- Coordinator of the Stability Pact Bodo Hombach met the BiH Presidency and the Ministerial Council – on July 14 convention of the Stability Pact Summit will be officially announced
- Steering Board of the Stability Pact Summit met
- High Representative Carlos Westendorp held farewell press conference in Brussels, UN Special Representative Elisabeth Rehn held farewell conference in Sarajevo
- Municipal Council of Sanski Most gave vote of confidence to Mayor Alagic again
- Joint police force established in Tesanj, Doboj South and Usora
- Citizens of Belgrade sign petitions calling Slobodan Milosevic to resign
- Louise Arbour, chief prosecutor of The Hague tribunal, took over the documentation related to Kosovo crimes
- In Belfast protestants start marching
- In Algiers 35th meeting of Organization of African Unity convened
Today Coordinator of Stability Pact Summit Bodo Hombach met in Sarajevo with the BiH Presidency and the Council of Ministers. They discussed the preparations for Stability Pact Summit. It was also announced that on Wednesday, July 14, convention of Stability Pact Summit will be officially announced and scheduled. TV BiH report that Mr. Hombach was satisfied with the pace of preparations for convention of summit in Sarajevo. However, the TV reported that forces working against Bosnia and Herzegovina are still strong.
3:45
High Representative Westendorp will soon leave BiH. Today he held a brief farewell conference in Brussels. Zekerijah Smajic reports for the TV BiH from Brussels. “Though at the last moment the White House seemed to disagree with appointment of Wolfgang Petritsch as new High Representative for the BiH, he was today officially appointed to that position. He himself did not address the press corps here in Brussels, but the outgoing High Representative Carlos Westendorp held a brief farewell conference for the press. Westendorp reminded the press that two years ago he said he was going to take upon himself a task, which is near to impossible. Today he said that the task was not impossible, but it was very difficult task indeed. BiH was, and remains the key to stability, democratization, and economic reforms, including free market, in the whole region. Westendorp said that he hopes the BiH would soon join the Council of Europe, because history proves that this part of Europe was a problem for Western Europe, but history also shows that Western Europe was capable of resolving every problem”.
2:05
After having spent 1,5 years as UN Special Representative to the BiH, Elisabeth Rehn held today her farewell press conference. She said that UN did a lot in building a professional police force in BiH, but police is still under influence of politicians impeding its development and professional work. She further said that judicial system in BiH is subject to corruption, and that it itself is being under influence of political parties. She also criticized the international community, which has not done enough in establishing the rule of law in this country. “But, we are on good track to achievements”, Mrs. Rehn pointed out. US Ambassador Jacques Klein will succeed Elisabeth Rehn as Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Bosnia.
2:05
Today Municipal Council of Sanski Most held its 15th session, at which they once again voted confidence for Sanski Most Mayor Alagic. The session was held after the High Representative Westendorp sent a letter to Mayor Alagic calling him to resign. The Council issued the decision preventing Alagic from calling on his immunity as a deputy as long as proceedings take place. However, in case the proceedings result in prison sentence, the Council will have to be consulted prior to issuance of the sentence. Sanski Most prosecutor addressed the Council and said it issued a contradictory decision to support both him and Alagic. Mayor Alagic, on the other hand, said that the decisions by the Council are sacrosanct for him.
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