SERBIA: BELGRADE: REACTION TO SUSPENSION OF UN SANCTIONS

(23 Nov 1995) Serbo Croat/Eng/French

The people of former Yugoslavia are lukewarm about the merits of the Bosnian peace deal - but at least they are glad to see the back of UN sanctions against them.

The UN imposed the sanctions on Serbia and its ally Montenegro three and a half years ago as punishment for fuelling the Bosnian war. On Wednesday the Security Council voted to lift them.

Getting the sanctions removed was the main reason Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic signed up to the Bosnia peace deal in Ohio.

For the people of the Serb capital Belgrade the historic peace deal announced in Dayton, Ohio, means an end to devastating economic sanctions.

The way is now clear for Yugoslavia to rejoin the world community after the U.N. Security Council voted Wednesday to suspend economic sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro - the two remaining republics in Yugoslavia.

The council also voted to lift the arms embargo on all Balkan states by next summer.

Trade sanctions were imposed on Yugoslavia in May 1992 as punishment for fomenting the Serb rebellion against Bosnia's secession from Serb-dominated Yugoslavia.

Faced with plummeting living standards and severe unemployment, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic is telling his people that the lifting of sanctions is the solution to Serbia's woes.

Headlines reading "The End of the War and Sanctions," and "The Sanctions Are Falling" were splashed across front pages of the Belgrade press.

While most people are relieved about the end of sanctions-- they question the peace deal signed by their leadership, especially the surrender of Serb-held territory.

VOXPOPS:

(English)
"Economy is definitely destroyed here you know. So, we'll see. What is signed about the sanctions-- that's great but what is signed, we really don't know."

(Serbian)
"I think that the sanctions won't be lifted altogether because the Serbs won't give up the corridor."

(English)
"In my opinion it is good to stop war, but... and to definitely to stop the sanctions- embargo against Yugoslavia. But how it will be finished definitely I'm not quite sure."

SUPER CAPTION: Residents of Belgrade

Some economists say the suspension of sanctions alone will not help Serbia's economy in the short term, because its also faces bills from financing rebel Serb campaigns and fiscal mismanagement.

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