Zagreb – The talks at ministerial level between BiH and Croatian delegations on the utilization of the port Ploce practically reached a deadlock today, underlined the report. The media highlighted the news furnishing details of the event. According to the report, the Croatian side insisted on introducing changes -firstly in protocol procedures – to end up with raising new questions. Namely, the joint meeting of the two delegations in the presence of American experts was delayed by an hour because the Croatian delegation insisted that the two delegations first conduct a meeting without the presence of American experts. Additional tension had been created because Croatian Deputy PM on several occasions referred to the BiH delegations as a FBiH delegation and Bosniaks.
The participants confronted their views on the understanding of the Washington Accords and to this related special relations between the two countries. The Croatian side declared that the issue of utilization of the port Ploce and the passage through Neum should be resolved within the framework of a new general agreement between Croatia and the FBiH. Hasan Muratovic, a member of the BiH delegation told the press “the BiH side favors the American version of the agreement (on confederate relations), while the Croatian side explicitly refused to accept this version as a basis for negotiations”.
The two delegations are supposed to meet in two weeks to reconsider their positions.
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Sarajevo – FBiH high ranking officials met with HR Principle Deputy Jacques Klein, US SRSG Kai Eide and SFOR representatives to discuss the return of refugees to the Central Bosnian Canton.
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FBiH President and Vice President, Vladimir Soljic and Ejup Ganic, also held talks with representatives from the US Congress, John Herzog and Marc Kerk as well as with Andrew Bear, an official from the Office of the US Special Envoy for the Balkans to review current problems in the implementation of the DPA. The need for more effective implementation of the DPA and the presence of NATO in BiH beyond July 1998 was underlined, said the report.
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The media conveyed a Reuters-based news item informing that UN SG Assistant for Peace Keeping Operations, Manfred Eisele, had confirmed that IPTF would continue its presence in Bosnia well beyond 1998, practically as long as it takes to restructure the local police to be acceptable to the local population.
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Tuzla – The HDZ cantonal board is satisfied with the election of its three candidates to the Brcko municipal council. Together with Bosniak representatives, elected HDZ candidates will fully contribute to the reintegration of this area and the implementation of arbitral decision”, said the report quoting HDZ officials at a press conference in Tuzla.
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Installation of a radio/TV relay at Zboriste was fully in compliance with the DPA, maintained HDZ officials referring to a letter by the President of the Tuzla-Podrinje canton related to this matter.
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