OHR BiH TV News Summary, 30 March 1998

Sarajevo – We do not want a war in Kosovo. We shall use all our influence although it is not large, to find a solution for the Kosovo problem, Alija Izetbegovic, BiH Presidency President said to Javier Solana, NATO Secretary General in today’s telephone conversation. AI condemned the violence in Kosovo and interceded for a peaceful solution there.
1:00

Sarajevo – A new American Embassy’s press release relating the Gelbard – Zubak talks, followed yesterday after Zubak commented on his meeting with the US Special Envoy. The whole statement was read and said, among other things, that in his talks with Zubak, Ambassador Gelbard pointed out Washington’s stance that the Bosnian Croat leadership is mainly responsible for the current Federation stagnation. He underlined the recent Bosnian Croat leadership’s blockage of 10 million USD assistance for food. BiH has lost this help due to the Bosnian Croat attitude. Similar behaviour has now postponed an agreement with the IMF.
1:30

Zagreb – Gelbard visited the Croatian capital on the same day as Sarajevo. Full and consistent co-operation with the Dayton implementation was demanded from the Croatian President. Following this visit the Foreign Ministers of Croatia and BiH Mate Granic and Jadranko Prlic signed the Agreement on the Establishment of the Council for Co-operation between Croatia and BiH. After the signing ceremony, President Tudjman received Minister Prlic and Ambassador Muratovic. The talks focused on the start to the work of the Council, mutual relations between the two countries, especially relations between Croatia and the Federation, about the harbour Ploce and free movement through Neum.
3:00

This Agreement confirms a decisiveness for advanced good neighbourly relations between our two countries on the basis of confidence, co-operation and respect of interests of both sides, Jadranko Prlic, BiH Foreign Minister told the news in Zagreb and added: It foresees consultations and co-ordination of the activities which are in the interest of both sides, co-operation with the IC, solution of the succession question, etc. There follows a description of the Council structure in details as well as Prlic’s reiterated listing of the important Council’s tasks.
1:30

Doboj – Edhem Bicakcic and Milorad Dodik, BiH Federation and RS Prime Ministers met in Doboj today. Their talks behind closed doors, focused on the establishment of the Railway Corporation in accordance with the Dayton provisions. In their address to the media after the meeting, satisfaction due to the successful works was obvious. They announced the establishment of the BiH Railway Corporation. The two also confirmed a similar solution for other fields of economy. I can inform that we have cleared up all pending railway problems, Milorad Dodik told the news. The contract which will be signed, will enable the railways to start functioning normally in the whole BiH and both entities, he concluded. This is the first corporation established according the Annex 9 of the DPA, Bicakcic said. Follows a description of the BiH Railways capacities.
2:30

Zenica – The Executive Council of the BiH Railways analysed their own previous work, as well as the establishment of the Railway Corporation, at a meeting in Zenica, today. The BiH Railway Corporation will have mutual infra-structure, and the entities will have transport companies which will function on the territory of the whole country. Mostar – The State Expert Team for seeking missing persons has been working since 16 March on exhumations from the mass graves on the western Neretva bank. After the mass graves in Balinovac, Medjine and Mihovici, the exhumations started in Liska Park, today. During the day, two complete bodies were found as well as a body of a baby and the parts of one body.
1:00

There follow reports from the parties’ press conferences. Hercegovina Neretva Canton – Two houses were burned down last night in the village Pljesevica, near Stolac, one in Crnica, also near Stolac and two in the village Bivolje Brdo, in the municipality Capljina. BiH Press informs of the Assemblies meeting dates: Assembly sessions of the HoRs and the HoPs are scheduled to be held on 14 and 15 April.