09 January 98, 19:30
At the meeting of the Contact Group held today in Washington, the main conclusions were that the Contact Group will not tolerate the delay in deadlines from the Peace Agreement, and that the additional authority of the HR will be supported if important matters are not resolved as soon as possible. The Contact Group demanded that the BiH authorities resolve the matters of citizenship, national flag, registration plates, and the allocation of ambassadors. CG also praised the elections in RS, calling them a step towards the democratisation process. CG condemned the actions of the dissolving RS Government which prevented TV coverage of the RS Parliament inaugural session. CG also fully supported the Brcko Arbiter, Roberts Owen, and Ambassador Farrand for positive developments in Brcko. The matter of Kosovo was also mentioned.
3:00
UN Ambassador Eide expressed his satisfaction with achievements in BiH in the past two years. Eide also said that this year the IC will focus on the apprehension of war criminals and return of refugees. Eide also praised the decision to retain troops in BiH.
The Federation Prime-Minister Bicakcic received Eide in a farewell visit. Bicakcic thanked Eide for his engagement in BiH, and stressed the issues that should be resolved this year.
3:00
Federal Prime-Minister Bicakcic recalled that the Mostar Power-Plant reconstruction was not finished as scheduled. Bicakcic also suggested that CoM Co-chairman Silajdzic take into consideration the effect of the agreement on economic relations with Croatia, made in March last year.
2:00
The State Commission for Collecting Evidence on War Crimes have data on 300 mass and individual graves of victims in BiH. The Commission will also conclude statistics about the number of those missing and killed in BiH, and the report will be available to the public. The commission also responded to the recent statement by the Serb Citizens Council President, Pejanovic, concerning 2,000 Serbs missing or killed in Sarajevo, asking why Pejanovic had kept quiet for the past five years. The Commission also announced that there were 219 reports on missing Serb civilians since the beginning of the war until the Dayton Agreement. In the same period, there were 575 reports on missing persons of other nationalities.
2:30
Silajdzic received a visit from the head of the Missing Persons Commission in Sarajevo, Bohi. Bohi informed Silajdzic about the forthcoming visit of the International Missing Persons Commission President, Dole. Senator Dole planned to visit Sarajevo, Zagreb and Belgrade. Bohi said that Dole will ask for undisturbed work on mass grave excavations, and the search for missing persons. Silajdzic said he will ask for better co-operation with the FRY Missing Persons Commission.
1:30
Netherlands Minister Pronk visited refugee families in Zivinice near Tuzla, who live in houses built by Netherlands’ aid. Pronk expressed his satisfaction, saying that the houses had been built in time, and allocated to the most vulnerable groups of refugees. Tuzla officials said that this donation of aid, and the next one, may be an adequate solution to the problem of refugee accommodation in Tuzla.
1:30