The Drawn Out Agonizing Demise

On the "no man's land" of the politically and institutionally disintegrated Yugoslavia, the federal diplomatic core occupies an obscure position. The series of the latest Belgrade media attacks on Budimir Loncar (Foreign Minister) and his colleagues, spiced up by an attempt (a minor one as it turned out) to force a resignation out of him by the petition of the Ministry employees, has closed the domestic vicious circle, started at the North-West, which accused him of the "Belgrade conspiracy".

At the same time, the federal diplomacy with its head still held high above the water level is sailing down the international scene from the Hague to New York and back. The Federal Foreign Ministry through Loncar or rather vice versa is a respectable partner of all the international agents from the Hague Conference on Yugoslavia, KEBS, the United Nations to the functionaries who are deciding upon the fate of the potentially mutually exterminating Balkan tribes (Cyrus Vance upon his own insistence met Loncar four times during his Yugoslav visit). Compared to the numerous and until recently powerful federal bureaucratic tools - the Federal Defence Ministry and the Ministry of Internal Affairs with its regular presence at the daily sessions of the non-existent collective Yugoslav head of state, the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs represents a counterpoint. The sessions scheduled by Branko Kostic (Vice- President of the Federal Presidency) host the unavoidable presence of the Minister of Interior Petar Gracanin, while the Army is represented by General Veljko Kadijevic, or his deputy Admiral Stane Brovet. Budimir Loncar has not appeared at a single Presidency meeting since his famous Hague statement: "I am not sure who I am supposed to represent any more", where he happened to be during the first session of the incomplete Presidency.

The vacant chair of the Foreign Minister is now being occupied by his deputy Milivoje Maksic. Although there are many who take his disrespect for hierarchy to be the signal pointing to the split in the top echelons in the Yugoslav diplomacy, it is more likely that it represents the carefully disguised tactical move of the two experienced diplomats, which serves to abate the potential critics and to save their reputation as well. The Federal Ministry for Foreign Affairs has for some time been exhibiting considerable political skill. Since over a year ago the Foreign Ministries were formed in Slovenia, Croatia and Serbia and at the beginning of the year in the remaining three republics (Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina), the ambitious political expansion of the diplomatic activity has been mercilessly corroding "the unified" and "common" Yugoslav foreign policy.

The protracted withering of the federal diplomatic body, which has been accelerating with the passing of the Hague Agreement on the sovereignty and independence of the six Yugoslav political subjects, has been, if it is any comfort, proceeding more or less without major difficulties. All this is happening despite the fact that this year's fiscal budget provides only forty percent of the planned diplomatic expenses of Yugoslavia (in the last few years, this figure amounted to 40 million dollars). The elements of the Hague Agreement for the global solution of the Yugoslav crisis, along with other important functions, is implementing a severe cut with regards to foreign policy. It would be reduced to "consultation on the issues of mutual interests", which means "the joint decision on how to reach an agreement" and "the joint appearance in the areas where the agreement has been reached". The Foreign Ministry is certainly among the ones who are disturbed by the sharp response of Lord Carrington. Despite the numerous internal rifts, the Federal Ministry avoids any discussion on the "internal adjustment" and changes which are now being sanctioned by the Hague Agreement. Although it is true that the number of employees in the past twelve months has been reduced by 12%, it is negligible considering that it is applied to 2000 people.

In case we are considering rationalization, then it means the long or short period of "deciding on the future of Yugoslavia", which will be representative enough to hold sessions in the centres which have been ranked according to a somewhat changed list of priorities. Or rather, to have them reduced where the interest is no longer in existence. The five permanent members of the UN Security Council, members of the E.C, have the priority here, along with the neighbouring countries, whereas the former far quay friends are only represented by regional centres, like Cairo and Delhi. Providing the sovereign Yugoslav republics "after the Hague" governed by pragmatic principles arrange to establish closer links in the form of an association a certain section of the internationally managed affairs could be entrusted to the common "diplomatic service". With the drastically reduced personnel there would certainly be felt a marked quality detraction.

All the republics - states would on the parity basis have the same number of representatives, among the diplomats and other personnel alike. The republic interest as opposed to the national would have the priority here, and will depend on the free choice of each member state of the future association of the Yugoslav states. From the standpoint of the present personnel makeup of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs it would be a genuinely "new bougienage". The unequal national and republic representation along with the domination of Serbia (half of the total number), has always provided the watertight argument to the critics of the "Serbian lobby" in the Federal diplomatic corps.

On the other hand, the possible reparation of the common Foreign Affairs service, would bring back the Slovenes who have longed to left Belgrade, and who no longer occupy the Yugoslav diplomatic posts throughout the world. In its third attempt to find a suitable propagator of the "the real truth about Serbia" the Serbian leadership opted for Vladislav Jovanovic, the diplomat with the thirty-year experience. The number of vacancies in his Ministry remains to be yet to be announced.