Alija Izetbegovic, BiH Presidency Chaiman and members of the Presidency Kresimir Zubak and Momcilo Krajisnik met with Romano Prodi, Italian Prime Minister at the National Museum in Sarajevo today to talk of the implementation of DPA. Nudzeim Recica, BiH Minister for Civilian Affairs and his Deputy, Milan Krizanovic, also received the Italian Prime Minister. Their talks focused on the assistance of the Int. Com. with the reconstruction of BiH and necessity of the urgent holding of the Donor Conference. The main reason for Prodi’s arrival was to visit an Italian battalion serving with Sfor in BiH.
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Romano Prodi met also the HR Carl Bildt and then held a Press Conference pointing out the importance of the common institutions in BiH and the strengthening of peace as a pre-condition for a happier life in this part of the world. Follows description of Italian assistance to BiH.
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Haris Silajdzic and Boro Bosic, BiH CoM Co-Chairmen arrived in USA. Silajdzic has already started seeing representatives of the Clinton administration among which are planned: Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State, Bob Dole, Congressmen, World Bank officials, etc. Boro Bosic will attend some of planned meetings.
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Jadranko Prlic and Husein Zivalj, BiH Foreign Minister and his Deputy, started a working visit to the Council of Europe. They met with Hans-Peter Furrer, Political Director and Peter Liskola, CoE Representative in BiH. Their talks focused on common co-operation and the candidacy of BiH in the Council of Europe. Furrer accentuated that the priority pre-conditions for that goal are: establishing of the central authority organs, development of the local democracy including the forthcoming local elections, human rights, and the establishing of communications between and within entities.
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During his visit to Una-Sana Canton, Edhem Bicakcic, Federal Prime Minister held talks with officials from the municipalities of Kljuc, Bihac, Sanski Most and Bosanska Krupa. They discussed the refugees reception back home, enabling their accommodation, programs for their employment, and the return of Bosniaks to their homes in the Serb entity. Bicakcic went to see the remains of 62 bodies of the Bosniaks recently exhumed near Kljuc.
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Within its framework on carrying out refugee return projects in regions where they form a minority, the BiH Federation Government has offered nine municipalities in Sarajevo and nine in Tuzla-Podrinje and Zenica-Doboj Cantons, which are ready to receive 50.000 displaced Serbs. The east part of Mostar also expressed readiness to receive 100 Serb families. The Gorazde Canton sent a public Statement inviting all displaced Serbs to come back.
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The European Commission planned help worth DM 156,0 million for BiH in this year, ECHO – Agency for carrying out of projects announced on the occasion of the Day of Europe.
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After their regular weekly meeting with Sir Martin Garrod, Ivan Prskalo and Safet Orucevic, Mayor of Mostar and his Deputy announced that the problem concerning the establishing of 6 city municipalities was solved. We agreed to complete the work of establishing 6 city’s municipalities in the next 10 days, Prskalo told journalists. There should not be problems with it, since we demand the same structure in Mostar, which HDZ demands in Sarajevo, Orucevic assessed. They discussed also the problem of Hydro-electric Power Plant Mostar
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Vladimir Soljic and Ejup Ganic, Federation President and his Deputy held talks with Robert Frowick, OSCE Head of Mission in BiH, concerning the carrying out of local elections in Mostar and Brcko. Frowick will meet members of the Federal Commission and political parties to discuss electoral rules for these regions. Both Federal officials talked also with Michael Parmley about the elections and refugees return.
PEC announced new rules for the voters returnees at the forthcoming elections (Article13).
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Summary SRT News
Prijedor – Today this town hosted the central VRS Army Day parade, called ‘Freedom for All Serbs’. In her speech, RS President and Supreme Commander of the VRS, Plavsic emphasised that Serbs had never allowed the world powers to take away their freedom and right to have their own country, adding that those who took over the responsibility to take care of their fatherland would be the best keepers of peace and freedom. The peak of today’s event was supposed to be the aviation parade, but SFOR did not allow the RS fighter planes to take off.3:00
Bileca – The 7th Corps of the RS Army also organised a parade and paid tribute to soldiers killed during the war, and also awarded with medals of honour the soldiers with best achievements in the last 12 months. Commander of the 7th Corps told the soldiers that the result of the four-year war was the establishment of the RS, which was later verified by the DPA. ‘Therefore, our first goal has been accomplished. The main goal – integration with FRY – shall be achieved in time, peacefully and through political means.’ In Sokolac and Brcko, and other RS towns, VRS also celebrated the Army Day.
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National Museum [Sarajevo] – Krajisnik met the Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi, and discussed the implementation of the DPA. Krajisnik stressed the importance of financial assistance which will not only speed up the process of implementation of the DPA, but also enable the reconstruction of the RS and Federation. ‘… Of course, it is easier to implement peace when the country has financial backing.’ Krajisnik expressed his satisfaction that this meeting was carried out in accordance with the protocol, unlike the one with the German Foreign Minister Kinkel.
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Banja Luka – RS President Plavsic and Vice-president Mirjanic met HR Bildt and Brcko Supervisor Farrand, and talked about Gajevi and Koraj and the return of refugees to Brcko. Bildt said that non-implementation of decisions with regard to the issues above could have negative consequences for both entities. Supervisor Farrand said that he will do his best and what is in his mandate to enable the return. Plavsic will meet Bildt and Farrand again this Sunday.
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Short news:
Washington – During their five-day visit to the US, the CoM will meet WB representatives and the representatives of the US Congress and the Senate. A meeting with the US Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright is planned for Thursday.
Greek media report that a division of BiH is more and more certain, mainly because of Muslims who used to hide behind the mask of multi-ethnicity and unity of BiH but were in fact strongly opposed to coexistence with their neighbours.
According to Svjetski Sabor Srba [World Assembly of Serbs], Hans Van Den Broek is lighting a new fire in the Balkans and pushing this region back to its tragedy by conditioning return of refugees with the arrest of former RS President Karadzic and General Mladic.
According to German newspaper Die Welt, the Slovenian Defence Minister stated that Slovenia is expecting a new war in BiH, therefore it is in a hurry to join NATO. Slovenia has already offered two airports to SFOR and to NATO once SFOR leaves.
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Brcko – The process of registration of voters began this morning, seven days later than in other parts of RS. The response of the voters went beyond expectations, which gave hope to local authorities that this job will be successfully finished even before the deadline.
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