Parts Of Former Yugoslavia Research Articles

Organohalogens: A persisting burden in Slovenia?

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) represent a concern for the environment and human health due to their persistence and toxicity. Exposure in Slovenia is geographically differentiated because the country, as part of former Yugoslavia, has a history of industry and regional contamination and is – at the same time – known for its clean nature. The PCB pollution of the Krupa River drew the public's attention to the chemical burden of Slovenians, and the demand for studies has been rising since. We assessed the exposure of men (n = 548) and primiparous women (n = 536) to POPs in 12 regions of Slovenia as well as exposure pathways via questionnaires. Most PCDD/Fs, PCBs, and PBDEs could be determined in pooled samples of maternal milk at low concentrations (1.57 pg/gTEQ, 1.47 pg/gTEQ, and 1076 pg/g fat, respectively), but a much lower number of compounds could be measured above the LOQ in pooled men's plasma samples (PCDD/Fs 0.08 pg/gTEQ, PCBs 0.007 pg/gTEQ, ΣPBDE 920 pg/g), and only HCB, p,p’-DDE, ΣDDT, and the non-dioxin-like PCB congeners 138, 153, and 180 could be determined in individual samples of milk (concentration range 5–60 ng/g fat). In individual samples of men's serum, only p,p’-DDE and ΣPCB were detected at concentrations of 0.25 ng/g and 0.3 ng/g, respectively. Nonetheless, we were able to differentiate between polluted and unpolluted areas on a national level, with higher exposure levels in the PCB polluted region of Bela Krajina, the industrial region Zasavje, and the capital, Ljubljana. Despite low concentrations, determinants of exposure, such as age, proximity to roads, old building materials, private water supplies, and consumption of alcohol, fish, meat, and eggs that have previously been observed only at higher levels could still be identified. Furthermore, levels of PCBs and PBDEs were highly correlated suggesting common exposure sources and pathways, whereas PCDD/Fs were correlated to a lesser extent. The calculated ratio between DDT and DDE in maternal milk samples was decreasing with the year of sampling, suggesting no ongoing exposure to DDT. The study findings suggest low exposure of men and lactating women to legacy pollutants in Slovenia, which gave rise to the hypothesis that Slovenia's geographical location might provide shelter from the long-range transport of POPs via Westerly winds. This hypothesis remains to be confirmed within future studies.

Relationship with the European Union: Slovenia and Montenegro Compared

Abstract As part of former Yugoslavia and non -members of the Eastern Bloc, Slovenia and Montenegro enjoyed a special status and relationships with the European Communities (EC) before most other socialist countries. Economic and social interactions with the EC and its member states thus formed part of Slovenian and Montenegrin life even during socialism, particularly after Yugoslavia signed special agreements on trade relations with the EC in the 1970s and 1980s. In this respect, Europeanisation as ‘practical’ integration with the EC was closely linked with liberalisation processes concerning the economy, society and politics along with democratic transition processes that began in the late 1980s. When Slovenia joined the European Union (EU) in 2004 following a relatively smooth integration process, Montenegro was still holding EU candidate member status, after having officially started its accession negotiations in June 2012. The article analyses selected development and integration aspects of Slovenia and Montenegro, their relationship with the EU, together with their similarities and differences. The aim is to highlight developments in both countries and determine whether Slovenia, as an ex -Yugoslav republic and EU member since 2004, may serve as a good example for Montenegro to follow while pursuing European integration.

Macro- and microhabitat preferences of eastern Hermann’s tortoise (Testudo hermanni boettgeri)

Abstract Macro- and microhabitat preference of Testudo hermanni boettgeri, the eastern subspecies of Hermann’s tortoise, was investigated utilizing modified methodology for the western subspecies which emphasized the importance of habitat heterogeneity preservation. The study objective was to explore the habitat preferences of the eastern subspecies of T. hermanni. Research was conducted within the same year at four localities in Eastern and Southeastern Serbia. Macrohabitat determination was conducted using a 0 to 5 land cover score system (coverage with herbaceous, bushy or tree vegetation) for 4 m2 tortoise encounter surroundings. Microhabitat analysis was carried out by determining the plant species in closest contact with the tortoise in the moment of recording. Plants were classified into six groups: 1) aromatic, 2) bramble, 3) herbaceous, 4) thorny shrub, 5) tree and 6) non-thorny shrubs. test was used for comparison between expected and empirical habitat preference. Results confirmed that the most attractive macrohabitats for Eastern Hermann’s tortoises in this part of the Balkans are meadows and open shrublands, with the addition of dense forest (important in wormer months), what is concordant with earlier data from the Mediterranean part of former Yugoslavia. The most attractive microhabitats were “herbaceous plants”, followed by “bramble”.

Kulturna politika i sećanje na borce Narodnooslobodilačkog rata - centralna uloga vojske u političkoj legitimizaciji nove političke strukture

The fighters of the People's Liberation War (PLW) enjoyed the social prestige and the monuments of the killed fighters served the role of the ideological interests of the ruling class at the time. The aim of this paper is to show the link between the alive social actors and the chosen dead ones (fighters of the PLW, partisans) through the use of the anthropological anxiety of the cessation of life through metaphorical immortality and eternal memory. Essentially, this was the illusion for ideological foundation, special thematic and ideological orientation of sculptures within the public space. Via symbolic contents, such as monuments in this case, death is shown as the transition, that is, new beginning of life and not its end. Active involvement of a number of artists from all parts of former Yugoslavia within the units of the Partisan army in the PLW is the phenomenon which unequivocally testifies about the link of their political commitment and artistic creation, which also got particularly strong momentum immediately after the Liberation. The most important social task in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) was nurturing of the revolutionary tradition, especially seen in the erection of memorials, then in (re)naming of the towns with Tito's name or the names of the local heroes, as well as streets, schools, factories, but also in organizing marches to places where the famous battles and Partisan sessions during the PLW occurred, etc. This paper, among other things, deals with extremely fruitful production of the sculptors in the liberated country, especially from the aspect of extensive social orders, which at the same time encouraged and enabled fast and diverse development of the public monuments within urban areas on the ground of the whole former Yugoslavia, whose modus operandi was reshaping of the political and ideological map of The New Yugoslavia and ideological and political battle with "relapses of the past".

Osnovne konvencije - međunarodne organizacije rada i usaglašenost pozitivnog zakonodavstva Republike Srbije sa njihovim normama

The International Labor Organization since its founding in 1919 represents the primary entity in the creation of international labor legislation. Declaration on Fundamental Rights and the principles from 1998 extracts the basis of the international regulation of labor and introduces the so-called fundamental rights of workers, or 'ius cogens' of international labor law, while the fundamental conventions represent an expression of the principles integrated in the Constitution of the International Labor Organization. Republic of Serbia, as part of former Yugoslavia, was a member of the ILO from 1919 until 1992. After eight years, in the year 2000, Serbia once again became a member of ILO. Republic of Serbia ratified a large number of conventions, including eight fundamental conventions. The aim of this article is to familiarize readers with the core normative activities of the International Labor Organization, which include Convention No. 29 and 105, which prohibit forced labor, Convention No. 87 and 98, which regulate the freedom of association, Conventions No. 100 and 111 which introduce equal opportunities and treatment and Convention No. 138 and 182, which prohibit child labor. Ratified conventions have priority in application after the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia.

The Lack of Special and General Usages A Weakness for the Normal and Reliable Function of Kosovo Permanent Tribunal of Arbitration

Business relations of economic entities operating in Kosovo have begun to be regulated similarly to those of modern countries, in accordance with the spirit of globalization. In this segment the local institutions recently succeeded in completing the primary legislation and partially the secondary one. Within this activity has been done also the reforming of judicial system, have been redefined the competencies of judicial authorities for disputes in the field of economy and above all within the Chamber of Commerce is established the Permanent Tribunal of Arbitration as a specialized agency for solving disputes of contractual business relations. With all these achievements it is estimated that this court cannot be efficient and functional because starting from 1989 the Usages as juridical resources which are contracted by parties do not only exist but no one has identify, collect and publish them in the official newspaper. Based to this situation there are problems that actually do not have answers and confused situation is creating legal uncertainty. For a long period we have been part of Former Yugoslavia and question arise: are the special and general Usages issued in 22 March 1989, considering the fact that UNIMK Regulation for Applicable Law in Kosovo in the Point 2 allows to implement the Serbian laws after March 1989 if not discriminatory, applicable in Kosovo? No regulation determines the competence of any institution that issue Usages. On the other side we are aware of the fact that the most business relations in the modern world are regulated by contracting Usages and in Kosovo we do not have regulate this segment and the Permanent Tribunal of Arbitration cannot be in the level of its duty. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n19p108

The Main Reasons that Led to the Dissolution of Yugoslavia and Short Explanation of Failed Project of the Yugoslav Nation

The project of Yugoslavia has failed. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has been broken down into five new states in the bloody civil war in the beginning of the nineties of the twentieth century. Many experts were searching for the reason of disintegration of Yugoslavia. Was the authoritarian rule of Josip Broz Tito the main reason that was preventing the aspirations for breaking the Yugoslavia? There is no doubt that Tito through his political engagement did a lot on the creation and strengthening of the Yugoslav state and Yugoslav nation, which were supposed to be one of the pillars for building the supranational state. The Yugoslav constitution from 1974, which many have described as the basis for the beginning of Yugoslav breakup, was adopted while Tito was still alive. In addition to national tensions that were skillfully suppressed by the Communist Party, the economic factor also did not go in favor of the proponents of the Yugoslav state. Despite the strong post-war industrial development and modernization of the state, Yugoslavia was forced to take significant amount of money as a loan from the Western European countries. Inside the country itself, it came to a significant economic gap between developed west and poor east where people were living mainly from state financial aid. Further historical events, which resulted in the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the communism, caught political leaders of Yugoslavia unprepared. The idea of the United Europe and erasing borders between East and West, capitalism and communism, did not find its support in the Balkans. In the Balkans, the border was started being written with the blood of citizens who were sharing the same country until yesterday and became enemies overnight. The federal government has failed to respond to the new circumstances and all the weaknesses of the existing political system came to the surface. Despite the massive support of the Communist Party, the creation of the Yugoslav nation was not making progress as politicians have planned. Despite the positive aspects - common cultural roots, similar language and same values, national conscience was a barrier to the creation of the Yugoslav nation that was too strong. Communist Party was trying to suppress individual ethnic identities and nationalities and impose the Yugoslav identity. Mainly in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also in other parts of former Yugoslavia, the creation of Yugoslav nation did not achieve great success. The Yugoslav idea existed even during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, but they both suffered the breakdown at the beginning of the Second World War. Yugoslav communists were trying to build a strong state by placing the Yugoslav nation as a counterweight to ethnic tensions that existed in society at the time. Unfortunately, nationalist tensions escalated in the early nineties and it was clear that the idea of the Yugoslav nation has experienced collapse. The causes that led to the breakup of Yugoslavia will be the subject of further research and scientific debate. However, a large number of human casualties and terrible material destructions are the final result of an unsuccessful project.

Effect of Seed Source on Physical Properties of Scots Pine (a Case Study in Neka, Iran)

This study investigated the seed source effect on the physical properties of exotic Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). For this purpose, nine clear pine trees grown from the Spanish, Armenian and Serbian (part of former Yugoslavia) seed sources were selected from the Vanamak-Neka (eastern part of Mazandaran province) and a disc was cut from each tree at breast height. Testing samples were prepared based on the ISO standard to estimate the oven-dry density, basic density, volumetric shrinkage and volumetric swelling. Then, the results were studied by using the variance analysis test (ANOVA) and Duncan’s table. The results indicated that the effect of seed sources on the above mentioned properties were significant. All of the physical properties of Scots pine grown from the Spanish seed source were higher. There were no significant differences between the Armenian and Serbian seeds in the density and dimensional changes of the wood (volumetric swelling and volumetric shrinkage). The relationships between different wood properties were analyzed by applying the linear regression. There was a weak and negative relationship between oven-dry and basic density and longitudinal and diametrical growth of the trees. The correlation between oven-dry density and dimensional changes of the wood showed that there was a positive relationship between the mentioned properties in all the three seeds, while the correlation coefficient of the Armenian seed was stronger than that of the other two seeds.

English

This paper presents an insurance market research of the markets in several Balkan countries that were part of former Yugoslavia and are still not members of EU. Being categorized as developing countries, they have far lower development degree in comparison with the European Insurance Federation member countries. By means of comparison between the basic insurance market development indicators in these countries, the law regulations, as well as through conducting surveys, based on questionnaires, which appoint the reasons for the underdevelopment in the sphere of life insurance, the paper gives a clearer perception, in terms of the conditions of the insurance markets, placed on the margins of the European insurance market. Its utmost objective is to point and argue several measures, which would improve the insurance market conditions in the already mentioned countries, i.e. would contribute to the development increase and the acceleration of these insurance markets. As a result, that would raise the protection measures and the safety, both to the citizens and their material goods.

P.3.c.010 Risperidone and olanzapine comparison for weight changes in a 24 months open extension study

Organic pollution is a complex mixture where besides usually discussed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) a lot of other toxic or potentially toxic compounds occur. In this case, the organic air pollution in two important industrial cities, Sarajevo and Tuzla, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (part of former Yugoslavia) was assessed with the emphasis placed on genotoxic risks using both chemical (PAHs analyses) and biological approaches (genotoxicity testing with a screening bacterial genotoxicity test — SOS chromotest). The study was performed as a part of the APOPSBAL project (ICA2-CT2002-10007). So far there has not been any information either about the PAHs pollution or the genotoxic activity of the organic air pollution for the localities under the study. Therefore, the presented information is considered absolutely unique. Both used approaches made possible to identify the localities with the highest pollution level and genotoxic risks in both cities. Generally, higher levels of both parameters were determined in Tuzla, which is much more industrialized than Sarajevo, and especially at localities close to city centers and affected by traffic emissions, but also at localities polluted by emissions from industry and household heating. Even if benzo(a)pyrene concentrations exceeded the maximum permitted levels for this pollutant at some localities in Tuzla, the PAHs concentrations were fully comparable with the levels determined in other industrial European cities. Significant genotoxicity of the organic extracts was detected for almost all of the urban localities in the test both without (− S9; direct genotoxicity) and with the addition of metabolic activation (+ S9; indirect genotoxicity). The observed direct genotoxic activities were discussed in relation to a potential presence of PAHs derivatives in the air. The indirect genotoxic activities were apparently higher at the localities with higher contents of carcinogenic PAHs. The significant relationship between the determined genotoxic activities and the PAHs pollution was also confirmed by a regression analysis. However, the correlations were not absolute because the observed genotoxic activity was also dependent on the presence of other organic pollutants than the PAHs. It concerns predominantly direct genotoxicity which is not related with the PAHs, but with their nitro-, oxi-, and hydroxy-derivatives and also other unknown polar organic pollutants. However, the concentrations of the direct genotoxins apparently correlated with the PAHs contents in the air. The study showed that screening genotoxicity tests, such as the SOS chromotest, could be effectively used for the identification of localities with increased genotoxic risks. In comparison with the health risk assessment which is usually based on the chemical analyses of only a small part of the pollution mixture, the bioassays enable us to evaluate the risks of all the mixture. The localities with the highest detected human health risks according to the screening bioassays may then be analyzed in detail with specific chemical methods to identify their causes.

Body height and weight and nutritional status in adult population of Northwest Backa and Central Banat (Serbia, Vojvodina)

Body height and weight are influenced by interaction of genetic and environmental factors but also depend upon the ethnic and socio-cultural characteristics of populations. The aim of the study is to determine the height, weight and nutritional status of adult population of Vojvodina, as well as to establish similarities and differences among various ethnic groups, i.e. the natives of Vojvodina and newcomers from different parts of former Yugoslavia. The investigation was conducted in 10 rural settlements of northwest Backa and central Banat. The investigation included 608 males (mean age 41.34 11.49) and 768 females (mean age 41.85 10.64). Data processing included standard statistical methods, while t-test was employed for testing differences among groups. In relation to ethnic group belonging, the analysis included Serbs, Hungarians and Montenegrins, while natives and newcomers from Bosnia and Herzegovina were analyzed in relation to the native land origin. The subjects of both sexes from central Banat have greater height than the subjects from northwest Backa. Hungarians of both sexes exhibit lower body height in comparison with all other groups, while Herzegovina newcomers have the greatest height values. For body weight, similar values are obtained in both of the areas. The average BMI in males equals 27.23 kg/m2 in Backa and 26.59 kg/m2 in Banat. In females, the values are lower and equal 26.12 kg/m2 in Backa and 25.29 kg/m2 in Banat. The population of this region is characterized by great height. Natives of both sexes show markedly lower height and weight values in relation to all three newcomers groups. The greatest number of male population falls in the category of overweight (46%). Females are mostly of normal weight (47.81%), while the number of overweight and obese females equals 34.67% and 14.42%, respectively.

Statistical Facts are Human Fates: Unequal Citizens in Slovenia

What are the necessary conditions that can allow new immigrants to be who they are, and still have unhindered access to all spheres of private and public life in their new homeland? Nine out of ten immigrants in Slovenia have come from other parts of former Yugoslavia; more than one third of 15-year-olds in Ljubljana are children of either non-Slovenian or mixed couples. And yet, in the 2002 census, only 6.2 per cent of Slovenia's population declared their ethnic or regional affiliation relating to other parts of former Yugoslavia. Why? This article examines the disadvantages of being a Serbian, a Muslim, or a Bosnian in Slovenia. It exposes the immigrants’ experience of legal mistreatment; the unequal status of their languages; general suspicion of their religion, culture, values and habits; and the stigma of their socio-economic status—all of which are reflected in their children's self-identification.

A combined approach to the evaluation of organic air pollution —A case study of urban air in Sarajevo and Tuzla(Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Organic pollution is a complex mixture where besides usually discussed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) a lot of other toxic or potentially toxic compounds occur. In this case, the organic air pollution in two important industrial cities, Sarajevo and Tuzla, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (part of former Yugoslavia) was assessed with the emphasis placed on genotoxic risks using both chemical (PAHs analyses) and biological approaches (genotoxicity testing with a screening bacterial genotoxicity test - SOS chromotest). The study was performed as a part of the APOPSBAL project (ICA2-CT2002-10007). So far there has not been any information either about the PAHs pollution or the genotoxic activity of the organic air pollution for the localities under the study. Therefore, the presented information is considered absolutely unique. Both used approaches made possible to identify the localities with the highest pollution level and genotoxic risks in both cities. Generally, higher levels of both parameters were determined in Tuzla, which is much more industrialized than Sarajevo, and especially at localities close to city centers and affected by traffic emissions, but also at localities polluted by emissions from industry and household heating. Even if benzo(a)pyrene concentrations exceeded the maximum permitted levels for this pollutant at some localities in Tuzla, the PAHs concentrations were fully comparable with the levels determined in other industrial European cities. Significant genotoxicity of the organic extracts was detected for almost all of the urban localities in the test both without (-S9; direct genotoxicity) and with the addition of metabolic activation (+S9; indirect genotoxicity). The observed direct genotoxic activities were discussed in relation to a potential presence of PAHs derivatives in the air. The indirect genotoxic activities were apparently higher at the localities with higher contents of carcinogenic PAHs. The significant relationship between the determined genotoxic activities and the PAHs pollution was also confirmed by a regression analysis. However, the correlations were not absolute because the observed genotoxic activity was also dependent on the presence of other organic pollutants than the PAHs. It concerns predominantly direct genotoxicity which is not related with the PAHs, but with their nitro-, oxi-, and hydroxy-derivatives and also other unknown polar organic pollutants. However, the concentrations of the direct genotoxins apparently correlated with the PAHs contents in the air. The study showed that screening genotoxicity tests, such as the SOS chromotest, could be effectively used for the identification of localities with increased genotoxic risks. In comparison with the health risk assessment which is usually based on the chemical analyses of only a small part of the pollution mixture, the bioassays enable us to evaluate the risks of all the mixture. The localities with the highest detected human health risks according to the screening bioassays may then be analyzed in detail with specific chemical methods to identify their causes.

Faustian Pursuits: The Political-Cultural Dimension of Goethe's Weltliteratur and the Tragedy of Translation

Ach, `Weltliteratur!' Das ist ein schoner Traum geblieben, selbst heute, da Globalisierung trotz Internet and Abertausender Kulturkongresse offensichtlich nur vollkommenes and gAnzliches Vergessen meint.i That Goethe's concept of Weltliteratur should find its way on to front page of a leading German weekly newspaper may be seen as a cheering sign of contemporary interest in Goethe studies. On other hand, occurrence is perhaps unsurprising given its year, 1999, and occasion of Weimar's ascension to status of European city of culture. The context for journalist's somewhat melancholy judgment on fate of Weltliteratur is a wistful reflection on failure of today's gebildete[r] deutsche[r] Mensch to evince any familiarity with many of world's nonGerman canonical classics. There is, however, an alternative and more urgent contemporary context that might equally well prompt renewed consideration of Goethe's Riesenkind. 112 The beginning of 1999 saw birth of euro. Rightly or wrongly, political proponents of a European single currency-- from Pierre Werner, former prime minister of Luxembourg, who in 1970 produced first report on establishing such a currency, to Helmut Kohl, speaking on occasion of its birth-have seen euro as a means to ending wars, to creating international peace and political harmony between nations.3 The extent to which Goethe projetted similar goals with his Weltliteratur has been a bone of some contention ever since earliest commentaries on concept; but that Weltliteratur does evoke some such cosmopolitan political perspective is surely beyond doubt. It was therefore only to be expected that coincidence between location for launching of euro at European Central Bank and birthplace of Germany's national poet and celebrated internationalist would not pass without notice.4 However, voluble-and politically expedient-optimism evinced by former German chancellor and his ilk may strike us as both hollow and irrelevant in light of tragic developments elsewhere in Europe during 1990s. Ethnic cleansing, for example, in various parts of former Yugoslavia not only casts an ironic pall over enthusiasm with which European monetary union was welcomed in several quarters; it may also serve as a reminder of distance between international understanding that Goethe's world literature would foster and reality of international hostilities that marks dawn of a new millennium. On at least two momentous occasions in twentieth century an appeal was made to Goethe-and specifically to his concept of Weltliteratur-in a hopeful and optimistic spirit of reconciliation among nations: by Friedrich von der Leyen writing at end of World War I and more famously by Fritz Strich in his book Goethe and die Weltliteratur(1946).5 With passage of the most terrible century in Western history6 it is difficult to deny abject failure of such appeals or to evade question this raises against quality of Goethe's political-cultural projections during final decade of his life. The purpose of following essay is to suggest that for all lofty idealism inscribed in goals of Weltliteratur Goethe was eminently aware that these were probably unrealizable. His project remains of vital significance even today, however, not least as a humanizing counter to greed and political-economic expediency driving processes of contemporary globalization. Rather like his dying Faust, Goethe believed in continuous and constructive pursuit of his world-literary goals, if not by political power-brokers, then by his world-literary reading public. I will demonstrate this with reference to two distinct but related major aspects of Weltliteratur. The first concerns its political-cultural dimension. An examination of several of Goethe's pronouncements on Weltliteratur reveals his sense of prodigiously difficult purpose it serves as a counter to post-Napoleonic nationalism. …

FOR OPTIMAL EXPANSION PLANNING OF TRANSMISSION NETWORK INVESTMENTS

This paper presents a new model and a solution methodology for optimal planning of high voltage transmission network investments. The objective of this problem is to minimize capital costs needed for new network elements while meeting imposed operation constraints, and it is formulated via a linear mixed integer model. Then a new branch-and-bound algorithm is proposed as the problem solution. The fundamental idea of this algorithm is to reduce the number of discrete variables contained in the original set of unknowns. The proposed methodology was verified on several test examples, as well as on the real transmission network of the eastern part of former Yugoslavia.

Nations of the former Yugoslavia: Consequences of economic breakdown

Recent events in former Yugoslavia reveal that if a political structure is breaking down, it is difficult, if not impossible, to keep a multi-national state together on the basis of economic rationality alone. Once the political structure has been broken, economic, cultural and other ties that provide some coherence among relatively small groups do not have the strength to solidify and homogenize a multinational state. The economic costs resulting from the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia's market are difficult to assess. Recent efforts to analyze the costs are ambitious, but suffer from methodological?and emotional?im? perfections.1 The fragmented information available clearly reveals, how? ever, that the economic losses from market disintegration run to tens of billions of dollars, without even taking into account the human and material losses resulting from the wars that have raged with brutal consequences since 1991. When the wars cease, and peace is established, does the for? merly united Yugoslavia have a chance to embark on economic recovery and transition? The answer to this question requires combining a historical inquiry into the conditions of the Yugoslav federation when it was most successful after World War II with an analysis of current conditions. Such an inves? tigation will lead us to see that the most promising future "external market" for the several parts of former Yugoslavia is to be found within the frame? work of the formerly vital "internal markets" of the defunct state.2 Revival of economic ties in the future may be rationally expected, but it is possible to visualize a darker scenario in which the former members of the Yugoslav federation are at peace but do not cooperate economically. For a certain period of time, "professional nationalists" in parts of former Yugoslavia

A new mixed-integer methodology for optimal transmission expansion planning

This paper presents a new model and a solution methodology for optimal planning of high-voltage transmission network investments. The objective of this problem is to minimize capital costs needed for new network elements while meeting imposed operating constraints, and it is formulated via a linear mixed-integer model. Then, a new branch-and-bound methodology is proposed as the problem solution. The fundamental idea of this methodology is to reduce the number of discrete variables contained in the original set of unknowns. This reduction is achieved by using the decomposition principle and by developing a new separation of the region of feasible solutions. The proposed methodology was verified on several test examples, as well as on the real transmission network of the eastern part of former Yugoslavia.

Agrarian economy in Slovenia

Agrarian economy on the territory of a new European state, ie Slovenia (the NW part of former Yugoslavia) has undergone substantial transformations over the past 150 years. The changes were particularly intense after World War II when the Yugoslav Communist Party came to power in former Yugoslavia. Under its influence an extensive redistribution of property (ie expropriations) was carried out, as well as reorientation of production and a thorough social transformation. After the independent state of Slovenia was established in 1991 (Slovenia, 1992) and the capitalist system was reintroduced, the agrarian economy of this area has had to face certain far-reaching problems which are crucial for the future development of the new state.

Slovenia's road to democracy

WITH LESS THAN TWO MILLION INHABITANTS and no history of independent statehood in the last millennium, Slovenia seemed to many in the West to be an unlikely candidate for independence. Advocates of large states warned in vain that Slovenia was 'too small' to be viable and suggested that if the republic separated from Yugoslavia, it would inevitably find it necessary to join a federal or confederal union with one of its neighbours-whether Austria, Italy, Croatia, or-in the most fanciful renditioncombining with Austria, Hungary and Croatia to form an entirely new state. Yet despite all this scepticism, Slovenia, which had been a part of Yugoslavia from 1918 to 1941 and again from 1945 on, declared its independence on 25 June 1991. Almost two years later, Slovenia's economy has been strained by the influx of Bosnian refugees, and recovery has been held up by the long delay in passing a bill of privatisation. That said, Slovenia appears to be roughly in a class with Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic in terms of its prospects for carrying out successfully the transition to pluralism. Slovenia has had several important advantages in this regard. First, Slovenia's per capita social product, while lower than Austria's or Italy's, has nonetheless ranked as the highest in Eastern Europe, more than twice as high, for example, as that in Hungary or Poland. Second, the transition to pluralism was begun by the Slovenian communists themselves, for reasons having nothing to do with broader processes in Eastern Europe. Indeed, for reasons quite specific to Slovenia, pluralisation was undertaken (in the late 1980s) by the local communists and local dissidents jointly and cooperatively. Third, the population of Slovenia remains, despite the recent immigration of people from other parts of former Yugoslavia, largely homogeneous: about 90% of the population is Slovenian. Fourth, none of Slovenia's neighbours has either active or inactive claims on its territory. Compared to the uncertainties associated with most of the rest of former Yugoslavia, let alone Transylvania, Sub-Carpathian Ruthenia, and Kaliningrad oblast', there is little to trouble the Slovenian authorities here. Their most difficult 'border' problem has related to free access to the sea through Croatian territorial waters-a problem which might be resolved by trading some territory west of Zagreb in exchange for Cape Savudrija.1 And fifth, Slovenia's transport infrastructure, a critical element in calculating the prospects of economic success, is on a par with other Central and West European states. On the other hand, Slovenia has, since the Serbian side launched its war against Bosnia-Hercegovina at