Jugoinfo
Subject: [ML-YU] SRJ (translation)
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 18:11:39 +0100 (CET)
From: Nemanja
Reply-To: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
To: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
TRANSLATION:
Agreement about redefining relations between Serbia and
Montenegro, signed by Solana, Kostunica, Labus, Djindjic, Djukanovic and
Vujanovic, represents the end of FR Yugoslavia. It's very clear that
Yugoslav federation is being abolished by order of Western imperialists
due easier accomplishment of imperialist interests in this area.
The establishing of proimperialist puppet government with
Kostunica by counterrevolutionary coup d'etat on October 5th, was not
enough for Western bourgeoisie, but they also felt an urge to break FRY
as an core around which, the working class could reunite and create and
antiimperialist and antiglobalist country. Also, the signing of this
agreement exposed the true proimperialist nature of Kostunica's,
Djindjic's and Djukanovic's regime and their willingness to obey all
orders from western governments.
Marxists-leninists of Yugoslavia will never accept this shameful
decision of Western imperialists and domestic bourgeoisie, and will
continue it's struggle for yugoslav idea. First step in renewal of
socialist Yugoslavia should be struggle for overthrowing of
proimperialist regime of Kostunica, Djindjic and Djukanovic, as well as
the proimperialist bourgeois regimes of Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia.
An firm struggle is also needed for expelling the NATO from Bosnia and
Herzegovina and from Kosovo, and for removal of quisling regimes
established by orders and with help of the West.
Imperialism maybe won a battle, but it's the reunited working
class of Yugoslavia who will win the war along with all the opressed and
exploited in the world.
DOWN WITH THE IMPERIALISM!
DOWN WITH THE GLOBALISM!
DOWN WITH THE REGIME OF KOSTUNICA, DJINDJIC AND DJUKANOVIC!
LONG LIVE YUGOSLAVIA!
G.V.
------------- Begin Forwarded Message -------------
To: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
From: goran vlajkovic
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 06:00:45 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [ML-YU] SRJ
Sporazum o redefinisanju odnosa Srbije i Crne Gore
koji su potpisali
Solana,Kostunica,Labus,Djindjic,Djukanovic i
Vujanovic,predstavlja kraj SR Jugoslavije.Sasvim je
jasno da se jugoslovenska federacija ukida po nalogu
zapadnih imperijalista,radi laksih ostvarivanja
prljavih imperijalistickih interesa na ovim
prostorima.
Zapadnoj burzoaziji nije bilo dovoljno to sto je
kontrarevolucionarnim pucem na vlast u Beograd
5.oktobra,postavila marionetski proimperijalisticki
rezim na celu sa Kostunicom,vec je osetila potrebu da
razbije i SRJ,kao jezgro oko koga bi se u buducnosti
mogla okupiti jugoslovenska radnicka klasa,i stvoriti
drzava koja bi imala antiimperijalisticku i
antiglobalisticku vladu.Takodje potpisivanje ovog
sramnog sporazuma pokazuje i pravu proimperijalisticku
prirodu rezima Kostunice,Djindjica i Djukanovica,i
njihovu teznju da slusaju sve naloge imperijalistickih
zapadnih vlada.
Marksisti-lenjinisti Jugoslavije nece nikada
prihvatiti ovakvu sramnu odluku zapadnih imperijalista
i domace proimperijalisticke burzoazije,i nastavice
svoju borbu za jugoslovensku ideju.Prvi korak u obnovi
socijalisticke Jugoslavije treba da predstavlja bitka
za zbacivanje proimperijalistickih burzujskih rezima
Kostunice,Djindjica i Djukanovica,kao i
proimperijalistickih burzujskih rezima u
Sloveniji,Hrvatskoj i Makedoniji.Takodje je potrebno
povesti i odlucnu borbu za proterivanje NATO
okupatorskih trupa iz Bosne i Hercegovine i Kosova i
zbacivane sa vlasti kvislinskih rezima uspostavljenih
uz pomoc i po nalogu zapadnih imperijalista.
Imperijalizam je mozda dobio jednu bitku,ali ce rat
sigurno dobiti jugoslovenska radnicka klasa u
zajednickoj borbi sa svim potlacenim i eksploatisanim
u svetu.
DOLE IMPERIJALIZAM!
DOLE GLOBALIZAM!
DOLE REZIM KOSTUNICA,DJINDJIC,DJUKANOVIC!
ZIVELA JUGOSLAVIJA!
G.V.
===*===
------------- Begin Forwarded Message -------------
From: petokraka78@...
Subject: Solana Destroys Yugoslavia
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK
---------------------------
[Today is a really sad day. Under the leadership of Javier Solana, the
same man who as NATO Secretary General led the illegal aggression on
Yugoslavia in 1999, the European Union has just brokered a deal to wipe
Yugoslavia off the world map in a top down processes that most Yugoslavs
reject. The deal was brokered between Solana, Milo Djukanovic (the
President of Montenegro), Zoran Djindjic (the Prime Minister of Serbia),
and Vojislav Kostunica (the President of Yugoslavia). Djukanovic is the
leader of the Democratic Socialist Party (DPS) in Montenegro, a
far-right neoliberal creation that is a regional hub for mafia activity,
cigarette smuggling and money laundering.
Elections in Montenegro have been deeply flawed and the DPS as well as
its junior partner the Liberal Union have used voter intimidation,
particularly of state employees to stay in power. The majority of
Montenegrins oppose indipendence, yet through manipulation and Western
support the DPS has managed to maintain a narrow margin over its closest
rivals the Socialist Peoples Party (SNP) [although the SNPs party base
is still firmly pro-Yugoslav and opposed to NATO, the leadership has in
recent months moved away from its grass-roots constituency as it has
moved with pro-Western forces in Yugoslavia on several key legislative
items]. Djindjic on the other hand is the un-elected Prime Minister of
Serbia who was appointed by a DOS dominated Parliament as a key
condition of Western aid to FRY. He has never held more than 5% of
popular support in the country, and his neoliberal views and particular
brand of collaborationist Serbian nationalism is sharply at odds with
the majority of the Yugoslav population. Nonetheless he has
unconstitutionally arrogated to himself all the powers of the elected
position of the Serbian Presidency, which is still held by the still
popular Socialist Party of Serbia. In any case support for the
preservation of Yugoslavia is overwhelming, and the current process is
being imposed from above opening the way for the final destruction of
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's territorial integrity, and thereby
completing the US and German goal of destroying Yugoslavia once and for
all through a maximalist anti-Yugoslav program that would serve to
sharpen divisions between all southern Slavs in order to weaken the most
likely focus of resistance to NATO occupation of this imensily strategic
region. This move was also given the green light by the Federal
President Kostunica, whose popularity is dropping daily in the polls as
a result of mismanagement and impotence in the face of
daily NATO pressures to alter the whole framework of Yugoslav society
and impose a narrow-ethnic chauvinist and archly-capitalist social
framework on the countries peoples. Most parties have been compromised
on the issue of coloboration with the occupying powers and Yugoslavs
will not be given a choice to choose in a referendum between this new
Western created arrangement and the indigenously created FRY in a
plebistice. A new "Union of Serbia and Montenegro" (USM) is to be
proclaimed in accordance with US policy towards the region, which was
the only country not to recognize FRY as a sovereign state since it was
reconstituted in 1992, refering to it instead as "Serbia and Montenegro"
(a formulation in which the provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo
were considered as semi-independent states as well). The official
American narrative on Yugoslavia's dissolution, regarding seccession
issues, is now being imposed in order to further divide and weaken any
potential resistance to NATO and to destroy the ability of anyone state
or people in the region to effectively resist the new colonial regime.
Thankfully this is still not a fait-accompli, but the new Western funded
elites have proven adept at passing unpopular laws in the past, such as
the new labour law which recently dismantled the "social ownership"
which was the foundation of property relations in Yugoslavia in favor of
a completely privatized system and retrenched substantial labour rights
severely despite mass-protests throughout Yugoslavia (ignored in the
Western press, these demos attracted 50,000+ people in Belgrade at their
peak earlier this year). This process is occuring in the context of an
election campaign in NATO-member Hungary were the ruling neoliberal
Fidesz party is continuing with "Greater Hungarian"
policies that seek to legally integrate Hungarian minorities living in
neighboring countries into Hungary's governing structures, reverse the
Benes Decress, some portions of the post-WWI Versaille order and the use
the Hungarian state with the full-backing of the EU, the United States
and NATO to implement neoliberalism abroad. Furthermore, the popular
LDK in Kosovo, whose non-violent leader Ibrahim Rugova is the most
popular figure in Kosovo, has, despite wining recent elections, been
forced by the US to accept a "power-sharring" agreement with KLA
extremists, including the appointment of Bajram Rexhepi to the position
of Kosovo PM. Rexhepi represents the most extreme current of Albanian
nationalism and is completely at odds with the majority of the Albanian
population whose moderate views are in accord with Rugova's LDK (which,
again, received the most votes in the recent elections).
Thus the United States is backing all the forces throughout the still
existing Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that favor fractious, narrow
ethno-nationalist politics, coupled with a strong comitment to
neoliberal capitalist values. As these injustices mount real Balkan
patriots will have to see that their interests lie in unity with other
ethnic groups and not division. All groups in the region have a proud
history of anti-fascist and anti-imperialist resistence, let's do
everything in our efforts to ensure that these traditions gain new wind
in the coming years. The task will be difficult, but resistance to
"the internationals" is already rife throughout
the region. I am confident it will over time, of necessity, eventually
coalesce into a progressive force that will overcome current
limitations.
Let's hope this day comes sooner or later, not just for the Balkans, but
for the world. Remember the Balkans has been the graveyard of many
Empires, burrying one more wouldn't be too much to ask now would it?]
Serbia, Montenegro Sign Accord
By ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC
.c The Associated Press
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) - Serbia and Montenegro signed a historic
accord Thursday to radically restructure their federation, dropping the
name Yugoslavia and granting greater autonomy to prevent the country's
final breakup.
The agreement, reached under mediation by the European Union, was signed
by Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, Montenegrin President Milo
Djukanovic, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and other Serbian and
Montenegrin officials.
The new country, consisting of two semi-independent states, will be
renamed Serbia and Montenegro, Kostunica said after the signing
ceremony. Both republics will share a defense and foreign policy, but
will maintain separate economies, currencies and customs services for
the time being.
``This document sets the shape of completely new relations between the
states of Serbia and Montenegro,'' Kostunica said. ``This step means a
break with the previous regime'' of former Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic.
``Amid the threat of disintegration in the Balkans, we are moving toward
integration and peace and stability in the region,'' he said.
Yugoslavia first was formed in 1918 as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and
Slovenes, and Montenegro gave up its statehood to join. The country was
occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, then tightly controlled
under the communist regime of Marshal Tito for four decades after the
war.
Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic lines during Milosevic's reign.
Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina all declared their
independence by 1992.
Serbia and Montenegro stayed together when the other republics started
leaving Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. But their alliance began to
crumble in 1997 when Djukanovic distanced himself from Milosevic and
began advocating independence for Montenegro.
Kostunica said the political accord calls for new federal elections in
the autumn, and that the parliaments of both republics as well as the
federal Yugoslav parliament would set to work on constitutional changes.
The country's new name will not take effect until lawmakers in all three
chambers ratify the accord.
Solana praised the agreement, saying Montenegro and Serbia ``should have
no doubt'' about the EU's support.
``This is an important day and a step toward the stability in the region
and in Europe,'' Solana said. ``This is not the end of anything, but a
beginning of a new chapter that will bring you closer to the European
Union.''
Djukanovic, who is likely to face an avalanche of criticism in
Montenegro for giving up a planned independence referendum for the small
republic this spring, said he expected Serbs and Montenegrins to ``have
a positive approach toward this agreement'' and predicted it would win
parliamentary approval.
The tiny Adriatic republic continued its independence drive even after
Milosevic's ouster in 2000. Milosevic is now on trial before the U.N.
war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, for atrocities his forces
committed in the Balkans in the 1990s.
Branko Ruzic, the spokesman for Milosevic's Socialist Party, called the
event ``the most shameful date in the history of the Serbs.''
``We went to bed in one state, and we woke up in another,'' Ruzic said,
adding that the Socialists are for ``preserving the current
Yugoslavia.''
Montenegro's 650,000 people remain bitterly divided on whether to remain
in a federation with Serbia, whose approximately 10 million people
effectively determine Yugoslav affairs.
A draft of the agreement, obtained by The Associated Press, said that
after three years, ``the member states will be entitled to institute
proceedings for a change of the state status, that is, withdrawal from
the state union.''
The pro-Serbian faction in Montenegro praised the agreement.
``The dangerous divisions in Montenegro were averted. Djukanovic stopped
on the brink, and we approve of this,'' said Dragan Soc, the leader of
the Montenegrin Peoples' Party.
Kostunica said his office as federal president would remain and that the
new country would have one seat in the United Nations, just as
Yugoslavia does now, although Montenegrin and Serbian officials would
rotate as envoys to U.N. headquarters in New York.
The accord was a major policy victory for the West, which has opposed
Montenegrin secession, fearing the breakup could encourage other
independence-minded groups in the region - in particular, ethnic
Albanians in Kosovo and Macedonia.
Arguing that secession also would hurt Montenegro's economy and slow
down the process of integrating it into mainstream Europe, the EU has
been pushing for a new Yugoslav constitution that would preserve a joint
state while granting the two republics greater self-governance.
AP-NY-03-14-02 1011EST
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 18:11:39 +0100 (CET)
From: Nemanja
Reply-To: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
To: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
TRANSLATION:
Agreement about redefining relations between Serbia and
Montenegro, signed by Solana, Kostunica, Labus, Djindjic, Djukanovic and
Vujanovic, represents the end of FR Yugoslavia. It's very clear that
Yugoslav federation is being abolished by order of Western imperialists
due easier accomplishment of imperialist interests in this area.
The establishing of proimperialist puppet government with
Kostunica by counterrevolutionary coup d'etat on October 5th, was not
enough for Western bourgeoisie, but they also felt an urge to break FRY
as an core around which, the working class could reunite and create and
antiimperialist and antiglobalist country. Also, the signing of this
agreement exposed the true proimperialist nature of Kostunica's,
Djindjic's and Djukanovic's regime and their willingness to obey all
orders from western governments.
Marxists-leninists of Yugoslavia will never accept this shameful
decision of Western imperialists and domestic bourgeoisie, and will
continue it's struggle for yugoslav idea. First step in renewal of
socialist Yugoslavia should be struggle for overthrowing of
proimperialist regime of Kostunica, Djindjic and Djukanovic, as well as
the proimperialist bourgeois regimes of Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia.
An firm struggle is also needed for expelling the NATO from Bosnia and
Herzegovina and from Kosovo, and for removal of quisling regimes
established by orders and with help of the West.
Imperialism maybe won a battle, but it's the reunited working
class of Yugoslavia who will win the war along with all the opressed and
exploited in the world.
DOWN WITH THE IMPERIALISM!
DOWN WITH THE GLOBALISM!
DOWN WITH THE REGIME OF KOSTUNICA, DJINDJIC AND DJUKANOVIC!
LONG LIVE YUGOSLAVIA!
G.V.
------------- Begin Forwarded Message -------------
To: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.
From: goran vlajkovic
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 06:00:45 -0800 (PST)
Subject: [ML-YU] SRJ
Sporazum o redefinisanju odnosa Srbije i Crne Gore
koji su potpisali
Solana,Kostunica,Labus,Djindjic,Djukanovic i
Vujanovic,predstavlja kraj SR Jugoslavije.Sasvim je
jasno da se jugoslovenska federacija ukida po nalogu
zapadnih imperijalista,radi laksih ostvarivanja
prljavih imperijalistickih interesa na ovim
prostorima.
Zapadnoj burzoaziji nije bilo dovoljno to sto je
kontrarevolucionarnim pucem na vlast u Beograd
5.oktobra,postavila marionetski proimperijalisticki
rezim na celu sa Kostunicom,vec je osetila potrebu da
razbije i SRJ,kao jezgro oko koga bi se u buducnosti
mogla okupiti jugoslovenska radnicka klasa,i stvoriti
drzava koja bi imala antiimperijalisticku i
antiglobalisticku vladu.Takodje potpisivanje ovog
sramnog sporazuma pokazuje i pravu proimperijalisticku
prirodu rezima Kostunice,Djindjica i Djukanovica,i
njihovu teznju da slusaju sve naloge imperijalistickih
zapadnih vlada.
Marksisti-lenjinisti Jugoslavije nece nikada
prihvatiti ovakvu sramnu odluku zapadnih imperijalista
i domace proimperijalisticke burzoazije,i nastavice
svoju borbu za jugoslovensku ideju.Prvi korak u obnovi
socijalisticke Jugoslavije treba da predstavlja bitka
za zbacivanje proimperijalistickih burzujskih rezima
Kostunice,Djindjica i Djukanovica,kao i
proimperijalistickih burzujskih rezima u
Sloveniji,Hrvatskoj i Makedoniji.Takodje je potrebno
povesti i odlucnu borbu za proterivanje NATO
okupatorskih trupa iz Bosne i Hercegovine i Kosova i
zbacivane sa vlasti kvislinskih rezima uspostavljenih
uz pomoc i po nalogu zapadnih imperijalista.
Imperijalizam je mozda dobio jednu bitku,ali ce rat
sigurno dobiti jugoslovenska radnicka klasa u
zajednickoj borbi sa svim potlacenim i eksploatisanim
u svetu.
DOLE IMPERIJALIZAM!
DOLE GLOBALIZAM!
DOLE REZIM KOSTUNICA,DJINDJIC,DJUKANOVIC!
ZIVELA JUGOSLAVIJA!
G.V.
===*===
------------- Begin Forwarded Message -------------
From: petokraka78@...
Subject: Solana Destroys Yugoslavia
HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK
---------------------------
[Today is a really sad day. Under the leadership of Javier Solana, the
same man who as NATO Secretary General led the illegal aggression on
Yugoslavia in 1999, the European Union has just brokered a deal to wipe
Yugoslavia off the world map in a top down processes that most Yugoslavs
reject. The deal was brokered between Solana, Milo Djukanovic (the
President of Montenegro), Zoran Djindjic (the Prime Minister of Serbia),
and Vojislav Kostunica (the President of Yugoslavia). Djukanovic is the
leader of the Democratic Socialist Party (DPS) in Montenegro, a
far-right neoliberal creation that is a regional hub for mafia activity,
cigarette smuggling and money laundering.
Elections in Montenegro have been deeply flawed and the DPS as well as
its junior partner the Liberal Union have used voter intimidation,
particularly of state employees to stay in power. The majority of
Montenegrins oppose indipendence, yet through manipulation and Western
support the DPS has managed to maintain a narrow margin over its closest
rivals the Socialist Peoples Party (SNP) [although the SNPs party base
is still firmly pro-Yugoslav and opposed to NATO, the leadership has in
recent months moved away from its grass-roots constituency as it has
moved with pro-Western forces in Yugoslavia on several key legislative
items]. Djindjic on the other hand is the un-elected Prime Minister of
Serbia who was appointed by a DOS dominated Parliament as a key
condition of Western aid to FRY. He has never held more than 5% of
popular support in the country, and his neoliberal views and particular
brand of collaborationist Serbian nationalism is sharply at odds with
the majority of the Yugoslav population. Nonetheless he has
unconstitutionally arrogated to himself all the powers of the elected
position of the Serbian Presidency, which is still held by the still
popular Socialist Party of Serbia. In any case support for the
preservation of Yugoslavia is overwhelming, and the current process is
being imposed from above opening the way for the final destruction of
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia's territorial integrity, and thereby
completing the US and German goal of destroying Yugoslavia once and for
all through a maximalist anti-Yugoslav program that would serve to
sharpen divisions between all southern Slavs in order to weaken the most
likely focus of resistance to NATO occupation of this imensily strategic
region. This move was also given the green light by the Federal
President Kostunica, whose popularity is dropping daily in the polls as
a result of mismanagement and impotence in the face of
daily NATO pressures to alter the whole framework of Yugoslav society
and impose a narrow-ethnic chauvinist and archly-capitalist social
framework on the countries peoples. Most parties have been compromised
on the issue of coloboration with the occupying powers and Yugoslavs
will not be given a choice to choose in a referendum between this new
Western created arrangement and the indigenously created FRY in a
plebistice. A new "Union of Serbia and Montenegro" (USM) is to be
proclaimed in accordance with US policy towards the region, which was
the only country not to recognize FRY as a sovereign state since it was
reconstituted in 1992, refering to it instead as "Serbia and Montenegro"
(a formulation in which the provinces of Vojvodina and Kosovo
were considered as semi-independent states as well). The official
American narrative on Yugoslavia's dissolution, regarding seccession
issues, is now being imposed in order to further divide and weaken any
potential resistance to NATO and to destroy the ability of anyone state
or people in the region to effectively resist the new colonial regime.
Thankfully this is still not a fait-accompli, but the new Western funded
elites have proven adept at passing unpopular laws in the past, such as
the new labour law which recently dismantled the "social ownership"
which was the foundation of property relations in Yugoslavia in favor of
a completely privatized system and retrenched substantial labour rights
severely despite mass-protests throughout Yugoslavia (ignored in the
Western press, these demos attracted 50,000+ people in Belgrade at their
peak earlier this year). This process is occuring in the context of an
election campaign in NATO-member Hungary were the ruling neoliberal
Fidesz party is continuing with "Greater Hungarian"
policies that seek to legally integrate Hungarian minorities living in
neighboring countries into Hungary's governing structures, reverse the
Benes Decress, some portions of the post-WWI Versaille order and the use
the Hungarian state with the full-backing of the EU, the United States
and NATO to implement neoliberalism abroad. Furthermore, the popular
LDK in Kosovo, whose non-violent leader Ibrahim Rugova is the most
popular figure in Kosovo, has, despite wining recent elections, been
forced by the US to accept a "power-sharring" agreement with KLA
extremists, including the appointment of Bajram Rexhepi to the position
of Kosovo PM. Rexhepi represents the most extreme current of Albanian
nationalism and is completely at odds with the majority of the Albanian
population whose moderate views are in accord with Rugova's LDK (which,
again, received the most votes in the recent elections).
Thus the United States is backing all the forces throughout the still
existing Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that favor fractious, narrow
ethno-nationalist politics, coupled with a strong comitment to
neoliberal capitalist values. As these injustices mount real Balkan
patriots will have to see that their interests lie in unity with other
ethnic groups and not division. All groups in the region have a proud
history of anti-fascist and anti-imperialist resistence, let's do
everything in our efforts to ensure that these traditions gain new wind
in the coming years. The task will be difficult, but resistance to
"the internationals" is already rife throughout
the region. I am confident it will over time, of necessity, eventually
coalesce into a progressive force that will overcome current
limitations.
Let's hope this day comes sooner or later, not just for the Balkans, but
for the world. Remember the Balkans has been the graveyard of many
Empires, burrying one more wouldn't be too much to ask now would it?]
Serbia, Montenegro Sign Accord
By ALEKSANDAR VASOVIC
.c The Associated Press
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) - Serbia and Montenegro signed a historic
accord Thursday to radically restructure their federation, dropping the
name Yugoslavia and granting greater autonomy to prevent the country's
final breakup.
The agreement, reached under mediation by the European Union, was signed
by Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, Montenegrin President Milo
Djukanovic, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and other Serbian and
Montenegrin officials.
The new country, consisting of two semi-independent states, will be
renamed Serbia and Montenegro, Kostunica said after the signing
ceremony. Both republics will share a defense and foreign policy, but
will maintain separate economies, currencies and customs services for
the time being.
``This document sets the shape of completely new relations between the
states of Serbia and Montenegro,'' Kostunica said. ``This step means a
break with the previous regime'' of former Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic.
``Amid the threat of disintegration in the Balkans, we are moving toward
integration and peace and stability in the region,'' he said.
Yugoslavia first was formed in 1918 as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and
Slovenes, and Montenegro gave up its statehood to join. The country was
occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II, then tightly controlled
under the communist regime of Marshal Tito for four decades after the
war.
Yugoslavia began to unravel along ethnic lines during Milosevic's reign.
Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina all declared their
independence by 1992.
Serbia and Montenegro stayed together when the other republics started
leaving Yugoslavia in the early 1990s. But their alliance began to
crumble in 1997 when Djukanovic distanced himself from Milosevic and
began advocating independence for Montenegro.
Kostunica said the political accord calls for new federal elections in
the autumn, and that the parliaments of both republics as well as the
federal Yugoslav parliament would set to work on constitutional changes.
The country's new name will not take effect until lawmakers in all three
chambers ratify the accord.
Solana praised the agreement, saying Montenegro and Serbia ``should have
no doubt'' about the EU's support.
``This is an important day and a step toward the stability in the region
and in Europe,'' Solana said. ``This is not the end of anything, but a
beginning of a new chapter that will bring you closer to the European
Union.''
Djukanovic, who is likely to face an avalanche of criticism in
Montenegro for giving up a planned independence referendum for the small
republic this spring, said he expected Serbs and Montenegrins to ``have
a positive approach toward this agreement'' and predicted it would win
parliamentary approval.
The tiny Adriatic republic continued its independence drive even after
Milosevic's ouster in 2000. Milosevic is now on trial before the U.N.
war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands, for atrocities his forces
committed in the Balkans in the 1990s.
Branko Ruzic, the spokesman for Milosevic's Socialist Party, called the
event ``the most shameful date in the history of the Serbs.''
``We went to bed in one state, and we woke up in another,'' Ruzic said,
adding that the Socialists are for ``preserving the current
Yugoslavia.''
Montenegro's 650,000 people remain bitterly divided on whether to remain
in a federation with Serbia, whose approximately 10 million people
effectively determine Yugoslav affairs.
A draft of the agreement, obtained by The Associated Press, said that
after three years, ``the member states will be entitled to institute
proceedings for a change of the state status, that is, withdrawal from
the state union.''
The pro-Serbian faction in Montenegro praised the agreement.
``The dangerous divisions in Montenegro were averted. Djukanovic stopped
on the brink, and we approve of this,'' said Dragan Soc, the leader of
the Montenegrin Peoples' Party.
Kostunica said his office as federal president would remain and that the
new country would have one seat in the United Nations, just as
Yugoslavia does now, although Montenegrin and Serbian officials would
rotate as envoys to U.N. headquarters in New York.
The accord was a major policy victory for the West, which has opposed
Montenegrin secession, fearing the breakup could encourage other
independence-minded groups in the region - in particular, ethnic
Albanians in Kosovo and Macedonia.
Arguing that secession also would hurt Montenegro's economy and slow
down the process of integrating it into mainstream Europe, the EU has
been pushing for a new Yugoslav constitution that would preserve a joint
state while granting the two republics greater self-governance.
AP-NY-03-14-02 1011EST
Subject: Y D S, March 15
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 09:54:43 -0500
From: YugoEmb-Ottawa <diplomat@...>
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY
Belgrade, 15. 3. 2002. No.
3674
C O N T E N T S :
SERBIA MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT
- YUGOSLAVIA CEASES TO EXIST
- PROCEEDING POINTS FOR THE
RESTRUCTURING OF RELATIONS BETWEEN
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
- PRESIDENT KOSTUNICA SATISFIED WITH
AGREEMENT
- AGREEMENT BASIS FOR STATE UNION WITH
A FUTURE - YUGOSLAV PREMIER
- POLITICALLY A CONFEDERATION,
ECONOMICALLY TOWARDS A COMMON MARKET, LABUS
- NBY GOVERNOR SAYS SOLANA IS ONLY WINNER
- NEW STATE WILL BE CHEAPER THAN
PREVIOUS THREE, SAYS SERBIAN PREMIER DJINDJIC
- UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1244
VALID EVEN AFTER AGREEMENT ON NEW
FEDERATION, COVIC
- AGREEMENT GOOD FOR SERBIA, IF
IMPLEMENTED CONSISTENTLY, SAYS DJELIC
- DJUKANOVIC :MONTENEGRO PRESERVES
RESULTS OF ECONOMIC REFORMS
- MONTENEGRO ONCE AGAIN IN EUROPE UNDER
ITS NAME, MONTENEGRIN PREMIER
- AGREEMENT - STEP TOWARD STABILITY OF
BALKANS, SAYS SOLANA
- WASHINGTON WELCOMES AGREEMENT BETWEEN
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
- SERBIAN-MONTENEGRIN AGREEMENT MARKS
VICTORY OF COMMON SENSE - CE
- EUROPEAN COMMISSION GREETS AGREEMENT
ON FUTURE RELATIONS OF SERBIA, MONTENEGRO
- FISCHER WELCOMES SIGNING OF AGREEMENT
BETWEEN SERBIA, MONTENEGRO
- REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PREMIER PRAISES
PRESERVATION OF COMMON STATE
- CROATIA WELCOMES BELGRADE AGREEMENT
- WORLD REACTS POSITIVELY TO SIGNING OF AGREEMENT
(...)
SERBIA MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT
YUGOSLAVIA CEASES TO EXIST
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - A
historical agreement was signed in Belgrade
on March 14 entitled "Proceeding Points
For the Restructuring of Relations
Between Serbia and Montenegro."
The agreement was signed in the
Federation Palace in Belgrade by Serbian
and Montenegrin premiers Zoran Djindjic
and Filip Vujanovic, Montenegrin
president Milo Djukanovic, Yugoslav
president Vojislav Kostunica, Yugoslav
deputy prime minister Miroljub Labus
and EU high representative Javier Solana.
The name of the new state union is -
Serbia and Montenegro.
PROCEEDING POINTS FOR THE RESTRUCTURING
OF RELATIONS BETWEEN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - This is
the integral text of the Proceeding
Points for the Restructuring of
Relations between Serbia and Montenegro:
Agreement on Principles. The Agreement
on Principles of relations between
Serbia and Montenegro within the state
union shall be signed by
participants in the talks: the
President of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia, the Deputy Federal Prime
Minister, the President of the
Republic of Montenegro, the Serbian and
Montenegrin Premiers and, as a
witness, the EU High Representative for
Common Foreign and Security Policy.
The document shall be submitted for
debate to the Parliaments of member
states and the Federal Parliament.
Constitutional Charter. On the basis of
opinions put forward in
parliamentary debates, that is,
parliamentary conclusions, a constitutional
commission, whose members shall be
delegated by the Parliaments of the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY),
Serbia and Montenegro, shall draft
the Constitutional Charter, the highest
legal act of the state union of
Serbia and Montenegro. The text of this
act shall be adopted by the
republican parliaments first, and then
submitted to the Federal Parliament.
Such procedure would reaffirm the
elements of Serbian and Montenegrin
statehood, stemming from the
present-day factual situation and the
historic rights of the two member states.
Provision of Reconsideration. Upon the
expiration of a three-year period,
the member states shall be entitled to
instituting proceedings for a change
of the state status, that is,
withdrawal from the state union. If
Montenegro withdraws from the state
union, international documents related
to the FRY, the UN Security Council
Resolution 1244 in particular, shall
relate to and fully apply on Serbia as
its successor.
A member state that uses this right,
shall not inherit the right to
international and legal status, and all
debatable issues shall be regulated
specifically between the state
successor and the newly established state.
If in a referendum process both member
states declare themselves in favor
of a change of the state status
(independence), all debatable issues shall
be resolved in succession proceedings,
as was done in the case of former Yugoslavia.
The laws on Referendum shall be adopted
by the member states, taking full
account of internationally recognized
democratic standards.
The name of the state: Serbia and Montenegro.
Institutions of Serbia and Montenegro:
the Parliament, the President, the
Council of Ministers and Court.
Parliament: A unicameral parliament
providing certain positive
discrimination for Montenegrin
representatives. The Laws on the Election of
Representatives to the Parliament of
Serbia and Montenegro shall be adopted
by the member states, in compliance
with the principles defined by the
Constitutional Charter. Mechanisms to
protect against outvoting of member
states shall be provided for.
President of Serbia and Montenegro: The
President, elected by the
Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro,
shall propose the composition of the
Council of Ministers and direct its work.
Council of Ministers: The Council of
Ministers shall be composed of five
departments: foreign affairs, defense,
international economic relations,
internal economic relations and
protection of human and minority
rights.
The competencies of the ministries
shall be defined in detail subsequently.
The Court of Serbia and Montenegro: The
Court shall have
constitutional-court and administrative
court functions, and shall deal
with harmonization of court practice.
The administrative court function
shall be exercised in relation with
administrative acts of
the ministries of the Council of
Ministers. The Court shall take legal
views and give opinions related to the
harmonization of court practice. The
Court is not an appellate court and has
an equal number of judges from the
member states.
The Army: The Army of Serbia and
Montenegro shall be under the command
of the Supreme Defense Council, composed
of three presidents. The Supreme
Defense Council shall make decisions by
consensus. Conscripts shall serve
the army on the territory of their
respective member states, with the
possibility of serving on the territory
of the other member state, if they
wish so.
Elections and Appointments: Upon the
promulgation of the Constitutional
Charter under specified procedure,
elections shall take place, the
Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro
shall be constituted, the President of Serbia
and Montenegro shall be elected, as
well as members of the Council of
Ministers and judges of the Court of
Serbia and Montenegro. It shall also be
possible to provide for rotating
during a term in office. (In the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Ministry of Defense, the minister and
his/her deputy from different member
states shall take turns when
one half of the term in office expires).
In representing the member states in
international organizations (UN, OSCE,
EU and the Council of Europe), parity
shall be provided for through
rotation, whereas special models for
representation shall be defined for
international financial organizations.
In diplomatic and consular
representative offices of Serbia and
Montenegro abroad, a special agreement
shall be made on proportionate representation
of the member states.
The Constitutional Charter shall be
submitted to the Parliament for
deliberation by the end of June 2002 at
the latest.
Dislocation of federal institutions.
Some federal institutions can be
headquartered in Podgorica.
Constitutional reconstruction of the
member states. Within the activities
aimed at the promulgation of the
Constitutional Charter of Serbia and
Montenegro, the member states shall
amend their respective constitutions in
compliance with the Constitutional
Charter of Serbia and Montenegro or
promulgate new constitutions by the end
of 2002 at the latest.
Economic sphere. The level of economic
reforms reached in Serbia and
Montenegro shall be a proceeding point
for regulating mutual economic relations.
The member states shall be responsible
for unhindered operation of a common
market, including the free flow of
people, goods, services and capital.
Harmonization of the economic systems
of the member states with the EU
economic system shall overcome the
existing differences, primarily in the
spheres of trade and customs policies.
In both regards, economic reforms that
have already been carried out in the
member states shall be taken into full
account, while solutions that would
provide for the quickest integration
into the European Union shall be
accepted. Transitional solutions in
harmonizing trade and customs policies
should take into account the interests
of the member states.
The European Union shall assist in the
accomplishment of these objectives
and monitor the process on a regular basis.
The modalities for the achievement of
these objectives shall be elaborated
in parallel with the Constitutional
Charter.
If one of the member states believes
that the other does not live up with
commitments under this agreement
concerning the operation of a common
market and the harmonization of trade
and customs policies, it shall
reserve the right to raise the matter
with the EU in the context of the
Stabilization and Association Process
with the view to the adoption of
appropriate measures.
The EU shall guarantee that, if other
conditions and criteria for the
Stabilization and Association Process
are fulfilled, the agreed principles
of constitutional organization shall
not be an obstacle to a rapid
conclusion of the Agreement on
Association and Stabilization.
President of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia Vojislav Kostunica
Deputy Federal Prime Minister Miroljub Labus
President of the Republic of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic
Premier of the Republic of Serbia Zoran Djindjic
Premier of the Republic of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic
Witnessed by
EU High Representative for Foreign and
Security Policy Javier Solana
Belgrade, March 14, 2002
PRESIDENT KOSTUNICA SATISFIED WITH AGREEMENT
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - Yugoslav
president Vojislav Kostunica said on
March 14 that proceeding points for the
restructuring of relations between
Serbia and Montenegro represent "a
political agreement providing basic
guidelines and a sketch of future new,
even brand new, relations between
Serbia and Montenegro."
Expressing satisfaction with the
agreement signed, Kostunica said the
document will first be debated in the
Yugoslav Parliament and the Serbian
and Montenegrin Legislatures and then
included in the Constitutional Charter.
The agreement on the restructuring of
relations of Serbia and Montenegro
represents political agreement to be
adopted by the Yugoslav Parliament and
Serbian and Montenegrin Legislatures,
said the Yugoslav president upon
signing the agreement in the Federation
Palace in Belgrade.
AGREEMENT BASIS FOR STATE UNION WITH A
FUTURE - YUGOSLAV PREMIER
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav
Premier Dragisa Pesic said Thursday
that the proceeding points for
restructuring the relations between Serbia
and Montenegro contain all elements for
creating a new state union of
Serbia and Montenegro with good
political and economic prospects.
Pesic told Tanjug that the adoption and
signing of the agreement to this
effect has realized the priority
endeavors of the federal government, which
focused on preserving and strengthening
the federal state, for which this
document constitutes a promising foundation.
Pesic thanked the international
community, and particularly the European
Union and its High Representative
Javier Solana, for their important role
in overcoming the very serious state
and legal crisis in this country.
POLITICALLY A CONFEDERATION,
ECONOMICALLY TOWARDS A COMMON MARKET, LABUS
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - In the
political sphere, a confederation was
agreed "and it will remain as such,"
while in the economic sphere, there
will be two markets - in Serbia and
Montenegro with the obligation to
integrate into a common market, Deputy
Federal Prime Minister Miroljub
Labus said in Belgrade on Thursday.
Labus was speaking to journalists after
talks on the restructuring of
Yugoslavia ended by the signing of the
joint political document in the
Federation Palace today.
Labus said that guaranteed is the
freedom of movement, a single passport,
property and joint courts, free
university studies and unimpeded
medical treatment.
All sides undertook a political
obligation not to work against the
joint state, each republic will be
financially responsible for its foreign
debts and the European Union will do
everything to prevent the non-fulfillment of
obligations.
NBY GOVERNOR SAYS SOLANA IS ONLY WINNER
SUBOTICA, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
agreement between Serbia and Montenegro
is a political issue with no spirit,
life or economic contents, National
Bank of Yugoslavia (NBY) Governor
Mladjan Dinkic said in Subotica, Serbia's
northern province of Vojvodina, and
added that new conflicts were possible
regarding the redefinition of relations
between the two state entities, since
"nothing has been solved."
The good thing about this entire affair
is that the problem will be
resolved peacefully and that Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica was
right when he said that the agreement
implied neither a loose federation
nor federation, but an "original
solution," Dinkic said.
"The solution is really original,
because there can be no state without
common monetary and customs systems,"
Dinkic said and added that EU foreign
policy chief Javier "Solana is the only
winner in the entire affair."
Dinkic said that he favored "clean
solutions," and in this case this meant
that Serbia and Montenegro should
either constitute one state or they
would represent two separate states.
NEW STATE WILL BE CHEAPER THAN PREVIOUS
THREE, SAYS SERBIAN PREMIER DJINDJIC
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - Serbian
Premier Zoran Djindjic said on March 14
that the new union of Serbia and
Montenegro will be cheaper than all the
previous ones, which have been based on
a lack of budget control.
"The previous states were based on the
principle - all can spend as much as
they want and only one or two major
members invest something," Djindjic
told journalists during his visit to
Smederevo on March 14.
"We now have 10,000 members of the
federal administration, we have budgets
out of our control - one of them being
the military budget - where we could
save money for sure if we had control.
We also have federal government
expenses that are not always related to
work," Djindjic said.
He said that future budget control will
order each republic when adopting
its budget also adopts a share in the
federal budget.
Djindjic pointed out that "there is no
excuse for early elections" in
Serbia, because the Democratic
Opposition of Serbia held a majority in
the Legislature and that it would be
"unnatural" to announce early
elections.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1244
VALID EVEN AFTER AGREEMENT ON
NEW FEDERATION, COVIC
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
agreement on the restructuring of the
federation changes nothing with regards
to Kosovo-Metohija, Serbian Vice
Premier Nebojsa Covic, who is also the
head of the Coordination Centre for
Kosovo-Metohija, told Tanjug on Thursday.
"UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is
fully valid and this has no effect
on it, its implementation and on
Kosovo-Metohija itself," Covic set out.
He recalled that "the foundation or
basis for redefining the federation was
made with this in mind" and was signed
by the Yugoslav, Serbian and
Montenegrin governments and by the
European Union's Foreign and Security
Policy Chief Javeir Solana.
AGREEMENT GOOD FOR SERBIA, IF
IMPLEMENTED CONSISTENTLY, SAYS DJELIC
BELGRADE, March 15 (Tanjug) - Serbian
Finance Minister Bozidar Djelic said
late Thursday in reaction to the
signing of an agreement on restructuring
relations between Serbia and Montenegro
that it will be a good agreement
for Serbia if it is realized consistently.
This means that, in this system
organization, Serbia will get all the
economic attributes of a sovereign
state," Djelic said in a statement for
Belgrade-based Serbian Radio Television (RTS).
Djelic explained that this means Serbia
will have its own customs, foreign
policy, its national bank, emission and
fiscal policy.
Something that would have seemed like a
bad economic compromise has been
avoided, he said. "Since there is no
common customs system - we have two
customs systems," Djelic said.
DJUKANOVIC :MONTENEGRO PRESERVES
RESULTS OF ECONOMIC REFORMS
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - Montenegrin
president Milo Djukanovic said on
March 14, upon signing the agreement on
future relations between Serbia and
Montenegro, that with the document
"Montenegro has preserved the results
of its economic reforms" and secured its
interests before international
institutions.
"The most important thing is that all
the results of economic reforms as
well as important levers of the
economic system for further dynamic process
of harmonization of our (Montenegrin)
economic system with the EU system
have been preserved," Djukanovic told
the press.
Djukanovic said "through the mechanism
of rotation, full representation of
Montenegrin interests in international
institutions has been secured."
"Finally, the document does not
jeopardize the right of Montenegro to
consult the will of its citizens
regarding the question of its future
upon the expiration of a certain period,"
said Djukanovic. Upon his return to Podgorica,
Djukanovic said he did not give up state
independence, but that he signed the
agreement on new relations with Serbia
since due to specific circumstances the
referendum on state status should be postponed.
Djukanovic told the press conference
that Solana guaranteed Montenegro the
right to hold a referendum, the results
of which would be recognized upon
the expiration of three-year period.
MONTENEGRO ONCE AGAIN IN EUROPE UNDER
ITS NAME, MONTENGRIN PREMIER
PODGORICA, March 14 (Tanjug) -
Montenegrin Premier Filip Vujanovic assessed
Thursday that the "signing of an
agreement between Serbia and Montenegro,
their relations are based on new
foundations, as they are no longer
relations of two republics of
Yugoslavia, but of two states members
of a state union carrying their names."
"In this way Serbia and Montenegro, for
the first time since 1918, are
represented in the international
community under their names and on an
equal footing," Vujanovic told
Podgorica electronic media.
Vujanovic explained that the new union,
compared to the current FRY, will
be different in so far as "this
community is no longer constituted by a
Constitution, adopted by federal
parliament, but by a Constitutional
Charter."
He pointed out that Montenegro
preserved "all instruments and content
of economic sovereignty, preserved its
monetary, customs and foreign trade
sovereignty with a liberal foreign
trade regime."
AGREEMENT - STEP TOWARD STABILITY OF
BALKANS, SAYS SOLANA
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - EU high
representative Javier Solana said on
March 14 that the signing of an
agreement on redefining relations
between Serbia and Montenegro was "a step
toward stability" in the region and
Europe.
After the signing of the agreement at
the Federation Palace in Belgrade,
Solana told the negotiators that they
will keep receiving aid and support
from the EU.
"I want to tell all my friends here
that they need not doubt they will get
support and aid from the EU in today's
task. They should know that from
today we will start building European
institutions," Solana said.
"Today is not the end, but the
beginning of a new chapter, which we
will write together and which will lead us
to EU membership. We will be with you
every day of the process," Solana concluded.
WASHINGTON WELCOMES AGREEMENT BETWEEN
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
United States administration has
welcomed the agreement on new relations
between Serbia and Montenegro,
stressing it was in keeping with the US
stand that Montenegro should not
break off from democratic Yugoslavia.
"The agreement is in line with our
long-standing view that there should be
a democratic Montenegro within a
democratic Yugoslavia. We believe that the
agreement signed today will help Serbia
and Montenegro best achieve their
aspirations to fully integrate with
Europe and will promote stability
within Yugoslavia and the region,"
White House spokesman Richard Boucher
said on Thursday.
Commending the leaders of Serbia and
Montenegro for arriving at an
agreement, Boucher said that "much work
remains to be done." Washington
expects the leaders of Serbia and
Montenegro to realize this agreement in
full through constructive work, he said.
SERBIAN-MONTENEGRIN AGREEMENT MARKS
VICTORY OF COMMON SENSE - CE
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - Council
of Europe (CE) Parliamentary Assembly
President Peter Schieder and CE
Secretary General Walter Schwimmer on
Thursday welcomed the signing of an
agreement on the reorganization of the
Serbian-Montenegrin relations as an
important factor in bringing stability
to the Balkan region.
"Dialogue, responsibility and common
sense have prevailed. We wish to pay
tribute to the political leaders in the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for
reaching a solution acceptable to all
and to the EU envoy Javier Solana for
helping them to do so," the CE said in
a statement sent to Tanjug.
Schieder and Schwimmer said that "from
now on, time and energy should be
devoted to the real challenges facing
Yugoslav society: the consolidation
of democratic institutions, the
implementation of the economic reform
and the compliance with the country's
international obligations."
EUROPEAN COMMISSION GREETS AGREEMENT ON
FUTURE RELATIONS OF SERBIA, MONTENEGRO
BRUSSELS, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
European Commission greeted Thursday
the signing of an agreement on the
restructuring of relations between Serbia
and Montenegro as huge progress towards
stabilization in the Balkans.
This is good news for Europe and the
future of the western Balkans on the
road to the European Union, said
European Commission spokesman Gunard
Wiegand at a press conference in Brussels.
Wiegand added that the signing of the
agreement on the principles of
relations of Serbia and Montenegro
within a state union represents a huge
step towards securing stability in the
entire region, Reuters news agency reported.
The signing of the document, Wiegand
assessed, will enable governments and
parliaments to devote themselves to the
challenge of modernization of
Serbia and Montenegro, make their
economy competitive and give concrete
prospects to the population.
FISCHER WELCOMES SIGNING OF AGREEMENT
BETWEEN SERBIA, MONTENEGRO
BERLIN, March 14 (Tanjug) - German
Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on
Thursday welcomed the readiness of
Belgrade and Podgorica to collaborate on
the resolution of relations within the
common state.
Fischer said that the Agreement on the
Principles of Relations between
Serbia and Montenegro was a very
important progress.
"We hope this moment will be used for
concluding the constitutional process
speedily and successfully," Fischer said.
REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PREMIER PRAISES
PRESERVATION OF COMMON STATE
BANJA LUKA, March 14 (Tanjug) -
Commenting on the signing of a
Serbian-Montenegrin agreement in
Belgrade on Thursday, Republika Srpska
Premier Mladen Ivanic said that it was
important that the common state of
Serbia and Montenegro had been
preserved.
Ivanic told Tanjug that the agreement
on future relations between the two
republics was correct, enabling a
normal functioning of the new state,
which would preserve the continuity of
Yugoslavia as a guarantor of the
Dayton agreement.
"This is a matter of the two republics
and from the point of view of the
(Bosnian Serb) Republika Srpska this is
a correct solution," Ivanic said.
CROATIA WELCOMES BELGRADE AGREEMENT
ZAGREB, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
Croatian Foreign Ministry on Thursday
welcomed the signing of an agreement
between Serbia and Montenegro, saying
that Croatia had always urged that the
only remaining members of the former
Yugoslav federation resolve their
relations in a new way, primarily
through an agreement.
The Croatian Foreign Ministry statement
voiced belief that the agreement
marked the final ending of a period in
history and that the reaffirmation
of the statehood of Serbia and
Montenegro, that is the organization of
their relations on this basis, opened
new horizons for relations and
normalization in this part of the world.
Croatia regards stable neighborhood as
its strategic interest for the sake
of preserving peace and security and
encouraging progress in the entire
region, the statement said.
WORLD REACTS POSITIVELY TO SIGNING OF
AGREEMENT
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - French
ambassador to the Yugoslavia Gabriel
Keller said on March 14 that Paris
welcomed the signing of the agreement,
saying he was certain that it would
contribute to the improvement of
internal trends and relations in the
region.
Vienna also welcomed the agreement
between Serbia and Montenegro. The
Austrian Foreign Minister Benita
Ferero-Waldner said at a news conference
in Vienna that she welcomed the
solution which enabled Montenegro to
give up the independence referendum.
The signing of the agreement was also
welcomed by the Slovak Foreign Ministry.
Date: Fri, 15 Mar 2002 09:54:43 -0500
From: YugoEmb-Ottawa <diplomat@...>
To: (Recipient list suppressed)
YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY
Belgrade, 15. 3. 2002. No.
3674
C O N T E N T S :
SERBIA MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT
- YUGOSLAVIA CEASES TO EXIST
- PROCEEDING POINTS FOR THE
RESTRUCTURING OF RELATIONS BETWEEN
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
- PRESIDENT KOSTUNICA SATISFIED WITH
AGREEMENT
- AGREEMENT BASIS FOR STATE UNION WITH
A FUTURE - YUGOSLAV PREMIER
- POLITICALLY A CONFEDERATION,
ECONOMICALLY TOWARDS A COMMON MARKET, LABUS
- NBY GOVERNOR SAYS SOLANA IS ONLY WINNER
- NEW STATE WILL BE CHEAPER THAN
PREVIOUS THREE, SAYS SERBIAN PREMIER DJINDJIC
- UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1244
VALID EVEN AFTER AGREEMENT ON NEW
FEDERATION, COVIC
- AGREEMENT GOOD FOR SERBIA, IF
IMPLEMENTED CONSISTENTLY, SAYS DJELIC
- DJUKANOVIC :MONTENEGRO PRESERVES
RESULTS OF ECONOMIC REFORMS
- MONTENEGRO ONCE AGAIN IN EUROPE UNDER
ITS NAME, MONTENEGRIN PREMIER
- AGREEMENT - STEP TOWARD STABILITY OF
BALKANS, SAYS SOLANA
- WASHINGTON WELCOMES AGREEMENT BETWEEN
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
- SERBIAN-MONTENEGRIN AGREEMENT MARKS
VICTORY OF COMMON SENSE - CE
- EUROPEAN COMMISSION GREETS AGREEMENT
ON FUTURE RELATIONS OF SERBIA, MONTENEGRO
- FISCHER WELCOMES SIGNING OF AGREEMENT
BETWEEN SERBIA, MONTENEGRO
- REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PREMIER PRAISES
PRESERVATION OF COMMON STATE
- CROATIA WELCOMES BELGRADE AGREEMENT
- WORLD REACTS POSITIVELY TO SIGNING OF AGREEMENT
(...)
SERBIA MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT
YUGOSLAVIA CEASES TO EXIST
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - A
historical agreement was signed in Belgrade
on March 14 entitled "Proceeding Points
For the Restructuring of Relations
Between Serbia and Montenegro."
The agreement was signed in the
Federation Palace in Belgrade by Serbian
and Montenegrin premiers Zoran Djindjic
and Filip Vujanovic, Montenegrin
president Milo Djukanovic, Yugoslav
president Vojislav Kostunica, Yugoslav
deputy prime minister Miroljub Labus
and EU high representative Javier Solana.
The name of the new state union is -
Serbia and Montenegro.
PROCEEDING POINTS FOR THE RESTRUCTURING
OF RELATIONS BETWEEN SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - This is
the integral text of the Proceeding
Points for the Restructuring of
Relations between Serbia and Montenegro:
Agreement on Principles. The Agreement
on Principles of relations between
Serbia and Montenegro within the state
union shall be signed by
participants in the talks: the
President of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia, the Deputy Federal Prime
Minister, the President of the
Republic of Montenegro, the Serbian and
Montenegrin Premiers and, as a
witness, the EU High Representative for
Common Foreign and Security Policy.
The document shall be submitted for
debate to the Parliaments of member
states and the Federal Parliament.
Constitutional Charter. On the basis of
opinions put forward in
parliamentary debates, that is,
parliamentary conclusions, a constitutional
commission, whose members shall be
delegated by the Parliaments of the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY),
Serbia and Montenegro, shall draft
the Constitutional Charter, the highest
legal act of the state union of
Serbia and Montenegro. The text of this
act shall be adopted by the
republican parliaments first, and then
submitted to the Federal Parliament.
Such procedure would reaffirm the
elements of Serbian and Montenegrin
statehood, stemming from the
present-day factual situation and the
historic rights of the two member states.
Provision of Reconsideration. Upon the
expiration of a three-year period,
the member states shall be entitled to
instituting proceedings for a change
of the state status, that is,
withdrawal from the state union. If
Montenegro withdraws from the state
union, international documents related
to the FRY, the UN Security Council
Resolution 1244 in particular, shall
relate to and fully apply on Serbia as
its successor.
A member state that uses this right,
shall not inherit the right to
international and legal status, and all
debatable issues shall be regulated
specifically between the state
successor and the newly established state.
If in a referendum process both member
states declare themselves in favor
of a change of the state status
(independence), all debatable issues shall
be resolved in succession proceedings,
as was done in the case of former Yugoslavia.
The laws on Referendum shall be adopted
by the member states, taking full
account of internationally recognized
democratic standards.
The name of the state: Serbia and Montenegro.
Institutions of Serbia and Montenegro:
the Parliament, the President, the
Council of Ministers and Court.
Parliament: A unicameral parliament
providing certain positive
discrimination for Montenegrin
representatives. The Laws on the Election of
Representatives to the Parliament of
Serbia and Montenegro shall be adopted
by the member states, in compliance
with the principles defined by the
Constitutional Charter. Mechanisms to
protect against outvoting of member
states shall be provided for.
President of Serbia and Montenegro: The
President, elected by the
Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro,
shall propose the composition of the
Council of Ministers and direct its work.
Council of Ministers: The Council of
Ministers shall be composed of five
departments: foreign affairs, defense,
international economic relations,
internal economic relations and
protection of human and minority
rights.
The competencies of the ministries
shall be defined in detail subsequently.
The Court of Serbia and Montenegro: The
Court shall have
constitutional-court and administrative
court functions, and shall deal
with harmonization of court practice.
The administrative court function
shall be exercised in relation with
administrative acts of
the ministries of the Council of
Ministers. The Court shall take legal
views and give opinions related to the
harmonization of court practice. The
Court is not an appellate court and has
an equal number of judges from the
member states.
The Army: The Army of Serbia and
Montenegro shall be under the command
of the Supreme Defense Council, composed
of three presidents. The Supreme
Defense Council shall make decisions by
consensus. Conscripts shall serve
the army on the territory of their
respective member states, with the
possibility of serving on the territory
of the other member state, if they
wish so.
Elections and Appointments: Upon the
promulgation of the Constitutional
Charter under specified procedure,
elections shall take place, the
Parliament of Serbia and Montenegro
shall be constituted, the President of Serbia
and Montenegro shall be elected, as
well as members of the Council of
Ministers and judges of the Court of
Serbia and Montenegro. It shall also be
possible to provide for rotating
during a term in office. (In the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Ministry of Defense, the minister and
his/her deputy from different member
states shall take turns when
one half of the term in office expires).
In representing the member states in
international organizations (UN, OSCE,
EU and the Council of Europe), parity
shall be provided for through
rotation, whereas special models for
representation shall be defined for
international financial organizations.
In diplomatic and consular
representative offices of Serbia and
Montenegro abroad, a special agreement
shall be made on proportionate representation
of the member states.
The Constitutional Charter shall be
submitted to the Parliament for
deliberation by the end of June 2002 at
the latest.
Dislocation of federal institutions.
Some federal institutions can be
headquartered in Podgorica.
Constitutional reconstruction of the
member states. Within the activities
aimed at the promulgation of the
Constitutional Charter of Serbia and
Montenegro, the member states shall
amend their respective constitutions in
compliance with the Constitutional
Charter of Serbia and Montenegro or
promulgate new constitutions by the end
of 2002 at the latest.
Economic sphere. The level of economic
reforms reached in Serbia and
Montenegro shall be a proceeding point
for regulating mutual economic relations.
The member states shall be responsible
for unhindered operation of a common
market, including the free flow of
people, goods, services and capital.
Harmonization of the economic systems
of the member states with the EU
economic system shall overcome the
existing differences, primarily in the
spheres of trade and customs policies.
In both regards, economic reforms that
have already been carried out in the
member states shall be taken into full
account, while solutions that would
provide for the quickest integration
into the European Union shall be
accepted. Transitional solutions in
harmonizing trade and customs policies
should take into account the interests
of the member states.
The European Union shall assist in the
accomplishment of these objectives
and monitor the process on a regular basis.
The modalities for the achievement of
these objectives shall be elaborated
in parallel with the Constitutional
Charter.
If one of the member states believes
that the other does not live up with
commitments under this agreement
concerning the operation of a common
market and the harmonization of trade
and customs policies, it shall
reserve the right to raise the matter
with the EU in the context of the
Stabilization and Association Process
with the view to the adoption of
appropriate measures.
The EU shall guarantee that, if other
conditions and criteria for the
Stabilization and Association Process
are fulfilled, the agreed principles
of constitutional organization shall
not be an obstacle to a rapid
conclusion of the Agreement on
Association and Stabilization.
President of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia Vojislav Kostunica
Deputy Federal Prime Minister Miroljub Labus
President of the Republic of Montenegro Milo Djukanovic
Premier of the Republic of Serbia Zoran Djindjic
Premier of the Republic of Montenegro Filip Vujanovic
Witnessed by
EU High Representative for Foreign and
Security Policy Javier Solana
Belgrade, March 14, 2002
PRESIDENT KOSTUNICA SATISFIED WITH AGREEMENT
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - Yugoslav
president Vojislav Kostunica said on
March 14 that proceeding points for the
restructuring of relations between
Serbia and Montenegro represent "a
political agreement providing basic
guidelines and a sketch of future new,
even brand new, relations between
Serbia and Montenegro."
Expressing satisfaction with the
agreement signed, Kostunica said the
document will first be debated in the
Yugoslav Parliament and the Serbian
and Montenegrin Legislatures and then
included in the Constitutional Charter.
The agreement on the restructuring of
relations of Serbia and Montenegro
represents political agreement to be
adopted by the Yugoslav Parliament and
Serbian and Montenegrin Legislatures,
said the Yugoslav president upon
signing the agreement in the Federation
Palace in Belgrade.
AGREEMENT BASIS FOR STATE UNION WITH A
FUTURE - YUGOSLAV PREMIER
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav
Premier Dragisa Pesic said Thursday
that the proceeding points for
restructuring the relations between Serbia
and Montenegro contain all elements for
creating a new state union of
Serbia and Montenegro with good
political and economic prospects.
Pesic told Tanjug that the adoption and
signing of the agreement to this
effect has realized the priority
endeavors of the federal government, which
focused on preserving and strengthening
the federal state, for which this
document constitutes a promising foundation.
Pesic thanked the international
community, and particularly the European
Union and its High Representative
Javier Solana, for their important role
in overcoming the very serious state
and legal crisis in this country.
POLITICALLY A CONFEDERATION,
ECONOMICALLY TOWARDS A COMMON MARKET, LABUS
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - In the
political sphere, a confederation was
agreed "and it will remain as such,"
while in the economic sphere, there
will be two markets - in Serbia and
Montenegro with the obligation to
integrate into a common market, Deputy
Federal Prime Minister Miroljub
Labus said in Belgrade on Thursday.
Labus was speaking to journalists after
talks on the restructuring of
Yugoslavia ended by the signing of the
joint political document in the
Federation Palace today.
Labus said that guaranteed is the
freedom of movement, a single passport,
property and joint courts, free
university studies and unimpeded
medical treatment.
All sides undertook a political
obligation not to work against the
joint state, each republic will be
financially responsible for its foreign
debts and the European Union will do
everything to prevent the non-fulfillment of
obligations.
NBY GOVERNOR SAYS SOLANA IS ONLY WINNER
SUBOTICA, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
agreement between Serbia and Montenegro
is a political issue with no spirit,
life or economic contents, National
Bank of Yugoslavia (NBY) Governor
Mladjan Dinkic said in Subotica, Serbia's
northern province of Vojvodina, and
added that new conflicts were possible
regarding the redefinition of relations
between the two state entities, since
"nothing has been solved."
The good thing about this entire affair
is that the problem will be
resolved peacefully and that Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica was
right when he said that the agreement
implied neither a loose federation
nor federation, but an "original
solution," Dinkic said.
"The solution is really original,
because there can be no state without
common monetary and customs systems,"
Dinkic said and added that EU foreign
policy chief Javier "Solana is the only
winner in the entire affair."
Dinkic said that he favored "clean
solutions," and in this case this meant
that Serbia and Montenegro should
either constitute one state or they
would represent two separate states.
NEW STATE WILL BE CHEAPER THAN PREVIOUS
THREE, SAYS SERBIAN PREMIER DJINDJIC
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - Serbian
Premier Zoran Djindjic said on March 14
that the new union of Serbia and
Montenegro will be cheaper than all the
previous ones, which have been based on
a lack of budget control.
"The previous states were based on the
principle - all can spend as much as
they want and only one or two major
members invest something," Djindjic
told journalists during his visit to
Smederevo on March 14.
"We now have 10,000 members of the
federal administration, we have budgets
out of our control - one of them being
the military budget - where we could
save money for sure if we had control.
We also have federal government
expenses that are not always related to
work," Djindjic said.
He said that future budget control will
order each republic when adopting
its budget also adopts a share in the
federal budget.
Djindjic pointed out that "there is no
excuse for early elections" in
Serbia, because the Democratic
Opposition of Serbia held a majority in
the Legislature and that it would be
"unnatural" to announce early
elections.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 1244
VALID EVEN AFTER AGREEMENT ON
NEW FEDERATION, COVIC
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
agreement on the restructuring of the
federation changes nothing with regards
to Kosovo-Metohija, Serbian Vice
Premier Nebojsa Covic, who is also the
head of the Coordination Centre for
Kosovo-Metohija, told Tanjug on Thursday.
"UN Security Council Resolution 1244 is
fully valid and this has no effect
on it, its implementation and on
Kosovo-Metohija itself," Covic set out.
He recalled that "the foundation or
basis for redefining the federation was
made with this in mind" and was signed
by the Yugoslav, Serbian and
Montenegrin governments and by the
European Union's Foreign and Security
Policy Chief Javeir Solana.
AGREEMENT GOOD FOR SERBIA, IF
IMPLEMENTED CONSISTENTLY, SAYS DJELIC
BELGRADE, March 15 (Tanjug) - Serbian
Finance Minister Bozidar Djelic said
late Thursday in reaction to the
signing of an agreement on restructuring
relations between Serbia and Montenegro
that it will be a good agreement
for Serbia if it is realized consistently.
This means that, in this system
organization, Serbia will get all the
economic attributes of a sovereign
state," Djelic said in a statement for
Belgrade-based Serbian Radio Television (RTS).
Djelic explained that this means Serbia
will have its own customs, foreign
policy, its national bank, emission and
fiscal policy.
Something that would have seemed like a
bad economic compromise has been
avoided, he said. "Since there is no
common customs system - we have two
customs systems," Djelic said.
DJUKANOVIC :MONTENEGRO PRESERVES
RESULTS OF ECONOMIC REFORMS
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - Montenegrin
president Milo Djukanovic said on
March 14, upon signing the agreement on
future relations between Serbia and
Montenegro, that with the document
"Montenegro has preserved the results
of its economic reforms" and secured its
interests before international
institutions.
"The most important thing is that all
the results of economic reforms as
well as important levers of the
economic system for further dynamic process
of harmonization of our (Montenegrin)
economic system with the EU system
have been preserved," Djukanovic told
the press.
Djukanovic said "through the mechanism
of rotation, full representation of
Montenegrin interests in international
institutions has been secured."
"Finally, the document does not
jeopardize the right of Montenegro to
consult the will of its citizens
regarding the question of its future
upon the expiration of a certain period,"
said Djukanovic. Upon his return to Podgorica,
Djukanovic said he did not give up state
independence, but that he signed the
agreement on new relations with Serbia
since due to specific circumstances the
referendum on state status should be postponed.
Djukanovic told the press conference
that Solana guaranteed Montenegro the
right to hold a referendum, the results
of which would be recognized upon
the expiration of three-year period.
MONTENEGRO ONCE AGAIN IN EUROPE UNDER
ITS NAME, MONTENGRIN PREMIER
PODGORICA, March 14 (Tanjug) -
Montenegrin Premier Filip Vujanovic assessed
Thursday that the "signing of an
agreement between Serbia and Montenegro,
their relations are based on new
foundations, as they are no longer
relations of two republics of
Yugoslavia, but of two states members
of a state union carrying their names."
"In this way Serbia and Montenegro, for
the first time since 1918, are
represented in the international
community under their names and on an
equal footing," Vujanovic told
Podgorica electronic media.
Vujanovic explained that the new union,
compared to the current FRY, will
be different in so far as "this
community is no longer constituted by a
Constitution, adopted by federal
parliament, but by a Constitutional
Charter."
He pointed out that Montenegro
preserved "all instruments and content
of economic sovereignty, preserved its
monetary, customs and foreign trade
sovereignty with a liberal foreign
trade regime."
AGREEMENT - STEP TOWARD STABILITY OF
BALKANS, SAYS SOLANA
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - EU high
representative Javier Solana said on
March 14 that the signing of an
agreement on redefining relations
between Serbia and Montenegro was "a step
toward stability" in the region and
Europe.
After the signing of the agreement at
the Federation Palace in Belgrade,
Solana told the negotiators that they
will keep receiving aid and support
from the EU.
"I want to tell all my friends here
that they need not doubt they will get
support and aid from the EU in today's
task. They should know that from
today we will start building European
institutions," Solana said.
"Today is not the end, but the
beginning of a new chapter, which we
will write together and which will lead us
to EU membership. We will be with you
every day of the process," Solana concluded.
WASHINGTON WELCOMES AGREEMENT BETWEEN
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
United States administration has
welcomed the agreement on new relations
between Serbia and Montenegro,
stressing it was in keeping with the US
stand that Montenegro should not
break off from democratic Yugoslavia.
"The agreement is in line with our
long-standing view that there should be
a democratic Montenegro within a
democratic Yugoslavia. We believe that the
agreement signed today will help Serbia
and Montenegro best achieve their
aspirations to fully integrate with
Europe and will promote stability
within Yugoslavia and the region,"
White House spokesman Richard Boucher
said on Thursday.
Commending the leaders of Serbia and
Montenegro for arriving at an
agreement, Boucher said that "much work
remains to be done." Washington
expects the leaders of Serbia and
Montenegro to realize this agreement in
full through constructive work, he said.
SERBIAN-MONTENEGRIN AGREEMENT MARKS
VICTORY OF COMMON SENSE - CE
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - Council
of Europe (CE) Parliamentary Assembly
President Peter Schieder and CE
Secretary General Walter Schwimmer on
Thursday welcomed the signing of an
agreement on the reorganization of the
Serbian-Montenegrin relations as an
important factor in bringing stability
to the Balkan region.
"Dialogue, responsibility and common
sense have prevailed. We wish to pay
tribute to the political leaders in the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for
reaching a solution acceptable to all
and to the EU envoy Javier Solana for
helping them to do so," the CE said in
a statement sent to Tanjug.
Schieder and Schwimmer said that "from
now on, time and energy should be
devoted to the real challenges facing
Yugoslav society: the consolidation
of democratic institutions, the
implementation of the economic reform
and the compliance with the country's
international obligations."
EUROPEAN COMMISSION GREETS AGREEMENT ON
FUTURE RELATIONS OF SERBIA, MONTENEGRO
BRUSSELS, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
European Commission greeted Thursday
the signing of an agreement on the
restructuring of relations between Serbia
and Montenegro as huge progress towards
stabilization in the Balkans.
This is good news for Europe and the
future of the western Balkans on the
road to the European Union, said
European Commission spokesman Gunard
Wiegand at a press conference in Brussels.
Wiegand added that the signing of the
agreement on the principles of
relations of Serbia and Montenegro
within a state union represents a huge
step towards securing stability in the
entire region, Reuters news agency reported.
The signing of the document, Wiegand
assessed, will enable governments and
parliaments to devote themselves to the
challenge of modernization of
Serbia and Montenegro, make their
economy competitive and give concrete
prospects to the population.
FISCHER WELCOMES SIGNING OF AGREEMENT
BETWEEN SERBIA, MONTENEGRO
BERLIN, March 14 (Tanjug) - German
Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on
Thursday welcomed the readiness of
Belgrade and Podgorica to collaborate on
the resolution of relations within the
common state.
Fischer said that the Agreement on the
Principles of Relations between
Serbia and Montenegro was a very
important progress.
"We hope this moment will be used for
concluding the constitutional process
speedily and successfully," Fischer said.
REPUBLIKA SRPSKA PREMIER PRAISES
PRESERVATION OF COMMON STATE
BANJA LUKA, March 14 (Tanjug) -
Commenting on the signing of a
Serbian-Montenegrin agreement in
Belgrade on Thursday, Republika Srpska
Premier Mladen Ivanic said that it was
important that the common state of
Serbia and Montenegro had been
preserved.
Ivanic told Tanjug that the agreement
on future relations between the two
republics was correct, enabling a
normal functioning of the new state,
which would preserve the continuity of
Yugoslavia as a guarantor of the
Dayton agreement.
"This is a matter of the two republics
and from the point of view of the
(Bosnian Serb) Republika Srpska this is
a correct solution," Ivanic said.
CROATIA WELCOMES BELGRADE AGREEMENT
ZAGREB, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
Croatian Foreign Ministry on Thursday
welcomed the signing of an agreement
between Serbia and Montenegro, saying
that Croatia had always urged that the
only remaining members of the former
Yugoslav federation resolve their
relations in a new way, primarily
through an agreement.
The Croatian Foreign Ministry statement
voiced belief that the agreement
marked the final ending of a period in
history and that the reaffirmation
of the statehood of Serbia and
Montenegro, that is the organization of
their relations on this basis, opened
new horizons for relations and
normalization in this part of the world.
Croatia regards stable neighborhood as
its strategic interest for the sake
of preserving peace and security and
encouraging progress in the entire
region, the statement said.
WORLD REACTS POSITIVELY TO SIGNING OF
AGREEMENT
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - French
ambassador to the Yugoslavia Gabriel
Keller said on March 14 that Paris
welcomed the signing of the agreement,
saying he was certain that it would
contribute to the improvement of
internal trends and relations in the
region.
Vienna also welcomed the agreement
between Serbia and Montenegro. The
Austrian Foreign Minister Benita
Ferero-Waldner said at a news conference
in Vienna that she welcomed the
solution which enabled Montenegro to
give up the independence referendum.
The signing of the agreement was also
welcomed by the Slovak Foreign Ministry.
"...Haradinai said the Belgrade agreement
was a step toward the independence of
Kosovo and Metohija..."
YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY
Belgrade, 15. 3. 2002. No. 3674
(...follows...)
REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
- SERBIAN PREMIER RULES OUT EARLY ELECTIONS
- SERBIA'S DECISION ON COOPERATION WITH
ICTY TO BE APPLIED, SAYS BATIC
- US AMBASSADOR VISITS SOUTHERN SERBIA
KOSOVO METOHIJA
- KOSTUNICA-COALITION-RETURN:
CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK VIOLATED IN
SETTING UP OF KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
- FORMING OF MINISTRY FOR RETURN OF
DISPLACED - CONDITION FOR SERB
PARTICIPATION IN KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
- UNMIK CHIEF SAYS BORDER NOT UNDER
JURISDICTION OF KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
- SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT HAS NO
CONNECTION WITH KOSOVO STATUS, UNMIK
SPOKESWOMAN
- KOSOVO PREMIER WELCOMES
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT, URGES
KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE
- THACI-HARADINAI: SERBIA-MONTENEGRO
AGREEMENT WILL STEP UP RESOLVING OF
KOSOVO ISSUE
REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
SERBIAN PREMIER RULES OUT EARLY
ELECTIONS
SMEDEREVO, March 14 (Tanjug) - Serbian
Premier Zoran Djindjic said Thursday
evening in Smederevo, 100 km southeast
of Belgrade, that there would be no
early elections.
Elections are not the reason for this
meeting, and as far as the Serbian
government knows, there will be no
early elections, Djindjic said
addressing local officials.
Pointing to the results achieved by his
government over the past year in
changed political and economic
conditions, Djindjic said that channels
of international cooperation have been
reopened and that Serbia is regaining
its place in the world.
The Serbian government has given a
breath of fresh air to the country which
had been suffocating for a decade. No
country in the world can prosper in
isolation, Djindjic said.
Integration in Europe involves some
unpleasant aspects, such as cooperation
with the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia,
harmonization of economic and political
regulations with those in effect in
Europe, establishment of market
economy which must include
bankruptcies, fiscal discipline without
printing money, etc, Djindjic said.
SERBIA'S DECISION ON COOPERATION WITH
ICTY TO BE APPLIED, SAYS BATIC
BELGRADE, March 15 (Tanjug) - Serbian
Justice Minister Vladan Batic has
said that cooperation with the
International Criminal Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a must, but that,
since it is hardly likely a law on
cooperation with the ICTY will be
adopted at federal
level, the relevant decision of the
Serbian government will continue to be
applied.
Batic said there were no reports about
who was the next indicted person to
be sent to the ICTY, and that any
possible extraditions under the Serbian
government decision would be carried
out by the Interior Ministry. However,
it is known that the main indictees of
interest to the ICTY are "the
Vukovar troika and some of the closest
associates of (former Yugoslav
president) Slobodan Milosevic."
Appearing in a broadcast on
Belgrade-based BK TV late Thursday, Batic said
he did not believe a law on cooperation
with the ICTY would ever be
adopted, having in mind the ratio of
forces at the federal level and the
fact that the coalition partner of the
Democratic Opposition of Serbia
(DOS) - the Socialist People's Party
(SNP) "will not vote for a law which
would imply extraditions."
US AMBASSADOR VISITS SOUTHERN SERBIA
BUJANOVAC, March 14 (Beta) - U.S.
ambassador to Yugoslavia William
Montgomery and the coordinator for aid
to South-East Europe, William
Taylor, on March 14 visited southern
Serbia, where they held talks with
representatives of local authorities
and the state coordinating body for
southern Serbia.
At the Bujanovac municipal assembly,
Montgomery and Taylor spoke with
coordinating body representatives
Milisav Markovic, Milovan Coguric, and
Sima Gazikalovic.
After the meeting, Montgomery, his
associates and representatives of the
coordinating body visited the village
of Veliki Trnovac, and entirely
Albanian village of around 10,000
inhabitants.
"I have come to southern Serbia with
ambassador Taylor in order to see how
the situation is developing and what
more can be done. The whole time we
have been persistent in the
reconciliation process and we wish to
keep helping the process," Montgomery told
journalists in Veliki Trnovac.
KOSOVO METOHIJA
KOSTUNICA-COALITION-RETURN:
CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK VIOLATED IN
SETTING UP OF KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica
conferred in Belgrade on Thursday with
head of the Kosovo-Metohija
coordination centre Nebojsa Covic and
Serb coalition Return MPs about the
current political situation in Serbia's
southern province.
A statement released by the Yugoslav
president's office said that ways had
been discussed for overcoming the
present situation in order to ensure a
consistent implementation of UN
Security Council Resolution 1244,
constitutional framework and joint
document signed
by Yugoslav and Serbian authorities and
UNMIK.
Stress was laid on the fact that the
offer for an inadequate representation
of the Serb community in the provincial
government had been another serious
violation of the constitutional
framework and reservations were voiced
regarding the election of Bajram
Rexhepi as Kosovo Premier.
Serbs have thus been prevented from
taking part in the work of the
government that was set up in this way,
it was said.
President Kostunica stressed the
necessity of full unity within the Return
coalition and promotion of cooperation
with federal and republican
authorities, especially the
Kosovo-Metohija coordination centre and
its head Covic.
This is the only way to normalize the
position of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija,
to speed up the return of IDPs and
create conditions for a consistent
implementation of documents signed with
the international community and
UNMIK, the statement said.
FORMING OF MINISTRY FOR RETURN OF
DISPLACED - CONDITION FOR SERB
PARTICIPATION IN KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - The head of
the Coalition for Return caucus in
the Kosovo Assembly, Rada Trajkovic,
said that Serb representatives in the
Assembly and Yugoslav President
Vojislav Kostunica on March 14 agreed that
the condition for Serb participation in
the Kosovo government should be the
forming of a special ministry for the
return of the exiled and displaced.
"Together we insist that the Serbs,
until they get the ministry, should not
be involved in the Kosovo government,"
Trajkovic told BETA, adding that
Coalition for Return representatives
will acquaint UNMIK chief Michael
Steiner with the condition at their
meeting in Pristina, on March 19.
UNMIK CHIEF SAYS BORDER NOT UNDER
JURISDICTION OF KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Tanjug) - UNMIK
chief Michael Steiner said Thursday
in Washington that border issues are
not under the jurisdiction of the new
Kosovo government.
Steiner was addressing the press after
meeting US Secretary of State Colin
Powell Wednesday evening.
Referring to a recent statement by
Kosovo Premier Bairam Rexhepi that the
Yugoslav-Macedonian border agreement
should not be recognized, Steiner said
different views are one thing, and
reality is another, as the Security
Council has adopted a resolution
approved by the international community.
The UN Security Council endorsed the
Yugoslav-Macedonian border agreement
on February 25.
The UN SC Resolution 1244 clearly
states that the definite status of Kosovo
remains an open issue, but that Kosovo
is part of Yugoslavia, Steiner said
quoted by Radio Deutsche Welle.
Steiner noted that Powell had fully
approved the priorities he had
presented and that he has the full
support of the Bush administration
which is a great help.
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT HAS NO
CONNECTION WITH KOSOVO STATUS,
UNMIK SPOKESWOMAN
PRISTINA, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
agreement on future relations between
Serbia and Montenegro has no connection
whatsoever with the future status
of Kosovo which will be decided by the
UN Security Council, UNMIK
spokeswoman Susan Manuel said in
Pristina on Thursday.
Speaking to the Albanian-language
electronic media, Manuel said that the
issue of Kosovo's independence will not
be discussed over the next three
years and that this is not linked to
whether Serbia and Montenegro will
remain within a single Yugoslavia or
will be two separate states.
KOSOVO PREMIER WELCOMES
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT, URGES
KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE
PRISTINA, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
recently elected first Kosovo Premier
Bairam Rexhepi welcomed Thursday the
agreement reached by Serbia and
Montenegro as it was realized by
peaceful means and dialogue, not by
force.
Rexhepi however underlined that the
people of Kosovo-Metohija do not want
their future linked with an agreement
signed outside Kosovo and want the
province to be independent.
Rexhepi told a press conference after
meeting UNMIK deputy chief that his
government gives priority to getting
democratic institutions and making
them work, after which a definite
status can be tackled.
THACI-HARADINAI: SERBIA-MONTENEGRO
AGREEMENT WILL STEP UP RESOLVING OF
KOSOVO ISSUE
PRISTINA, March 15 (Tanjug) - The
leaders of two Kosovo-Metohija
parliamentary parties stemming from the
former Kosovo Liberation Army,
Hashim Thaci of the Democratic Party of
Kosovo and Ramush Haradinai of the
Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, said
late Thursday the agreement signed in
Belgrade that day by representatives of
Serbia and Montenegro and the federal
state would contribute to the
creation of an independent Kosovo.
Thaci welcomed what he described as an
expression of the will of the
peoples of Serbia and Montenegro, and
the political representatives of the
two republics. He said the Belgrade
agreement on restructuring relations
between the two republics could
contribute to a speedier resolving of
the issue of Kosovo.
"We have our programs and all citizens
have opted for the independence of
Kosovo, and it is not important whether
their wish will be realized already
tomorrow or in two-three years' time,"
Thaci said.
Haradinai said the Belgrade agreement
was a step toward the independence of
Kosovo and Metohija.
was a step toward the independence of
Kosovo and Metohija..."
YUGOSLAV DAILY SURVEY
Belgrade, 15. 3. 2002. No. 3674
(...follows...)
REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
- SERBIAN PREMIER RULES OUT EARLY ELECTIONS
- SERBIA'S DECISION ON COOPERATION WITH
ICTY TO BE APPLIED, SAYS BATIC
- US AMBASSADOR VISITS SOUTHERN SERBIA
KOSOVO METOHIJA
- KOSTUNICA-COALITION-RETURN:
CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK VIOLATED IN
SETTING UP OF KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
- FORMING OF MINISTRY FOR RETURN OF
DISPLACED - CONDITION FOR SERB
PARTICIPATION IN KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
- UNMIK CHIEF SAYS BORDER NOT UNDER
JURISDICTION OF KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
- SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT HAS NO
CONNECTION WITH KOSOVO STATUS, UNMIK
SPOKESWOMAN
- KOSOVO PREMIER WELCOMES
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT, URGES
KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE
- THACI-HARADINAI: SERBIA-MONTENEGRO
AGREEMENT WILL STEP UP RESOLVING OF
KOSOVO ISSUE
REPUBLIC OF SERBIA
SERBIAN PREMIER RULES OUT EARLY
ELECTIONS
SMEDEREVO, March 14 (Tanjug) - Serbian
Premier Zoran Djindjic said Thursday
evening in Smederevo, 100 km southeast
of Belgrade, that there would be no
early elections.
Elections are not the reason for this
meeting, and as far as the Serbian
government knows, there will be no
early elections, Djindjic said
addressing local officials.
Pointing to the results achieved by his
government over the past year in
changed political and economic
conditions, Djindjic said that channels
of international cooperation have been
reopened and that Serbia is regaining
its place in the world.
The Serbian government has given a
breath of fresh air to the country which
had been suffocating for a decade. No
country in the world can prosper in
isolation, Djindjic said.
Integration in Europe involves some
unpleasant aspects, such as cooperation
with the International Criminal
Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia,
harmonization of economic and political
regulations with those in effect in
Europe, establishment of market
economy which must include
bankruptcies, fiscal discipline without
printing money, etc, Djindjic said.
SERBIA'S DECISION ON COOPERATION WITH
ICTY TO BE APPLIED, SAYS BATIC
BELGRADE, March 15 (Tanjug) - Serbian
Justice Minister Vladan Batic has
said that cooperation with the
International Criminal Tribunal for former
Yugoslavia (ICTY) was a must, but that,
since it is hardly likely a law on
cooperation with the ICTY will be
adopted at federal
level, the relevant decision of the
Serbian government will continue to be
applied.
Batic said there were no reports about
who was the next indicted person to
be sent to the ICTY, and that any
possible extraditions under the Serbian
government decision would be carried
out by the Interior Ministry. However,
it is known that the main indictees of
interest to the ICTY are "the
Vukovar troika and some of the closest
associates of (former Yugoslav
president) Slobodan Milosevic."
Appearing in a broadcast on
Belgrade-based BK TV late Thursday, Batic said
he did not believe a law on cooperation
with the ICTY would ever be
adopted, having in mind the ratio of
forces at the federal level and the
fact that the coalition partner of the
Democratic Opposition of Serbia
(DOS) - the Socialist People's Party
(SNP) "will not vote for a law which
would imply extraditions."
US AMBASSADOR VISITS SOUTHERN SERBIA
BUJANOVAC, March 14 (Beta) - U.S.
ambassador to Yugoslavia William
Montgomery and the coordinator for aid
to South-East Europe, William
Taylor, on March 14 visited southern
Serbia, where they held talks with
representatives of local authorities
and the state coordinating body for
southern Serbia.
At the Bujanovac municipal assembly,
Montgomery and Taylor spoke with
coordinating body representatives
Milisav Markovic, Milovan Coguric, and
Sima Gazikalovic.
After the meeting, Montgomery, his
associates and representatives of the
coordinating body visited the village
of Veliki Trnovac, and entirely
Albanian village of around 10,000
inhabitants.
"I have come to southern Serbia with
ambassador Taylor in order to see how
the situation is developing and what
more can be done. The whole time we
have been persistent in the
reconciliation process and we wish to
keep helping the process," Montgomery told
journalists in Veliki Trnovac.
KOSOVO METOHIJA
KOSTUNICA-COALITION-RETURN:
CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK VIOLATED IN
SETTING UP OF KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
BELGRADE, March 14 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav
President Vojislav Kostunica
conferred in Belgrade on Thursday with
head of the Kosovo-Metohija
coordination centre Nebojsa Covic and
Serb coalition Return MPs about the
current political situation in Serbia's
southern province.
A statement released by the Yugoslav
president's office said that ways had
been discussed for overcoming the
present situation in order to ensure a
consistent implementation of UN
Security Council Resolution 1244,
constitutional framework and joint
document signed
by Yugoslav and Serbian authorities and
UNMIK.
Stress was laid on the fact that the
offer for an inadequate representation
of the Serb community in the provincial
government had been another serious
violation of the constitutional
framework and reservations were voiced
regarding the election of Bajram
Rexhepi as Kosovo Premier.
Serbs have thus been prevented from
taking part in the work of the
government that was set up in this way,
it was said.
President Kostunica stressed the
necessity of full unity within the Return
coalition and promotion of cooperation
with federal and republican
authorities, especially the
Kosovo-Metohija coordination centre and
its head Covic.
This is the only way to normalize the
position of Serbs in Kosovo-Metohija,
to speed up the return of IDPs and
create conditions for a consistent
implementation of documents signed with
the international community and
UNMIK, the statement said.
FORMING OF MINISTRY FOR RETURN OF
DISPLACED - CONDITION FOR SERB
PARTICIPATION IN KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
BELGRADE, March 14 (Beta) - The head of
the Coalition for Return caucus in
the Kosovo Assembly, Rada Trajkovic,
said that Serb representatives in the
Assembly and Yugoslav President
Vojislav Kostunica on March 14 agreed that
the condition for Serb participation in
the Kosovo government should be the
forming of a special ministry for the
return of the exiled and displaced.
"Together we insist that the Serbs,
until they get the ministry, should not
be involved in the Kosovo government,"
Trajkovic told BETA, adding that
Coalition for Return representatives
will acquaint UNMIK chief Michael
Steiner with the condition at their
meeting in Pristina, on March 19.
UNMIK CHIEF SAYS BORDER NOT UNDER
JURISDICTION OF KOSOVO GOVERNMENT
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Tanjug) - UNMIK
chief Michael Steiner said Thursday
in Washington that border issues are
not under the jurisdiction of the new
Kosovo government.
Steiner was addressing the press after
meeting US Secretary of State Colin
Powell Wednesday evening.
Referring to a recent statement by
Kosovo Premier Bairam Rexhepi that the
Yugoslav-Macedonian border agreement
should not be recognized, Steiner said
different views are one thing, and
reality is another, as the Security
Council has adopted a resolution
approved by the international community.
The UN Security Council endorsed the
Yugoslav-Macedonian border agreement
on February 25.
The UN SC Resolution 1244 clearly
states that the definite status of Kosovo
remains an open issue, but that Kosovo
is part of Yugoslavia, Steiner said
quoted by Radio Deutsche Welle.
Steiner noted that Powell had fully
approved the priorities he had
presented and that he has the full
support of the Bush administration
which is a great help.
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT HAS NO
CONNECTION WITH KOSOVO STATUS,
UNMIK SPOKESWOMAN
PRISTINA, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
agreement on future relations between
Serbia and Montenegro has no connection
whatsoever with the future status
of Kosovo which will be decided by the
UN Security Council, UNMIK
spokeswoman Susan Manuel said in
Pristina on Thursday.
Speaking to the Albanian-language
electronic media, Manuel said that the
issue of Kosovo's independence will not
be discussed over the next three
years and that this is not linked to
whether Serbia and Montenegro will
remain within a single Yugoslavia or
will be two separate states.
KOSOVO PREMIER WELCOMES
SERBIA-MONTENEGRO AGREEMENT, URGES
KOSOVO INDEPENDENCE
PRISTINA, March 14 (Tanjug) - The
recently elected first Kosovo Premier
Bairam Rexhepi welcomed Thursday the
agreement reached by Serbia and
Montenegro as it was realized by
peaceful means and dialogue, not by
force.
Rexhepi however underlined that the
people of Kosovo-Metohija do not want
their future linked with an agreement
signed outside Kosovo and want the
province to be independent.
Rexhepi told a press conference after
meeting UNMIK deputy chief that his
government gives priority to getting
democratic institutions and making
them work, after which a definite
status can be tackled.
THACI-HARADINAI: SERBIA-MONTENEGRO
AGREEMENT WILL STEP UP RESOLVING OF
KOSOVO ISSUE
PRISTINA, March 15 (Tanjug) - The
leaders of two Kosovo-Metohija
parliamentary parties stemming from the
former Kosovo Liberation Army,
Hashim Thaci of the Democratic Party of
Kosovo and Ramush Haradinai of the
Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, said
late Thursday the agreement signed in
Belgrade that day by representatives of
Serbia and Montenegro and the federal
state would contribute to the
creation of an independent Kosovo.
Thaci welcomed what he described as an
expression of the will of the
peoples of Serbia and Montenegro, and
the political representatives of the
two republics. He said the Belgrade
agreement on restructuring relations
between the two republics could
contribute to a speedier resolving of
the issue of Kosovo.
"We have our programs and all citizens
have opted for the independence of
Kosovo, and it is not important whether
their wish will be realized already
tomorrow or in two-three years' time,"
Thaci said.
Haradinai said the Belgrade agreement
was a step toward the independence of
Kosovo and Metohija.
> http://www.antiwar.com/malic/m031402.html
March 14, 2002
Nebojsa Malic
A Superbly Organized Crime
Imperial Occupation of the Balkans
The Voice of America, Empire's official propaganda
broadcasting service, reported this Monday that NATO
pledged to "crack down on organized crime in Kosovo."
Well, that's just wonderful. NATO stormtroopers should
be knocking down the door of their Secretary-General
any minute now, along with the entire state leadership
of Britain, France, Germany - and oh yes, the United
States. Not that we should hold our breath.
It is Lord George Robertson himself the VOA report
quotes, claiming that "criminal groups made Kosovo a
center for drug smuggling, arms contraband and the
trafficking of human beings." He also said these
groups were "undermining progress made in the province
since the U.N. and NATO took charge of the
administration there nearly three years ago" and
"stealing Kosovo's future from its people."
How can this be, Your Lordship? Did these groups
appear before 1999, when the "clearly terrorist" KLA
was attacking police officers and civilians with
weapons bought with drug funds? Or after, when NATO's
intervention brought the KLA into power? Did they
spring up as part of "resistance" to Serbia, or under
the protection of NATO occupation troops? Shocking!
And since the "people of Kosovo" are routinely
referred to as "Kosovars," and that in turn is a
synonym for "Albanian," is Robertson saying these
"gangs" are Serbs?
Organized And Other Crimes
Not exactly. It turns out "several ethnic Albanian
politicians are suspected of being linked to the
gangs." Like who? Hashim Taqi, head of the KLA,
nicknamed "Snake" for assassinating his rivals? Agim
Ceku, former general in the Croatian army who
specialized in ethnic cleansing? Bajram Rexhepi, the
current Prime Minister, who is said to have
decapitated a Serb prisoner during the NATO-KLA "war
of liberation"? Robertson does not say, and neither
does the VOA. All that matters is that NATO (good) is
pledging to fight some unspecified organized crime
(bad).
NATO has committed the worst crime under international
law by attacking Yugoslavia in 1999 to begin with. It
has occupied Kosovo for three years, with 50,000
troops and God only knows how many civilian clerks. It
watched (even helped?) as 300,000 non-Albanians were
driven out of the province, and their homes looted,
seized or torched. It stood idly by as over 100
Serbian churches and thousands of other cultural
monuments were destroyed. It did nothing as scores of
Albanians were murdered by their fellow Albanians. It
intervened to legitimize the Albanian bandits as they
seized a part of Macedonia, and forced the government
in Skopje to give them special rights. It has
tolerated (fueled?) the explosion of sex slavery, gun-
and drug-running in Kosovo since 1999. After all this,
how can anyone in their right mind believe NATO is
against "organized crime"? Please.
Fudding Around in Bosnia
Two weeks ago, NATO stormtroopers descended on a Serb
hamlet in Eastern Bosnia. They smashed doors on
houses, ransacked a church, held schoolchildren and
teachers hostage, and turned the entire village upside
down. They were looking for Radovan Karadzic, wartime
leader of the Bosnian Serbs accused by The Hague
Inquisition of genocide and other war crimes. He was
nowhere to be found, though.
If the raid itself was ugly, the aftermath was even
uglier. The fuming Americans accused the French of
tipping Karadzic off. The Associated Press blamed the
Bosnian Serbs. Everyone was trying to shift blame from
NATO - and more specifically the US troops, who were
behind the operation - and ignore the obvious. The
entire affair looked like one of Elmer Fudd's
hare-hunts, as NATO spokesman Mark Laity - former BBC
"journalist" who found his true calling as paid
mouthpiece of the Alliance - told his former
colleagues, "Shhh, we'we hunting waw cwiminaws," and
pretended nothing was wrong when the whole thing
exploded in their faces.
This sudden interest in catching Karadzic and his
former military commander, General Ratko Mladic, might
have more to do with Empire's propaganda needs than
with some imaginary effort to "help Bosnia heal."
Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen brazenly
suggested back in November that Karadzic and Mladic
should be "bagged" to show the Muslim world the US is
after other people, too. And in a Sunday Telegraph
guest column on March 10, former BBC editor John
Simpson made a direct comparison between Karadzic and
Osama Bin Laden. Ironic, given that Osama's mujahedin
fought against Karadzic's troops in Bosnia - but hey,
back then they were our terrorists, not yet Evil
Incarnate.
What, Me Unhappy?
Given Bosnia's realities under NATO occupation, should
it be surprising that some Serbs sympathize with
Karadzic? Just one glance at recent headlines offers a
plethora of clues. Muslim leaders still advocate a
monolithic state in which they would be a majority - a
fixation that caused the 1992-95 war. Croats have
named a major new bridge after Croatia's late
president Franjo Tudjman, whose troops invaded Bosnia
in 1992 and are responsible for many atrocities
against Serbs and Muslims. Serb and Croat cemeteries
in Muslim-dominated areas have been desecrated. At US
behest, Islamic charities are raided and their assets
seized under suspicion of links with terrorism. Yet
the Bosnian Prime Minister found time to thank Iran
for its support to "the Bosnian people" during the
war. Iran sent money, weapons and volunteers to the
Bosnian Muslims, not the Bosnian "people" - unless
those two have somehow come to mean the same thing,
just as the Muslim integrationists have been
advocating all along...
Besides, it is extremely difficult to find Karadzic's
methods of waging war objectionable now that NATO has
made them legitimate. Bombing civilians, starving them
out and depriving them of food, water and other
supplies, killing journalists and targeting hospitals
is wrong regardless of who does it - it can't be wrong
only if Karadzic and Mladic are accused of it, and
acceptable if NATO pilots are pulling the trigger.
With all that in mind, favoring Karadzic over his
persecutors is actually a drop of reason in the vast
sea of insanity that is the Bosnian protectorate.
Earlier this week, twelve Bosnian police officers were
fired by the UN police oversight mission, because they
had helped organized a post office robbery in order to
foil it and thus gain recognition. Now where could
they have possibly gotten that idea??
Instances of Advanced Dementia
Events in Macedonia and Serbia further prove the
extent to which the Empire's all-pervading presence
has already corrupted all aspects of Balkans life,
beginning with the process of logical thinking.
Vlado Popovski, Macedonia's defense minister, told the
national radio last week that the country's only
future was in joining NATO and the EU. According to
him, this would be the only way to stabilize the
country and the region. Even if they did not admit
Macedonia, he averred, the Skopje government would
still implement all of their practices and demands, so
it could be a virtual member.
Has Mr. Popovski by any chance lain his hands on some
primo Afghan heroin the Albanian mafia specializes in
smuggling through his country? NATO and the EU have
just about destroyed Macedonia by giving aid and
comfort to the Albanian militants. Last week,
Macedonian police discovered irrefutable proof that
international terrorists were at work in the country,
aiding the UCK. Now the man who should be in charge of
defending Macedonia advocates joining the sponsors of
Macedonia's destruction?
Under Zoran the Foul, Serbia has long been a
logic-free zone. Recent news from another official
Imperial propaganda outlet, Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty, is thus not surprising, though it is superbly
ironic. RFE/RL reported last week that Djindjic's
government has started a campaign against corruption,
one criticized as not serious enough by the
"government watchdog" organization Otpor. This is the
same Zoran Djindjic who sold Slobodan Milosevic to the
Hague Inquisition in exchange for empty promises of
financial aid. This is the same Otpor which was
organized and funded by the CIA to topple Milosevic's
government. And they are investigating corruption?
Good luck.
The Obvious Truth
It takes a major case of block-headedness to ignore
the obvious: the Empire is the source of most Balkans
problems, and thus cannot - now or ever - provide a
solution to them. Like those police officers in
Bosnia, who probably only sought to please their
foreign masters by demonstrating "efficiency," the
Imperial occupiers of the Balkans seek credibility by
claiming to be "solving" problems their very presence
is responsible for creating.
Just look at the facts. Terrorism, smuggling, graft,
slavery, drug-running, murder and prostitution - were
there any in the former Yugoslavia prior to 1991, when
outside forces first intervened in local disputes? No
more than elsewhere in Europe, and often less. Now,
after ten years of Imperial meddling, and thanks to
the presence of at least 100,000 foreign occupiers
(civilian and military), the place is a den of darkest
depravity.
The truth speaks for itself. It is the masters of lies
who make it seem otherwise.
March 14, 2002
Nebojsa Malic
A Superbly Organized Crime
Imperial Occupation of the Balkans
The Voice of America, Empire's official propaganda
broadcasting service, reported this Monday that NATO
pledged to "crack down on organized crime in Kosovo."
Well, that's just wonderful. NATO stormtroopers should
be knocking down the door of their Secretary-General
any minute now, along with the entire state leadership
of Britain, France, Germany - and oh yes, the United
States. Not that we should hold our breath.
It is Lord George Robertson himself the VOA report
quotes, claiming that "criminal groups made Kosovo a
center for drug smuggling, arms contraband and the
trafficking of human beings." He also said these
groups were "undermining progress made in the province
since the U.N. and NATO took charge of the
administration there nearly three years ago" and
"stealing Kosovo's future from its people."
How can this be, Your Lordship? Did these groups
appear before 1999, when the "clearly terrorist" KLA
was attacking police officers and civilians with
weapons bought with drug funds? Or after, when NATO's
intervention brought the KLA into power? Did they
spring up as part of "resistance" to Serbia, or under
the protection of NATO occupation troops? Shocking!
And since the "people of Kosovo" are routinely
referred to as "Kosovars," and that in turn is a
synonym for "Albanian," is Robertson saying these
"gangs" are Serbs?
Organized And Other Crimes
Not exactly. It turns out "several ethnic Albanian
politicians are suspected of being linked to the
gangs." Like who? Hashim Taqi, head of the KLA,
nicknamed "Snake" for assassinating his rivals? Agim
Ceku, former general in the Croatian army who
specialized in ethnic cleansing? Bajram Rexhepi, the
current Prime Minister, who is said to have
decapitated a Serb prisoner during the NATO-KLA "war
of liberation"? Robertson does not say, and neither
does the VOA. All that matters is that NATO (good) is
pledging to fight some unspecified organized crime
(bad).
NATO has committed the worst crime under international
law by attacking Yugoslavia in 1999 to begin with. It
has occupied Kosovo for three years, with 50,000
troops and God only knows how many civilian clerks. It
watched (even helped?) as 300,000 non-Albanians were
driven out of the province, and their homes looted,
seized or torched. It stood idly by as over 100
Serbian churches and thousands of other cultural
monuments were destroyed. It did nothing as scores of
Albanians were murdered by their fellow Albanians. It
intervened to legitimize the Albanian bandits as they
seized a part of Macedonia, and forced the government
in Skopje to give them special rights. It has
tolerated (fueled?) the explosion of sex slavery, gun-
and drug-running in Kosovo since 1999. After all this,
how can anyone in their right mind believe NATO is
against "organized crime"? Please.
Fudding Around in Bosnia
Two weeks ago, NATO stormtroopers descended on a Serb
hamlet in Eastern Bosnia. They smashed doors on
houses, ransacked a church, held schoolchildren and
teachers hostage, and turned the entire village upside
down. They were looking for Radovan Karadzic, wartime
leader of the Bosnian Serbs accused by The Hague
Inquisition of genocide and other war crimes. He was
nowhere to be found, though.
If the raid itself was ugly, the aftermath was even
uglier. The fuming Americans accused the French of
tipping Karadzic off. The Associated Press blamed the
Bosnian Serbs. Everyone was trying to shift blame from
NATO - and more specifically the US troops, who were
behind the operation - and ignore the obvious. The
entire affair looked like one of Elmer Fudd's
hare-hunts, as NATO spokesman Mark Laity - former BBC
"journalist" who found his true calling as paid
mouthpiece of the Alliance - told his former
colleagues, "Shhh, we'we hunting waw cwiminaws," and
pretended nothing was wrong when the whole thing
exploded in their faces.
This sudden interest in catching Karadzic and his
former military commander, General Ratko Mladic, might
have more to do with Empire's propaganda needs than
with some imaginary effort to "help Bosnia heal."
Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen brazenly
suggested back in November that Karadzic and Mladic
should be "bagged" to show the Muslim world the US is
after other people, too. And in a Sunday Telegraph
guest column on March 10, former BBC editor John
Simpson made a direct comparison between Karadzic and
Osama Bin Laden. Ironic, given that Osama's mujahedin
fought against Karadzic's troops in Bosnia - but hey,
back then they were our terrorists, not yet Evil
Incarnate.
What, Me Unhappy?
Given Bosnia's realities under NATO occupation, should
it be surprising that some Serbs sympathize with
Karadzic? Just one glance at recent headlines offers a
plethora of clues. Muslim leaders still advocate a
monolithic state in which they would be a majority - a
fixation that caused the 1992-95 war. Croats have
named a major new bridge after Croatia's late
president Franjo Tudjman, whose troops invaded Bosnia
in 1992 and are responsible for many atrocities
against Serbs and Muslims. Serb and Croat cemeteries
in Muslim-dominated areas have been desecrated. At US
behest, Islamic charities are raided and their assets
seized under suspicion of links with terrorism. Yet
the Bosnian Prime Minister found time to thank Iran
for its support to "the Bosnian people" during the
war. Iran sent money, weapons and volunteers to the
Bosnian Muslims, not the Bosnian "people" - unless
those two have somehow come to mean the same thing,
just as the Muslim integrationists have been
advocating all along...
Besides, it is extremely difficult to find Karadzic's
methods of waging war objectionable now that NATO has
made them legitimate. Bombing civilians, starving them
out and depriving them of food, water and other
supplies, killing journalists and targeting hospitals
is wrong regardless of who does it - it can't be wrong
only if Karadzic and Mladic are accused of it, and
acceptable if NATO pilots are pulling the trigger.
With all that in mind, favoring Karadzic over his
persecutors is actually a drop of reason in the vast
sea of insanity that is the Bosnian protectorate.
Earlier this week, twelve Bosnian police officers were
fired by the UN police oversight mission, because they
had helped organized a post office robbery in order to
foil it and thus gain recognition. Now where could
they have possibly gotten that idea??
Instances of Advanced Dementia
Events in Macedonia and Serbia further prove the
extent to which the Empire's all-pervading presence
has already corrupted all aspects of Balkans life,
beginning with the process of logical thinking.
Vlado Popovski, Macedonia's defense minister, told the
national radio last week that the country's only
future was in joining NATO and the EU. According to
him, this would be the only way to stabilize the
country and the region. Even if they did not admit
Macedonia, he averred, the Skopje government would
still implement all of their practices and demands, so
it could be a virtual member.
Has Mr. Popovski by any chance lain his hands on some
primo Afghan heroin the Albanian mafia specializes in
smuggling through his country? NATO and the EU have
just about destroyed Macedonia by giving aid and
comfort to the Albanian militants. Last week,
Macedonian police discovered irrefutable proof that
international terrorists were at work in the country,
aiding the UCK. Now the man who should be in charge of
defending Macedonia advocates joining the sponsors of
Macedonia's destruction?
Under Zoran the Foul, Serbia has long been a
logic-free zone. Recent news from another official
Imperial propaganda outlet, Radio Free Europe/Radio
Liberty, is thus not surprising, though it is superbly
ironic. RFE/RL reported last week that Djindjic's
government has started a campaign against corruption,
one criticized as not serious enough by the
"government watchdog" organization Otpor. This is the
same Zoran Djindjic who sold Slobodan Milosevic to the
Hague Inquisition in exchange for empty promises of
financial aid. This is the same Otpor which was
organized and funded by the CIA to topple Milosevic's
government. And they are investigating corruption?
Good luck.
The Obvious Truth
It takes a major case of block-headedness to ignore
the obvious: the Empire is the source of most Balkans
problems, and thus cannot - now or ever - provide a
solution to them. Like those police officers in
Bosnia, who probably only sought to please their
foreign masters by demonstrating "efficiency," the
Imperial occupiers of the Balkans seek credibility by
claiming to be "solving" problems their very presence
is responsible for creating.
Just look at the facts. Terrorism, smuggling, graft,
slavery, drug-running, murder and prostitution - were
there any in the former Yugoslavia prior to 1991, when
outside forces first intervened in local disputes? No
more than elsewhere in Europe, and often less. Now,
after ten years of Imperial meddling, and thanks to
the presence of at least 100,000 foreign occupiers
(civilian and military), the place is a den of darkest
depravity.
The truth speaks for itself. It is the masters of lies
who make it seem otherwise.
