ZAGREB, April 8 (Hina) - A new round of negotiations on the succession to the former Yugoslavia (SFRY), set up for 9-11 April in Brussels, is the third round since the ouster of Slobodan Milosevic, a former Yugoslav President, and is
likely to produce first concrete results in this long process which was obstructed by the Yugoslav authorities led by Milosevic in the past.
ZAGREB, April 8 (Hina) - A new round of negotiations on the
succession to the former Yugoslavia (SFRY), set up for 9-11 April in
Brussels, is the third round since the ouster of Slobodan
Milosevic, a former Yugoslav President, and is likely to produce
first concrete results in this long process which was obstructed by
the Yugoslav authorities led by Milosevic in the past.#L#
"Now when there is no total obstruction by the Yugoslav party which
is becoming co-operative, the five countries-successors are
inclined to accelerate the process of the succession. The
international community is also willing to help complete the
demanding process as soon as possible. That's why I hope the new
round of negotiations next week in Brussels will give first
concrete results," said Croatia's chief negotiator in this matter,
Bozo Marendic, in an interview with Hina last week.
"I hope that we shall at least reach agreement regarding the issue
of the assets in the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements
(BIS). In that case it will be a very good result," said Marendic,
who is at the helm of the Croatian government' office in charge of
succession projects.
In the BIS, 46 tonnes of gold, 8,000 shares and a certain amount of
foreign reserves are deposited, which totals almost 480 million
dollars.
"I hope we might be able to agree on the division of the archive
material. I also hope that we shall start the division of the first
part of the former SFRY's real estate abroad," he added.
The first stage of the partition of the real estate of the Socialist
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) abroad, which was worth some
$300 million in 1990 (at the break-up of the then Yugoslavia),
covers 13 object, of which the incumbent Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro or FRY) would get four, Croatia
three, and Slovenia, Macedonia and Bosnia-Herzegovina each two.
"This would be the initial, test stage of the division of that part
of the former joint property. These 13 facilities account for only
10 percent of the entire value of the joint real estate abroad,"
Marendic explained.
Following a two-year-long break in the negotiations, caused by the
international sanctions imposed on the Milosevic regime, the talks
about the succession resumed last December in Brussels. After that,
negotiators met in Ljubljana, Slovenia in February. Although they
failed to make any concrete agreement on that occasion, the
Ljubljana meeting was wrapped up with the announcement that first
results were in the offing.
Myrendic said texts of agreements on the issue of pensions and
acquired rights had been drawn up, and the coming meeting should
make further progress relating to those items.
The agreement on pensions would cover persons who earned pensions
working in the then Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) or in civilian
federal institutions. The deal would bind a country-successor to
pay pensions to its citizens who used to be employed in the federal
institutions but also to citizens of some other countries-
successors who earned pension working on the territory of the
former.
The agreement on the acquired and vested rights (primarily on the
property rights) would ensure the ownership rights to individuals
and companies to their assets and real estate regardless of where
the property was (in which country-successor) and from which
country-successor the owner is.
"All agreements, made in the former federation (SFRY), must be
respected, as they remained valid after the partition of that
country, and this refers primarily to the property rights,"
Marendic explained.
If the coming round of the negotiations be successful, the
negotiating teams are likely to meet again in the late May. Austria
has proposed to host that meeting.
On that meeting we should discuss a general agreement on the
succession, which would be a framework agreement and later on
annexes would be added to that document in the rhythm in which we may
be able to make agreement on some segments, he added.
A very important issues of these negotiations is the definition of
the date of the break-up of the former SFRY. This is very relevant
for the succession as it substantially impacts certain items such
as the situation regarding the foreign exchange reserves.
Croatia and most international lawyers hold that the date when the
process of collapse started is more important that the date of the
completion of that process. After all, the process is still under
way, Marendic said adding that Zagreb insists that the date of the
partition is the late June 1991.
The importance of the matter is clearly reflected on the example of
the situation as regards the foreign exchange reserves as it
differed very much between June 1991 and late 19991.
In this context, Marendic said the real state of affairs in the
foreign exchange holdings at the moment of the disintegration of
the former SFRY was currently being established.
Belgrade has given data on the situation as it was then, but we have
requested that the figures should not be made public until we check
up their authenticity. We have asked to have access to the archives
to see that or that an international agency examine it. This will
certainly be discussed in Brussels, Marendic said.
(hina) ms