>BELGRADE, 27 September 2000 C O N T E N T S : YUGOSLAVIA-CHINA - YUGOSLAV >FOREIGN MINISTER SENDS TELEGRAM TO CHINESE COLLEAGUE > >YUGOSLAVIA-LAOS - YUGOSLAV BUSINESS DELEGATION VISITS LAOS > >YUGOSLAVIA-ELECTIONS-REACTIONS - IVANOV: RUSSIA OPPOSES PRESSURING YUGOSLAV >VOTERS - RUSSIAN STATE DUMA OBSERVER: YUGOSLAV ELECTIONS WERE DEMOCRATIC - >BEZBORODOV: BRITAIN'S COOK MEDDLES IN YUGOSLAV AFFAIRS - FOREIGN OBSERVERS: >YUGOSLAV POLLS WERE FREE, FAIR, DEMOCRATIC - TODISCO: DANGEROUS TO PROCLAIM >ONESELF WINNER BEFORE RESULTS - RUSSIAN OFFICIAL: RUNOFF BEST SOLUTION FOR >YUGOSLAVIA - RUSSIA'S NATIONAL PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE ISSUES STATEMENT > >YUGOSLAVIA-ELECTIONS-FOREIGN MEDIA - GREEK MEDIA: YUGOSLAVS SPURN WEST'S >CRITICISM OF SUNDAY POLLS - SECOND ROUND OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED >IN YUGOSLAVIA > >* * * YUGOSLAVIA-CHINA YUGOSLAV FOREIGN MINISTER SENDS TELEGRAM TO CHINESE >COLLEAGUE BELGRADE, Sept 23 (Tanjug) - Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin >Jovanovic has sent a telegram of felicitations to his Chinese colleague Tang >Jiaxuan on the occasion of China's Independence Day, a Yugoslav government >statement said on Tuesday. Jovanovic expressed best wishes for the future >prosperity of China, and the belief that the traditionally good bilateral >relations would continue to develop in the best interests of global peace, >security, and progress, the statement said. > >YUGOSLAVIA-LAOS YUGOSLAV BUSINESS DELEGATION VISITS LAOS BELGRADE, Sep 27 >(Tanjug).- A Yugoslav business delegation headed by Assistant Foreign Minister >Zoran Jeremic is visiting Laos as part of its tour of southeastern Asia. The >delegation held talks with officials of Laotian ministry of trade, industry >and investments and chamber of commerce, and discussed with potential business >partners the prospects for initiating and developing economic cooperation. >Laotian businessmen were especially interested in electric power, trade, >construction, chemical industry, agriculture and technology transfer projects. > > >YUGOSLAVIA-ELECTIONS-REACTIONS IVANOV: RUSSIA OPPOSES PRESSURING YUGOSLAV >VOTERS MOSCOW, Sept 27 (Tanjug) - Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said on >Wednesday that Russia opposes any pressuring aimed at influencing the fee will >of the Yugoslav people. Russia is determined in its stand that the Yugoslav >people must be given an opportunity to express their will without either >internal or outer pressure, stressed Ivanov. Russia is certain that all >political forces in Yugoslavia will successfully pass this not easy episode in >the history of the country, acting in conformity with the law and guided by >higher national interests, Ivanov said, making a comment on Sunday's elections >in Yugoslavia. Ivanov released a similar statement two days ago, while the >Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned on Tuesday against pressure and >attempts aimed at shaping the final results of presidential and parliamentary >elections in Yugoslavia. > >RUSSIAN STATE DUMA OBSERVER: YUGOSLAV ELECTIONS WERE DEMOCRATIC BELGRADE, Sept >27 (Tanjug) - Foreign monitors at last Sunday's Yugoslav presidential and >parliamentary elections and local polls in the Yugoslav republic of Serbia are >agreed the polling was held in a democratic climate, according to a Russian >monitor on Tuesday. Nikolai Maximovich Bezborodov, who chairs the Duma >Committee on defence and security and who was in the Duma's delegation of >monitors, said this view was shared also by both opposition and ruling parties >that ran in the elections. Speaking for TANJUG, Bezborodov said the elections >showed the Yugoslav people's unity and determination to elect legislators and >a head of state. On returning to Russia, the Duma delegation would call a >series of news conferences to present its views on the elections, he said, >adding it would submit its conclusions also to the deputies to the State Duma. >He stressed the question of lifting sanctions against Yugoslavia would again >be raised. > >BEZBORODOV: BRITAIN'S COOK MEDDLES IN YUGOSLAV AFFAIRS BELGRADE, Sept 27 >(Tanjug) - Russian State Duma (lower house) observer at Yugoslav elections >Nikolai Maximovich Bezborodov has said he is not surprised by the attitude of >western parties, leaders and officials to the Sunday elections. Bezborodov >said a case in point was that of British Foreign Minister Robin Cook, a >vociferous critic of the elections, who had professed to know the results of >the polls well in advance. Now, however, when the results are in and they do >not correspond with Cook's wishes, he is raising hue and cry in his usual >style, threatening and pressuring Yugoslav authorities, Bezborodov said. He >explained that Cook's statements are cynical and constitute pressure and >interference in the internal affairs of Yugoslavia, resulting in inflaming >passions. > >FOREIGN OBSERVERS: YUGOSLAV POLLS WERE FREE, FAIR, DEMOCRATIC BELGRADE, Sept >27 (Tanjug) - Last Sunday's Yugoslav presidential and parliamentary election >and local polls in its republic of Serbia were fully in line with national >legislation and international standards, according to 210 observers from 53 >countries. The international observers issued a joint statement after the >Sept. 24 polling, describing the elections as free, fair and democratic, and >the results as the freely expressed will of the people of Yugoslavia. Sergei >Kiashko of Ukraine, speaking on behalf of the monitors from national >parliaments and interparliamentary assemblies, said they had free access to a >very large number of polling stations and all electoral district at all stages >of the election process. According to Kiashko, the monitors - parliament >deputies and other prominent figures invited by the Yugoslav parliament - >attended all pre-election and election activities - voting, vote-counting and >correlation of the returns. At all stages of the election process, the >monitors had full cooperation from the electoral bodies. The monitors came >from Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Belarus, >Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chad, Chile, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, >Egypt, France, Germany, Ghana, Great Britain, Greece, Guinea, Hungary, India, >Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kirghizstan, Laos, >Libya, Macedonia, Moldova, Nepal, Nicaragua, Palestine Self-Rule, Portugal, >Romania, Russia, Salvador, Slovakia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Tajikistan, >Turkey, Ukraine, the United States of America, Vietnam and Zimbabwe. Also >present were representatives of the Parliamentary Assemblies of the >Russia-Belarus Union and of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). > >TODISCO: DANGEROUS TO PROCLAIM ONESELF WINNER BEFORE RESULTS BELGRADE, Sept 27 >(Tanjug) - Oservatorio di Milano Institute for Social Research Director >Massimo Todisco, an observer at the Yugoslav elections held on Sept 24, said >on Wednesday that the elections had been regular and described as dangerous >the statement by Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) presidential candidate >Vojislav Kostunica that he had won, even though the Federal Electoral >Commission had not yet announced the final results of the ballot. Speaking at >a press conference in Belgrade, Todisco stressed the world-wide practice that >participants in elections are not proclaimed victors before this is announced >by the official electoral commission. Actions to the contrary could cause >unrests, he said, adding that the west had demonstrated disrespect for the >legal institutions of a state and taken the results of only one side as good >results. Todisco spoke about the preparations and course of the elections in >Yugoslavia and denied western allegations of irregularities, since he had >personally had insight into the work of electoral committees. > >RUSSIAN OFFICIAL: RUNOFF BEST SOLUTION FOR YUGOSLAVIA MOSCOW, Sept 27 (Tanjug) >- The Russian Federation Council (upper parliamentary chamber) speaker said on >Wednesday that the second round of presidential elections could provide the >best solution for Yugoslavia, and that otherwise serious clashes might erupt. >According to Yegor Stroyev, Yugoslavs have the capacity to solve all issues >emerging after Sunday's elections, on their own. The Russian official said >that the current situation in Yugoslavia called for stopping the sabre >rattling, adding that other countries must not intimidate Balkan Slavs. >Members of a Russian Federation Council delegation, who acted as monitors in >the Yugoslav elections, have said that the entire population in Yugoslavia was >extremely frightened and that they wanted peace, not war, Stroyev added. MPs >of the Russian-Belorussian Union who monitored the elections have confirmed >that the polling went off in full accordance with international law. > >RUSSIA'S NATIONAL PATRIOTIC ALLIANCE ISSUES STATEMENT MOSCOW, Sep 27 (Tanjug) >- Russia's National Patriotic Alliance (NPSR) resolutely denounces western >interference into internal affairs of Yugoslavia, NPSR President Gennady >Zyuganov said in a statement Wednesday, wishing to the candidate of >Yugoslavia's patriotic forces Slobodan Milosevic success in the runoff >presidential election. "Attempts made by NATO member-states to destabilize the >situation in Yugoslavia arouse particular concern. We resolutely condemn >interference of western states into internal affairs of Yugoslavia and >particularly violent threats to use force against Yugoslavia if the >developments in the country do not follow the scenario developed in >Washington", the statement says. "We are concerned over attempts to involve >Russia in political and propagandist pressure on Yugoslavia. NPSR will closely >follow the situation in Yugoslavia", the statement said, adding that NPSR >hopes that in defining its policy towards processes underway in Yugoslavia, >Russia would be guided by Yugoslavia's national interests, not by foreign >advice. > >YUGOSLAVIA-ELECTIONS-FOREIGN MEDIA GREEK MEDIA: YUGOSLAVS SPURN WEST'S >CRITICISM OF SUNDAY POLLS ATHENS, Sept 27 (Tanjug) - Greek media reports on >Yugoslav polls focus on Wednesday on the Central Electoral Commission's >statement that none of the presidential candidates won outright, and the claim >of victory by the opposition for their candidate Vojislav Kostunica. The >newspapers To Vima, Exusia, Eleftherotypos and others quote the Commission's >statement on Tuesday that, according to returns processed thus far, Kostunica >had secured 48.22 percent of the votes, and incumbent Slobodan Milosevic, >40.23 percent. The media say the Greek government refuses to comment on the >Sunday presidential and parliamentary polls in Yugoslavia and local polls in >the Yugoslav republic of Serbia pending the publication of final results. They >go on to stress that Russia does not accept the West's allegations about >election irregularity, and describes the elections as fair. Athens press notes >that Yugoslav people, as well as politicians of both blocs, refuse to accept >criticism in the form of ultimatums, such as that voiced by British Foreign >Minister Robin Cook alleging election irregularities. The Athens News, >published in English, quotes a Belgrade opposition supporter as saying that >NATO and the West should stay out of Yugoslavia's elections, because the >people have not forgotten last year's 78-day NATO air campaign against >Yugoslavia. > >SECOND ROUND OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ANNOUNCED IN YUGOSLAVIA PEKING, Sept 27 >(Tanjug) - Chinese media on Wednesday carried a report by the Yugoslav Federal >Electoral Commission about the first preliminary results of elections for >Yugoslav president and federal deputies and said a presidential run-off would >be held most probably on Oct 8. The Xinhua news agency carried the complete >Commission's statement released late Tuesday, saying that the final results >would be announced by Sept 28. In its official reaction, China pointed out >that the elections in Yugoslavia are strictly its internal affair and that it >respects the choice of the Yugoslav people. The Chinese government >consistently urges the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs >of any country. Chinese media said that close to 200 observers from more than >50 countries had monitored the elections and that Electoral Commission >President Borivoje Vukicevic had said the elections had taken place in a >democratic and fair atmosphere. _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
