Zvornik – After a long preparation, the exhumation of Bosniaks killed by the Serb powers during the occupation of Srebrenica in July 1995 started today, Liam Mc Dowell, UN Spokesman told Reuters. The first of the mass graves thought to hide the remains of the Serb genocide victims is the Brnice dam near Zvornik. At this location, six km far from Zvornik, pieces of the victim belongings were found as well as their bones and a large amount of empty cartridges by which the Srebrenica people were killed. This is the first location at which the Hague Tribunal is participating this year in exhumations in BiH.
Louise Arbour, the Tribunal Main Judge visited this mass scaffold to hear the first information. We are seeking here evidence to match with those we already have, Arbour told the news.
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The Hague – Bosnian Serb Zoran Zigic appeared for the first time today before the Hague Tribunal and pleaded not guilty to the charges of crimes committed against Bosniak and Croat civilians. Zigic is one of the 16 Serbs accused by the Hague to have committed atrocities against the Bosniaks and the Croats in the camp Omarska, near Prijedor 1992 and he is also among 13 Serbs accused of crimes in the camp Keraterm iduring the same period.
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Louise Arbour started today her three day visit to BiH. After today’s talks in Banja Luka she said that she is encouraged by the recent voluntarily surrender of persons accused of war crimes.
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Sarajevo – NATO Secretary General Javier Solana, Chairman of the Military Matters Committee, Gen. Klaus Neumann and Gen. Wesley Clark, NATO Supreme Commander for Europe, paid a visit to the BiH capital, today. A step forward in the DPA implementation was a significant element in the NATO decision to prolong the stay of the alliance powers in BiH after the expiration of the current mandate, Solana said during the meeting with the BiH Presidency members. Solana and Clark gave full support to the strengthening of political pluralism and development of democratic media in this country. During the day they also met with the leaders of BiH opposition parties and high level international officials
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Sarajevo – High level BiH and Federation officials received President Tudjman’s Special Envoy for Relations between Croatia and BiH Franjo Greguric. The talks focused on the special ties between BiH Federation and Croatia, the Croatian suggestion on setting up the Corporation for road building, the status of the Free Zone in Ploce Harbour and double direction return of DPs and displaced persons. Kresimir Zubak, Presidency member also received Greguric. There follows a lengthy piece on the agenda of the talks.
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Sarajevo – CoM Co-Chair Haris Silajdzic received an Islamic Conference delegation on ambassadorial level. The talks focused on the holding of the BiH Donors Conference, scheduled for next month in Brussels.
Silajdzic also received the Japan-Turkey delegation for large business headed by Hiroshi Ogava, Deputy Director of Mitsubishi. The two delegation discussed the possibilities of joint entry in BiH.
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Sarajevo – Ejup Ganic, BiH Federation President talked with the Deputy HR for reconstruction and refugee return, Ambassador Andy Beapark who informed Ganic of the Banja Luka return Conference scheduled for the 28 April.
Rasim Kadic, Federal Minister for the Social Politic also received Ambassador Bearpark. Their talks focused on seeking modality of the federal authority and quick and efficient joining of the Group for reconstruction and return.
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Strasbourg – The second meeting of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly has started in Strasbourg. The BiH delegation headed by BiH Prime Minister Edhem Bicakcic is participating in its work.
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Drvar – The newest information from Drvar said that the realisation of decisions on the situation in Drvar set by the IC is underway but tensions visited Drvar today.
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Travnik – The BiH SDA party convened its extraordinary session today in Sarajevo to discuss the political situation in the Travnik municipality. The SDA Presidency doesn’t accept the nomination of Munir Karic, accused to participate in the traffic incident in which a person was killed for the function of the Travnik Municipality Commissioner.
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There follow the main topics from the political parties press conferences.