VECERNJI LIST COMMENTARY: CONTINUITY AS PART OF THE GAME

ZAGREB, April 10 (Hina) - The Wednesday Vecernji List features a commentary by Visnja Staresina under the headline "Continuity as Part of the Game", which deals with the continuity and succession of the former Yugoslavia with a particular stress on the recent normalisation of relations between Macedonia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Following are some highlights: "According to the first reports, in the normalisation agreement Macedonia recognised the constitutional continuity of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ) from 1918, with the provision that succession issues be resolved by mutual agreement." (...) "To attain the recognition of the continuity of SRJ has been one of Belgrade's priorities in recent months. The goal in view was mainly SRJ's admission into international institutions, especially the financial ones. The Serbian economy is unlikely to survive without new credits and the access to the world financial market. Since he can no longer claim 'unjust sanctions' to justify poverty, Milosevic could find himself in Queer Street before the election if the situation does not improve. On the other hand, certain countries use the issues of continuity and succession as a handy instrument of pressurizing and disciplining Belgrade, and ensure their own interests in the region." (...) "The talks between the Belgrade delegation and the IMF representatives bombed because Serbian representatives insisted on Yugoslavia's continuity, refusing the model that IMF is applying to all the new states emerging from the former Yugoslavia. This model is based on the view (upheld by the Badinter Commission) that the Yugoslav Federation disintegrated (and that it was not a case of secession)". "Prognoses that Montenegro will one day want out of SRJ, and that NATO will spread its control all over the Mediterranean, including the Adriatic, are very convincing. The elasticity of world politics as regards the issue of the continuity and succession are in fact a trap for Milosevic... The fact is that these games might be detrimental to the interests of Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia, but, to be quite honest, nobody seems to be paying much attention to it". (hina) ha as 101308 MET apr 96