- Organized returns of Kosovo Albanians to Pristina started today
- The 1st St. Vidus Day without a pilgrimage to Gazimestan
- Sarajevo Canton Interior Ministry continues fighting crime – new charges submitted
- As of July 1st KMs in exchange bureaus of Croatia
- Border-crossings at Orasje and Silaj blocked this morning.
Sarajevo Canton Interior Ministry continues with their action against organized crime. New charges were submitted to the Public Prosecution of the Canton, against Bilal Basovic, owner of “Hotes” company, Namik Busatlic, former Director of “Energoinvest-Energopetrol” company, Zaim Memic, Head of Financial Operations Dept. of Tobacco Factory, and Mevsudin Drekovic, Director of “Privredna Banka” Sarajevo (PBS). The charges were submitted due to a reasonable assumption that a fraud was committed and that an abuse of public office took place. The charges read that Busatlic on March 12 1997 signed an unauthorized contract with PBS, and deposited DM 100,000, the money with which Drekovic credited “Hotes” without prior checking on its financial viability. The credit was never reimbursed. The same procedure was applied between Tobacco Factory and PBS and “Hotes”, in which DM 600,000 damage was on September 30 1997 inflicted on Tobacco Factory.
2:00
“Splitska” Bank from Croatia and BiH Central Bank Governor Peter Nicholl signed today a contract authorizing the former bank to start exchanging KM currency for other currencies pending Jule 1st. Nicholl said the contract will both further strengthen the BiH currency and have a positive impact on Croatian tourism this year.
1:40
This is the first year without a massive pilgrimage of Serbs to Gazimestan to mark St. Vidus Day. In year 1999 Serb opposition calls for removal of FRY President Milosevic instead. Only few liturgies have been today reported in few Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo. An organized return of Albanians to Pristina started today. Kosovars, 800 of them, are returning to RTV Pristina as well. UNHCR reports that 415,000 Albanians returned to the province so far. Wesley Clark stated today that he expects all KLA units to start laying down their weapons by midnight.
2:50
BiH Presidency Chair Ante Jelavic addressed yesterday a gathering of Croat refugees from RS in Slobodni Brod. TV BiH released HRT “Motrista” report of the event. Jelavic emphasized that 600,000 Croats and Bosniacs were forced to leave the RS. As Bosnian Croats have opened the door of the Croat majority cities (Mostar, Drvar, Grahovo, Glamoc) to Serb returnees, it is logical now that RS opens its doors to Croat returnees, Jelavic said.
1:30
Croatian agriculture workers blocked a huge number of Croatian border-crossings on Saturday. Croatian Association of Agriculture Workers announced yesterday they will block more crossings unless the Croatian Government meets their demands. Today they blocked border-crossings at Orasje and Silaj.
1:35