Headlines
- RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik, in Sarajevo: RS Government welcomes the repatriation process
- The RS expects the IC to carry out its obligations in the Brcko Arbitration process
- The B&H Parliamentary Assembly and the House of Peoples discuss laws on citizenship, flag and customs tariffs
- World emissaries in search of solution for the Gulf crisis
The RS Prime Minister stated today in Sarajevo, where he attended the Conference on Return of Refugees, that the RS Government was ready to implement the Dayton Agreement. The Prime Minister pointed out that the Government welcomed the repatriation action initiated by UNHCR. The International Conference, the topic of which was return to Sarajevo, was concluded by the adoption of a Declaration which obliged the authorities to ensure conditions for the return of at least 20,000 refugees, mainly Serbs and Croats, during the coming year. At least 20,000 refugees should return to Sarajevo this year, the HR, Carlos Westendorp, stated today in his opening remarks at the Returns Conference. The Conference was attended by representatives of international organisations, US special envoy for B&H Robert Gelbard, UN General Secretary E. Rehn’s representative, representatives of joint institutions of B&H, representatives of the RS and the B&H Federation. The head of the RS delegation, the RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik, emphasised that return of refugees to Sarajevo must not be a political marketing ploy and that concrete moves were necessary. He added that in such a system the RS would be a very concrete and reliable partner. Spasoje Albijanic, Minister for Civil Affair and Communications in the CoM, supported the informed choice that refugees should be offered, which implies the exchange of, and compensation for, property.
1:45
RS Prime Minister, Milorad Dodik, will depart for Bonn today to pay an official visit to Klaus Kinkel, Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, it was announced by the Prime Minister’s cabinet. They will talk about economic assistance to the RS. The RS delegation consists of the RS Deputy Prime Mnister, Djuradj Banjac, and the Minister for Trade and Tourism, Nikola Kragulj.
0:30
The RS Prime Minister’s cabinet denies statements in the press of Feb 2, according to which the Prime Minister declared he would visit Washington with the purpose of negotiating a credit facility for the RS amounting to US $ 100 million. “It true that the Prime Minister is going to Washington on Feb 18 to discuss some credits for reconstruction of the RS. The public will be informed in due course,” says the statement issued by the RS Prime Minister’s cabinet.
0:30
Krstan Simic, the RS representative in the Brcko Arbitration team, stated today in Banja Luka that the RS delegation were prepared and, under more advantageous and changed conditions, would go to the hearing before the Arbitration Tribunal in Vienna.
0:20
Boro Bosic, co-president of the B&H CoM, sent a letter today to the HR, Carlos Westendorp, and reminded him that Haris Silajdzic had been invited to attend the Arbitration hearing in Vienna on February 5th as a witness. Mr. Bosic considers that the act of inviting Haris Silajdzic, the second co-president of the CoM, is illogical and legally groundless for two reasons. The first reason is that this problem is beyond the grasp of the CoM, and the second is the fact that either co-president can represent this institution. Therefore, Mr. Bosic suggests Mr. Carlos Westendorp rescinds the participation of Mr. Haris Silajdzic at this meeting, or that both co-presidents participate in the work of the Commission.
0:50
The Trade Union of the Municipality of Brcko appealed today to Supervisor Farrand – key witness in the Arbitration hearing – to do his best to achieve a just and final decision in March.
0:50
HDZ President of the Municipality of Ravne Brcko, Mate Jurisic, says that Croats, if they attend the Arbitration Tribunal, will represent a different attitude to that of their federal partners. We recall the following: Croat and Muslim representatives in the Federal Commission for Brcko Arbitration could not agree yesterday in Sarajevo on joint representation in the forthcoming Arbitration process in Vienna.
0:35
“The RS delegation is ready to depart for Vienna on February 5th Ö” Krstan Simic, the RS representative for Brcko and a member of the Main Board of Independent Social Democrats of RS, stated at a press conference. “The RS has fulfilled all the obligations stipulated by the DA, thus we believe that the Arbitration Commission will decide that Brcko is going to stay within the RS” Simic added and emphasised that all demands issued by Supervisor Farrand had been fully met. Slavko Mitrovic, a member of the Main Board of the party, assessed that, with the final resolution of Brko status, the IC would help the further democratisation and economic stabilisation of our country.
0:40
Milovan Stankovic, RS Minister of Interior, stated today that the united Education Centre of the Ministry of Interior with its seat in Banjaluka would start functioning the same day. The director of the Centre would be Colonel Nedo Sevo. The former Centre in Doboj is closed and is to be reorganised.
0:30
The heads of departments of the Defence Ministry, which covers nearly all the western part of the RS, met today in the House of Army Banjaluka. Manojlo Milovanovic, RS Defence Minister, attended the meeting. He presented the future action plan of the Defence Ministry and an analysis of work in the previous period. The financial position of employees was discussed.
2:00
Representatives in the B&H House of Representatives in Lukavica today rejected all three proposals on the flag that the HR, Carlos Westendorp, had presented. Therefore, the decision on the new flag will be brought by the HR himself. Deputy HR, Hanns Schumacher, informed the press that, unless the representatives reached agreement and adopted the law on the B&H flag, the HR would use his authority from Bonn and put that law into force that night.
1:35
An OSCE representative announced at today’s press conference in BL that the results of last year’s election had been implemented in 40 municipalities in the RS and the Federation. Alun Roberts, IPTF spokesperson, stated that Mile Marceta, the Serb mayor of Drvar, had returned to that town and assumed all his duties. He related problems with the freedom of movement in the Drvar area. He also announced that the State Security Centre had returned equipment to the St. Georgije Radio station.
1:00
The Spanish Ambassador to B&H, with his assistants, visited Trebinje today. He spoke to representatives of the municipal authorities about possible economic co-operation.
1:00
No employee in the RS Government, state institutions, School and Ministry of Interior, or the SRT will be fired because the seat of the Government has moved, is one of the conclusions from a meeting today between the President of RS Confederation of Trade Unions, Mr. Cedo Volas, and Tihomir Gligoric, RS Prime Minister’s assistant and Minister for veterans issues.
1:30