- Six miners injured in a fire in Bukinje mine
- Radoslav Brdjanin, Bosnian Serb indicted for war crimes arrested in Banja Luka
- Westendorp visits Republika Srpska – it is speculated that the reason is election of new government
- First meeting of the Coordinating Council for the Summit on the Pact of Stability held in Sarajevo
- What are the chances for a unique Federation-RS pension fund
- Kosovo – requests for Milosevic’s resignation
- Russian peacekeepers at Pristina airport
The top story of TV BiH’s prime time news was that Radoslav Brdjanin, another Bosnian Serb indicted for war crimes by The Hague Tribunal was arrested this morning in Banja Luka and will be by the end of the day transported to The Hague. Broadcasting SFOR‘s confirmation, TV BiH used SRT’s footage from Banja Luka. British troops arrested Brdjanin, who is currently a deputy in the RS Parliament, TV said. NATO Secretary General Javier Solana said that the arrest was undertaken under the peace force mandate in BiH. TV BIH said that the initial reactions in RS were negative, quoting RS Vice-President Mirko Sarovic as saying that all secret list of indicted war criminals should be made public. TV also allocated time for reaction of other RS officials and institutions. TV BiH aired footage from a 1993 (Bosnian Serb) TV program where Brdjanin “confessed,” his war crimes. Brdjanin talks about the existence of concentration camps and the situation in RS at the time.
6:00
New BiH national anthem will be in official use from Wednesday, after the High Representative Carlos Westendorp on June 25th imposed the law on the national anthem, TV BiH reported. Using the anthem as musical background, TV said that the anthem will be played at the swearing in ceremonies of all BiH top officials: members of both Houses of the Parliament Assembly, Council of Ministers, Constitutional Court etc. The anthem will be played at the beginning of the meetings of all BiH institutions, international games, etc.
1:40
The High Representative, Carlos Westendorp was in Banja Luka, today. TV BiH correspondent from Banja Luka unofficially found out that the main reason for Westendorp’s visit was the election of new RS government. Miso Vidovic, TV BiH correspondent was waiting for Westendorp to address the press at the time of the news broadcast, TV said.
0:30
At the end of the news Vidovic reported that Westendorp said that the international community will back up a government made of the Sloga coalition. The High Representative said he hopes that the next session of the RS Parliament will effective and that RS Vice-President Mirko Sarovic was on several occasion offered to take over as RS President but he refused.
2:30
Brian Atkinson, head of Crisis Group, said that the hosting the Summit on the Pact of Stability is major challenge to work together for representatives of both BiH entities and all three nations. It will also show if Sarajevo can be the permanent center of Pact, Atkinson said. As part of preparation for the summit the first meeting of the organizing committee was held in Sarajevo, TV said. Despite the fact that there has been no official confirmation that the summit will be held in Sarajevo, all preparations have started as if it will take place at the end of the month, TV BIH reported.
3:20