Brussels – NATO will be prepared to take action on Kosovo, next week. This action performed by the air forces and limited only on Serbia, will be the last warning to Milosevic, BiH PRESS informs quoting AFP after this morning informal meeting of the NATO Council of Ambassadors. A formal start of the military operations can be accepted on Wednesday when NATO Council convenes. The situation on Kosovo is more peaceful today.
2:30
Belgrade – American State Secretary Madelaine Albright warned the FRY President Slobodan Milosevic to stop the Serbian offensive on Kosovo if he doesn’t want to be faced with a NATO answer to it. The same was done by the French Government
0:30
Vukasin Maras, Montenegro Minister of the Interrior Affairs rejected Milosevi’c request to send the Montenegro police powers to Kosovo to help the Serbian police to fight there.
1:00
Sarajevo – Wesley Clark, NATO Commander for Europe along with the General Erik Shinseki paid a visit to Kresimir Zubak. Their discussion was focused on the Annex 7 of the DPA, functioning and reconstructing of the police and the situation in the light of the forthcoming elections in BiH. They tackled also the problems of crime in the Federation and BiH state and discussed the Brcko issue.
2:00
The NATO Commander for Europe talked also with the Federation Defence Minister, Ante Jelavic. This was an occasion to discuss the country’s security, refugee return and the general pre-election situation, Wesley Clark told the journalist at the end of the visit.
1:30
Sarajevo – Kresimir Zubak, received Jacques Klein, Principal Deputy HR. The talks focused on the possible solution of the harbour Ploce issue. Antwerp and Thessalonica were mentioned as good examples for it. Talking of the problems in the Central BiH, specifically in Travnik, they expressed their hope in the quick return of the Croatian officials and the policemen to their duties and their participation in the process of the investigation of the incident in which policeman Ante Valjan was killed.
1:30
Sarajevo – USA condemned the unacceptable violent act which happened on 31 August in Travnik, when a policeman was killed, reads today’s American Embassy Press Release. This act was meant to discourage all efforts for the implementation of the key elements of the DPY which include a refugee return and police reintegration..
2:00
Vitez – A blockade of the village Gacice in municipality Vitez by the Croatian residents continued today. Although a Municipality Commissioner tried to calm down the situation, about 60 Bosniak refugees who wanted to return to their homes, had to leave the village again.
1:00
Bugojno – The remains of 19 persons of the Croatian nationality who were killed in 1993 have been buried in Bugojno today.
1:30
Sarajevo – The Federation Government will discuss a problem of the BiH National Bank liquidation and send its results to: the OHR, Governor Peter Nicholl and the State Presidency. A suggestion to discuss this question came from the announcement of William Dudley, National Bank Liquidator and Didier Fau, Deputy HR at the yesterday’s Press Conference.
1:30
Sarajevo – Croatian Ambassador Darinko Bago answered the open letter of Ahmed Smajic, Federal Minister for Agriculture, Forests and Waters concerning Hercegovina farmers blockade of the state boarder between BiH and Croatia. The letter quotes Ambassador Bago saying that Croatia did not put into operation any new decisions on the import regime. I am surprised by your reaction since I presumed that exactly you would hail a strict implementation of the agreements between BiH and Croatia, reads a letter.
2:00
Zenica – Better days for Steel Factory in Zenica can be expected after a Turkish Delegation visited factory today. Realisation of a project stipulated today is expected in two months.
1:30
Washington – The official Washington has warned Bonn on the problems of returns to the regions which are not the original homes of the refugees. The Association of the refugees and DPs criticised today the politic of 5.000 humanitarian workers in BiH who propose return of the refugees under any conditions and themselves have not much contributed to the solving of their problems once they return. Their large salaries could be better spent for the reconstruction of the refugees’ homes, their critique concludes.
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There follow reports from the opposition parties press conferences.