Sarajevo – One more big step forward in establishing BiH railways was made today. For the first time after the war a promotive railway journey was made from Sarajevo to Capljina. This marked the official start of the railway traffic from Sarajevo via Mostar to Capljina. Due to an incident in which this train with guests and journalists hit a person and arrived to Mostar with two hours delay, a report could not be shown at the time.
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Sarajevo – During the second day of his visit to BiH, Hans Van den Broek talked with the representatives of the opposition parties. The EU Commissioner for the Foreign Affairs handed out assistance worth 100 thousand ECU for the pre-election campaign of these parties. His reiterated stance was several times accentuated that the enabling of the returnees in both entities to return to their homes is a condition for the further financial assistance to BiH. During the day, Van den Broek planned to talk with the officials of RS in Bijeljina and Banja Luka
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Busovaca – Van den Broek visited the Dutch soldiers serving with the SFOR in Busovaca where they also are working on a reconstruction project worth 3,5 million ECU. Van den Broek was informed about the activities in the region of Central Bosnia and the part of RS where Dutch troops are stationed.
1:30
Kosovo – According to the media reports the dramatic situation on Kosovo reached its culmination today. The Serb powers continue their military operations with all possible means, leaving literally a wasteland. A 20 member Albanian family was shot in the village Junih, although attempting to surrender.
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Sally Baker, the British citizen and an employer of a humanitarian organisation on Kosovo fainted today after a 5 day hunger strike, her spokesman told the press in London. Sally, the co-founder of the humanitarian organisation Operation Angel, was arrested by the Yugoslav soldiers while trying to cross the border towards Albania illegally, together with refugees from Kosovo.
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Sarajevo – Haris Silajdzic Co-Chair of the BiH CoM and Yoshu Takashima, non residential Japanese Ambassador to BiH, signed a protocol on the Japanese Government’s donation intended for the reconstruction of roads in the Federation and RS. The donation will lead to the further economic development of Bosnia, Takashima said. Ambassador Tokashima and Silajdzic were shown speaking on this occasion.
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Sarajevo – Edhem Bicakcic, BiH Prime Minister along with Nedeljko Despotovic, Minister for Development and Reconstruction in BiH Government held talks with the Japanese Ambassador Takashima about realisation of the reconstruction projects in which the Japanese Government is participating. It was agreed that the administrative and other obstacles, which hold back efficient realisation of the projects should be put aside much quicker.
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Visoko and Zenica – Edhem Bicakcic visited Visoko and Zenica today. He put into operation a part of the factory for primary wood processing in a veneer factory in Visoko. In Zenica he talked with the heads of the Steel Factory about the possibilities for the foreign investments in order to start production. The Kuwait businessman will visit Zenica next week.
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Washington – James Rubin, State Department Spokesman rejected the New York Times assertions that US gave up idea of arresting Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic. They two belong only to one place, and I repeat, they belong to the Hague, he said.
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Brcko – A session of the multi ethnic Assembly should have been held in Brcko today. The killing of the returnee Admir Karic influenced the work of this body. After long breaks and discussion with the international representatives, it was agreed that the plan for discussion of two way returns be delayed to 25 August. Before that date, analyses of the political and security situation will be made in the region of arbitrage, and measures for preventing incidents will be suggested.
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Dubica – Reports on the assistance of the German humanitarian organisation Help to reconstruct 50 Bosniak houses.
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Sarajevo – Members of the BiH TV Provisional Steering Board (SB) accepted the Statute of the Radio TV BiH in the form, which the HR Carlos Westendorp suggested. This document defines the role of the Provisional SB, Radio TV BiH editing policy and the way of covering the pre election events. Although it was presumed that the new director of the RTV BiH would be appointed today, the journalists learned after the meeting, that the head of this institution will be announced tomorrow.
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