The Militant (logo) 
   Vol.64/No.46            December 4, 2000 
 
 
New regime in Belgrade courts EU powers
(front page)
 
BY ARGIRIS MALAPANIS AND GEORGE SKORIC  
The new government of Yugoslavia, headed by the country's president Vojislav Kostunica, resumed diplomatic relations with its counterparts in the United States, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom November 17. These governments had cut off ties about 20 months ago, at the start of the brutal U.S.-NATO bombing.

To minimize public discussion of the issue, Yugoslav government officials in their statements tried to avoid discussion of the reasons that led to the breakup of ties, given the deep opposition to the U.S.-led assault that exists among working people and others in this country.

"This is a moment when I want to remind everyone how difficult it was to live in this country at a time of war," said Goran Svilanovic, Yugoslavia's foreign minister, at a ceremony restoring diplomatic relations with the four imperialist powers. "Some mistakes of the past can never be put right and lives that perished can never be recovered. But today we can start creating a future...in which we shall live in a better country at peace with these nations."

Others were more blunt. "At this moment," stated Yugoslavia's new prime minister Zoran Zizic, "analysis of what had happened in the past is not necessary, especially not of the concrete events that led to the breakup of diplomatic relations with these countries."

Earlier in November, Belgrade was readmitted as a full member into the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Yugoslav government officials say all these steps are necessary to integrate Yugoslavia further into the world capitalist market system--a process they, and spokespeople for the imperialist powers, acknowledge will not be easy or straightforward.

In a statement issued from Hanoi, during an official visit to Vietnam, U.S. president William Clinton praised "the remarkable changes" in Yugoslavia since the toppling of the regime of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. He also said the country's transition, especially of its economy, is "far from over." Washington lifted its oil and air travel embargo on Serbia in October, pledged to drop other sanctions, and promised $45 million in food aid. At the same time, the U.S. government has insisted Belgrade turn over Milosevic to the imperialist tribunal in The Hague to be tried for "war crimes," a demand that Kostunica has opposed so far.

Kostunica has continued to steer his diplomatic efforts towards the European Union and has maintained somewhat of a distance from Washington, causing friction within the new government and the Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS). The new Yugoslav president said recently he hopes Yugoslavia will become a full member of the European Union.

Two recent conferences in Yugoslavia spotlight the course being pursued by the government. One was a meeting of the Pact for the Stability of Southeastern Europe, which Yugoslavia just joined. Another was a gathering of 60 businessmen from North America--including representatives of Chase Manhattan bank and other institutions of finance capital, company managers from Yugoslavia, and leaders of the so-called G-17, a group of "economic experts" advising Kostunica.

Representatives of the World Bank and Wil-liam Montgomery, in charge of Yugo-slav affairs in the U.S. embassy in Budapest, took part in this second conference to discuss opportunities for foreign investment in Yugoslavia. A number of conference guests, according to media accounts, stated particular interest in Serbia's agriculture and food industry. Addressing participants from Yugoslavia, Montgomery said, "The challenge for you now is to create a good climate for business here. We and you have some serious work in front of us on that matter, because if the economic situation here does not improve, the political situation will remain shaky."

Serbia's minister for economic relations with other countries was not very optimistic on the short-term prospects of success along these lines. "This is a representative gathering of 60 American corporations," he said. "However, the fact remains we still have political, economic, and judicial insecurity here."

One example of the problems finance capital encounters is the protests by U.S. businessman Milan Panic over "losing control" of the Galenika pharmaceutical plant. Panic was briefly Yugoslavia's prime minister during the Milosevic regime. In Belgrade November 10 he demanded reversal of a "government takeover" of the Galenika plant and return of its control to ICN Pharmaceuticals, a U.S.-based company that Panic owns. ICN supposedly bought a majority stake in Galenika, previously state-owned, under a 1990 agreement with the Milosevic regime. But a Yugoslav court ruled in February 1999 that ICN's stake was worth only 35 percent instead of the 75 percent Panic claims.  
 
New strikes and actions
Meanwhile, working people continue to press for extending the political space they have won through a wave of strikes and other actions in early October that were decisive in forcing Milosevic to resign. Many workers have launched new strikes or other job actions to replace managers who were Milosevic cronies and to fight for better wages and working conditions.

According to media reports, nine members of the executive board of Nezavisnost (Independence) and four other workers were on a hunger strike inside the Magnohrom plant in Kraljevo, central Serbia, in mid-November. Nezavisnost is the main union federation that was not directly tied to the Milosevic regime. Its members at Magnohrom demand a referendum by employees through which workers will have a say on who will replace the old manager, who resigned under pressure from the union.

The national postal service workers union also approved a walkout of its 28,000 members, demanding higher wages and immediate payment of back wages. To achieve this, workers demand internal reorganization of the postal service, with two union representatives serving on each management board. Union officials set a deadline of November 20. If the union demands are not met by then, they said they will call a national march of postal workers in Belgrade.

Elementary and high schools were empty the week of November 13-17 due to a teachers strike for a doubling of salaries. Pilots of the Yugoslav Air Company have announced preparations for a strike, as have workers in major Belgrade hotels around similar demands.

George Skoric is a student in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Argiris Malapanis is a meat packer in Miami.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home