Epilogh OMRI Daily Digest, No. 37, Part II, 21 Feb 95 [**]

1. * EU COMMISSION: EASTERN EUROPE LACKS INFRASTRUCTURE TO JOIN EU.
2. * VAN DER STOEL VISITS MACEDONIA AFTER TETOVO CLASHES.
3. . DID THE UN IMAGINE AIRCRAFT NEAR TUZLA?
4. . BOSNIAN AND KRAJINA SERBS FORM JOINT WAR COUNCIL.
5. . CROATIAN UPDATE.
6. . IMF AND WORLD BANK OFFICIALS IN BULGARIA.
7. ** GREECE DEPORTS ILLEGAL ALBANIAN IMMIGRANTS.

OMRI DAILY DIGEST

No. 37, Part II, 21 February 1995

EAST-CENTRAL EUROPE

1. EU COMMISSION: EASTERN EUROPE LACKS INFRASTRUCTURE TO JOIN EU.
   An internal European Union Commission document, leaked to the news agency Reuters, states that Eastern Europe lacks the institutions and infrastructure to join the EU. Reuters on 17 February reported the document as saying that attempts by the East European countries to adopt EU rules "would be an empty exercise if the organizational and institutional structures which must underpin the measures are absent." -- Michael Mihalka, OMRI, Inc.

   SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE

2. VAN DER STOEL VISITS MACEDONIA AFTER TETOVO CLASHES.
   OSCE High Commissioner for Minorities Max van der Stoel called for restraint following clashes between ethnic Albanians and Macedonian police sparked by the crackdown on the self-proclaimed Albanian-language University in Tetovo. Van der Stoel met with President Kiro Gligorov and advocated a more comprehensive law on higher education. He also met with Abdurrahman Aliti, leader of the Party of Democratic Prosperity, and other Albanian representatives, Flaka reported on 21 February. Following the police crackdown, one ethnic Albanian died in armed riots and seven were sentenced to 30 days in prison for disturbing the peace. The Democratic Forum of Gostivar on 20 February released a statement saying police raided the forum's office on 17 February, destroyed furniture, and arrested activists. Meanwhile, vandals demolished 30 tombstones in a Moslem graveyard in Kumanovo, international agencies reported on 20 February. Macedonian Radio linked the incident to the clashes in Tetovo. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.

3. DID THE UN IMAGINE AIRCRAFT NEAR TUZLA?
   The Washington Post reports on 21 February about disputes between the UN and NATO over violations of the no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The newspaper points out that all sides use aircraft freely because they know there is no serious possibility that NATO planes will go after them. In the latest development, UN observers recently saw large transport aircraft of uncertain origin unload high-tech equipment for Bosnian government forces near Tuzla. NATO, however, said that no such mission took place and asked the UN to change its report. The newspaper suggests that NATO is trying to get the UN to cover up for its own incompetence. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

4. BOSNIAN AND KRAJINA SERBS FORM JOINT WAR COUNCIL.
   Nasa Borba says on 21 February that Bosnian and Krajina Serbs set up a joint military council at Banja Luka the previous day. Their respective leaders, Radovan Karadzic and Milan Martic, announced the setting up of the Supreme Defense Council, which provides for joint defense and mutual assistance in keeping with a 1993 pact between the two rebel Serbian states. Elsewhere in Bosnia, international media report that Krajina Serbs on 20 February stopped a UN relief convoy heading for Bihac and forced it to Velika Kladusa, which is under the control of local kingpin Fikret Abdic. The Serbs had promised to let the relief vehicles through to the besieged town, where some 20% of the population is reportedly threatened with starvation. The BBC on 21 February said the UN is trying to negotiate the release and safe passage of the convoy. Finally, news agencies report a sharp increase in fighting on 20 February in the narrow but strategic Posavina corridor in northern Bosnia. The route provides a land bridge between Serbia, on the one hand, and Serb-held territories in Bosnia and Croatia on the other. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

5. CROATIAN UPDATE.
   Vecernji list on 18 February reported that Prime Minister Nikica Valentic visited Istria to discuss the peninsula's economic development. Istria has a strong regional movement that is at odds with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, who regards any form of regionalism as virtually identical with secession. The Constitutional Court last month struck out key passages of a regional statute that would have provided wide autonomy for Istria and its Italian minority. Valentic's visit was obviously aimed at repairing some of the political damage caused by the court's ruling. Meanwhile, Vjesnik on 20 February noted that the Roman Catholic Church would welcome the introduction of private television. The ruling Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) has tried to maintain a virtual monopoly on the electronic media, with most exceptions limited to entertainment programs. Also on 20 February, Novi list reported on the latest congress of the right-wing Croatian Party of Historic Rights, led by Dobroslav Paraga. He used the occasion to stress his party's historic support for an alliance of Muslims and Croats and to lambaste the HDZ. Two leading politicians from the left of center, Stipe Mesic and Silvije Degen, likewise railed against the ruling party. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.

6. IMF AND WORLD BANK OFFICIALS IN BULGARIA.
   Delegations from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank asked for further price hikes on electricity, according to the Bulgarian press on 21 February. Kontinent reported that the delegations, on a working visit to Sofia, asked for price increases twice as high as those announced by the Bulgarian government on 16 February. Bulgaria agreed to raise the price from 1.9 to 3.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. In return, the IMF and the World Bank agreed to lend Bulgaria $93 million for improvements in the country's power sector. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.

7. GREECE DEPORTS ILLEGAL ALBANIAN IMMIGRANTS.
   Greece rounded up and deported 889 illegal Albanian immigrants on 18-19 February, Reuters reported. According to a police spokesman, the move followed an increase in the number of Albanians trying to cross illegally into Greece. Border patrols have reportedly been reinforced. About 300,000 illegal immigrants from Albania are working in Greece. Meanwhile, Albanian Deputy Foreign Minister Arjan Starova has confirmed that Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias will visit Albania in March. Starova said he expects the talks to focus on Albania's Greek minority, Albanian immigrants in Greece, and border issues. -- Fabian Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.

[As of 12:00 CET] Compiled by Jan Cleave