Headlines
- NATO planes severest hit in Pristina area today
- Milosevic’s residence in Dedinje one of targets in Belgrade last night
- Special Russian envoy in Belgrade
- Last preparations of Western allies for summit in Washington
- Situation on border between Croatia and Montenegro stable after Yugoslav Army entered demilitarized zone in Prevlaka
- Edhem Bicakcic says there will be no cancelling of charges raised against Federal Republic Yugoslavia
- Deadline for submitting certificates on banks’ solvency in BiH Federation
- Planet Earth Day
Yugoslavia
NATO air strikes have caused damage on all main roads towards Kosovo and reduced supplying of the Yugoslav forces in the area. This was announced today by Pentagon. The Pentagon’s spokesman, explaining the bombing of a building in Dedinje where Milosevic used to live, said that the building was the command and control system.
The special Russian envoy, Viktor Chernomyrdin, visited Belgrade today. The talks have lasted for more than 7 hours said OBN’s reporter. There were no details on the meeting.
President of Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosevic, gave his first interview since the beginning of NATO strikes against Yugoslavia. The interviewer was an ex American officer and director of Centre for International studies in Houston.
World – reactions
The European Commission announced adopting of a suggestion for oil supplies for Yugoslavia stopping. The EC spokesman said that the decision could be enforced on Tuesday or Wednesday, after a meeting of the foreign ministers of the EU members in Luxembourg. The embargo would not include oil for humanitarian purposes.
The main topic of the two-day NATO summit in Washington, where 50 years of NATO would mark 50 years of the pact, will be Kosovo. The French President said that Serbia will pay big price for its policy.
Kosovo – refugees
UNHCR representatives announced today resettling of 50,000 Kosovo refugees from Kukes towards central part of Albania. Reasons for this are fights in the vicinity of the border which endanger the security of refugees.
Sarajevo
Implementation of the unique customs system in BiH will start from May 15. This decision was adopted at the BiH Council of Ministers meeting. The Croatian government decided to introduce customs fees for all BiH goods and sent a suggestion for a new agreement on economic cooperation.
Banja Luka
The chairman of the BiH Presidency, Zivko Radisic, met with the Czech Ambassador in Banja Luka. The Chairman said that preservation of peace in BiH was a great contribution to the preservation of stability in Europe and in the Balkans.
RS – economy
The BiH economy, especially in Republika Srpska, suffers great losses due to the current situation in Yugoslavia. Some 30,000 employees in RS are currently without jobs due to the recent events and the RS government discussed today in Banja Luka how to alleviate the crisis. A report came from Brcko on the difficult situation in the agriculture and textile industry.
Sarajevo
Three days ago, the RS government asked for the withdrawing of charges against the Federal Republic Yugoslavia, submitted to the International Hague Tribunal in 1993 by the BiH authorities, for genocide and damage. The position of the SDA on the issue was announced by its vice president and the BiH Federation Prime Minister, Edhem Bicakcic. He said that there would be no cancelling of charges raised against Federal Republic Yugoslavia.
A report on the bank system in BiH Federation – thirty six of fifty five BiH Federation banks, do not fulfill the condition to have a certificate on 5 million KM in net capital. Twenty two banks operate without having main capital in the same amount.
Representatives of the “Ola” factory from Olovo, who blocked roads on a several occasions due to their requests being unfulfilled, met with the syndicate representatives in Sarajevo today. Their first request is to dismiss the managing board. The staff did not receive their salaries for 11 months.
Banja Luka
At the press conference of the RS Helsinki Committee in Banja Luka today, participants talked about human rights in Yugoslavia and RS, accommodation problems and Serb prisoners in the BiH Federation.
The RS Association of Journalists called all media in RS to stop their broadcast for five minutes tomorrow as a sign of protest because of destroying transmitters in Yugoslavia.
Sarajevo
Twenty eight houses were reconstructed and keys delivered to owners in the Sarajevo quarter Vrace. The European Union provided the funds.
Travnik
After his visit to the Zenica-Doboj Canton, the French Ambassador in BiH, Yves Gaudel, visited Travnik today. He was discussing concrete problems regarding reconstruction, economy and return, and how France can provide help to the area.
Banja Luka
On April 22, 1945, Banja Luka was liberated from the German occupation in the Second World War. A report on marking the event came from this town.
Planet Earth Day
The Children Embassy organized a programme for elementary schools and kindergartens in Tuzla, while in Sarajevo, plants provided by USAID and humanitarian organizations Global Relief and American Gifts, were distributed.
Sport
Reports from local and international football matches.