Press Conferences

Aisling Byrne, OHR: Good morning, everyone. Thank you all for attending this morning. As announced, we're holding a special press conference today to respond to questions that many of you have posed in recent days on refugee issues.

Alex Ivanko, UNMIBH: Could I have your attention please. Today's press conference will be dedicated to the murder that happened in Drvar on which we briefed you yesterday.

We have had a meeting of the Steering Board, where we discussed several items, but the two key issues are refugee return and the elections. We have also assessed the situation of the peace implementation and I have said that there has been a progress, especially since Bonn and there is a new government in RS which is complying with Dayton and at th [...]

At today's meeting we have been discussing the situation in the Republika Srpska which is the real news in that country. I think the good news is that there is a new Government, which is democratically elected although it has a thin majority, but it is a government which wants to co-operate with the international community and really wants to work [...]

Simon Haselock, OHR:Good morning ladies and gentlemen. If we could just settle down for a second, the routine for this morning is that there will be some short opening remarks from the High Representative and the other principals.

Carlos Westendorp:I think it's time to appear in front of you to make a comment on a few issues which are of importance today.

Carlos Westendorp:Sorry for being late. We can never have an exact assessment when exactly we are going to finish at the Steering Board meetings.

Duncan Bullivant, OHR:Good morning. Ambassador Klein will brief you on the events over the last 24 hours in Banja Luka.

Robert W. Farrand:Today we have an important visitor from Sarajevo, Jacques Klein, Principal Deputy to High Representative Carlos Westendorp.

I have just been at the Presidency with President Izetbegovic and President Zubak.