YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY
BELGRADE,6 July 2001 No.3456
FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
- SVILANOVIC:YUGOSLAVIA WILL RESPECT MINORITY RIGHTS
- OFFICIAL SAYS YUGOSLAVIA DESPERATELY NEEDS FOREIGN AID
- YUGOSLAVIA ABOLISHES VISAS FOR TOURISTS
- NORWAY, GREECE GRANT EUR3 MILLION TO YUGOSLAVIA
- US$76.2 MILLION FOR SERBIAN POWER GRID
- DJUKANOVIC MEETS MONTGOMERY
- PEOPLE'S SOCIALISTS TO DECIDE ABOUT YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ON JULY 6.
- ZIZIC ASKED TO DECIDE ON PM POST
- SRDJA BOZOVIC MOST LIKELY CANDIDATE FOR NEW YUGOSLAV PM.
- DJINDJIC SAYS EARLY ELECTIONS DEADLY FOR SERBIA.
- KOSTUNICA:COUNTRY SHAKEN BY MILOSEVIC EXTRADITION.
- DJINDJIC: KOSTUNICA KNEW NOTHING ABOUT EXTRADITION
- YUGOSLAV ARMY DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN MILOSEVIC'S EXTRADITION
KOSOVO METOHIJA-SOUTHERN SERBIA
- TRAINING OF MULTI-ETHNIC POLICE IN SOUTHERN SERBIA TO BEGIN ON AUG. 6.
- SERB LEADER SAYS KOSOVO SERBS WILL COOPERATE WITH COVIC IF HE ACTS IN
THEIR INTEREST
- COUNCIL OF EUROPE TO SEND MONITORING MISSION TO KOSOVO
- OSCE TO OPEN HOUSE OF DEMOCRACY IN KOSOVO
FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
SVILANOVIC:YUGOSLAVIA WILL RESPECT MINORITY RIGHTS
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta)-Outgoing Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran
Svilanovic said on July 5, that Yugoslavia would respect rights of the
minorities in accordance with European standards. He added that Yugoslavia
was prepared to become a member of the Council of Europe as soon as possible.
At a conference devoted to national and ethnic communities and
minorities in South-Eastern Europe, Svilanovic said that the Yugoslav
government was decisively suppressing ethnic discrimination and xenophobia.
Yugoslav Minister for National Minorities Rasim Ljajic said that
the stability of the entire region depends on respecting the principle of
inviolability of borders and minority rights.
The chairman of the Council of Europe Ministerial Committee,
Joszef Wolf, praised the Yugoslav authorities for the progress made in
regulating minority issues, adding that Yugoslavia had proved it wanted to
respect the values of today's Europe.
OFFICIAL SAYS YUGOSLAVIA DESPERATELY NEEDS FOREIGN AID
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta)-Milan Pajevic, the South-East Europe
Stability Pact's national coordinator, said on July 5 that Yugoslavia could
not revive its economy without "massive"
injections of foreign aid.
However, Pajevic said no one wanted to invest in a volatile region.
Pajevic said that the Stability Pact's second regional conference
would be held in Bucharest on Oct. 25 and Oct. 26, and that joint projects
of regional importance would have better chances for getting funds.
He said that a third donors' conference could be held at the
beginning of 2002 to provide funds for Danube river projects dealing with
transportation development.
YUGOSLAVIA ABOLISHES VISAS FOR TOURISTS
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta)- Tourists from the EU, Switzerland, Norway,
Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New
Zealand will be allowed to enter Yugoslavia with special passes, the
Yugoslav government said on July 5.
The 30-day special passes will be issued at international border
crossings in Yugoslavia.
NORWAY, GREECE GRANT EUR3 MILLION TO YUGOSLAVIA
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta)- Norway and Greece have earmarked around
EUR3 million in urgent economic aid for Yugoslavia.
Yugoslavia received a DM2.1 million grant to purchase parts for
irrigation systems.
Yugoslav Agriculture Minister Sasa Vitosevic said the government
would organize an open competition to distribute the funds.
Greece will be sending EUR3 million in economic aid to Belgrade.
That country also earmarked an additional EUR50 million for September,
George Papandreou, the Greek foreign minister, reportedly told Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica.
Greece offered a little over EUR53 million in aid for Yugoslavia
at a donors' conference in Brussels last week.
US$76.2 MILLION FOR SERBIAN POWER GRID
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta)-Serbian Energy Minister Goran Novakovic
said on July 5 that he received US$76.2 million for new projects at the
donors' conference for Yugoslavia in Brussels, amounting to a total US$270
million, including earlier aid.
The largest part of the funds is intended for power imports this
winter -- US$20 million, Novakovic said.
Other new projects presented in Brussels included US$19.5 million
for parts for power plants and overhauls, followed by US$16.1 million for
coal mine equipment, US$7.8 million for oil facilities, and US$5.8 million
in technical aid.
DJUKANOVIC MEETS MONTGOMERY
PODGORICA,July 6 (Srna) � Montenegrin president Milo Djukanovic
held talks with the US ambassador to Yugoslavia yesterday on political
developments in the republic.
In a statement issued after the meeting, Djukanovic said he had
promised that dialogue with Serbia would continue.
Montgomery promised Djukanovic that Montenegro could count on
continued US support for its economic and democratic reforms.
PEOPLE'S SOCIALISTS TO DECIDE ABOUT YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ON JULY 6.
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta) - The executive committee of the
Montenegrin Socialist People's Party will meet on July 6 to decide whether
to participate in forming the new Yugoslav government, party leader Predrag
Bulatovic has said.
Bulatovic expressed the belief that his party's executive
committee will decide in favor of joining the new Yugoslav coalition
government,but, he added, the committee would also discuss the possibility
of demanding early federal elections.
Bulatovic said that if the Socialist People's Party decided to
join the new Yugoslav government, the Together For Yugoslavia coalition, of
which his party is a member, will form a working group to prepare a
coalition agreement with the Serbian ruling DOS preparing a platform for
redefining relations between Montenegro and Serbia, and continuing
cooperation with the international community,said the People's Socialists'
leader.
Bulatovic added that the party would not sign any coalition
agreements with DOS in which decisions would be made without their permission.
Bulatovic concluded that he would not accept the seat of Yugoslav
prime minister.
ZIZIC ASKED TO DECIDE ON PM POST
PODGORICA,July 6 (B92) � Leaders of the pro-federation Together
for Yugoslavia coalition have called on outgoing federal prime minister
Zoran Zizic to decide whether or not he wants to retain his post after all.
According to Podgorica daily Dan, the coalition heads decided at
their meeting last night to back Zizic if he chose to put himself forward
for the post. It was Zizic's resignation that led to the collapse of the
government.
Dan's sources said that if Zizic did agree to stand again, there
would have to be significant personnel changes in federal government. The
coalition would insist that Montenegrins be given the same number of
ministerial posts as the Democratic Opposition of Serbia, so they could not
be outvoted in federal government/.
SRDJA BOZOVIC MOST LIKELY CANDIDATE FOR NEW YUGOSLAV PM.
BELGRADE July 5 (Beta) The most serious candidates for a new
Yugoslav prime minister are Socialist People's Party vice president Srdja
Bozovic and the former Yugoslav finance minister and member of the
Socialist People's Party, Dragisa Pesic, BETA learned on July 5 from a top
official in the Yugoslav government from the Democratic Opposition of Serbia.
"At this moment it seems that the new prime minister will be Srdja
Bozovic," BETA's source said. He added "the only disputed issue is the post
of finance minister, wanted both by the DOS and the People's Socialists."
The source said the People's Socialists were "insisting on
devising a mechanism to prevent them from being outvoted in the
government." The ministers from the DOS outvoted their partners from the
Socialist People's Party and adopted a decree on cooperation with the
international war crimes court.
Yugoslav Information Secretary Slobodan Orlic, however, said
Socialist People's Party vice-president Zoran Zizic would probably be
re-elected to the post.
DJINDJIC SAYS EARLY ELECTIONS DEADLY FOR SERBIA.
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta) Serbian Premier Zoran DJndjic has said that
early elections in Serbia would mean the country's death sentence.
Responding to demands from Kostunica's party for a reshuffle of
the Serbian cabinet, Djindjic said he would not allow a single minister in
his government to be dismissed in "ritual sacrifice."
Djindjic said "the DOS, including Yugoslav President Vojislav
Kostunica, must be clear on whether it wants to cooperate" with the
international war crimes tribunal.
"If there is discord on this issue, than that is truly a problem,"
Djindjic said, adding that a part of the war crimes suspects indicted by
the tribunal could be tried at home and a part at the tribunal.
Djindjic said the DOS would have to agree on the method of
extradition of suspects and that, otherwise, extradition would "have to
vary from case to case."
Djindjic said the international community had not insisted on
Milosevic's handover.
"U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell wanted guarantees that we
would cooperate by the end July. I called Kostunica and said that if I said
'yes,' that would mean we have to extradite someone. If I said 'no,' the
Americans would not participate in the donors' conference and that
spells the end of the federal and republic governments. Kostunica said say
'yes.' I reminded him that such words would have repercussions. He said, 'I
know,'" Djindjic said.
Djindjic said Kostunica "is a necessary bridge between the
traditional and a reform-oriented Serbia." "Without Kostunica, we would be
a nation divided irreconcilably, as in Montenegro. No one needs that,"
Djindjic said.
KOSTUNICA:COUNTRY SHAKEN BY MILOSEVIC EXTRADITION.
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta) Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has
said that the events connected to the extradition of the former Yugoslav
president, Slobodan Milosevic, to the nternational criminal tribunal had
shaken the country, but that the country survived.
"Despite the selfishness of its rulers, various foreign and
domestic influences aimed at breaking it up, the country simply has a
resilience," Kostunica said in an interview with the latest issue of the
Vreme weekly.
Kostunica strongly criticized the international war crimes
tribunal, saying it was more American than international.
Kostunica said Milosevic could have been tried in the country
without a bill on cooperation with the international war crimes tribunal.
Thus, he said, we could have avoided a precedent of "being the
only country to extradite its own president to a foreign court."
The president said there were no dispute in the Democratic
Opposition of Serbia on the need for cooperation with the Hague court, but
that one could not make a comeback to the global community by breaking
Yugoslav laws.
DJINDJIC: KOSTUNICA KNEW NOTHING ABOUT EXTRADITION
VIENNA July 6 (B92) � Serbian prime minister Zoran Djindjic has
admitted that Yugoslav president Vojislav Kostunica was not told beforehand
of plans to extradite Milosevic to The Hague.
Asked by Vienna weekly News about who had known of the extradition
operation, Djindjic replied: "Neither Mrs Del Ponte, nor the Americans".
"Kostunica might have presumed, but he did not know anything about
the extradition. That was a bolt from the blue, which was carried out in
just a few hours."
Kostunica has repeatedly denied that he knew about the
extradition. In an official statement issued afterwards, he said that his
first official confirmation came at 9.30pm, by which time Milosevic was
already out of Yugoslavia.
However, the Djindjic camp have pointed out that a member of
Kostunica�s party was at the talks at which the extradition was agreed.
Media reports have also suggested that Kostunica agreed reluctantly to the
extradition in a phone conversation with Djindjic beforehand.
YUGOSLAV ARMY DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN MILOSEVIC'S EXTRADITION
BELGRADE July 6 (Beta)-The head of the Yugoslav army department
for moral, Gen.
Milen Simic, has said that the army had no part in the extradition of
former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic to The Hague-based
International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
In an interview to the July 5 issue of the Podgorica-based daily
Glas Crnogorca, Gen. Simic said that the Yugoslav army had immediately
denied a statement by ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte which said that
"Milosevic was handed over by a Yugoslav Army helicopter."
Simic said that the Serbian Interior Ministry controlled all roads
in Serbia and all border crossings. He added that the army had no knowledge
of how Milosevic had been transferred to The Hague.
Simic also said he had no information that "after Milosevic the
extradition of the best army officials will follow."
"We believe that we have put on trial all those who have violated
the rules of military conduct, and so far there were 183 such people. Any
attempt of accusing the army or its members outside the framework of our
national legal system would mean degradation of the Yugoslav army.
Neither we, nor the people would like this," said Simic.
KOSOVO METOHIJA-SOUTHERN SERBIA
TRAINING OF MULTI-ETHNIC POLICE IN SOUTHERN SERBIA TO BEGIN ON AUG. 6.
BUJANOVAC July 6 (Beta)The training of multi-ethnic police in the
Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja municipalities will begin on Aug. 6, a
statement issued after a meeting between Belgrade government
representatives, local Albanians and the OSCE in Bujanovac on July 5, said.
After the meeting, Riza Halimi, the political leader of Albanians
from southern Serbia said that two more meetings would be held next week to
finalize an agreement for training multi-ethnic police.
SERB LEADER SAYS KOSOVO SERBS WILL COOPERATE WITH COVIC IF HE ACTS IN
THEIR INTEREST
KOSOVSKA MITROVICA July 6 (Beta)-A Serb leader in north Kosovo,
Marko Jaksic, said on July 5 that the Kosovo Serbs "will cooperate well and
be positive political partners with Nebojsa Covic, the head of the
coordinating team for Kosovo, if he endorses cantonization or the creation
of two entities."
However, Jaksic said his impression was that NATO Secretary
General George Robertson had taken charge of appointing people in Serbia.
Robertson recommended Covic for the post.
COUNCIL OF EUROPE TO SEND MONITORING MISSION TO KOSOVO
STRASBOURG July 6 (Beta)-The Council of Europe announced on July 5
that it will send a monitoring mission to Kosovo to observe general
elections in the province, scheduled to be held on Nov. 17.
The council said that the mission would monitor the preparing of
voter's lists, while during the voting process it would work in cooperation
with the joint monitoring mission of the parliaments of the Council of
Europe and the OSCE, and the European Parliament.
OSCE TO OPEN HOUSE OF DEMOCRACY IN KOSOVO
PRISTINA July 6 (Beta)-The head of the OSCE mission in Kosovo,
Daan Everts, will open a House of Democracy in Pec on July 6. This facility
should be used for holding meetings of
political parties and non-government organizations, and it will also have a
room for reporters.
The OSCE announced that the House of Democracy would bring
together in one place three vital components of Kosovo's society -
political parties, non-government organizations, and the news media."
Serbian News Network - SNN
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