Extracts. Anti-NATO Rally Held in Greece Thousands of people rallied in downtown Thessaloniki, northern Greece on Sunday to protest against NATO's bombing campaign of Yugoslavia in 1999. During the rally, the protesters held anti-NATO banners and shouted anti-NATO slogans. The rally, organized by the Anti-NATO Balkan Center, was participated in by delegations of 23 Communist and other leftist parties from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia. **** DPRK, New Zealand Agree to Establish Diplomatic Relations The Korean Central Broadcasting Station reported Monday (March 26) that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and New Zealand have agreed to open an ambassador-level diplomatic relations. The state-run radio station reported on the decision Monday, saying, 'The government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and New Zealand have agreed to form an ambassador-level diplomatic relationship, with friendship between the two nations to develop through the reciprocal principles of non-intervention in domestic affairs, equality and mutual benefits.' **** Russia, Japan Sign Statement on Peace Treaty Russian President Vladimir Putin and visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori signed on Sunday a statement on the issue of a Russia-Japan peace treaty in the city of Irkutsk. In the statement, a main outcome of Mori's two-day visit to the Siberian resort, the two leaders agreed to continue talks on concluding a peace treaty concerning their territorial dispute over the South Kuriles (Four Northern Islands) on the basis of all past-reached bilateral documents, so as to fully normalize bilateral relations. They cited the 1956 joint declaration, signed by the former Soviet Union and Japan, as the basic legal document, the Itar-Tass news agency reported. The declaration initiated the process of talks on wrapping up a peace treaty after the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. In it, Russia expressed its willingness to return the two islands of Habomai and Shikotan out of the four to Japan when they ink a peace treaty, which has not been achieved since the end of World War II in 1945. The two leaders pledged to find a mutually acceptable way to end their disputes over the sovereignty of the islands and work out concrete policies for forging a peace treaty. "Yoshiro Mori and I confirmed firmness and the impressive role for developing the top-level dialogue between our two countries," Putin said at a joint news conference after they met. To achieve success at these talks, it is necessary to maintain an atmosphere of trust and cooperation in Russian-Japanese relations as a whole, he said. In Putin's words, Irkutsk witnessed a constructive dialogue, which is important not only for Russia and Japan but also for the general situation in the world. He urged to continue the dialogue on a regular basis. Mori, who arrived in Irkutsk on Saturday for the first Japan-Russia summit in 2001, also said that Sunday's talks were a positive step forward to establishing a partnership between the two countries. **** Yugoslavia Mourns for Victims in NATO Bombings Yugoslav leaders, the army and different parties Saturday issued statements to mark the second anniversary of the NATO bombing campaign and to mourn for the tens of thousands of victims. The Yugoslavian government earlier set March 24 as a national mourning day in accordance with a proposal by Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica. In a statement issued on the eve of the anniversary, Kostunica denounced NATO's "humanitarian" bombs that killed some 2,500 civilians, including 81 children. He emphasized that "the evil inflicted upon us" would not be repeated "if we remember it well. " Prime Minister Zoran Zizic said on the same day that history would not allow Yugoslavs to forget the crimes NATO committed to Yugoslavia and Yugoslavs should make up their minds to prevent a repetition of such tragedy. On March 24, 1999, NATO-led forces started a 78-day air campaign against Yugoslavia under the pretext of humanitarian interference. The Defense Ministry also blasted NATO for its indiscriminate killings, and called for solving disputes through political or diplomatic means in the new century. In Vranje, Aleksinac and other cities, rallies were held to commemorate the dead compatriots **** China Development Forum 2001 Opens in Beijing The 2001 annual meeting of China Development Forum opened here Sunday morning. Chinese Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao attended the opening ceremony and delivered a speech. The theme of the two-day meeting is "the role of government in the rapidly globalizing economy". Attending the meeting are over 100 participants, including officials from Chinese government departments, leaders of financial circles and other big companies, chairmen and CEOs of some transnationals among the world's top 500 businesses, and representatives from related international organizations, and Chinese and foreign scholars. They will discuss the government's leading role in social and economic reforms, self-improvement of the government, and how to realize both development and stability. **** Arafat Renews Call for U.N. to Send Force to Protect Palestinians Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on Saturday renewed a call for the United Nations to send a peace- keeping force to the Palestinian territories to protect the Palestinian people and their properties. Arafat reiterated the call at a meeting with Chinese Representative to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Wu Jiuhong. He briefed Wu on the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and expressed gratitude to the Chinese government and people for their continuous support to the Palestinian causes. Israel still uses force against Palestinian protestors, imposes blockade on the Palestinian territories, and declines to pay tax money it owes to the PNA, which has resulted in a serious economic crisis, Arafat said. He urged the U.N. Security Council to send an international force to the Palestinian territories to protect the Palestinian people and investigate into the causes of the still ongoing Israeli-Palestinian clashes. The violence, triggered by Israeli violation of Islamic holy sites in East Jerusalem last September, have left more than 430 people dead, most of them Palestinians, and thousands of others injured. The new Israeli government under the hardline Prime Minister Ariel Sharon clutches to its preconditions for the resumption of peace negotiations, said Arafat, adding that the ongoing confrontations pose a threat to the regional security and stability. For his part, Wu said that China is concerned about the killing of civilians and the stalled peace process. He expressed hope that the Palestinians and Israel would soon resume peace negotiations. China supports the Middle East peace process based on the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions and the land-for-peace principle, Wu added. The implementation of all agreements signed between the two sides is a precondition for rebuilding mutual confidence, he said. The Chinese representative called on the world community to exert further efforts and take effective and practical steps in a bid to revive the peace process. **** China Deeply Concerned About Macedonian Situation China on Friday expressed deep concern over the worsening of the security situation in the Republic of Macedonia and its neighboring areas. "We strongly condemn extremist violence, and believe that the spread of the Kosovo crisis to areas outside the territory of Yugoslavia will cause grave consequences to regional peace and stability," foreign ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi said in a statement. He said China supports the 1345 resolution adopted by the UN Security Council, and understands the worries of the Macedonian and Yugoslav governments on the current situation and their concerns over national sovereignty and territorial integrity. "We welcome the efforts made by Macedonia, Yugoslavia and other relevant countries to ease the tense situation," he added. The Chinese government has always upheld the stance of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Macedonia, Yugoslavia and other countries in the region, safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of all nationalities, and properly settling all problems involved on the basis of comprehensively carrying out resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council, Sun said in the statement. He said China does not have or seek any self interests in the region. The stand China takes is proceeding from safeguarding the United Nations Charter and the widely acknowledged norms of international laws, and safeguarding the common interests of the peoples in the region. As a permanent member of the Security Council, he said, China will continue to closely follow the development of the situation in the region, and make its due efforts to properly settle the issue. **** Falun Gong, Cult Ruining Families, Human Lives: Qian Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen said in Washington Friday that Falun Gong is not a religion at all but a cult that ruins families and human lives. "The (Chinese) Government protects the freedom of religious belief and normal religious activities in accordance with law. In fact, more than 100 million people in China believe in one religion or another," Qian said while addressing a welcome luncheon jointly hosted by the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, U.S.-China Business Council, U.S.-China Policy Foundation and the Nixon Center. "But cult is a poisonous tumor of a society. Falun Gong is precisely such a cult that ruins families and human lives," the vice premier said. He said Falun Gong not only despises Protestantism, Catholicism and Buddhism but also fools and entraps people. "In order to safeguard the human rights and freedoms of the Chinese people, the (Chinese) Government has outlawed the organization in accordance with law," he said. Talking about human rights issue, Qian said that "never before has the human rights situation in China been so good," adding that it is still improving. "China has a population of 1.26 billion. It is by no means an easy job to ensure so many people their subsistence, development and political rights. It can't be done overnight. Progress can only be made step by step," the vice premier pointed out. "Democracy, freedom and human rights are the common pursuit of humanity. Countries differ from one another. So it is nothing strange for them not to see eye to eye on these issues," Qian said. "What is most important is to respect each other, seek common ground while putting aside differences and refrain from confrontation," he noted. "We sincerely hope to increase mutual understanding and expand common ground with the U.S. side through dialogue on an equal footing," Qian said, expressing hope that the U.S. side will respond to this positively. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
