Start of Improved Relations for Belgrade
VIENNA, April 16 (Reuters) — Austria said on Tuesday it would recognize the rump republic of Yugoslavia as one of the successor states of the former Yugoslav federation. Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel announced the decision to start improving relations with Yugoslavia — now consisting of Serbia and Montenegro — after presenting a report on Belgrade's recognition at a weekly cabinet meeting, the news agency APA reported."Yugoslavia will be recognized within its present borders as one of the successor states of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia," Schuessel said. Austria's diplomatic representation in Belgrade, capital of Yugoslavia, would be upgraded to ambassadorial level very soon, he added. Schuessel said negotiations between Vienna and Belgrade would also begin soon to clarify the validity of existing accords between the two countries and to set up a fresh series of agreements following recognition.
Belgrade's international isolation began to be relaxed after the Dayton peace treaty on Bosnia was signed in Paris in December, which led to the suspension of crippling U.N. sanctions against Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia's decision to sign a treaty normalizing relations with the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia on April 8 was seen as removing the last obstacle to full recognition of Yugoslavia by European Union member states.
France in February became the first European Union country to restore diplomatic ties with Yugoslavia to the level of ambassadors since war broke out in Bosnia in 1992. Belgrade had been pushing to become sole successor to the former communist federation, arguing that Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Macedonia seceded from Yugoslavia in 1991 and 1992, thereby forfeiting the right to inherit foreign and domestic assets worth billions of dollars.
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