Protocol activities – President Izetbegovic met with the US Ambassador Richard Kauzlaric. Terrorism was the main issue on the agenda, with Izetbegovic pointing out that one of the difficulties in relation to prevention of terrorism rests with the fact that BH does not control its borders fully. Izetbegovic also received the Republic of Poland Ambassador Jan Tombinsky in a farewell visit. Poland said that it would cancel visas for bearers of diplomatic passports as of September. The Co-Chairmain of the CoM, Haris Silajdzic, met with the Central Bank Governor Peter Nicol and discussed the liquidation of the National Bank, as well as the founding of the Central Bank. Silajdzic also met with the US Special Envoy Richard Sclar and discussed the issue of the port of Ploce and the customs system in BH. Sclar also met with the Federal Premier Edhem Bicakcic, and informed him on his talks with the Croat side in the negotiations regarding Ploce and Neum.
2:00
With high officials of the CoM and the Federal government present, an agreement on joint investments of two BH companies, UNIS and Zeljezara Zenica and Kuwaiti businessmen was signed. The starting capital will amount to 57.61 million DM.
3:20
Kosovo – The Board for Protection of Human Rights publicised its statistics following the six months period since the start of war in Kosovo. Dozens of people were wounded, houses burnt down, 250,000 people are displaced, the humanitarian situation is catastrophic. In the west of Kosovo the most severe fighting is going on at the moment. NATO General Secretary Javier Solana named the FRY President Milosevic as responsible for violence over civilian population in Kosovo. Three possible options of a military intervention in Kosovo were discussed in the NATO seat in Brussels today.
4:00
The RS leadership called that perpetrators of the Deputy Head of the “Serb Sarajevo” police station Srdjan Knezevic’s murder be found urgently, or else, according to RS Premier Dodik, somebody from the RS government will have to be held responsible.
0:50
Media news – TV Oscar from Mostar joined OBN. RS Information Ministry banned the RS official news agency SRNA from working, due to “the violation of elementary postulates of the profession”. The OSCE Chief of Mission, Robert Barry, staged a press conference in Mostar, and expressed his optimism with regard to the performance of media in the pre-election campaign: “Media are doing a good job in covering the campaign, with some exceptions, and that debates… among candidates seem to be a good opportunity for people to know more about who is running for office”. The RTV BiH leadership met with the representatives of BH refugees in Sweden. They presented their remarks to the content of the satellite programme of TV BiH, which broadcasts to the benefit of BH citizens living abroad. The principal international organisations staged a press conference in Mostar, focusing on the “horrible safety situation, lawlessness and chaos in Stolac”.
1:20