YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY
BELGRADE, 10 July 2001 No.3459
C O N T E N T S :
YUGOSLAVIA-CRISIS OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
- NO ARTIFICIAL POSTS, SAYS ZIVKOVIC
- DJINDJIC: NO TALKS WITH MONTENEGRO WITHOUT KOSTUNICA
- TOGETHER FOR YUGOSLAVIA COALITION DRAWS UP DRAFT AGREEMENT WITH DOS
FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
- YUGOSLAVIA IN FAVOUR OF CURBING ILLEGAL TRADE IN LIGHT WEAPONS
- YUGOSLAVIA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK
- YUGOSLAV DEPUTY PREMIER CONFERS WITH SWISS AMBASSADOR
- JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT YUGOSLAVIA
- SERBIAN GOVERNMENT MAKES HOLIDAY PLANS
- SERBIAN GOVERNMENT POSES AS GUARANTOR FOR RELEASE OF BILJANA PLAVSIC
FROM PRISON
REPUBLIC OF MONTENEGRO
- MONTENEGRIN PREMIER ANNOUNCES REFERENDUM IN EIGHT MONTHS
YUGOSLAVIA-CRISIS OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
NO ARTIFICIAL POSTS, SAYS ZIVKOVIC
BELGRADE, July 9 ( B92) ? The federal interior minister said today
that Montenegro's equal footing with Serbia in federal government is less
important than its smooth functioning.
Zivkovic told B92 that while he had no objection to giving
Montenegrin parties an equal number of posts, artificially creating new
ministries would be unacceptable.
His comments came in the wake of a Socialist People's Party
proposal to hive off the role of economic relations minister from that of
deputy prime minister.
The post has been filled up till now by Miroljub Labus. Asked
whether the suggestion could be construed as a blow to Labus' authority,
Zivkovic replied: "I do not know what the essence of their proposal is, but
it seems that it might be detrimental.
"It is clear that Labus and his crew have garnered international
support, and I think it would be a very bad move to split the role now and
give the ministry to someone else."
DJINDJIC: NO TALKS WITH MONTENEGRO WITHOUT KOSTUNICA
BELGRADE, July 10 ( Beta) - Serbian Premier Zoran Djindjic said on
July 9 that he would not accept a Montenegrin government proposal for the
governments of the two republics to discuss relations between Serbia and
Montenegro without the presence of Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica.
He told Belgrade Radio B92, "DOS will be the one to negotiate"
with Montenegro, and stressed that separate talks with the Serbian
government, or with a DOS faction were out of the question.
The Serbian premier welcomed a Montenegrin government decision on
July 9 to schedule a referendum on independence within the next eight
months, saying that "with adequate preparations, voting could even take
place at the end of this year."
TOGETHER FOR YUGOSLAVIA COALITION DRAWS UP DRAFT AGREEMENT WITH DOS
PODGORICA, July 9 (Tanjug) A working group of the Montenegrin
opposition coalition Together for Yugoslavia finalized Monday a draft
agreement for a future coalition with the ruling Serbian Democratic
Opposition of Serbia (DOS), VicePresident of the Montenegrin Socialist
People's Party (SNP) Srdja Bozovic said Monday.
Bozovic told a press conference in Podgorica that the draft
agreement envisages equal representation of Montenegro and Serbia in the
future federal government, which should prevent outvoting.
According to the draft agreement, the future federal government
should comprise 18 members, including the premier and deputy premier, nine
from each republic.
Talks on the draft agreement are to be pursued this
week. The working group comprised representatives of the SNP, the
National Party (NS) and the Serb People's Party (SRS).
FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
YUGOSLAVIA IN FAVOUR OF CURBING ILLEGAL TRADE IN LIGHT WEAPONS
BELGRADE, July 9 (Tanjug) In observation of 9 July the
International Day devoted to the control and reduction of small arms and
light weapons and opening of the United Nations conference on this issue,
the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia underscores the importance that the FR of Yugoslavia attaches to
the international efforts to curb illegal trade in small arms and light
weapons.
Illegal possession, in particular arms smuggling and arming of
terrorist and organized crime groups, poses a global problem today,
requiring coordinated action and cooperation among all States. Widespread
and ready availability of this type of weapons constitutes one of the most
serious threats to life and security of the population, endangering
directly the stability of a number of countries and regions. This is
especially evident in the regions burdened by conflicts and tensions,
including SouthEastern Europe. The state of the art is damning: In more
than 45 various conflicts worldwide since 1990, mainly small arms and light
weapons have been used; it is estimated that more than 300 million such
weapons have been in circulation; the number of victims of these weapons,
used either in armed conflicts or in criminal or terrorist activities,
stands at around 300,000 a year.
In an attempt to make another concrete contribution to the
consolidation of stability and the strengthening of trust in the region of
SouthEastern Europe, a decision was made to undertake continuing activities
in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to destroy surplus quantities of
small arms and light weapons, particularly those seized from smugglers,
terrorists and other illegal users. In doing so, the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia has embarked on concrete implementation of the OSCE document on
small arms and light weapons, adopted on 24 November 2000, on the eve of
the OSCE Ministerial Meeting in Vienna. At the same time, it was the first
OSCE document to which the FR of Yugoslavia acceded after it returned to
this important European organization. By reaffirming its commitment to
apply fully all OSCE provisions, the FR of Yugoslavia has also joined those
countries to be the first to make a specific contribution towards the
implementation of the goals of the Document requiring the reduction and
prevention of excessive stockpiling and uncontrolled proliferation of small
arms that might have a destabilizing effect.
In line with the policy of transparency and an active
international cooperation, including in the military and security field,
observers from the OSCE participating States as well as representatives of
the OSCE Conflict Prevention Center based in Vienna and the OSCE Mission to
the FR of Yugoslavia will be invited to attend weapons destruction activities.
The use of, and illegal trade in, small arms and light weapons
particularly endangers security in the region of SouthEastern Europe,
primarily in Kosovo and Metohija and Macedonia. The victims are, as a rule,
innocent and unprotected civilians or members of the security forces, and
the perpetrators are mostly members of paramilitary or terrorist groups.
The FR of Yugoslavia, therefore, expresses a special interest that this
type of weapons be placed under control and destroyed, as well as that
illegal trade in this weapon type be prevented, as an important element in
strengthening stability in the region.
In view of the above, the planned activities to destroy excess
supplies of weapons should be conducive to further and even more intensive
regional efforts in this field. To that effect, while consistently
implementing its commitments arising from the OSCE document, the FR of
Yugoslavia will cooperate with the neighbouring countries, particularly
within the Stability Pact. The FR of Yugoslavia expects other countries in
the region and beyond it, to make their contribution through concrete
actions to curb illegal trade and establish strict control over small arms
and light weapons.
YUGOSLAVIA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK
BELGRADE, July 9 (Tanjug) Yugoslav Deputy Premier Miroljub Labus
and European Investment Bank VicePresident Evald Novotni Monday signed an
agreement on guarantees for Yugoslavia's earlier debts to this financial
institutions and on the continuation of mutual cooperation.
The agreement provides legal grounds for the work of this bank in
Yugoslavia, Labus specified at a press conference.
Labus expressed confidence that this bank will approve the first
instalment, worth about 150 million euros, of the arrangement announced at
the Brussels donor conference for Yugoslavia on June 29 by October, or
November this year at the latest.
Confirming that the realization of concrete projects in Yugoslavia
would begin in October, or November at the latest, Novotni announced that a
technical commission of the bank would arrive in Yugoslavia on July 16, to
speak with Yugoslav officials about the details of this agreement.
Asked if the fact that the current Yugoslav government was a
caretaker government would affect the contracted financial arrangements and
future cooperation with the European Investment Bank, Novotni said it would
not.
As far as the bank is concerned, its partner is the Yugoslav
government, he was adamant.
YUGOSLAV DEPUTY PREMIER CONFERS WITH SWISS AMBASSADOR
BELGRADE, July 9 (Tanjug) Outgoing Yugoslav Deputy Premier
Miroljub Labus said Monday meeting the Swiss Ambassador to Yugoslavia
Gaudenz Ruf that the Swiss government 225 million euro loan to Yugoslavia
for debt repayment to the European Investment Bank will pave the way for
restoring Belgrade's cooperation with the EIB.
Labus and Ruf also discussed the different aspects of future
bilateral cooperation and welcomed the measures Switzerland is taking to
back economic reform in Yugoslavia.
They pointed to the importance of Switzerland's participation in
the conference of donors for Yugoslavia recently held in Brussels, and of
its help in Yugoslavia's negotiations with the Paris and London Clubs of
creditors.
JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT YUGOSLAVIA
TOKYO, July 10 (Tanjug) Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka
will visit the Czech Republic and Yugoslavia before attending the G8
foreign ministers' meeting on July 18 and 19 in Rome, it was announced in
Tokyo.
Tanaka will meet Czech Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Jan
Kavan in Prague and Yugoslav Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic in Belgrade,
news agencies report.
The Japanese foreign ministry said that Tanaka's visit to Belgrade
is motivated above all by the fact that the situation in Yugoslavia will be
one of the main topics of the Rome meeting, which will precede the G8
summit from July 20 to 22 in Genoa, which will be attended by Japanese
Premier Junichiro Koizumi.
SERBIAN GOVERNMENT MAKES HOLIDAY PLANS
BELGRADE, July 9 ( Srna) ? The Serbian government has today
adopted in principle a bill defining the republic's national holidays.
The bill attempts to impose some order on the current system, in
which the holidays proclaimed by previous regimes linger on, and are
supplemented by those of the Serbian Orthodox Church.
The draft bill abolishes among others the commemoration of the
founding of the latest incarnation of the Yugoslav federation, which had
been marked on March 28.
It also lists Christmas, on January 7, the Easter weekend, and
Candlemas on February 15 as public holidays. Other celebrations such as St
Vitus Day on June 28, also the anniversary of the 1389 Battle of Kosovo;
and St Sava's Day on January 27 will be lower key.
The draft also proposes giving employees the right to choose which
religious holidays they will observe.
The discussion on the issue will be continued tomorrow morning.
SERBIAN GOVERNMENT POSES AS GUARANTOR FOR RELEASE OF BILJANA PLAVSIC FROM
PRISON BELGRADE, July 10 ( Beta) - The Serbian government has
demanded that the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia
(ICTY) allow former Republika Srpska president, Biljana Plavsic, to defend
herself from freedom, guaranteeing that she would stay in Belgrade after
her release, said Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic on July 9.
At a press conference, Batic said that cooperation with the ICTY
would have to be "two-sided" and that representatives of the Serbian
authorities would demand that other Yugoslav citizens, indicted by the
Hague-based tribunal, be tried before Serbian courts.
He also said that in a few days' time 50 witnesses would be
questioned in connection with crimes against Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija.
REPUBLIC OF MONTENEGRO
MONTENEGRIN PREMIER ANNOUNCES REFERENDUM IN EIGHT MONTHS
BELGRADE, July 10 ( Beta)- The Montenegrin premier and the
Democratic Party of Socialists vice president, Filip Vujanovic, announced
on July 9, that the referendum on the state and legal status of Montenegro
should be held in March next year. He added that preparations for the
referendum would begin on July 10.
After talks between the Democratic Party of Socialists and the
Liberal Alliance of Montenegro on preparations for the referendum,
Vujanovic said that Montenegrin citizens could vote on the state and legal
status of Montenegro "in eight months, counting from July 10."
Serbian News Network - SNN
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