01 February 98, 19:30
Sarajevo – The presidents of the parliamentary parties held a meeting today in Sarajevo, which was initiated by Alija Izetbegovic, BiH Presidency Chairman. Also present were the representatives of the SCC Serb Citizens Council and CNC Croatian National Council. The topic of the meeting was the International Returns Conference scheduled for 3 February in Sarajevo. The parties representatives agreed on accepting all Conference Conclusions which contain the following principles relating to the housing issue:
- Nobody can be thrown onto the street. If a refugee family is living in an apartment which belongs to somebody from the RS region then this family must be granted either to return to their own house or apartment, or another adequate apartment;
- A returnee must confirm that he requires an apartment for the purpose of living in it. Therefore, he will not have right to rent or sell it, at least for five years after the apartment has been taken over and privatised;
- Returns must occur both ways. Therefore, possibly at the beginning of March 1998 the IC will organise the same conference with the same agenda on returns to Banja Luka, Mostar and Drvar. Canton Sarajevo is ready to be the model and take the first step in this direction;
- It is necessary to pass a BiH Law on returns, according to Annex 7 of the DPA;
- Sarajevo has again to be a capital of BiH, i.e. a seat of all common institutions;
- It is expected that the Sarajevo Governor will submit a detailed plan for refugee return at the forthcoming Conference, accentuating the measures which he is going to undertake immediately – during February and March – stating a housing surplus and quoting the needed funds for the housing repairs, reads a statement distributed from the BiH Chairman’s Office.
Sarajevo, Banja Luka – HR Carlos Westendorp will present the new BiH licence plates tomorrow, following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the political parties, CoM and governments of both Entities. The new licence plates will also be presented in Banja Luka. With the new licence plates the vehicles will not be identified according to the region they come from. All vehicles will have licence plates of the same form, the numbers on it will be randomly selected and will be stored in the central computer.
1:00
Sarajevo -The Federal Commission on Brcko will hold a meeting tomorrow which will be attended by the Federal President and his Deputy, as well as the US Embassy and OHR representatives in Sarajevo. This meeting will be held in the framework of the preparations for the forthcoming Arbitration hearing in Brcko on 5 February in Vienna. The aim of the Federal Commission for Brcko is united: To give Brcko back to the Brckans, reads a statement which the Commission issued today.
1:00
Sarajevo – A delegation of the Chamber of Commerce from Zagreb will visit the Sarajevo region Chamber of Commerce tomorrow. During the two day visit the BiH and Croatian economists will discuss the possibilities of economic co-operation.
1:00
Banja Luka – Late last night the third RS Assembly session ended in Banja Luka. One of the conclusions of this Assembly, which was attended by 82 deputies, was moving of the RS government from Pale to Banja Luka. We have just finished a difficult job of fulfilling all the preconditions for the Government to function in accordance with the Constitution and Law, RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik said, underlining the tasks to preserve peace, prosperity, unification of the Serb people and implementation of the DPA. This Government will be co-operative, efficient and we shall avoid the obstructions of common institutions work, Dodik concluded.
2:00