Yugoslav Daily Survey May 30 BELGRADE, 30 May 2000 C O N T E N T S: FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF REPUBLIC MILOSEVIC: SECOND LANE OF HIGHWAY BELGRADE-NOVI SAD - IN TWO YEARS -YUGOSLAV INFORMATION MINISTER MATIC WRITES TO IFJ'S WHITE FROM THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF REPUBLIC MILOSEVIC: SECOND LANE OF HIGHWAY BELGRADE-NOVI SAD - IN TWO YEARS NOVI SAD, May 30 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic said on Monday that every inhabitant of our country can be proud of the results achieved in it today. In talks with the political leadership of Vojvodina and representatives of the most successful firms in Vojvodina, President Milosevic said an impetus and huge contribution to development has been given by workers, farmers and intellectuals and all people who work for their livelihood. "I do not believe there is country which in a war year managed to exceed the level of agricultural production compared to the previous year when there was no conflict," the Yugoslav president said. For that "huge credit is deserved by all, farmers, businessmen and members of government, all who helped that agricultural production goes on as if there was no war." "That is an example for all what the human factor means. The reconstruction of the country is also an example what the human factor means. The reconstruction of the country has shown with what speed and quality programs can be realized. It is an achievement that indicates the significance of the human factor, and which now becomes the property of the entire society in all spheres, in agriculture, industry, construction, in all branches of the economy," President Milosevic said. The Yugoslav president added he was pleased that, on the basis of what he heard from Vojvodina businessmen, he can say that "there is a change in the psychology of businessmen who tended to seek solutions to problems by raising prices, which from the standpoint of market economy logic is the most dangerous way of thinking." "Today things, thanks to the achievements of reconstruction and thanks to the enthusiasm, knowledge and experience demonstrated in reconstruction, are moving in a completely different direction, to looking for answers to the most important questions, such as - how to raise the quality of production and how to reduce expenses," Milosevic said. By improving quality, reducing expenses and greater production it is possible to realize greater profits and at the same time contribute to the stability of the economy, which is the "true economic logic that should be the economic logic to be followed and is increasingly becoming a way of thinking here." The government, President Milosevic said, "has the responsibility to protect such an economic ambience, first and foremost by the stability of prices and by measures that contribute to the stability of prices, so that small investors do not lose their motivation, but, also at the same time, by a tax, investment and price policy that is stimulating for those who work for their livelihood." "It is becoming clear to all that the logic of speculators and dealers does not pay and that in this country cannot prosper speculators and dealers but workers, producers and farmers who work for their livelihood, who can achieve quality and who can meet the needs of the market in the country and abroad," the Yugoslav president said. All that is possible only in a country that is free "because freedom is fundamental to all, and also to economic development." "From farmer Vasa Marianu we heard today that hundreds, thousands, and if we could ask our farmers in border zones, we could certainly say tens of thousands of citizens of neighbouring countries work every day for our farmers, to earn enough to feed their families, and not die of hunger in the "paradise" created by our enemies," Milosevic said. The Yugoslav president reminded how the most prominent western politicians had words of praise for "the so-called democratic governments in our environment, giving them credit for setting up puppet regimes and for, under programs made in western capitals, destroying their economy." "How many times have we heard words of praise that they were on the right way, that they are for democratization, that they are developing very successfully and that they can expect prosperity. And on the other hand, we see that in those countries the situation is catastrophic. And these countries, let me recall, did not have wars, or bombing, or sanctions, or refugees. We are a "bad" example for them, because we show them that a free country, even if its position is being aggravated by all possible means, is capable of developing faster and better than those who have lost their freedom, even if they have the benefit of credits, enjoy all other kinds of support and are applauded everywhere and from every place," President Milosevic said. Freedom is the "fundamental factor for unimpeded development." There is no colony that is developed. Because "in a colonial status the prospects can only be poverty and misery." "Only in freedom, a free people place all their potentials in the development of the material basis in the first place for themselves and their families, and then also for the entire society, can produce the results that are increasingly prevailing in our economic ambience," President Milosevic said. In that respect, "I am confident that these basic values of raising the quality of production, cutting expenses, increasing and accelerating social development both in agriculture and in industry and in other branches, will become a permanent tendency and we will have a permanent trend of growth in all fields, precisely in the way that we started working immediately after the war." "Our people says that every evil has a good side to it. Past events were an opportunity for everyone to show what they can do to help their people, their country and its development and I think that we can say with pride that throughout our country, in the fields and in the factories and in the universities and in hospitals and schools, our citizens have shown that," Milosevic said. Speaking about agriculture, the Yugoslav president underlined that the state can contribute to the realization of the program Vojvodina farmers are pressing for, "it can contribute by three main parameters which will be stimulating for agriculture, and these are prices, taxes and investments." "We have to make ambitious investment programs, to solve pending problems about which you also have spoken here, irrigation, flood-control and so on. Tens of billions have been invested, since the beginning of the building of the canal Danube-Tisa-Danube after WW II, in that infrastructure. We have the groundwork for developing a secondary network and good programs to achieve much better results in agriculture, in irrigation and in flood protection," President Milosevic said. All that will enable us to have even two harvests in some areas and there can be no failed investments there. "The same is true for agriculture machinery, or for stepping up its development program - not to be reduced to the first, second or third cycle, but that there be a permanent tendency of renewing the agricultural machinery of farmers," Milosevic said. The same is true for the mass production of fertilizers which is also an essential factor for the development of agriculture and "which this year, regardless of initial difficulties, is well planned, but we expect that it becomes a permanent activity which can solve the problem of mineral fertilizers' supply." "That, and the problem of machinery and other investment projects cannot be undertaken by the farmer, by an individual, that must be organized and done by the government. In that way, we will be able to help in the best way to improve and further step up the level of agricultural production which is already quite high," the Yugoslav president said. On the issue of the equality of the numerous ethnic communities in Vojvodina, President Milosevic said that the "entire strategy of break-up of a multi-ethnic state, and then taking control of it, was based and is based on fomenting hatred between ethnic communities." "We are proud to say that this strategy failed the test in (the Yugoslav republic of Serbia's province of) Vojvodina, that the strategy devised in the West for inducing inter-ethnic hatred and confrontation cannot be applied in Vojvodina with success. "A multiethnic state like ours has no chance of developing unless it fully respects the principle of national equality", President Milosevic said. The key to successful development of multiethnic states lies precisely in respecting the principle of national equality. "I believe we have demonstrated throughout our country, not just in Vojvodina where this is best evident because of the multitude of ethnic communities living there, that successful life is possible where the principle of national equality is respected not just in word, but in deed", he stressed. He went on to say that "man stoops lowest when his criterion is one of nationality; man can be valued only if he is a good worker, an honest person, if he has passed a test, sown a field. "Nobody has merit on the strength of being a Serb, or a Hungarian, or a Romanian, or a Ruthenian, or a Slovak or anything else. "This is what he was born with, not due to any merit on his or anybody else's part, and the worst thing that can happen is for people to try to provoke hatred and confrontation on this basis. I believe this is why the policy of ethnic hatred failed here. "Vojvodina, the whole of Serbia and the whole of Yugoslavia, show that the future of these Balkans lands where ethnic communities are so intertwined, and more, the future of the whole of Europe and eventually the whole world, lies in successful development based on the policy of national equality," he stressed. He said he was "sure that these relations in Vojvodina will continue to exist and be promoted". President Milosevic went on to announce, to general satisfaction, that work would begin shortly on building a second lane of the Belgrade-Novi Sad highway. "We are not done with big capital investment projects in these lands. Another investment project is to begin to be built shortly. "Here I do not mean the Varadin Rainbow bridge, where we have, from the new Bosko Perosevic bridge, spotted construction machinery taking up position on a new construction site. "What I have in mind is a completely new project, which should begin within the next few days - the building of the Belgrade-Novi Sad highway", Milosevic said. The highway should be completed within two years, "including the building of new lanes and revitalisation of the old, so that in less than two years we shall have a totally new, complete highway between Belgrade and Novi Sad. "After this, construction workers can move north, to the Novi Sad-Subotica road, to establish that artery of the Balkans and Europe, through which runs the European Corridor 10 across our beautiful country - which, because of its position, links and geostrategic position, has for centuries been the object of wars between empires and which, for the same reasons, is again the subject of an aggression - and should become another significant impulse to and strategic investment in accelerating future development," he said. The Yugoslav president's meeting with Vojvodina's political officials and prominent businessmen was attended by Yugoslav federal and Serbian ministers and ranking political officials, among whom Serbian President Milan Milutinovic, Yugoslav Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic and Serbian Premier Mirko Marjanovic. YUGOSLAV INFORMATION MINISTER MATIC WRITES TO IFJ'S WHITE BELGRADE, May 30 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Minister of Information Goran Matic wrote on Tuesday to the secretary general of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Aiden White. The integral text of the letter follows: Dear Mr. White, I acknowledge the receipt of your letter of May 25th, whereby you have reminded me of the press release of the International Federation of Journalists issued at the time of the NATO bombing of Radio Television of Serbia. Mr. White, what you are saying is not disputable at all. I quote your statement of April 23rd, 1999, issued immediately after the symbol of the Yugoslav and Serbian journalism was bombed: "NATO's action compromises the fight for freedom of the press and free expression not just in Europe, but world-wide". This statement, Mr. White, is well known both to me and to the Yugoslav public. Is this the "strong" condemnation on which you insist, issued following the monstrous crime in which NATO bombs killed 16 innocent civilians - RTS TV news workers? It is sad, Mr. White, that you should insist on this particular statement, because it is indisputable. But, since you have not made any other appropriate statements, I do understand you. You are certainly familiar with the fact that at the jubilee NATO Summit held on 23 April 1999, in Washington, after a month long futile expectation of a Yugoslav capitulation, "decision was made to intensify the air strikes campaign by expanding the list of targets to defence structure, the media and other strategic targets, and to bring additional air forces into action". Therefore, Mr. White, let me reiterate, you and the International Federation of Journalists that you lead, that gathers some 450 thousand members in 100 countries of the world, have not even once during the past one year clearly stated that you condemn the bombing of RTS and that you request that those who issued and carried out orders for committing this heinous crime be brought to justice. Have you, if you really consider this a crime against freedom of the press and free expression, undertaken activities aimed at assisting those media that want to preserve their own country? No, you have not, as far as I know. Nor do you want to allow something like that. Instead, you persistently work on providing instruction and financial aid to the so called independent Serbian media, so that they can even more aggressively side with the NATO propaganda and attempt to conceal the crime committed in Yugoslavia. But, Mr. White, this is a wasteful investment. The freedom loving and democratic people of Serbia and Yugoslavia know very well who wants to help them to keep pace with the modern world, on the one hand, and who, on the other hand, imposes sanctions, drops bombs, kills children, women and journalists, destroys bridges and economic facilities, all in order to subjugate them into slavery to the North-Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the United States of America. You yourself should know that the latter cannot succeed. For two and half months, day after day, hour after hour, the most powerful military force of the world, contrary to all international rules and common sense, was dropping bombs on my country, even those with depleted uranium. It killed more than 2,000 civilians. It inflicted an enormous material damage and caused tremendous human suffering and environmental disaster. But, we never surrendered. And we shall never forget this unheard of crime committed against the peace-loving Serbian and Yugoslav people at the threshold of the new Millennium. What we shall fight for is for the truth about the NATO crimes in Yugoslavia to reach the world public, for the war indemnification to be paid, for those who issued and carried out orders to be called to account. With its bombs, NATO destroyed the central information studio of RTS, Belgrade, the TV Novi Sad building that used to have daily broadcasts of programmes in seven national minority languages in Vojvodina, the "Koshava" and "Pink" commercial TV stations and the "SOS" sports channel. NATO bombs also destroyed the Mt. Avala TV Tower, an architectural monument of international significance, as well as 300 telecommunications transmitters for broadcasting TV and radio programmes and 17 of the total of 19 large broadcasting systems. Therefore, Mr. White, I appeal on you to support and appreciate such a Yugoslavia instead of assisting those who want to present the criminals as victims and vice versa. Sincerely, Goran Matic, Federal Minister of Information. __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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