DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BRUSSELS AND WASHINGTON OVER YUGOSLAV SUMMIT. Nasa
Borba reports on 7 February that EU foreign ministers the previous day
agreed in Brussels to endorse the French proposal for yet another major
international gathering to deal with the ongoing crisis in the former
Yugoslavia. Guests would include Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic,
his Croatian counterpart, Franjo Tudjman, and Bosnia's Alija
Izetbegovic. Politika writes that Izetbegovic would be invited only in
his capacity as leader of the Bosnian Muslims, however, not as the
president of an internationally recognized state. The pro-Milosevic
daily also notes approvingly that one of the goals of the meeting, which
would aim at no less than a global solution to the former Yugoslavia's
problems, would be to deepen the isolation of Bosnian Serb leader
Radovan Karadzic. Reuters reports, however, that US Secretary of State
Warren Christopher continues to be skeptical about such a gathering. He
warns against having too great expectations and stresses that such a
meeting must be very carefully prepared. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.
OTHER NEWS FROM THE YUGOSLAV WAR ZONE. The BBC's Croatian Service on 7
February quoted US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke as
saying that further talks with the Bosnian Serbs are pointless unless
they first accept the current peace plan. Holbrooke is regarded as the
architect of recent US policy stressing the need for direct contacts
with Karadzic's headquarters at Pale. Meanwhile in Belgrade, Politika
deals with official Serbia's response to Dutch UNPROFOR reports from 3
February that up to 20 helicopters have flown missions from Serbia to
eastern Bosnia. The daily quotes the rump Yugoslav General Staff as
denying that it has any military presence beyond its own borders.
Finally, from the Croatian battle front, Vjensik quotes UNPROFOR sources
as saying that 5 February witnessed a record number of violations--168
in all--of the cease-fire agreement between Croatia and its rebel Serbs.
-- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.
CROATIAN AGRARIAN LEADER DIES. Croatian Radio on 6 February announced
the death the previous day following a long illness of Drago Stipac
(74), the leader of the Croatian Peasant Party (HSS). Amid the collapse
of communism, Stipac was instrumental in reviving the HSS, which was the
most important political party in Croatia between the two world wars. He
never achieved his dream of returning the HSS to the center stage of
political life, but it did acquire a strong following in some rural
areas and plays a role in local and regional government there. Stipac
and his party were also prominent on the fragmented political opposition
scene. A lifelong supporter of the HSS who was jailed by both the
fascists and the communists for his beliefs, Stipac was also a past
president of the Croatian Society of Political Prisoners. -- Patrick
Moore, OMRI, Inc.
PRESS CAMPAIGN FOR SERBIAN COLONIZATION OF KOSOVO. The Serbian
government-controlled daily Borba has launched a media campaign to
support a government program offering potential Serbian settlers
interest-free credits to build houses in Kosovo. The paper carried two
articles on 7 February calling for more Serbian settlements in Kosovo.
One article reported about an economist from Pristina who wrote a letter
to Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic offering to exchange his house
in Serbia proper for one in Kosovo and to move back. The other,
headlined "Kosovo Is Serbian," dealt with Radmilo Bogdanovic, president
of the Serbian parliament Security Committee and a former interior
minister. Bogdanovic has tried to convince Serbs to settle in Kosovo,
saying that "the situation of public order, peace, and personal security
in Kosmet (Kosovo-Metohija) is not always satisfactory . . . but it is
safer, for example, than in Belgrade or Kragujevac." Independent Nasa
Borba on 7 February raises doubts about the program, arguing that it
does not make sense to settle people to a region that already is densely
populated and where most industry has stopped working. -- Fabian
Schmidt, OMRI, Inc.
RUSSIAN DELEGATION VISITS RUMP YUGOSLAVIA. A Russian delegation headed
by Deputy Premier Oleg Davydov visited the rump Yugoslavia on 6
February, state-controlled Borba reported the next day. Davydov met with
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and the prime ministers of Serbia
and Montenegro to discuss economic relations between rump Yugoslavia and
Russia and the international sanctions against Belgrade. The delegation
supported the idea of lifting the sanctions, observing that the
international community's hesitation to do so "imperils peace and
security on the wider European scene." -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
MACEDONIAN ETHNIC ALBANIANS WALK OUT OF PARLIAMENT COMMISSION. Four
ethnic Albanian deputies walked out of the legislative commission of the
Mace-donian parliament, Nova Makedonija reports on 7 February. They did
so to protest a bill on identity cards, which, they claim, limits ethnic
minorities' rights. The deputies were demanding that the identity cards
be printed in the language of the holder. Present regulations provide
for cards to be printed only in Mace-donian. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI,
Inc.
BULGARIA THREATENED BY EPIDEMICS? Duma on 6 February reports that if
Sofia's water supplies do not increase, the capital may be threatened by
epidemics capable of spreading across Bulgaria. Sofia has been suffering
water shortages for several months and faces strict regulations since
January. Construction of a new water pipeline linking rivers in the Rila
Mountains to the Iskar dam has been halted since residents of the
Sapareva Banya region formed a human chain on 23 December and prevented
workers from entering the construction site. Deputy Prime Minister
Doncho Konakchiev said the government will take the Sapareva Banya City
Council to court if it does not rescind its 5 February decision to halt
the project, Standart reported. The government decided on 6 February
that work on the pipeline is to continue and that the pipeline will be
ready by 20 March, Duma reported the next day. Meanwhile, Sofia
University specialists claim they have proof that the present crisis was
caused deliberately and does not result from a lack of water, Kontinent
wrote on 6 February. They say the water in the Iskar dam is sufficient
to cover the needs of Sofia's population and industry. -- Stefan Krause,
OMRI, Inc.
BULGARIA'S 1995 DRAFT BUDGET. The first draft of the 1995 state budget
has been submitted to the cabinet by Finance Minister Dimitar Kostov,
Kontinent reports on 7 February. Revenues are estimated at 321 billion
leva ($4.8 billion) and expenditures at 348 billion leva ($5.2 billion).
The estimated budget deficit of 27 billion leva ($400 million) equals 3-
3.5% of estimated GDP. Inflation is projected to reach 40-50% in 1995
(the government estimated inflation at 35-40% in 1994, but it reached
121%). The draft budget is to be discussed later this month. Prime
Minister Zhan Videnov has said the 1995 budget has top priority and will
be passed by the end of March. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CALLS FOR FAIR TRIAL IN ALBANIA. The U.S.-based
organization Human Rights Watch/Helsinki called on the Albanian High
Court to maintain the highest standards of impartiality in the trial of
four ethnic Greeks to begin on 8 February. The Greeks are accused of
espionage and illegal possession of arms. In a press release on 7
February, the organization criticized an earlier lower court trial of
the Greeks for its "numerous violations of both Albanian and
international law." It also criticized the conditions of arrest,
treatment under detention, denial of defendants' access to counsel, and
the failure to ensure a fair and public trial. The Greeks were sentenced
to between six and eight years, but their terms were reduced and one of
the accused was released in an amnesty in November and December. Freeing
the remaining four may be welcomed by President Sali Berisha, who is
under pressure from Greece to release the prisoners. But Berisha has
said he will not challenge the court's decisions. -- Fabian Schmidt,
OMRI, Inc.
[As of 12:00 CET] Compiled by Jan Cleave