Europe, Backing Germans, Accepts Yugoslav Breakup

In a triumph for German foreign policy, all 12 members of the European Community, as well as Austria and Switzerland, recognized the independence of the former Yugoslav republics of Slovenia and Croatia today.

In a series of separate statements, various European governments asserted that the Belgrade Government no longer had a right to rule the two republics.

"Slovenia and Croatia have held referendums that showed clearly that their people want independence," a statement issued by the Danish Foreign Ministry said. "It is now time to fulfill the desire their people have expressed."

In Belgrade, the Serbian-dominated Government denounced the decision on recognition as "contrary to the sovereign rights of Yugoslavia." The Government said it would continue to function until all six Yugoslav republics reached an agreement on their future relations.

But some diplomats said that today's move meant that Yugoslavia had effectively ceased to exist. A Victory for Germany

The action by the European Community marked an important diplomatic victory for Germany, which has vigorously supported Slovenian and Croatian independence. German officials announced last month that they would recognize the two republics regardless of the wishes of other European countries, and Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher lobbied intensely for the breakup of Yugoslavia.

Mr. Genscher said in a radio interview today that he was "very happy" with his success. He asserted that Croatia "has achieved the highest imaginable standard of respect for minority rights."

Recognition of Croatia had been jeopardized at the last minute by the release of a European Community report questioning Croatia's commitment to respect the rights of ethnic minorities. The report, prepared by a former French Justice Minister, Robert Badinter, said Croatia should provide constitutional guarantees that human rights and minority rights would be observed. There are 600,000 Serbs among the 4.5 million residents of Croatia, and many of them rose up in rebellion after Croatia declared its independence last year. Croatian fascists slaughtered thousands of Serbs during World War II, and Serbs said they feared they would be victimized again if Croatia became independent. Human-Rights Guarantees

President Franjo Tudjman of Croatia was reported to have given last-minute guarantees that the rights of minorities would be respected in a letter to European Community leaders this week.

France and Britain, two of the countries that today announced recognition of the breakaway republics, said they would not send ambassadors to Croatia until human-rights issues were resolved.

"Implementation of recognition for Croatia presupposes certain conditions," Foreign Minister Roland Dumas of France told reporters in Paris after a Cabinet meeting.

But the 10 other European Community members said they would proceed swiftly to establish full diplomatic relations with Slovenia and Croatia.

Slovenia is at peace, and has for months been functioning as an independent state. But Croatia has been raked by civil war, and one-third of its territory is occupied by Serbian forces.

Leaders of Croatia and Slovenia today expressed gratitude for Germany's support. Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel of Slovenia said recognition of his republic's independence was due largely to "the wise policy of the German Government."

But Serbian leaders deplored the European Community's decision and singled out Germany for special criticism. Vladislav Jovanovic, the Serbian Foreign Minister, described Germany's role as "particularly negative," and said he regretted that other European Community leaders had decided to follow the German lead. Disconcerted Europeans

"It is a very serious precedent to encourage unilateral secession in one multinational state," Mr. Jovanovic said in an interview broadcast on British television.

Although most European governments favored eventual recognition of Slovenia and Croatia, some had sought to postpone today's announcement so recognition could be part of an overall peace settlement in the Balkans. But German officials insisted that recognition was the only way to force the Serbs to accept a settlement.

Germany's decision to press for quick recognition of the two republics, disregarding appeals from the United States and the United Nations, marked a new assertiveness that some Europeans find disconcerting.

"Germany is acting in a highly sensitive psychological environment," said a commentary this week in Bonn's principal newspaper, the General-Anzeiger. "The fear of German dominance and unilateralism has grown." Guardians of Security

Foreign Minister Genscher and other German officials say their support for Slovenian and Croatian independence reflects their belief in the principle of self-determination. They also view themselves as guardians of European security in the face of growing instability.

"Hanging on to structures that people no longer want raises tension in Europe," Mr. Genscher asserted last month.

As recently as a year ago, during the gulf war, Germany was criticized by its Western allies for its reluctance to assert itself on the world stage. But in recent months, German leaders have become convinced that there is a dangerous vacuum in Europe, and they have stepped forward to fill it.

Flushed with new self-confidence after unification, they brush aside assertions that they are seeking to rebuild Germany's traditional sphere of influence in central Europe, and insist that their goal is simply to defend democracy and stabilize an increasingly volatile continent.

Domestic politics has also played an important role in Germany's decision to press the cause of Slovenian and Croatian independence. Influential Catholic leaders, as well as the predominantly Catholic Christian Social Union, which is part of the ruling coalition, have strongly pressed the Government to defend Slovenia and Croatia. In addition, the 600,000 Croatians who live permanently in Germany have emerged as a highly vocal and effective lobby on behalf of their homeland.

After residents of Slovenia and Croatia voted for independence in special referendums, fighting broke out in both republics as the Serb-dominated Yugoslav Army sought to prevent them from seceding. The fighting ended quickly in Slovenia, where few Serbs live, but went on to claim thousands of lives and cause great destruction in Croatia.

Slovenia and Croatia are predominantly Catholic and have long historic ties to other nations in Central Europe. Much of the rest of what was Yugoslavia is either Orthodox Christian or Muslim, and was for centuries under the rule of Ottoman Turks.

With Slovenia and Croatia now independent, the fate of the other republics is in doubt. Serbia and its ally Montenegro have said they will seek to maintain some form of federation, but the other two republics, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, are seeking independence. Age-Old Border Disputes

Greece strongly opposes recognition of Macedonia, fearing a renewal of age-old border disputes. Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is deeply divided by ethnic and religious hostility, presents the prospect of new factional violence.

Many European diplomats are perplexed by the question of under what circumstances their governments should recognize new nations. The European Community is facing decisions not only on Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also on republics of the former Soviet Union.

The community's decisions will be closely watched by secession-minded groups in many parts of Europe, including Slovakia, northern Italy, and regions of Spain, France and Belgium.

Among the other countries that said they had recognized Slovenia and Croatia or that they would do so on Thursday were Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Iceland, Malta, Norway, Poland, San Marino, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine and the Vatican.

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THE NEW YORK TIMES

December 16, 1991

U.N. Yields to Plans by Germany To Recognize Yugoslav Republics

By PAUL LEWIS,