journalists after meeting with his Spanish counterpart Antonio Barbera.
Yugoslavia is a sovereign state, with all the necessary attributes
of state authority, Kvashnin went on to say.
He added that the Yugoslav state bodies, together with
representatives of the U.N. and the Kosovo multinational peacekeeping
force, must take part in the stabilization of the situation in that
province.
KFOR ARRESTS 19 REBEL SUSPECTS
PRISTINA, June 20 (Reuters) KFOR has arrested 19 suspected
Albanian guerrillas from Macedonia over the last two days.
Twelve men believed to be members of the National Liberation Army
were arrested last night near the Macedonian border, a spokesman said. On
Monday night, five men were stopped.
Earlier on Monday, two suspected rebel fighters, both wounded,
were also arrested by soldiers
KOSOVO-CRISIS IN MACEDONIA-INTERNATIONAL REACTIONS
BUSH FOR SEALING MACEDONIANKOSOVO BORDER
WASHINGTON, June 20 (Tanjug) United States President George Bush
has urged the sealing of the border between Macedonia and KosovoMetohija,
the Serbian province which has been under United Nations administration
since June 1999.
With this statement, Bush supported Russian President Vladimir
Putin in his appeal that the borders be sealed to prevent shipments of
weaponry to armed ethnic Albanians who are fighting against the Macedonian
government forces.
Asked whether he agrees with Putin on sealing these borders, Bush
said, addressing reporters at the White House, that he is strongly
convinced the borders should be closed.
Bush said he believes the United States can cooperate with Russia
and added that both sides have the same interest a stable Macedonia.
A Macedonia which is divided and where extremists can thrive will
create instability in the region, Bush said.
REPUBLIC OF MONTENEGRO
DJUKANOVIC: NEW GOVERNMENT PROGRAMME DEFINES MONTENEGRIN INTERESTS
PODGORICA, June 19 (Tanjug) The programme of Montenegro's new
minority government "defines the strategic interests of the Montenegrin
state", according to the president of this Yugoslav federal unit on Tuesday.
The programme was presented in parliament earlier in the day by
PremierDesignate Filip Vujanovic.
"The programme is in line with our political and state interests
and answers the mediumterm challenges facing Montenegro", Milo Djukanovic
told reporters during a parliament recess.
Djukanovic added that his Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS)
"regards as chief priorities a further democratisation of society, economic
reforms and the raising of the living standards of the people".
The DPS form the minority government together with the Social
Democratic Party (SDP).
Djukanovic went on to say that a restoration of the Montenegrin
state is essential if its strategic objectives are to be attained.
He stressed that a referendum on Montenegro's future status would
be organised "when the optimum political and social conditions" had been
created.
VUJANOVIC: LET'S WORK IT OUT
PODGORICA, June 19 ( Srna) Montenegro's new government pledged
today to launch immediate talks with Serbia to redefine relations between
the two republics.
In his first speech as returning prime minister, Democratic Party
of Socialists deputy leader Filip Vujanovic said he would waste no time in
securing talks with the Serbian government on a "new model" of relations.
However, after weeks of party trading sparked by a inconclusive
election, Vujanovic told the newly constituted chamber that domestic
matters are more pressing.
"We will try to define a formula to overcome the polarisation of
the Montenegrin political scene which is leading to polarisation in
important reform projects for the realisation of Montenegro's European
future," he said.
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