SERBIAN ACADEMICIAN ARGUES WITH SLOVENE PRESIDENT ON CAUSES OF YUGOSLAVIA'S BREAK-UP

BELGRADE/LJUBLJANA, July 14 (Hina) - A Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences (SANU) was not an ideological platform of the greater Serbian nationalism, taken over by Slobodan Milosevic but an attempt to caution about consequences of the break-up of Yugoslavia, claimed SANU head, Dejan Medakovic, while opposing the statement given by Slovenian President Milan Kucan on this issue. Medakovic opposed Kucan's thesis that "the blame for the collapse of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ) should be pinned on the greater Serbian nationalism, formulated in the SANU's memorandum." and that Milosevic tried through wars to materialise what was drafted in the document of Serbian academicians. On Saturday Slovenian media quoted segments of Medakovic's letter published in Belgrade's daily 'Vecernji Novosti' in which he polemicized with theses of Slovenian President on the causes and reasons for the disintegration of the ex SFRY. Kucan reiterated his opinion recently during a celebration of the 10th anniversary of the set-up of the independent Slovenia. The memorandum was no greater Serbian programme but an attempt to warn of consequences of the break-up of Yugoslavia which was eroded by conflict of the (Communist) party bureaucracy," Medakovic replied. According to Medakovic, the SANU "has always tried to act in the spirit of mutual tolerance," and had not taken part in embarrassing disagreements from the past. (hina) sb ms