News Headlines
- Bicakcic departs for session of European Council Parliamentary Assembly to discuss conditions for BiH admittance to Council
- New York Times article on corruption was full of misinformation – Klein
- World Bank President Jim Wolfensen congratulates Silajdzic on successful organization of Sarajevo Summit
- Central Bank Governors of Macedonia, Croatia, BiH, and Slovenia discuss succession of former Yugoslavia National Bank property
- Sarovic only person suitable to perform duty of RS President – Dodik
- Alternative Council of Ministers sends draft law on national holidays into parliamentary procedure
- Papal Ambassador to BiH holds holy mass in Sarajevo Cathedral
- Yugoslav Government denies opposition claims that Serbian President Milan Milutinovic under house arrest
- EU Foreign Ministers discuss policy towards Eastern Europe at informal meeting
- World news
- Numerous volunteers of Croatian Homeland War return their medals to President Tudjman
- Violence rages throughout East Timor
- Tuzla establishes agency for investigation of double apartment occupancy
- 104 Bosniak families return to Prijedor suburb of Ljubija
- Large areas for cultivation left idle due to slow pace of refugee return
- War invalid Besim Bejic from Gorazde lacks money to have essential surgery in Italy
News Summary
New York Times article on corruption was full of misinformation – Klein
“The New York Times article by Chris Hedges on $ 1 billion being embezzled in BiH was questionable, misleading and most of the information in it was wrong” UN Special Envoy for BiH Jacques Klein stated in an interview with Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje. “Part of the article regarding the UN losing money in BiH was absolutely wrong while the part on corruption is another story” Klein stated. “We are all aware that there are mobs in BiH, and there is widespread evasion of taxes and customs” Klein concluded. The main problem in fighting corruption in BiH is the absence of a state Finance Ministry and police forces that are able to control the border.
00:53
World Bank President Jim Wolfensen congratulates Silajdzic on successful organization of Sarajevo Summit
World Bank President Jim Wolfenson addressed a letter to BiH Council of Ministers Co-chairman Haris Silajdzic congratulating him on his successful organization of the Sarajevo Stability Pact Summit. Wolfenson asserted that there are some critical aspects necessary to establish BiH as a multiethnic state, and pointed to refugee return as the first of these. The World Bank will become involved as the coordinator of donors’ aid, especially in areas that have positive results in refugee returns, regardless of how symbolic they are, Wolfenson stated pointing to Prijedor, Nevesinje, Gacko and Zvornik as examples. This problem, along with protection of state borders and customs, will be high on the World Bank priorities in the future.
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Tuzla establishes agency for investigation of double apartment occupancy
As part of the ‘Open City’ program, Tuzla Municipality launched several projects to boost minority returns to this town. Tuzla was the first BiH town to establish a joint agency for investigation of double apartment use with international organizations in BiH. About 30 apartments have been returned to their tenants so far and there are another 300 cases on the OHR list to be investigated. Tuzla authorities invite local authorities in the RS to make possible the return of 40 thousand Bosniaks currently living in Tuzla to enable the two-way return of refugees. There have been some contacts with local authorities in Bijeljina on realization of two-way returns in the near future.
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