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Yugoslav Daily Survey, 98-06-19

Yugoslav Daily Survey Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Yugoslavia <http://www.yugoslavia.com>

Yugoslav Daily Survey


CONTENTS

  • [01] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC VISITS BELGIUM
  • [02] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ABDUCT TWO SERBIAN POWER COMPANY EMPLOYEES
  • [03] RUSSIA'S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTERS TO TRAVEL TO YUGOSLAVIA AND ALBANIA
  • [04] YUGOSLAV SOLDIER DIES IN AN ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORIST ATTACK
  • [05] WASHINGTON TELLS KOSOVO SEPARATISTS TO ABANDON THE IDEA OF INDEPENDENCE
  • [06] RAKHMANIN: G-8 EXPECTS ETHNIC ALBANIANS TO RENOUNCE TERRORISM
  • [07] VUCIC: GOVERNMENT DEMANDS URGENT RESUMPTION OF DIALOGUE
  • [08] SERGEYEV: POLITICAL METHODS TO SOLVE THE KOSMET ISSUE ARE NOT EXHAUSTED
  • [09] SERBIAN MINISTER RECEIVES SLOVAK AMBASSADOR
  • [10] SERBIAN EDUCATION MINISTER RECEIVED THE NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR
  • [11] SERBIAN DELEGATION VISITS CHINA'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
  • [12] TERRORISTS ATTACK A REFUGEE SETTLEMENT
  • [13] SERBIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER RECEIVED THE NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR
  • [14] ROMANIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY DELEGATION VISITS YUGOSLAVIA
  • [15] STATEMENTS OF YUGOSLAV AND BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS
  • [16] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC ARRIVES IN LUXEMBOURG

  • [01] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC VISITS BELGIUM

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    The talks the Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic held on Thursd ay with Belgian officials passed in an open and friendly atmosphere, with both sides stressing an interest to promote all forms of cooperation bet ween FR Yugoslavia and Belgium.

    Minister Jovanovic is on an official visit to Belgium at the invitation of Foreign Minister Eric Derycke.

    Jovanovic talked on Thursday with his host, and previously he met with B elgian Senate President Frank Swaelen. Also taking part in the talks were Belgian Parliament Lower House President Van der Maelen and Parliament F oreign Policy Committee Chairman Herman de Fraje.

    The visit of the Yugoslav Foreign Minister comes within regular politica l contacts and dialogue at the ministerial level and confirms the mutual interest to give additional impetus to the cooperation of the two countri es.

    Talking to journalists after the talks the two ministers * Derycke and J ovanovic underlined the importance of the talks held today and their open and constructive character.

    In the talks Minister Jovanovic held with Belgian officials the priority was given to the promotion of economic cooperation through trade, joint investments, industrial cooperation and direct linking of economic subjec ts and large firms of the two countries.

    The ministers showed a mutual interest and readiness for strengthening p olitical dialogue at the highest level, and a readiness for continuing re gular contacts and consultations between the Foreign Ministries and stren gthening cooperation of other government ministries, parliaments and all subjects who can contribute to improving the quality of relations of the two countries.

    Within international topics, a positive assessment was made of the contr ibution of Yugoslavia to stabilizing and strengthening peace in the terri tory of the former Yugoslavia, as well as its efforts and results in indu cing regional cooperation in southeastern Europe.

    The need to further strengthen these processes was noted, to which would especially contribute the full integration of Yugoslavia into all intern ational institutions.

    In that context, it was especially stressed that one of the priorities o f the Yugoslav foreign policy was the development of diversified cooperat ion and relations with the European Union.

    With respect to problems in Kosovo and Metohija, at the insisting of the Belgian side, the principled stand was expressed that the issue was an i nternal affair of Serbia and Yugoslavia which can be resolved only by pol itical dialogue, without interference and imposition of solutions by thir d parties, by applying universally accepted principles and standards for national minorities everywhere in the world and respect for the Constitut ion and system of Serbia and of Yugoslavia.

    From our side, hope was expressed that international factors will unequi vocally condemn terrorism and separatism, and all forms of open or covere d up support to terrorism and separatism in Kosovo and Metohija.

    The Moscow meeting and talks between the President of Yugoslavia and Rus sia, Slobodan Milosevic and Boris Yeltsin, and their joint statement was mutually positively assessed, as the best way for resolving issues in Kos ovo and Metohija.

    Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic invited the Belgian hosts to visit Yugoslavia.

    Minister Jovanovic leaves Brussels on Friday for Luxembourg, at the invi tation of Luxembourg Minister Jacques Poos.

    [02] ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORISTS ABDUCT TWO SERBIAN POWER COMPANY EMPLOYEES

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    Two Serbs, abducted at around 1 p.m. on Thursday near the village of Gra bovac in the Kosovo Polje municipality in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia 's province of Kosovo and Metohija, were released at about 5 p.m.

    The two, engineer Miodrag Ilic and driver Predrag Milic, said they had b een taken to a nearby village, where they were interrogated for more than two hours, but were not beaten, the Media Centre in the province's chief city of Pristina reports.

    [03] RUSSIA'S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTERS TO TRAVEL TO YUGOSLAVIA AND ALBANIA

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    Russia's two Deputy Foreign Ministers are to travel to Yugoslavia and Al bania, respectively, to help solve the problem of the Yugoslav republic o f Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province, according to an announcement in Moscow on Thursday.

    Deputy Foreign Minister Nikolai Afanasyevsky will go to Yugoslavia on Ju ne 21, where he will visit Belgrade and Kosovo and Metohija's chief city of Pristina, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Vladimir Rakhmanin told a news br iefing.

    Afanasyevsky will be continuing the efforts for a settlement for Kosovo and Metohija and clarifying the joint statement issued in Moscow on Tuesd ay by the Russian and Yugoslav presidents, Boris Yeltsin and Slobodan Mi losevic, Rakhmanin said.

    Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Avdeyev, meanwhile, will go first to A lbania and thence to Skopje, Rakhmanin added.

    He went on to say that in Belgrade, Afanasyevsky is to meet with Yugosla v leaders, as well as with the negotiating team in talks with Kosovo and Metohija's ethnic Albanians. "The Deputy Minister is also working on meet ings planned with leaders of Kosovo's Albanian political parties in Prist ina," he added.

    Speaking about the Moscow meeting between Yeltsin and Milosevic, Rakhman in said that Moscow looks on the results of the meeting "as a big step t owards preventing violence in Kosovo and diverting the crisis into a peac eful channel."

    "It is necessary to dispel separatist illusions entertained by the repre sentatives of the province's ethnic Albanian community, to reiterate the position which unequivocally condemns terror and violence used by the so- called Kosovo Liberation Army and make a clear and explicit statement in support of Yugoslavia's territorial integrity." He added that it is neces sary to ensure that the Kosovo and Metohija ethnic Albanian leadership un dertakes concrete obligations in this respect.

    He further said that this subject was discussed at London's G-8 ministe rial meeting last week, from which a joint statement was issued, supporte d by the foreign ministers of all 8 states. The 4-point document clearly stated that all participants in the meeting expect the leaders of Kosovo and Metohija's ethnic Albanians to renounce violence and terrorism, he st ressed. The statement also stressed that the governments of participating states will invest efforts for financial support to ethnic Albanian extr emists in Kosovo and Metohija who advocate violence to be cut-off, Rakhma nin said.

    He emphasised that Russia's partners understand the necessity of influen cing Kosovo and Metohija's ethnic Albanians, but that, "regrettably, it i s not always reflected in a proper way in public policy."

    He said he hopes that the international community will make a concerted diplomatic effort to settle the crisis in Kosovo and Metohija, explaining that it is inappropriate to draw a parallel between developments in Bosn ia- Herzegovina and Kosovo and Metohija.

    In answer to a reporter's question about the possibility of applying the Bosnian method to settle the Kosovo and Metohija problem, he said that i n Bosnia there was war, a clear line of separation which made the involve ment of international forces justified. The conflict in Kosovo and Metohi ja, however, he added, is internal in character, a conflict between secur ity forces and terrorist gangs, which makes drawing a parallel at this st age inappropriate.

    [04] YUGOSLAV SOLDIER DIES IN AN ETHNIC ALBANIAN TERRORIST ATTACK

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    A Yugoslav soldier was killed in an ethnic Albanian terrorist attack on army vehicles in the village of Crnoljevo in the Yugoslav republic of Ser bia's Kosovo and Metohija province at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday, the Yugoslav T hird Army Press Office said in a statement issued on Thursday.

    According to the statement soldier Zoran Andjelkovic (20, 1998) of the v illage of Spancevac in Kosovo and Metohija's Bujanovac municipality was k illed when soldiers securing a line of army vehicles driving along the St imlje-Suva Reka road came under a terrorist attack.

    Investigation is underway by competent bodies of the military court base d in the town of Nis, eastern Serbia, the statement said.

    [05] WASHINGTON TELLS KOSOVO SEPARATISTS TO ABANDON THE IDEA OF INDEPENDENCE

    Tanjug, 1998-06-19

    Washington has warned ethnic Albanian separatists not to launch new mili tary actions and reiterated that the United States did not support the in dependence of Kosovo and Metohija.

    State Department spokesman James Rubin said in a press conference on Thu rsday that the United States had available information to the effect that the terrorist Kosovo Liberation Army was preparing a new offensive. Rubi n said the United States were aware that the KLA was preparing an offensi ve, and that this would aggravate the situation in the province.

    Rubin said it was most important at the moment for tensions to subside, and reiterated the U.S. stance for a political solution to Kosovo and Met ohija. The U.S. does not support the idea of independence for Kosovo and Metohija, but calls for an enlarged autonomy within Yugoslavia. Kosovo Al banians should no longer delude themselves with the idea of independence, he said. Rubin said this was the United States' long-term policy.

    Asked whether there were Islamic mercenaries from Afghanistan and Iran i n Kosovo, fighting on the side of the separatists, Rubin reiterated a sta tement Robert Gelbard had made the day before on the danger of including radical Islamic elements in Kosovo. He said, however, that he had no reli able information as to whether such forces were already operating in Koso vo.

    [06] RAKHMANIN: G-8 EXPECTS ETHNIC ALBANIANS TO RENOUNCE TERRORISM

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    The G-8 foreign ministers expect from Albanians in Kosovo and Metohija t o renounce violence and terrorist acts, Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Rakhmanin said on Thursday.

    The Spokesman, in a statement to ITAR-TASS, criticized the one-sided rep orting about events in Kosovo and Metohija and noted that "the demands wh ich the world community is addressing to the Kosovo Albanians are practic ally ignored by journalists", and instead "they are focusing attention on ly on the demands made to Yugoslavia, and to Serbia in particular."

    Rakhmanin pointed out that the G-8 foreign ministers at their recent mee ting in London, underlined, as he said, "the vital need" to make the Alba nian extremists in Kosovo renounce further violence.

    In the opinion of the G-8 ministers, a political dialogue could not be r esumed if the Kosovo Albanians continued their acts of violence, and the "eight" backed the leaders of the Kosovo Albanians who are coming out for a peaceful dialogue, Rakhmanin said.

    "These facts, unfortunately, are not being published, although this is a clearly expressed stand not only of Russia, but of all the G-8 members a t the level of foreign ministers," the official Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

    Recalling the stands from the joint statement, signed by the presidents of Russia Boris Yeltsin and of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic, Rakhmanin e mphasized that it was now necessary, proceeding from that document, "to e xert influence on the Kosovo Albanians, to make them renounce violence an d get down to negotiations."

    [07] VUCIC: GOVERNMENT DEMANDS URGENT RESUMPTION OF DIALOGUE

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    Serbian Information Minister Aleksandar Vucic said in Pristina on Thursd ay that the Serbian Government demanded an urgent resumption of the dialo gue with the ethnic Albanian side, as the only way for resolving problems in Kosovo and Metohija.

    "For a dialogue we need two sides," Vucic said at a press conference, ca lling on the ethnic Albanian side to the negotiating table to solve all p roblems peacefully.

    Minister Vucic pointed out that even after the Milosevic-Yeltsin talks, at which the clearly expressed stand was that problems should be solved b y peaceful means, ethnic Albanian terrorists continue to resort to violen ce.

    "Unfortunately, yesterday and today, we are witnesses to new criminal at tacks on Serbian policemen, Vucic said, pointing out that this showed who in Kosovo and Metohija was resorting to violent methods for solving prob lems.

    "No-one can give good reasons for ambushing and killing as many policeme n as possible as a peaceful solution of problems," Vucic said.

    "That is a classical terrorist act without any justification and it conf irms that some ethnic Albanian political leaders want to avoid the urgent resumption of talks," the Serbian Information Minister said.

    Vucic said that Serbian state bodies will continue to perform their duti es of keeping order and peace. "We expect from the representatives of We stern powers to send a message to members of ethnic Albanian political pa rties that problems can be resolved only by peaceful means, and to inform their public about the real state of affairs in Kosovo and Metohija and who the terrorists are, who is for violence, and who is a for a peaceful settlement, " Vucic said at a press conference attended by many foreign jo urnalists.

    Vucic said that on Wednesday he visited Djakovica where he talked with a large number of residents, and noted that they were concerned with repea ted attacks by ethnic Albanian terrorists.

    Asked by journalists about the withdrawal of police forces from Kosovo a nd Metohija, Vucic underlined that Serbian state bodies were responding e xclusively to terrorist attacks and that they were not the ones who set u p ambushes in order to kill Albanians.

    "There is nothing more important than human life," Vucic said, stressing that "if someone wants to talk * they will come for negotiations, becaus e that is the way to avoid new victims."

    [08] SERGEYEV: POLITICAL METHODS TO SOLVE THE KOSMET ISSUE ARE NOT EXHAUSTED

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev said on Thursday that methods for a political settlement of the issue of the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province were not exhausted.

    Movement toward peace should come from both sides * Belgrade and ethnic Albanian leaders in Kosovo and Metohija, Sergeyev told reporters at a mil itary hospital in Moscow.

    Recalling the contents of a joint statement signed in Moscow by Presiden ts Boris Yeltsin of Russia and Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia, Sergeyev said that the Yugoslav Army and security forces would be returning to ba se commensurately with the reduction of terrorist activities.

    There will be no unilateral movement, he said.

    Sergeyev singled out constant dialogue as an important means of solving problems in Kosovo and Metohija. He said that the two sides should conduc t continuous dialogue on the basis of a plan they, themselves, should est ablish. He added that the starting of this mechanism would raise chances of reaching a peaceful way out of the crisis.

    [09] SERBIAN MINISTER RECEIVES SLOVAK AMBASSADOR

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    Serbian Minister without portfolio Ivan Sedlak on Thursday received the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Yugoslavia Mr. Miroslav Mojzita, at the latter's request, the Serbian Information Ministry said in a statemen t.

    Mojzita voiced interest in the latest developments in the Yugoslav repub lic of Serbia's Kosovo and Metohija province in the light of a joint stat ement signed in Moscow by presidents Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia and Boris Yeltsin of Russia.

    Sedlak described the joint statement as a contribution to peace and to a stabilization of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija. He said that the statement confirmed a firm commitment of the Serbian Government and also of the entire Yugoslav community to solve problems in Kosovo and Metohija by peaceful means, i.e. through negotiations, alone.

    Sedlak said he was convinced that the efforts made, especially President Milosevic's initiative, would contribute to ending violence and terroris m in Kosovo and Metohija and also to affirming dialogue as a political me ans of settling the crisis in the province.

    [10] SERBIAN EDUCATION MINISTER RECEIVED THE NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    Serbian Education Minister Jova Todorovic received on Thursday the newly appointed extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of China to Yugos lavia, Mr. Pan Zhanlin, the Information Ministry said.

    The two parties stated in frank and cordial talks that traditionally goo d and friendly relations between China and Yugoslavia provided a sound ba sis for promotion and strengthening of overall cooperation, in particular exchange of experience in education.

    Ambassador Pan informed Todorovic about the system, practice and experie nces of China in education, and China's policy in this sphere, following the motto * strengthen your country through science.

    Todorovic acquainted Pan with Serbia's tradition, practice and developme nt in education, accepting an initiative for furthering cooperation in ed ucation in accordance with special programs, the statement said.

    [11] SERBIAN DELEGATION VISITS CHINA'S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    A Serbian state and business delegation, headed by Minister of Mining an d Power Industry Zivota Cosic, conferred with Vice-President of China's C hamber of Commerce Cui Yushan on Thursday about upgrading economic cooper ation between Yugoslavia and China.

    The two parties to the talk agreed that there were good conditions for p romoting bilateral economic cooperation.

    Referring to overall Chinese-Yugoslav relations, Cui said that political relations were good, without any disagreement on international issues an d were characterized also by mutual support, while economic cooperation w as still below the satisfactory level, mostly due to insufficient exchang e of business information. In the talk, attended also by Yugoslav Ambass ador to China Slobodan Unkovic, Cui singled out direct business meetings and participation at fairs and business presentations as being among the best ways to boost economic cooperation.

    He stressed that he had been informed about a presentation of products b y Serbian companies at the 9th International Trade Fair held in Harbin, t he capital of China's Heilongjiang province.

    Cui said that Chinese companies were interested in cooperating with Yugo slav companies and added that the Chinese Government supported the promo tion of bilateral economic relations and was prompting companies to coope rate in this domain. He also said that there were prospects for establish ing good business ties in the fields of power industry, agriculture and b uilding of infrastructure.

    Cosic said, for his part, that economic reforms currently underway in Yu goslavia would contribute to the upgrading of cooperation with China. He said that the Yugoslav economy was market-oriented, boasting modern legal regulations and system-related laws, mainly in the area of foreign inves tment, which was a precondition for good economic cooperation with the wo rld.

    Cosic said that Serbian and Yugoslav companies were interested in all fo rms of cooperation with Chinese companies, primarily through a transfer o f technologies and setting up of joint venture companies. He added that joint appearances on the home markets and also on the third markets neces sitated a better use of free trade zones.

    For his part, President of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce Momir Pavlice vic termed cooperation with China as modest, but rising and specified tha t the level of trade in 1998 was expected to exceed that in 1997.

    Pavlicevic said that joint venture production in China, started by Serbi a's Gosa, Hemofarm and Jugoimport SDPR companies substantiated the fact t hat the level of cooperation with Chinese companies was rising.

    The Serbian delegation on Thursday toured the Gold River fruit juice fa ctory, built in a development zone near Beijing as a joint venture by the Jugoimport SDPR and its Chinese partner.

    [12] TERRORISTS ATTACK A REFUGEE SETTLEMENT

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    A large group of ethnic Albanian terrorists fired on Wednesday at a refu gee settlement in the village of Babaloc, near Decane, inhabited by about 120 ethnic Serb and Montenegrin refugees from Albania.

    Security forces fended off the attack, sending the terrorists into retre at towards the village of Glodjane. There were no casualties.

    [13] SERBIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER RECEIVED THE NEW CHINESE AMBASSADOR

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    Serbian Parliament Speaker Dragan Tomic received on Thursday the newly a ppointed extraordinary and plenipotentiary Ambassador of China to Yugosla via, Mr. Pan Zhanlin.

    Yugoslavia and China are linked by overall, friendly relations that prov ide a sound basis for furthering cooperation in all spheres * economy, sc ience, culture and education, it was said in the talks.

    Tomic welcomed the new Ambassador, wishing him success in the diplomatic mission, an Information Service statement said.

    Tomic said he hoped relations would develop intensively, and hailed them as an example of equality, and mutual trust and respect for independence , autonomy and non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states. He acquainted Pan with the current political situation in Serbia, and the way toward resolving the crisis in Kosovo and Metohija.

    Both parties lay stress to the joint statement signed by presidents Bori s Yeltsin of Russia and Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia, for a peaceful solution to the crisis in the province, within Serbia and Yugoslavia. The problem in Kosovo and Metohija can be settled only by political means, t hrough direct, unconditional dialogue, Tomic said.

    Pan said the aim of his mission was to promote the traditionally good bi lateral ties, which he said was of interest to both peoples.

    Pan conveyed China's stand on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija to th e effect that it was an internal question of Serbia and Yugoslavia, and t hat the measures of the international community should be conducive to th e process of negotiations, peace and stability in the region, and not tow ard flaring up conflict.

    [14] ROMANIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY DELEGATION VISITS YUGOSLAVIA

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    A Romanian National Defense Ministry delegation, headed by General Gheor ghe Popescu, is visiting Yugoslavia at the invitation of the Yugoslav Def ense Ministry, said a Press Office release.

    The delegation was received by Assistant Defense Minister Geza Farkas, w ho held substantive talks on enhancing cooperation in the sphere of civil ian protection.

    The two parties stressed their commitments in preventing industrial brea kdowns and clearing the effects of natural disasters.

    Yugoslavia and Romania have specified their cooperation in civilian prot ection in an inter-state accord on military cooperation, concluded in Buc harest last year.

    [15] STATEMENTS OF YUGOSLAV AND BELGIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS

    Tanjug, 1998-06-18

    Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic said on Thursday that Belgra de was ready for an immediate resumption of a direct and unconditional di alogue with ethnic Albanian representatives in the Yugoslav republic of S erbia's Kosovo and Metohija province.

    Following a talk with Belgian Foreign Minister Eric Derycke, Jovanovic s aid that he could confirm the openness, readiness and interest of both th e state and the state delegation for an immediate resumption of dialogue.

    In his statement to the press, Jovanovic said that, despite some difficu lties, he was optimistic that dialogue on the settlement of the Kosovo an d Metohija crisis would resume, because the only way to solve this issue was through a direct, democratic and unconditional dialogue.

    Jovanovic told reporters that in the talks with his Belgian counterpart, he had explained our government's principled position and constructive s tand on the resolution of all issues in Kosovo and Metohija through a dir ect and unconditional dialogue and by political means, with respect for S erbia's territorial integrity and full compliance with European standards regarding human rights and the rights of national minorities.

    He also said that he had pointed out to his Belgian counterpart the impo rtance of a joint statement by Presidents Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavi a and Boris Yeltsin of Russia, saying he was deeply convinced that the st atement was a highly important positive development, a point that should be used to encourage an immediate and undelayed resumption of direct poli tical dialogue on Kosovo and Metohija.

    Jovanovic again rejected the participation of foreign mediators in the d ialogue on Kosovo and Metohija. He said that this was Serbia's internal m atter, adding that he did not believe the framework and method of dialogu e should be changed, as they had successfully been initiated at a meeting and in talks between President Milosevic and ethnic Albanian leader Ibra him Rugova and followed by a first round of talks between the Serbian sta te delegation and the delegation of leaders of ethnic Albanian political parties in Kosovo and Metohija.

    He underscored that Kosovo and Metohija was an integral part of Serbia a nd Yugoslavia and not a foreign territory. He added that military and pol itical forces of any sovereign country should be where they are.

    Jovanovic expressed satisfaction with the overall exchange of views with the Belgian Foreign Minister and described the talk as open and fruitful.

    He said his visit to Belgium illustrated how much importance Yugoslavia attached to its relations with Belgium as an important member of the Euro pean Union and other European organizations. He added that Belgium was al so an important and relevant partner in bilateral relations.

    Jovanovic qualified Thursday's talk also as constructive and positive an d said he was convinced that it had contributed to a better understanding of stands and ways to resolve Yugoslavia's internal issue, such as that of Kosovo and Metohija.

    Derycke, for his part, said that the talk with his Yugoslav counterpart was important. He said that the talk was considered to be of importance, adding that the two parties to the talk had been able to express their re spective stands on relevant issues.

    Derycke called for a fulfilment of international community's conditions for the resolution of the Kosovo and Metohija crisis.

    [16] FOREIGN MINISTER JOVANOVIC ARRIVES IN LUXEMBOURG

    Tanjug, 1998-06-19

    Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic arrived on Friday for an off icial visit to Luxembourg, at the invitation of his Luxembourg counterpar t Jacques Poos.

    Jovanovic arrived after a two-day visit to Brussels, where talks with Be lgian Foreign Minister Eric Derycke evolved on enhancing bilateral cooper ation and the current situation in Kosovo and Metohija.

    Jovanovic gave four interviews in Belgium, two for television and two to the press.

    He confirmed Belgrade's willingness for an urgent resumption of direct a nd unconditional talks with leaders of political parties in Kosovo and Me tohija, and reiterated the government's stance for a quick solution to th e crisis in the province, through dialogue and by political means.


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