YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY
BELGRADE, 27 June 2001 No.3448
C O N T E N T S :
YUGOSLAVIA-THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL
- PRESIDENT KOSTUNICA: BELGRADE TO STEER HAGUE FROM "SELECTIVE JUSTICE"
- ELECTIONS COULD BE BEST WAY OUT, SAYS KOSTUNICA
- YUGOSLAV INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS MILOSEVIC WILL BE EXTRADITED
- DJINDJIC: DIRECT IMPLEMENTATION OF HAGUE TRIBUNAL'S STATUTE POSSIBLE
- NO RUSH FOR MILOSEVIC EXTRADITION
- MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE DECREE ON COOPERATION WITH
THE HAGUE
- BULATOVIC: DECREE ON TRIBUNAL ONESIDED, ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL
YUGOSLAVIA-DONOR CONFERENCE
- RUSSIA AND WORLD BANK PLEDGE CONCRETE SUMS FOR YUGOSLAVIA
YUGOSLAVIA-THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
- YUGOSLAVIA ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY
YUGOSLAVIA-THE LONDON CLUB
- FIRST "PRELIMINARY TALKS" HELD WITH LONDON CLUB
FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
- SVILANOVIC MEETS WITH DUTCH FOREIGN TRADE MINISTER
- YUGOSLAV CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR RECEIVES DUTCH BUSINESS DELEGATION
- YUGOSLAVIA RUSSIA'S NO.1 ECONOMIC PARTNER IN BALKANS
- GOOD PROSPECTS FOR PROMOTING ECONOMIC COOPERATION OF YUGOSLAVIA,ITALY
- SERBIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS DRAFT LAW ON PRIVATIZATION IN PRINCIPLE
KOSOVO-METOHIJA
- TRAJKOVIC RECEIVES UNMIK BELGRADE OFFICE CHIEF
- NATO COUNCIL OFFERS HAEKKERUP "FULL SUPPORT"
- US KFOR SOLDIER INJURED IN LANDMINE BLAST
YUGOSLAVIA-THE HAGUE TRIBUNAL
PRESIDENT KOSTUNICA: BELGRADE TO STEER HAGUE FROM "SELECTIVE JUSTICE"
BELGRADE, June 26 (B92) Yugoslav cooperation with The Hague is
necessary to steer the Tribunal away from "selective justice," Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica insisted today, adding nevertheless that
nobody would be extradited this week.
"Cooperation is necessary, and can prove beneficial," Kostunica
told press, explaining however that under the terms of the decree,
extradition "cannot be carried out in 48 hours."
"It must not only come down to extradition, but to help the
Tribunal no longer be guided by the principle of selective justice," the
president stated.
Belgrade has made clear its belief that The Hague Tribunal set up
to try war crimes committed during the break-up of the former
Yugoslavia has in fact been unfairly harsh in its treatment of Serbia.
Kostunica said would have preferred to see trials held in
Yugoslavia, since "that kind of cooperation between our judiciary and The
Hague would be better."
There are two things standing in the way of this however, he
commented - "The pressure of Washington at the international level and the
majority stance of DOS leaders on the domestic level."
The president revealed that in fact he and his party, the
Democratic Party of Serbia, had opposed DOS's decision to pass a decree on
cooperation.
"Now we are faced with a choice which is painful and difficult and
must not be falsely presented as some moral catharsis in which the Serbs
would save their soul," said Kostunica.
ELECTIONS COULD BE BEST WAY OUT, SAYS KOSTUNICA
BELGRADE, June 26 (Srna) President Kostunica has said that
calling federal elections could be the best way to solve the upheaval
caused by the issue of Hague cooperation.
However, he added that his Democratic Party of Serbia has no
position on when the best date might be for such a vote.
He pointed to the disputes between the Democratic Opposition of
Serbia and its partner in federal government the Montenegrin Socialist
People's Party over the now abandoned Hague cooperation bill as grounds for
new elections.
However, he added that "as time passes, other reasons might well
crop up". But he also remarked upon the quietening of the calls from
Montenegro for independence since their indecisive elections in April.
YUGOSLAV INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS MILOSEVIC WILL BE EXTRADITED
BELGRADE, June 26 (Tanjug) Yugoslav Interior Minister Zoran
Zivkovic said Tuesday former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic would
definitely be extradited to The Hague tribunal, but declined to name a
specific date.
Asked by a reporter of the Belgrade Program of Serbian Radio
Television whether Milosevic would definitely be extradited, Zivkovic
replied with a brief "Yes."
"I do not intend to set hours and days. The Decree (on cooperation
with The Hague tribunal) has been passed and that was the job of the
federal government. The decision now lies with legislative organs, actually
the District Court and Supreme Court of Serbia," Zivkovic specified.
DIRECT IMPLEMENTATION OF HAGUE TRIBUNAL'S STATUTE POSSIBLE SAYS DJINDJIC
BELGRADE, June 27 ( Beta) - "If the Yugoslav Constitutional Court
declares a decree on Yugoslavia's cooperation with the Hague International
Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) unconstitutional, the
statute of this court will be directly implemented, the Serbian Premier
Zoran Djindjic said on June 26.
He told reporters in the Serbian government that the majority of
DOS leaders are in favour of the automatic implementation of the ICTY's
statute, but that the decree was brought to ensure better protection of the
indictees.
Djindjic denied he had met with Montenegrin President Milo
Djukanovic recently, but said that they spoke on the phone several times
and that they did not discuss "any essential matters."
Commenting on announcements that the Democratic Party of Serbia
could run independently in next federal elections, Djindjic said that "it
is no tragedy if DOS parties consider running independently."
"The question is what will be the cause for scheduling (federal)
elections. It would not be good if the reason for holding them was a
crisis. If they are organized because of new opportunities, then we should
all welcome them, regardless of who will run in them. A new opportunity can
be a new Yugoslav Constitution and the participation of all major parties
from Serbia and Montenegro," the Serbian premier said.
He said he did not expect elections for the Serbian legislature
"as a consequence of a crisis," because the government is stable and
decisions are made through agreement of all ministers.
NO RUSH FOR MILOSEVIC EXTRADITION
BELGRADE, June 26 ( B92) Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic
has denied claims by Slobodan Milosevic's lawyers that the authorities are
rushing through the legal moves necessary to see him transferred to The
Hague.
Speaking to B92, Djindjic said that the decree passed on Saturday
had merely extended the normal extradition procedure for foreigners on
Yugoslav soil to cover Yugoslav citizens wanted by the international court.
"The procedure is as follows," he said. "The federal ministry
forwards the international court's extradition request, the district court
calls the defence lawyers and the public prosecutor to hear their
statements, then the district court gives its ruling on whether to comply
with the Hague Tribunal's request.
"After that, there is a three-day deadline for appeals against
this decision, and any appeals go to the Serbian Supreme Court Council of
judges."
Then it's up to the Serbian government simply to ratify whether or
not the correct procedure was followed.
The whole process would be complete within three to 10 days,
Djindjic added.
MONTENEGRIN GOVERNMENT DOES NOT RECOGNIZE DECREE ON COOPERATION WITH THE
HAGUE
BELGRADE, June 27 (Tanjug) Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS)
of Montegero senior official Miodrag Vukovic said that the Montenegrin
government does not approve the decree on cooperation with The Hague
tribunal, adopted dive days ago by the federal government.
"Montenegro does not recognize the legitimacy of the state and
does not observe the decisions of its bodies. It is a farcical state where
many things are staged. A state cannot be based on necessity. Ask SNP
(Socialist people's Party) if they observe the decree and if they will
extradite their mentors," Vukovic said for the Wednesday issue of Glas.
The decree is not binding for Montenegro. We pursue our own
foreign policy and build our own relations with The Hague tribunal,"
Vukovic said, underlining that in Montenegro there is "full cooperation
with the international community."
Asked whether Montenegro would extradite its own citizens, if they
happened to be on the list of the tribunal, Vukovic said: "Why not."
BULATOVIC: DECREE ON TRIBUNAL ONESIDED, ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL
PODGORICA, June 26 (Tanjug) Montenegro's Socialist People's Party
(SNP) President and Montenegrin parliament MP Predrag Bulatovic said
Tuesday that the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) made a onesided,
illegal and unconstitutional move in passing the Decree on Yugoslavia's
cooperation with The Hague tribunal.
"What was done with the Decree is a derogation of the legal
system," Bulatovic said in the Montenegrin parliament.
The decision could have been made even without a single minister
from Montenegro, according to the Regulation on Procedures of the work of
federal parliament, he said, because it does not require more than half the
number of ministers to be present.
"We are neither Slovenes, nor Croats, but we form a link
representing Montenegro and making up the common state," he said.
Speaking about the absence of Montenegrin ministers from the
federal government session on Saturday, when the Decree was passed,
Bulatovic said: "Our failure to come to Belgrade would be the first step
toward the withdrawal of our deputies from the federal parliament, and that
would be the end of the federation."
YUGOSLAVIA-DONOR CONFERENCE
RUSSIA AND WORLD BANK PLEDGE CONCRETE SUMS FOR YUGOSLAVIA
BERLIN, June 27 (Tanjug) Balkan Stability Pact coordinator
Panagiotis Vlassopoulos of Greece said Tuesday that Russia and the World
Bank have already pledged concrete sums in aid to Yugoslavia at the donors
conference.
We would like to activate as many donors as possible at the
conference, since Yugoslavia needs at least one billion dollars,
Vlassopoulos said in an interview for Deutsche Welle Radio.
He added that most of the sum will come from the European Union
and the World Bank, and voiced hope that the rest of the countries will
also make donations to help Yugoslavia resolve problems. The majority of
the European countries have pledged concrete sums in aid to Yugoslavia, he
added.
Vlassopoulos said that the donors conference for Yugoslavia
scheduled for June 29 in Brussels will review a part of the program
presented by the EU, the World Bank and the Yugoslav government.
YUGOSLAVIA-THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE-SESSION
YUGOSLAVIA ABOLISHES DEATH PENALTY
STRASBOURG, June 26 ( Fonet) Federal Parliament Chamber of
Citizens Speaker Dragoljub Micunovic informed the Council of Europe
yesterday that Yugoslavia has verified a convention abolishing the death
penalty.
"With this, Yugoslavia has fulfilled yet another condition for
full membership with the Council of Europe," Micunovic told the assembly on
the second of its five day session.
"If a political community wishes to make progress, then it must
stop all violence and firmly establish the principle that nothing is more
valuable to one human being than another," Micunovic insisted.
YUGOSLAVIA-THE LONDON CLUB
FIRST "PRELIMINARY TALKS" HELD WITH LONDON CLUB
LONDON, June 27 (Tanjug) The Yugoslav delegation held in London
Tuesday the first "preliminary talks" with creditors of the London Club
rallying commercial banks.
In the talks took part members of the committee of leading London
Club banks, headed by Robert Gyenge, and the Yugoslav delegation is headed
by National Bank of Yugoslavia governor Mladjan Dinkic.
Reviewed, it has been learned in banking circles, were the basic
positions of Yugoslavia and of representatives of creditor banks on plans
for rescheduling debts to the London Club.
The basic debts of Yugoslavia to the London Club are over three
billion dollars.
FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
SVILANOVIC MEETS WITH DUTCH FOREIGN TRADE MINISTER
BELGRADE, June 26 (Tanjug) Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran
Svilanovic and Dutch Foreign Trade Minister Gerrit Ibema voiced
satisfaction in Belgrade Monday over relations between the two countries,
which are ascending, but indicated that the just signed Memorandum on
Understanding of the two countries will give a special contribution to
their further development, the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry said.
Minister Svilanovic informed Minister Ibema about government
positions on the donors conference, which is due to be held in Brussels on
friday, and about the further cooperation of Yugoslavia with The Hague
tribunal.
He also pointed to the importance of the creation of a free trade
zone in the region of the Balkans.
The Dutch minister underlined that the Dutch government supported
the development of Southeastern Europe and was ready to extend all
necessary assistance with a view to creating lasting peace and stability in
the region, as preconditions for quicker economic recovery, the statement
said.
YUGOSLAV CENTRAL BANK GOVERNOR RECEIVES DUTCH BUSINESS DELEGATION
BELGRADE, June 26 (Tanjug) Yugoslav National (central) Bank (NBJ)
Governor Mladjan Dinkic received on Tuesday a Dutch business delegation
headed by Minister of Foreign Trade Gerit Ibema, according to a NBJ
statement.
Dinkic told the Dutch minister that NBJ was participating in
numerous economic reforms in Yugoslavia, thus creating the best conditions
for the entry of foreign companies and potential partners on the Yugoslav
market.
The minister said that the Dutch businessmen were very interested
in cooperation with Yugoslavia, voicing hope that the two countries would,
after the delegation's visit, launch a range of projects,
especially in agriculture.
NBJ has already established contact with Dutchbased Rabobank,
which mostly focuses on agriculture, the statement said.
YUGOSLAVIA RUSSIA'S NO.1 ECONOMIC PARTNER IN BALKANS
BELGRADE, June 26 (Tanjug) The Yugoslav economy has neglected the
Russian market over the past 10 years in spite of being Russia's Number One
strategic partner in the Balkans, Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce President
Slobodan Korac said on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference, Korac said these were his
impressions after a just ended visit of a Yugoslav economic delegation to
Moscow. The delegation included Serbian Minister of Urbanism and
Construction Dragoslav Sumarac.
Korac said all talks stressed the importance of the recent visit
by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Yugoslavia, which should soon bring
tangible results in increasing the overall scale of economic cooperation
between the two countries.
The Russian Duma is soon to ratify an agreement on free trade
between the two countries.
Furthermore, the Russian side is ready to cover 65 percent of the
gas arrangement this year with imports of Yugoslav goods and construction
services in Russia. This value would be reduced to 45 percent next year,
and payment for gas would be entirely in cash in the year 2004.
Russia is also interested in participating in the privatization of
Yugoslav companies for the value of the delivered gas.
Korac announced the founding of a mixed consortium for an
organized approach on the Russian market which would rally interested
Russian and Yugoslav banks and companies.
The value of overall commodity trade between Yugoslavia and Russia
amounted to 404.9 million dollars last year, with Yugoslav exports
accounting for 85.8 million dollars.
GOOD PROSPECTS FOR PROMOTING ECONOMIC COOPERATION OF YUGOSLAVIA,ITALY
BELGRADE, June 26 (Tanjug) The Italian government has set aside
significant funds for investment in the Yugoslav economy whose realization
will start only when we stop being a country of high business risk, said
Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce President Slobodan Korac.
He said that the delegation of the Yugoslav Chamber of Commerce
recently visited Italy and that Italian partners expressed a readiness for
cooperation, which was confirmed by the signing of an agreement on the
founding of a joint chamber.
Korac said he expected that problems in Yugoslavia will be
resolved by the end of summer, after the donors conference and the holding
of talks with the London and Paris Clubs.
Italy is a major partner for us as the economies of the two
countries are complementary. The total volume of trade in the first quarter
this year was 226 million dollars, of what Yugoslav exports accounted for
97.1 million dollars.
SERBIAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS DRAFT LAW ON PRIVATIZATION IN PRINCIPLE
BELGRADE, June 26 (Tanjug) Serbian parliament deputies adopted in
principle the draft laws on privatization, a privatization agency and a
stocks and bonds fund after three days of debate late Tuesday.
The drafts envisage compulsory privatization of social and state
capital within a period of four years. Under the drafts, 70 percent of the
capital will be sold and 30 percent distributed among employees and
citizens as free shares.
Parliament Deputy Speaker Natasa Micic informed MPs that about 300
amendments have been proposed for these draft laws.
KOSOVO-METOHIJA
TRAJKOVIC RECEIVES UNMIK BELGRADE OFFICE CHIEF
BELGRADE, June 26 (Tanjug) United Nations Kosovo and Metohija
civilian mission UNMIK Belgrade office chief Blanca Antonini conferred
Tuesday with Yugoslav Federal Committee for Kosovo and Metohija President
Momcilo Trajkovic on possibilities for the closest possible cooperation
between UNMIK and the federal state, the Committee's Press Service said.
Trajkovic said it was necessary to conclude an agreement on the
status of the U.N. mission in Yugoslavia in order to avoid future
misunderstandings through different interpretations of U.N. Security
Council Resolution 1244.
During the meeting, the sides again considered the implementation
of the Serbian government Decree on traffic of goods from Serbia proper
into Kosovo and Metohija province, on which no agreement has been reached
yet, the statement said.
NATO COUNCIL OFFERS HAEKKERUP "FULL SUPPORT"
BRUSSELS, June 26 (Sense) NATO's council today offered UNMIK
head Hans Haekkerup its "full support" for his attempts to ensure the
participation of Kosovo Serbs in the forthcoming elections in the province.
In their meeting today, ambassadors also backed up Haekkerup's
efforts to stabilise the situation in the northern part of Kosovska
Mitrovica.
They also welcomed the launch of dialogue with the Belgrade
authorities, calling it conducive to the improvement of the overall
situation in the province.
US KFOR SOLDIER INJURED IN LANDMINE BLAST
PRISTINA, June 26 (B92) A US KFOR soldier had to have his foot
amputated after he stepped on a landmine yesterday.
Richard Casini, a 22-year-old sergeant, was conducting a patrol in
southeastern Kosovo as part of KFOR's operation to stop the flow of arms
into Macedonia.
"This incident reminds us of the hazards our soldiers face here in
Kosovo as they perform their mission," said Col. Vincent Brooks of the
Multinational Brigade East.
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